Other People's Kitchens Q&A: with Will Rankin.

Will lives in North London, in a one bed flat with a recently upgraded 'Mousehole' kitchen and tells us why he became a Vegan.

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Nov 13, 2024

A: I’m 54, live in north London and I write for a living, mostly technical stuff, although I used to do a lot more food writing and reviews. I went vegetarian after the mad cow disease outbreak in the UK, waking up one morning to witness piles of cows being burnt, in scenes that shocked me to the core. I also grew up with vegetarian sisters, who did little to encourage my transition, other than allowing me to taste (steal) their food. I think I went vegan about six or seven years ago now, I didn’t make a note of my transition, it kind of happened naturally, as I became more aware of the horrors of the meat industry, the dairy industry and the need to eat better for the animals, the planet and my health.

My substack, Plant—Based Planet, started earlier this year as a chance for me to share my rambling thoughts, tips, tricks and recipes I’ve picked up over the years. I hope it encourages people who might not know anything about plant—based eating to try new and exciting dishes. I try to always include recipes that are accessible, easy and tasty, from all over the world. The term ‘foodie’ has become cliché, but I’d happily put myself in that camp.

Q: Can you please describe the layout of your kitchen, how much of a role does it play with your family and when writing for your ‘Plant Based Planet’ newsletter?

A: We moved into a tiny one—bed flat on the edge of Primrose Hill after COVID. It’s within a 1930s block of flats, which other residents seem to refer to as a ‘Mansion Block’, making it sound much grander than it is. Being built in that era, it feels like the kitchens were built to accommodate ‘bachelors’ who just wanted to make tea in the morning, and rarely cooked. Our kitchen is just 10ft long and 5.5ft wide — I’ve got mates with bigger cupboards!

Which leaves me with a frustratingly small space to cook in. My partner, luckily, is tiny, but even so, it’s rare that we can both be in the kitchen at the same time. We generally take it in turns to cook dinner, and keep well out of each other’s way!

Our landlord, thankfully, upgraded the space last year, so we now have lovely new cupboards, a tiny (unused) dishwasher, and some cool under—unit lighting.

For me, the kitchen has always been the heart of any home, and my favourite thing over the years is spending time around the kitchen table at friends and family’s houses.

It’s a linear space, which is useful for organised cooking — Fridge freezer, microwave, hob, sink, all in a line.

Q: What were the influences behind you becoming a Vegan? Can you please tell us something about this lifestyle and suggestions on how others can begin their own Vegan and Plant Based journey?

A: I touched on this above. I worked in a meat packing factory as a student, and that leaves some trauma, I think. My sisters were vegetarian, growing up in the 80s, so as a hungry teen, I used to eat my food and then try theirs, too. As a young reporter on a local paper, I reported on veal crates being flown into a local airport, and during protests at the airport, a young protester was run over by a lorry and killed. This affected my stance on the meat industry too. And then, having spent my adult life as a vegetarian (since around 1989), I discovered the path to veganism through reading, research and all the great movies on Netflix that everyone has watched — like Earthlings, Forks over Knives, Cowspiracy, etc. This woke me up to the hideous reality of how animals have simply been commoditised for consumption, and how meat seems unhealthy, unsustainable and inherently cruel. I now feel like I can look pets in the eye without guilt.

If anyone is considering going vegan, I’d do some research, link up with Veganuary and the Vegan Society, for example, and spend some time on social media following any of the thousands of fantastic cooks and vegan activists there. Honestly, it’s really not hard. We’ve moved on from the old tropes, and I think anyone has it in them to be vegan. For me, it’s a simple choice to not want to be part of an inherently cruel structure, to divert profits from climate—ruining Big Agriculture and to choose a lifestyle that makes me feel happy and healthy.

Q: As a food writer, what essential things would you suggest other Vegans keep in their kitchen to make their life and cooking easier and enjoyable?

