So in a restaurant that serves vegan food....?!

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Yes, it is vegan, and here is why:

If avoiding animal products is an ethical choice based on a person's refusal to support products of cruelty, then the choice here would be whether or not they choose to give money to a restaurant which also cooks with non-vegan ingredients. The chance that they might consume a single molecule of animal product does not influence the fact that the proprietors will spend a portion of the money from the vegan sales buying more non-vegan ingredients.

If the decision to be vegan is health related, then they are unlikely to have any health problems from a small number of animal molecules if they are even present. If they are an allergy sufferer, then it is reasonable to require different utensils but having worked in hospitality for many years I know it is unheard of for someone to have a reaction after eating foods produced with utensils or pots etc which have been washed after exposure to allergens. However we would use separate items for serving so as not to cross contaminate during service.

If the decision to be vegan is based on environmental or spiritual reasons, it's the same as the moral choice described above. So the only logical reason a person could have for demanding different utensils is if they have an allergy to specific meats, which as you should already know is covered by standard health and safety procedures.

So you can provide authentically vegan food in a non-vegan establishment and not need to worry about which pots and pans get used, or you can buy second hand pots and pans without concern over what they were used for before you bought them. And thank you for considering vegans in your new business venture!

former vegan chef

Actually I asked that question about a year and a half ago for my own restaurant The consensus was they don't mind as long as they utensils, pots, pans etc are properly cleaned (which should be done anyway). The issue that was a bit more challenging was for leather seats if vegans would mind leather upholstered chairs The answers were roughly even for "it's OK" and "totally unacceptable". Another issue was cross contamination not only in working surface areas but also among the cooks themselves ( people who worked on meat then working on veggies etc). Our kitchen now has two areas, where vegetarian (not vegan) dishes are cooked separately. I initially had two line cooks who were vegetarian and even though they were willing to work with meat, were assigned to the vegetarian side because they more than anyone else would know what is "acceptable" and what isn't

The dish will be vegan as long as the pots and stuff were properly cleaned and sanitized. However if you are starting a new restaurant you should get new pots and pans and things like that. Obviously a stove and stuff is a major purchase and is probably in decent shape but those pans have probably taken a beating and it is just better to get new ones so you can start fresh.

Sort of like buying used underwear, yes you can wash it and clean it and it will be wearable but you are honestly better off just getting a new pair that won't have any wear and tear.

New utensils and cookware is not going to be a huge purchase and will be worth making if you plan on a serious restaurant that will last. You can take the used stuff and give too a local Food Not Bombs or homeless shelter or something.

Lots of luck on the restaurant and make sure you get the word out (all the vegans I know love to eat). If it is near enough to me I would love to check it out and if it is good I will be back and tell my friends. Make sure you have a stable sturdy business plan and you know what it takes to keep the place open. You don't want too attract nasty pests like pompous *** Gordan Ramsay,

Vegan because animals are not property and chef and hopefully in the near future vegan food truck part owner or operator.

Hi, I agree that if it's washed thoroughly it's good, it's vegan. I been to a vegan friendly Indian restaurant in St Louis. The waiter pointed out to me the vegan foods which were in heated buffet pans that all looked the same. In other words, they were used many times for many many different things including their curry with meat. There would've been no way to tell which silver pan's for what in the dishwasher area.
But good question and I appreciate the precautions you're taking for your future vegan customers.

Vegan

Just wash everything thoroughly.

Good luck with your venture!

~vegan, 4 years~

ideally a vegan restaurant only serves vegan food n nonvegan food is not allowed
so then the new cookware in that new restaurant would also be uncontaminated n vegan

That would be an issue only for the most ridiculous purist. A cast iron pan might be an exception because it is porous. Anything else should be fine.

As long as everything is thoroughly cleaned, it should be fine..