New recipes, Busted Myths, Legal Wins & Where to Eat

THE SCRUFFY CLUB IN AUGUST

Hello Subscriber First Name,

Welcome back to the club house. We’ve got some serious stuff to get off our chests today, plus a brand-new segment to make your travel planning a whole lot more delicious.

Let's Talk About "Mildness" (A Rant)

Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more formerly fully vegan restaurants sneaking animal products back onto their menus, and the community response is always: "Oh, we need to show them mildness."

Let’s get one thing straight. If you are an individual transitioning to a plant-based diet, dealing with a serious cheese addiction, or navigating medical restrictions—yes, you deserve all the mildness and support in the world. But when an established restaurant that has successfully run a fully vegan menu for years decides to slip dairy or meat back in, that isn't "necessity"—it’s marketing pragmatism.

Promoting this as a positive step is like influencers who claim, "I’m vegan, but I still eat bacon". It's a backward transition. Right now, we are riding a countertrend focused on "proteins" and "individual choices," but like all marketing hypes, it will fade. Veganism has found a massive common ground, and it is absolutely here to stay. So stay with me & us.

As a reward for listening to my rant, here is some genuinely incredible news, a heavy reality check, and some epic places to eat.

The recipes

Bologna

Yes, you can make a completely plant-based, sliceable bologna. And no, it doesn’t involve any weird laboratory chemicals. We are using humble red lentils, creamy cashews, and a tiny piece of beetroot to trick your brain into thinking it is the real deal.

Torched creme brulee

Who says vegans have to miss out on the ultimate dessert classic? This recipe takes rich, fat plant milk and turns it into a silky, wobbly custard with a crackable, torched lid that will make you feel like a professional pastry chef.

Triple lemon pancakes

Why choose between a fluffy pancake, toasted meringue, and thick lemon curd when you can have all three? This recipe is a bright, sweet, citrus-packed explosion that makes for a theatrical weekend brunch centerpiece.

Steamed rice cheese

Meltable, sliceable, and deeply savory cheese made from... rice? It sounds completely crazy, but this block cheese matures beautifully in the fridge and is perfect for melting on pizzas or slicing into sandwiches.

Crispy sweet pomelo tofu

Takeout style, but way better and with zero animal cruelty. We are pressing the tofu to make it incredibly crispy, then coating it in a sticky, sweet and sour ginger-pomelo glaze that will make you forget about your local Chinese restaurant.

The news

Photo by Zsófia Vera Mezei on Unsplash

A Massive Win at the European Court

For the first time ever, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that ethical veganism meets the required level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion, and importance to be legally protected under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (which covers freedom of thought, conscience, and religion). Emi Leese breaks down on her Substack exactly why this is a monumental moment for vegan rights.

Read Emi Leese piece on Substack to learn more

Debunked: "We Feed the World"

You’ve probably heard Dutch politicians like Mona Keijzer claim that if things go wrong in Europe, countries like the Netherlands would be in massive trouble because they contribute so much to the global food supply.

Let's burst that bubble: the Netherlands doesn’t feed the world; the world feeds the Dutch animal farm industry.

While the Netherlands is Europe's biggest meat exporter, researcher Imke de Boer from Wageningen University looked at actual calorie and protein data. The reality? The Netherlands imports three times as many calories and proteins as it exports. To keep their massive livestock numbers alive, they are the 3rd largest soy importer in the entire world.

It’s time to stop feeding livestock and start growing plants directly for humans.

Check out Follow the money

Vegan cliffhanger

A vegan 90-year-old sets a dead hang world record. Need I say more?

We are not angry enough

Honestly, where is the outrage at the absolute destruction happening right in front of our eyes?

We are absolutely furious. Livestock farming is one of the leading drivers of global environmental collapse, yet people look the other way:

Deforestation: Animal agriculture is responsible for roughly 91% of Amazon destruction because of the mind-boggling amount of land cleared for grazing and growing feed.
Water Depletion: Farmed animals gulp down about one-third of the world's fresh water.
Biodiversity Loss: A 2021 UN report explicitly stated that animal farming is the primary cause of global biodiversity loss, and we must shift toward plant-heavy dietary patterns to stop it.

And the next time someone tries to blame vegan soy consumption for destroying the rainforest, hit them with this: 77% of the world's soy is fed directly to livestock, while only a measly 7% is turned into tofu, soy milk, and actual human food.

More here.

Who to follow

Need to clean up your feed? Hit follow on these game-changers:

Bernat Ananos Martinez: The founder of the Spanish vegan brand Heura. He handles communications and marketing, and he is absolutely not afraid of starting a little storm with his posts.
Xavi Animal: A tattoo artist and vegan activist who is just pure at heart.
Gabriela Lerner: She offers a beautifully broad, refreshing perspective on veganism that goes way beyond the usual talking points.

Where to eat

We are officially launching our "Where to Eat" segment! Here are three of our absolute favorite plant-based spots around the globe that you need to visit:

London — Facing Heaven: A killer neighborhood spot in Hackney serving up mind-blowing regional Chinese food.
New York — Jajaja Mexicana: I still remember the first time I ate here and had my mind completely blown. They’ve been so successful they already have four locations.
Kathmandu — Vegan Restaurant: Proof that sometimes, all you need is a simple name and exceptionally well-made food.

Have a favorite vegan restaurant somewhere in the world? Reply to this email and let me know so we can feature it next time!

That’s enough food for thought to keep you chewing until next month. Enjoy the club!

The Scruffy Chef