Fleetwood leading the way for vegan and vegetarian food, says fast food boss

That’s the view of Tony Sun who, for the past two years, has been running the Seitan Hustle, a takeaway outlet on Lord Street which offers animal-free chicken wings, kebabs and burgers.

Tony, who was born in China and came to the Fylde coast as a youngster, says people who don’t eat meat now have a great choice in the former fishing port, as there are several other places also offering vegetarian and vegan options on the menu.

Apart from Seitan Hustle, he says two other establishments - Wok Box and Vegan Vegetarian Street Food - both based in Fleetwood Market, are flying the flag for meat-free food.

The Street Food unit opens this Friday (September 1) as a new venture.

Tony says: “There use to be a time when it was really hard if you were vegetarian or vegan – your choices were really limited.

"Things are changing, though, and it's amazing that Fleetwood, a fairly small town, is leading the way in our area.

"The kind of choice you now have is probably better than what you would get in bigger places like Morecambe or even Preston.”

Tony, 28, is a vegan himself but admits that the smell of fast food outlets that sell fried chicken and burgers is always enticing.

As an answer for people who like meat but choose not to eat it, he offers a meat substitute which he says tastes like the real thing.

Seitan is wheat protein which his team makes on the premises, ideal for vegetarians although not for those who have issues with gluten.

He says: “Of all the substitutes I think it has the most meat-like texture and you can do more with it.

“It really does taste like the real thing. We have customers coming a long way just to have vegetarian food which tastes like meat you’d get in a tasty fast food place.”

Vegan food at the Fleetwood Market

The Wok Box, owned by Siabhan Swindells, 36, is based in the outdoor food court at Fleetwood Market, off Victoria Street.

Siabhan offers hot meals during the day, including food with rice and noodles, and says all the sauces and bases are suitable for vegans.

She said: “We have a lot of options here for vegetarians and vegans – dishes with chick peas, tofu and vegetables.

"I even order in some of the seitan from Tony, for people who want a bit of a naughty kick but which is actually meat free.

"It is getting better now if you don’t eat meat and for a small area like this, there’s now a lot of choice in Fleetwood.”

Siabhan says the Wok Box is aimed at being a healthy eating establishment and it offers ‘portion-controlled’ meals comprising the base, vegetables, protein and sauce.

Valerie Maratzzi, 57 and originally from London, will be offering international, plant-based food when Vegan Vegetarian Street Food opens on Friday.

She said: “ We’ll have dishes from all over the world and most of it gluten-free too.

"It’s an international menu and we’ll be offering dishes from literally all over the world.”

Valerie’s menu will include vegetable versions of Falafel (Israel), Moroccan tagine, Mexican chilli, spinnach and feta parcels (Greece) and a Peruvian recipe for vegetables in pita bread.

She added: "There are so many options you can offer which don’t need meat, although some places are still lagging behind.

"Fleetwood doesn’t seem to be, though, we can’t wait to open.”