Alejandro Cancino

The awarded chef on veganism, opening a regional kitchen and fighting the industrial food complex.

I BECAME VEGAN when I moved to Australia. I previously worked in a restaurant in Tokyo where I met someone who introduced me to veganism. Back then, I didn’t really understand why people would restrict all this beautiful food you can have. I thought, ‘I’m a chef, I’ve done this all my life, I can’t go vegan’. But the more I read and watched, the harder it became to ignore. After Tokyo, I went back to Argentina for a month and did more research. I found no reason not to go vegan, it made sense in every way.

By the time I arrived in Australia, I was conflicted. Should I go to a restaurant that serves meat and slowly try to veganise the menu while building a good reputation? I went to Urbane and every time I did an event, it would be plant-based. A year or so ago, I decided it was time. We got three hats three years in a row. I had the awards and the reputation and it was time to do what I really wanted, which was to focus my energy and skills on plant-based dining.

The environment is such a big thing and the impact of food is huge. Producing meat is not an efficient way to feed a population; you need grains, water and land. It’s an inefficient way to produce calories, when you could just eat the grain the animal was fed. It’s the industrial way we produce our food. We opened our company, Fenn Foods, and venue, Lola’s Pantry, and we’re slowly changing that.

I try more and more to understand the big picture and educate myself about the reality. Not long ago, I had a chat with one of our suppliers and I said, ‘I don’t want to use canola oil anymore because of what I’ve read about GMO’. He said it was complete nonsense and explained why. I understand now that in South Australia, where we get our canola oil, GMO is banned.

Chefs walk away from the movement because there is pressure to be perfect. You’re not going to change a whole lifetime of habits overnight. Everyone is on their own journey. Slowly, they’ll change. When I left Urbane, it was hard for the first few months. Now, I’m glad I made the move. It’s just the start. The whole system will change and I’m proud to be a part of that. ■