I remember my first time visiting a Leon restaurant- we went to the South Bank branch. I was a student living in London and my Mum was visiting. She'd read about a new food joint offering customer's "wholesome and healthier" fast food or as Leon's mission statement puts it:
Why can’t fast food be good food? Our mission is to prove that it can be by serving naturally fast food that not only tastes good but does you good too. - Leon, What we do
About Leon
On their about page, the founders, three childhood friends, tell their story about how they came together to reframe and reimagine the "magic" of fast food through a more wholesome lens. I have to agree, there is something deeply compelling about fast food, even if the fast food scene has become a moral conundrum in this age of the super healthy, and the zealously ecological. You could say we are living in an age of extremes, with the very worst of the fast food giants doing next to nothing to improve their business model to become more socially and environmentally conscious, while the smaller companies and independents are doing their bit. It is without doubt, these megatrons on our highstreets, service stations, train stations and airports, are categorically linked to deforestation and poor diets. Yet, they remain a draw for so many people. The smell, the taste, the convenience and in many cases, the affordability. Most fast food chains have a budget £1 menu or some very tasty offers to lure their customers in!
Ethical eating in 2024
However, finding somewhere to eat in 2024 has become a minefield if you know "too much" about the unethical practices many of the food giants implement, and its especially harder when combined with being a vegan. That's why "rediscovering" Leon in Magor Services, Wales, on the way to climb the Sugar Loaf mountain in Abergyfenny, last Saturday was a sigh of relief. Leon stood out in a service station that was otherwise an American colony in the Welsh outback.
Vegan food options
The food options for vegans are pretty broad in my humble opinion, more than in other omnivore fast foods joints, that's for sure. There are eleven vegan options on the menu currently, ranging from dahl and rice, beans and rice, bhaji wrap, slaws, humus and flat breads, and their famous Love Burger. See their current menu below. NB the options below might not be available in all outlets.
I selected the glaringly obvious, perhaps, but I promise you, it was a great choice. Had I not selected the Leon Love Burger, I would have gone for either the Bhaji wrap or the golden dahl- I usually find dahl hard to resist- it's the ultimate comfort food afterall, but on this misty Saturday, knowing I had a hike ahead, and the fact I wanted to see what all the fuss was all about regarding the Love Burger, this is what I ordered.
This is what I loved about the vegan Leon Love Burger:
1. Texture of the patty. The patty felt dense, had a little bite to it, but obviously nothing like that of the texture of meat- it wasn't chewy. Personally, I don't like imitation meat to resemble real meat too much. My brain gets confused and I start questioning whether its even imitation meat!
Here is what's in the VEGAN PATTY (Flavoured Rehydrated Pea Protein (Water, Textured Pea Protein (Pea Protein, Pea Fibre), Natural Flavours, Salt, Malt Extract Powder (BARLEY), Onion Powder, Garlic Puree, Ground Black Pepper, Herbs (Parsley, Bay Leaf, Thyme)), Water, Coconut Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Gelling Agent: Methylcellulose, Potato Starch, Bamboo Fibre, Pea Fibre), TOMATO RELISH (Tomatoes, White Onion, Cornflour, Brown Sugar, Rapeseed Oil, Cider Vinegar, Salt, Smoked Paprika, Lemon Juice Concentrate).
I have highlighted the, "methylcellulose" listed in the ingredients above, because its an emulsifier derived from cellulose. I am always wary of any ingredient that thickens or stabilises because it feels unnecessary. Its the same way I feel about bulking agents in supplements- why do they need to be bulkier? There are a number of studied underway at the present time trying to ascertain the role some emulsifiers might play in our overall health. Here is a link to a study. Please note, the study doesn't identify methylcellulose, but cites two other commonly found emulsifiers, carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80. The point here isn't to fearmonger, more, offer insight into the use of emulsifiers in common everyday foods, and for those with sensitive gut or with a specific focus on their gut health, to be aware of their presence in foods. Afterall, Hippocrates said,
"All disease begins in the gut." - Hippocrates
2. The burger sauce was delicious. The sauce added so much flavour to the burger, was tangy and really made it feel like eating a "proper burger".
3. The pickles and salad. What's a burger without pickles anyway?
4. The cheese. The vegan cheese slice reminded me of VioLife. Let's be honest, there a lot of vegan cheeses out there, and they don't even mimic the taste of cheese. The cheese in the Love Burger had a good firm texture, but the taste was quite overpowering. This did balance out with all the other components, but I could not conceive of eating this alone or in a sandwich. We have another blog post on cheezes coming up, so many sure you are subscribed!
What I didn't love about the Leon Love Burger:
1. If you are a fervent independant-ist, then you will probably won't visit a Leon branch. Afterall it has grown into a pretty sizeable chain since its inception back in 2004.According to Wikipedia, Leon has around 70 outlets in the UK.
What's the peoples beef with chains? In some ways we appreciate the familiarity of a chain such as Leon, especially when cruising the motorway hungry with low expectations of finding a vegan option at the nearest services, then you see a big Leon sign, and feel hopeful. Leon is not a huge chain (yet), and its commitment to offering vegan and veggie options is noteworthy. I didn't see any red meat on the menu either, and the chicken is described as higher welfare. I just find that each time there's another chain outlet, its someone else's dream not being materialised- literally. Because, many of these affluent chains have exorbitant amounts of money to meet the exorbitant rents the landlords of these service stations and the like, would like to charge. That's why the likes of Mc'D's a BK are infamous.
2. Packaging: as with all fast food chains, the packaging at Leon feels unnecessary, especially when so many people sit down at the tables provided. There are actually a lot of tables. I think all fast food chains should server their food on stainless steel plates and use stainless steel tumblers for all those sitting down. Even offering a discount for those choosing to stay and eat. This would go someway to reduce their waste and I am sure that they'd see their overheads reduce due to the savings they make on the packaging!
The rents created a viscous circle that means only monied established businesses can consider renting, pricing out the independents. This will never sit comfortably with me. That said, I am of course forced into double standards at times, such as when I find myself in a motorway services. The other options in Magor services were; Mc Donald's (will never) Costa (same as Mc Donald's) and Asian Noodle bar that smelt delightful but had limited vegan options, and of course, Leon. It was a no brainer and in this context I am glad Leon was there. The only other option was a shop selling junk foods.
Source:
Leon, https://leon.co/menu/
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
National Trust, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/sugar-loaf-skirrid-and-usk-valley
Bio Medical Central,
https://microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40168-020-00996-6#Sec15