Vegan Fried Chicken Shop 'Temple of Seitan' Set To Open In London

It's an entirely meat-free zone.

Vegans will soon be able to chow down on “fried chicken” alongside their carnivorous pals, because a vegan fried chicken shop in coming to London.

In January, food stall favourites Temple of Seitan will be opening their very first takeout shop in Hackney.

The start-up is famed for bringing “vegan fried chicken” to some of the country’s most popular food markets.

As their name suggests, the chefs make their dishes using a meat-substitute called seitan.

Seitan is a meat alternative made from wheat protein powder. Chefs add seasonings to it, such as sage, salt and garlic, to best emulate the flavours of meat.

Seitan can be used to replicate a variety of meats - from crispy bacon to roast beef - but the signature dish at Temple of Seitan is fried chicken.

Previously speaking to Homemade, Rebecca McGuinness, from the company, said the fried chicken can be ordered in a sub, as strips or as popcorn chicken.

“We started making fried chicken as we saw there was a gap in the market and because it was one of our favourite foods before we were vegan,” she said.

“A lot of people say they would go vegan or vegetarian but they would miss this or that, but most people say they would miss chicken.

“There are so many chicken shops in London so we felt that if there was a vegan alternative, it may persuade people to give it a go, and if they liked it maybe they would change their minds about what they perceive vegan food to be.”

With more than half a million people in Britain now following a vegan diet, the shop couldn’t be coming sooner.

Follow Temple of Seitan on Facebook to keep up to date with the launch. 

8 Celebrities On The Benefits Of A Vegan Diet
Miley Cyrus(01 of08)
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Since singer Miley Cyrus adopted a vegan lifestyle she's been vocal about her new choices on social media - including how she sources vegan "leather" for performing.

In one post she said: "So many good plants/fruits/veggies to eat you ain’t gotta eat dead animals!

"Everything that goes into my body is alive! To keep ME alive! Love this life!”
(credit:Ethan Miller via Getty Images)
Liam Hemsworth(02 of08)
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Liam Hemsworth said he often receives questions like "how do you get protein?" since becoming vegan, but he's never felt better.

"Most of the people who ask you this are not healthy people. It always makes me so confused, because I’m like, 'what are you eating? Whatever you’re eating, it’s not right,'" he told Men's Health.

"But there are no negatives to eating like this. I feel nothing but positive, mentally and physically. I love it.

"I feel like it also has a kind of a domino effect on the rest of my life."
(credit:Cindy Ord via Getty Images)
Lea Michelle(03 of08)
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Lea Michelle has become an ambassador for animal rights organisation Peta since becoming vegan.

In a video on the charity's website, she says: "It's about being healthy and being smart and doing good for your body while at the same time being kind and smart to animals."
(credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Mike Tyson(04 of08)
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Mike Tyson turned vegan in 2010 and has lost weight as a result.

"Becoming a vegan gave me another opportunity to live a healthy life," he said on “Oprah: Where Are They now?”.

"I was so congested from all the drugs and bad cocaine, I could hardly breathe, [I had] high blood pressure, [was] almost dying [and had] arthritis. And once I became a vegan all that stuff diminished."
(credit:Gabe Ginsberg via Getty Images)
Ellen DeGeneres(05 of08)
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Speaking after becoming vegan, Ellen DeGeneres said there's "many reasons" to change your habits.

"I'm healthier for it, I'm happier for it," she said.

"I really truly believe that we take in energy and our thoughts are important... I can't imagine that if you're putting something inside your body that's filled with pain, anxiety and fear, that that isn't somehow going to be inside of you."
(credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)
Bill Clinton(06 of08)
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Former president Bill Clinton adopted a vegan diet in 2010.

“I like the vegetables, the fruits, the beans, the stuff I eat now,” Clinton told a CNN reporter.

“All my blood tests are good, and my vital signs are good, and I feel good, and I also have, believe it or not, more energy.”
(credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Natalie Portman(07 of08)
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In a blog on The Huffington Post, actress Natalie Portman said her research into veganism has shown the lifestyle is better for people in manufacturing, as well as animals.

"The human cost of factory farming - both the compromised welfare of slaughterhouse workers and, even more, the environmental effects of the mass production of animals - is staggering," she said.
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Ariane Grande(08 of08)
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Ariane Grande became vegan in 2013 and explained her decision to The Mirror, saying: "I love animals more than I love most people, not kidding. But I am a firm believer in eating a full plant-based, whole food diet that can expand your life length and make you an all-around happier person." (credit:Christopher Polk via Getty Images)