Vegan restaurant in Macclesfield adds meat to menu in order to survive
Video Report by Granada Reports Journalist Jennifer Buck.
A vegan restaurant in Macclesfield says it has taken the "difficult yet necessary" decision to start serving meat, in order to survive.
Nomas Gastrobar announced the decision on social media saying that in light of the "profound" challenges the business had faced they would begin serving "high quality" and "responsibly sourced" meat and dairy.
The restaurant, formerly known as Ethos, on Chestergate, was created by Adonis Norouznia and his wife three years ago after they moved from Greece in 2018.
Mr Norouznia says as well as the increase in energy prices, they are also battling an increase in the cost of basic ingredients including plant based milk, bags of flour and cooking oil.
Mr Norouznia says that they lose customers from "several tables" every day when they look at the menu and see no meat is listed.
"When someone who loves to eat meat comes in and they find there is nothing for them to eat then they don't want to eat anything, they do not feel happy to sit, so they leave so we are losing customers a lot, every day at least one to two tables a day," he said.
He admits though that it a difficult decision to extend the menu to offer some dairy products and meat options.
"Personally I am going to struggle the most in here because I can't stand the smell of meat so it is going to be difficult for me but I have to feed a family of three kids and I have to pay the wages of the staff," added Mr Norouznia.
"I have to decide, either keep it like this and you will probably hear another vegan restaurant has closed down or adapt to what the market needs to be able to survive and yes to make money."
The competition is fierce on most high streets, but in Macclesfield there are nine cafe's on the stretch of road alongside Nomas.
Mr Norouznia said they have already expanded the menu to compete, adding pizzas and lunchtime deals but now they have no choice but to offer a wider menu.
Most of the lunchtime customers understood the move, one saying: "It means you can come in with a friend who isn't vegan and there is more choice."
While another said: "It seems a bit sad that it was all vegan and that hasn't work for them."
It's hoped the new extended menu will be the extra ingredient needed for the cafe to stay open.
Want more on the issues affecting the North? Our podcast, From the North answers the questions that matter to our region.