Vegetarians and vegans stay away from consuming animal-based products such as cheese, milk, eggs and of course meat. So, if a Chef in a restaurant or hotel is vegetarian or vegan, how do they sample their meat dishes before sending them out to their customers? Do they refrain from tasting or even making meat dishes?
When Chefs put on those Toques or Chef hats, and coats, it means they are professionals in their job, and as such they understand that their personal lifestyle choices don’t really matter in their job. Working in a restaurant means you have to cook what is served on the menu, not what you want to make and serve, so irrespective of what the Chef’s personal ideals are regarding eating meat, they still need to make and sell it to their customers.
Selling something to their customers means that they need to ensure it is of the highest quality and standard, and for a Chef, you cannot do that without tasting the food you send out. For a vegan chef it is no different, and they certainly understand the necessity of tasting the food, whether it is meat based or otherwise, before sending it out to the customer. That is the assurance of food quality that a Chef gives to all his or her customers.
Chefs who have taken a personal lifestyle choice of not eating meat or any other animal-based products, taste their food as part and parcel of their job. They also understand that it is not their place to preach to customers about their own personal beliefs, as everyone is entitled to their own likes and dislikes and opinions, even though cooking food that is animal based could be quite distressing to a pure vegan Chef who has strong beliefs about their choice.
However, as we mentioned before, once Chefs put on those coats and Chef hats, they are professionals who do not compromise on the quality and standard of the food that they prepare.
