It’s easy to jump to conclusions. Four years ago everyone I spoke to in the West said meat-eating was in decline. We had recognised the danger that methane emissions (from the farming of livestock such as cows) posed to the environment and would all do our bit to save the planet. Others talked about how vegetarianism was healthier for us. And a mountain of hype surrounded the development of plant-based meats. Eventually, we would all be eating plant-based Beyond Meat burgers, we were told.

Many of those who talked about saving the planet were sincere and were willing to put their money where their mouths were.

I know and admire the chef Daniel Humm whose Eleven Madison Park is one of the world’s great restaurants. Daniel was hit hard during the Pandemic when his restaurant was shut. As the losses mounted he was advised to file for bankruptcy. He refused and turned Eleven Madison Park into a sort of soup kitchen feeding thousands of New Yorkers who were suffering through the Pandemic.

When life finally returned to normal, I looked forward to the return of Eleven Madison Park. But Daniel had decided to take a new risk. He would remove animal products from the menu and only serve plant-based food, he announced. In commercial terms this was like a man who had just avoided being drowned declaring that he would now blow himself up.

Why, I asked him, would he want to risk financial suicide? The answer was simple enough: he believed that overconsumption of meat was harming the environment. And he was acting on his principles. At first, things went better than anyone could have expected. The restaurant retained its three Michelin stars. It was full every night. And even a savage review from the New York Times did not deter diners from booking the place out.

Daniel came to India a little later and I did an onstage conversation with him for a live audience at Mumbai’s........

© hindustantimes