LL LIFE
Best burger in the city (and guess what ... it’s vegan!)
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By CHARLIE LAU
uke Street’s exceedingly popular basement diner Down The Hatch has been named as one of the best burger joints in the country. Stagweb, a ‘stag do’ planning website, recently compiled a list of the top 30 burger restaurants in the UK based on dining experience and value for money and Down The Hatch was the only Liverpool restaurant to feature, beating off competition from some other beloved outlets in Merseyside. The website had high praise for Liverpool’s vegan fast food diner, declaring that the joint is ‘testament to the fact that you don’t need meat to enjoy a deliciously dirty burger’. In an age where the growing desire for a healthier lifestyle has seen veganism expand, it seems as though Down The Hatch is leading the way for similar trendy diners looking for a sustainable future. A 300% increase in UK vegans since 2014 has seen vegan joints all across the country begin to take centre stage over more typical burger joints. With only 40% of the global population projected to consume meat by 2040, it appears that vegan restaurants are becoming economically viable as well as environmentally strong. Rikki Baker of Down The Hatch said: “The good thing about now is that there is a big push for veganism, and with demand comes creation. For the last few years, people have started to think about their own health and the environment, so since we have opened, more and more places keep popping up around Liverpool.
“You can see the evidence that veganism is on the rise just through going to the supermarket. Three years ago you might have found one or two types of vegan sausages, now you will find plenty.” But does Down The Hatch really have the best burger experience in Merseyside, or does nothing still beat a good beef burger? Lola Jones, 27, couldn’t resist going back for more after her first visit. She said: “Although I’m pescatarian and not vegan myself, the food at Down The Hatch rivals any other fast food “I’ve tried before, plant based or not. With helpful service, an intimate atmosphere and joyful food, it creates an all-round brilliant experience which I recommend to anyone in Liverpool!” Daniel Chinn, a 22-year-old aspiring actor from Milton Keynes, confessed: “It’s hard to beat a beef burger, but the burgers at Down The Hatch come really close. I’m not usually a fan of vegan food and it took me some convincing to get down there, but, I’m not going to lie, I’m glad I did.” With veganism as the top consumer trend in 2018, it is the junk food joints that are helping the lifestyle to become more and more mainstream, says the Vegan Society. Duke Street’s hidden bunker is somewhere that ardent meat eaters and zealous veggies can harmoniously enjoy their meals and it is places such as these which are undoubtedly helping to promote the vegan diet to even its most hesitant opposers. Rikki Baker added: “This is my family’s restaurant. It’s the most important part of my life. It’s probably one of our greatest achievements.”
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It took me some convincing to get down there, but, I’m not going to lie, I’m glad I did
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Veganism in numbers: • In 2018, the UK launched more vegan products than any other nation • The number of vegans in Great Britain quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, from 150,000 to 600,000 • Vegan meals are the fastest growing takeaway choice in the UK • Vegans and vegetarians will make up a quarter of the UK population by 2025 From the Vegan Society 13
