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Original poster

That restaurants should know parmesan isn't vegetarian?

360 replies

SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:11

My Mum has booked this restaurant and asked if I want to come along.

Surely the chef should know this?

https://www.315barandrestaurant.co.uk/

Wibu to get in touch with them and ask if it is actually a parmesan substitute (in which case it should be labelled correctly!) Or if they can develop a different dish that actually IS vegetarian? There are two dishes with parmesan on the vegetarian menu.

315 Bar and Restaurant, Lepton, Huddersfield – 315 boasts fine dining, luxury accommodation, an invigorating health spa and so much more

https://www.315barandrestaurant.co.uk

OP posts:
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SirAlfredSpatchcock · 13/06/2024 16:37

behindthemall · 13/06/2024 16:19

I can’t see the dish you mean, but they also seem to have a vegetarian crab bruschetta that doesn’t include crustaceans… so I’m sceptical about their whole menu tbh

An awful lot of people don't see fish/sea food as meat, though. It's far from uncommon to hear people claim to be vegetarian - and be firm in their disgust at the thought of eating chicken or beef - yet they do happily eat fish and seafood.

There was a thread on here recently about how hard it can be to be a vegetarian when eating out, and a number of posters said that they would have the fish as a 'compromise' when I'm sure that not one of them would have 'just had the lamb instead' in the absence of anything vegetarian and suitable.

As an omnivore myself, it makes no sense to me when people claim the clear label for somebody who does not eat any meat, but will cheerfully eat the meat from fish or other sea creatures.

TomatoSandwiches · 13/06/2024 16:35

WingsofRain · 13/06/2024 16:31

You need to kill the calf to get the enzyme so it’s not something a vegetarian would eat.

If the calf just excreted it and we could collect it that would be different, but sadly it isn’t.

Show quote history

So a vegetarian could eat honey but not a vegan?

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 13/06/2024 16:34

WingsofRain · 13/06/2024 16:31

You need to kill the calf to get the enzyme so it’s not something a vegetarian would eat.

If the calf just excreted it and we could collect it that would be different, but sadly it isn’t.

Show quote history

It's a learning experience and good to know!

VanWeezer · 13/06/2024 16:33

Just had a look at the menu. There is loads of stuff that you would expect to be vegetarian (many of the side dishes and desserts) that don't have the veggie sign.

I don't think they have a clue or care if something is veggie or not

We have a local restaurant that is quite posh. The only vegetarian option has parmesan on it. I just ranted to myself and never visited

Wizardcalledoz · 13/06/2024 16:32

I would ask for clarification on the parmesan and pesto in a way that will inform them if they dont know!

WingsofRain · 13/06/2024 16:31

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 13/06/2024 16:29

I wouldn't have thought it wasn't veggie because it contained an enzyme from calf's stomach's... because as far as I knew vegetarian meant no meat or gelatine

Going so far as no animal product would be vegan. And then cheese would be a no anyway because dairy

You need to kill the calf to get the enzyme so it’s not something a vegetarian would eat.

If the calf just excreted it and we could collect it that would be different, but sadly it isn’t.

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 13/06/2024 16:29

I wouldn't have thought it wasn't veggie because it contained an enzyme from calf's stomach's... because as far as I knew vegetarian meant no meat or gelatine

Going so far as no animal product would be vegan. And then cheese would be a no anyway because dairy

sleepyscientist · 13/06/2024 16:28

Can't get on the website but Parmesan can be vegetarian it's parmigiano-Reggiano which is the original version that isn't vegetarian.

I would assume something labelled Parmesan is a substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano if it's a decent restaurant as they would use the full name.

TomatoSandwiches · 13/06/2024 16:27

SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:22

@TomatoSandwiches but they aren't! A lot of them contain things from animal parts. Enough don't, for this sort of situation to be unnecessary.

Well everyday is a school day ( especially for me! ) I thought so long as it wasn't meat it was all good.
I'll have to make sure I educate myself a bit more thoroughly, thank you.

Elphame · 13/06/2024 16:26

Annoying isn't it - our local Italian is always trying to wave one of those ridiculously large parmesan grinder over my vegetarian choice and you have to be quick to stop them. I sent my meal back the one time I wasn't quick enough.

I do often wonder though whether my veggie pasta is truly veggie. I've definitely been served vegetable soup made with chicken stock

Original poster
SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:26

behindthemall · 13/06/2024 16:19

I can’t see the dish you mean, but they also seem to have a vegetarian crab bruschetta that doesn’t include crustaceans… so I’m sceptical about their whole menu tbh

Which menu is that on please? Didn't spot that.

OP posts:
SirAlfredSpatchcock · 13/06/2024 16:26

A lot of people are under the impression that vegetarians (only) don't eat (visible, identifiable) meat and it's just vegans who don't eat any animal products.

They don't get the distinction between a product produced BY an animal and one produced FROM an animal (i.e. for which the animal must be killed).

A chef - indeed anybody involved in catering/serving food - should definitely know, though.

MasterBeth · 13/06/2024 16:24

I wouldn't be expecting great things from a restaurant that's charging £19 for a bowl of pesto pasta.

Original poster
SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:23

That's my thoughts exactly @sleekcat . If Its a sub, it should stipulate that on the menu. Otherwise It's false advertising.

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Allywill · 13/06/2024 16:23

It does say you can request it as a vegan option which presumably would be without the cheese but yes they should know.

ItsNotAShopItsAStore · 13/06/2024 16:22

I didn’t know until that (brilliant) Come Dine With Me episode where a horrible bloke acted like a total cock about a guest being vegetarian

Original poster
SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:22

@TomatoSandwiches but they aren't! A lot of them contain things from animal parts. Enough don't, for this sort of situation to be unnecessary.

OP posts:
CalicoPusscat · 13/06/2024 16:22

I'd ask them. If they don't know they should.

Waitrose do a nice 'parmesan', haven't tried any others. Pesto in the chilled section of supermarkets tends to be V for some reason.

TomatoSandwiches · 13/06/2024 16:21

Honestly I would have thought any and every cheese is vegetarian but not vegan.

Original poster
SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:19

Calf's, not calves.

OP posts:
behindthemall · 13/06/2024 16:19

I can’t see the dish you mean, but they also seem to have a vegetarian crab bruschetta that doesn’t include crustaceans… so I’m sceptical about their whole menu tbh

Original poster
SpikyCoconut · 13/06/2024 16:19

Not just an animal product (all cheeses are an animal product) but one coming from a calves stomach which is not vegetarian. There's a lot of waxing lyrical about how great the chef is, on that website. Which somehow makes it worse.

By developing a different dish they just need to omit the parmesan or come up with an alternative if it is essential to the dish itself.

I appreciate that if you've never had to think about it you might not know, but a chef does (or at least should)!

OP posts:
sleekcat · 13/06/2024 16:18

sleekcat · 13/06/2024 16:17

Pesto is also not typically vegetarian, although you can get a few versions that are.

I just said that because I clicked on the vegetarian menu and noticed the dishes with Parmesan also contain pesto.

sleekcat · 13/06/2024 16:17

Pesto is also not typically vegetarian, although you can get a few versions that are.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 13/06/2024 16:17

sleekcat · 13/06/2024 16:15

Real parmesan is never vegetarian but you can get a hard cheese substitute that is. However, if they have advertised it as parmesan then either it's a false description or it isn't vegetarian.

Interesting.

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