Why a vegan KFC matters

That’s right, your very own cruelty-free KFC with fried chicken buckets to indulge in until you cannot stomach another nugget. You can also enjoy it as a burger, popcorn chicken or tender strips, with sides of coleslaw or even chopped into mac ‘n’ cheese, an indulgence that would most likely even have the most avid meat eaters drooling.

If, for some reason, anyone is questioning the reasoning behind this, Rebecca McGuinness of Temple of Seitan has explained her actions. “A lot of people say they would go vegan or vegetarian but they would miss this or that, but most people say they would miss chicken.” Agreed? Agreed. “There are so many chicken shops in London so we felt that if there was a vegan alternative, it may persuade people to give it a go, and if they liked it maybe they would change their minds about what they perceive vegan food to be.”

The Temple of Seitan

So, what exactly is seitan? It is made from gluten, which is the main protein of wheat. Wheat flour dough is washed with water to remove all the starch, with just the insoluble gluten left behind which is then cooked, and is technically an alternative to meat-alternatives such as tofu (the options really are endless).

Rebecca perhaps describes it better, explaining “seitan is a meat alternative made from wheat protein powder. It can be made with gluten flour, water and seasonings that best emulate the flavours of the meat you are trying to replicate. We make all of our own seitan from scratch.”

In an interview with Sainsbury's Homemade, she claims that the best seasonings for the chicken include sage, salt and garlic, boiled in vegan chicken stock or vegetable broth. Though relatively new to the UK, it has been documented since the 6th century in China. Temple of Seitan has been harnessing its meaty powers since their debut in April 2016 and it has clearly gone down a treat given that they are upgrading to a standalone shop just 9 months later.