PubChef Anthony Williams, of the Williams Arms, in Braunton, Devon, offers his view on catering for vegetarians
Question, what is a vegetarian?
The answer according to the Oxford English Dictionary is a person who does not eat meat for moral, religious or health reasons.
Great, so now we know - but do they know! On more than one occasion we have had customers come to our carvery and say "I'm a vegetarian, do you have any chicken"? How do you cater for that?
Our carvery offers a selection of 18 different vegetable and potato dishes. I've often asked vegetarian customers who just ask for "a plate" why don't you have one of our vegetarian dishes from the menu.
Our most popular vegetarian dish being mushroom stroganoff with a saffron rice and a vegetable Provençal au gratin. More often than not, they turn down the offer, opting instead for a selection of vegetables with a vegetable gravy.
So are we doing enough for our vegetarian customers? In recent weeks, I have taken to asking them just that question, and on the whole, the response is we do more than most places.
I don't know what percentage of our customers are vegetarian or even pescatarians (fish-eating vegetarians) but, however few, we have to offer them a choice. Treat them as real customers, not as second-class citizens.
I do sometimes cook a veggie special and it surprises me just how many non-vegetarians, choose it. I feel that if I do a vegetarian special and a guy who usually has a blue T-bone orders it, then I must be doing something right.
As a pub chef, I think I'm a little confused about vegetarianism. Why would someone who doesn't eat meat want a veggie burger or veggie sausage, something that's made from vegetables that's made to look like meat. I definitely don't understand that one.
What I do understand is life could be better for a vegetarian eating in British pubs and it's up to us to do something about it.