In recent years, we’ve seen more people become more conscious about their meat consumption, and as a result, there have been plenty of people who are turning to alternative meat products. Because of this, we’ve seen a rise in different meatless products or restaurants catering to those choosing to go meatless. But recently, the U.K’s first vegan butcher shop opened up.
And on its very first day, it was off to a good start. There was a long line wrapping around the street as it opened. And it came as no surprise that their products sold out during the first day. The shop, Rudy’s Vegan Butchers, is located on the corner of Islington Park Street and Upper Street in North London. The owners also own Rudy’s Vegan Diner in Camden.
3️⃣ Nearly there! 206 Upper Street, N1 1RQ, 11am to 7pm on 1 Nov. Online shop opens at 11am too! See you soon 😱♥️
*Entrance on Islington Park Street #rudyaveganbutcher #veganbutcher #veganfood #veganbutcheruk pic.twitter.com/2KpZjQEcdC
— Rudy’s Vegan Diner (@rudysDVD) October 29, 2020
As the owners proudly shared in their Instagram post, they received 100 orders within their first 10 minutes! Following this, the shop posted to Instagram to share their good news that they had sold out of their products on their first day due to the large crowds which had gathered even before the butcher shop had opened their doors.
They proudly posted to Instagram that they were “SOLD OUT,” something that the owners were humbled by and gave a special acknowledgment to the public for their outpouring of support. The butcher shop was stocked with a plethora of products, all of which were sold out the first day. Their range of “meat” products included charcuterie options like plant-based smoked ham, salami de Provence, pepperoni, and pastrami. In addition, there were other meat-free options to popular precuts like ribs, lobster salad, bacon, burgers, chicken liver pate, and Christmas turkeys.
Besides in-store shopping, the vegan butcher shop also has a delivery service for customers living outside of London through their website. While the shop was proving to be a smashing success on its first day, there have been some meat-eaters who have criticized the store. One of those critics included the well-known vegan-hater and TV host, Piers Morgan, who posted on Twitter, “A vegan butcher’s shop… and people wonder why I’ve written a book about the world going nuts.”
But for as much criticism as the shop might have gotten, there were plenty of people who supported their vision. According to plantbasednews, one person who Tweeted in response, “The world going nuts is the reason for a shop like this. Plant food is the future otherwise we won’t have a future at all. Simple really.”
Either way, we’re happy that the store is doing well, and hope it continues its success despite the current pandemic.
Check out the footage of their opening day line below: