MasterChef Star William Sitwell Fears Veganuary Could Threaten His Somerset Pub

William Sitwell, a MasterChef judge and owner of The White Hart in Wiveliscombe, Somerset, has expressed concerns that the growing Veganuary movement could jeopardize his traditional pub business. Having taken over the establishment in December, Sitwell described his new role as “hell” and now fears the impact of people abstaining from meat and alcohol during January.

In a recent Telegraph column, Sitwell compared Veganuary and Dry January to “grim reapers” standing at the door of hospitality businesses. He explained, “People have always cooled it a little after Christmas, but then came the twin devils of Dry January and Veganuary. They are, for hospitality, like a pair of grim reapers standing sentinel at the door.”

Sitwell also highlighted how vegan dishes require more preparation time and argued that such meals should be priced higher than traditional meat dishes. “People get outraged at the cost of a ‘cauliflower steak’ but really, it should cost more than a real steak because of the time it takes to faff with the produce to create something worthy of a centrepiece,” he said.

This is not the first time Sitwell has been involved in controversy regarding veganism. In 2018, he resigned as editor of Waitrose Food after making an inappropriate joke about killing vegans in response to a freelance journalist’s request for vegan recipe ideas. Sitwell later apologized widely, stating his respect for all dietary choices and expressing regret for any offense caused.

While there is no official government data tracking the number of vegans in the UK, the Vegan Society estimates that 3% of the population follows a vegan lifestyle. Interestingly, their research indicates that 4% of people in the South West identify as vegan, a statistic relevant to Sitwell’s Somerset location.

As Veganuary continues to grow in popularity, traditional hospitality venues like The White Hart face the challenge of adapting while maintaining their identity.