A: Food wise, all the basics – onions, garlic, rice, fresh veg, soy sauce, chilli sauce, and more herbs and spices than you can fit in a wheelbarrow! But specifically vegan things, for me, means always having beans, lentils, good firm tofu, vital wheat gluten, cornstarch and nutritional yeast. None of these are expensive, and they’re widely available — certainly here in the UK.

A tofu press is a real help – I’ve had a few kitchen disasters (see below) trying to balance heavy things on a tea towel-wrapped lump of tofu to extract the water. A food processor/ really good blender is a must, and the decent ones last for ever.

I’ve written a few posts about kitchen essentials, and I expect to add more…

I love a kitchen gadget – or at least the idea of them – but over the years, given up on most of them for one reason or another. They don’t get relegated to a cupboard, either, as we don’t have space for unused gadgets!

Q: What are your most used kitchen gadgets that you cannot live without?

A: For me, it’s the Air fryer, knife, chopping board, good baking trays and pans. I dream of a ‘katto’ knife and the ultimate stand mixer – purely to help with doughs and cake mixes, etc…

Air Fryers seem to be still trending, and I was gifted one by my awesome partner back in 2019, so it allowed me to muck about a lot with it during the dark days of lockdown. We use it almost every day, from making toast to dehydrating things like old mushrooms, to creating healthier fries and sorting out crispy tofu in a flash. Weirdly, recently, we received word from the manufacturer that there was a risk of fire from our existing air fryer — which was getting a bit quirky and awkward to use (The timer broke, and it randomly used to increase the cooking time of its own accord…I blame my mother’s mischievous ghost, but that’s a story for another time), so they very kindly replaced it with a super—duper, all—singing, all—dancing new model, which takes pride of place in our mousehole kitchen.

My advice to anyone would be to invest in the best knives you can afford — and a knife sharpener. I hate watching people struggle with blunt knives. And, of course, a cut from a sharp knife is cleaner, and heals faster. And believe me, I know! The knives and cookware handmade by Katto are beautiful, durable and worth investing in, in my opinion.

I bought a really good wooden chopping board in 2019, and it’s still going strong. I invested in ‘Butcher’s Block’ linseed oil for it too. My partner thinks my love of this board is a little unusual, but I believe looking after stuff properly reaps dividends.

And with that in mind, I spent a lot (by my standards) on two anodised aluminium baking trays/ pans — on the basis that they never rust or degrade, and come with a lifetime guarantee. That seems like a good thing to me!

When we moved to our current flat, we also invested in three heavy duty ‘Meyer’ saucepans, which have been a joy to use.

Q: Is there anything about your kitchen that you would like to change or improve on?

A: God yes, but we endure! I’d love a bigger space, a pantry, and more storage. I’m a bit of a food hoarder, and you’ll currently find a 6kg bag of rice, a 5kg bag of vital wheat gluten and a 1kg bag of wheat bran hidden in various spots in the kitchen. I’d love more space for experimentation — like fermentation, growing herbs, etc, but we are grateful for a big fridge, and a good hob and oven.

I’d love a Thermomix, but it might be something I’d play with for a week or two and get bored of.

A space big enough to house a lovely wooden table would be nice, too. We didn’t ask for, or want, a dishwasher when the kitchen was refurbished, and it bugs me that this device takes up valuable real estate in our tiny kitchen. We actually store laundry tablets, cleaning products and carrier bags in it!

Q: What tips can you give us that will help keep our kitchens neat and tidy and easy to manage?

A: Given our tiny kitchen, organisation and tidiness are key.

In a small space, and certainly something I picked up while odd jobbing in kitchens as a student, is to clean up and wash dishes as you go.

Storage jars are fantastic, especially if you buy from bulk stores (or an ancient electric milk float that trundles past your house every now and then), as they allow you to keep an eye on your stock of everything, and look neat and tidy.

Storage boxes — we got six small ones from Amazon — help keep odd-shaped things like packets and bottles organised, again, very useful when you’re tight on space and time. I’ve spent way too long in the past hunting for a packet or box of something.

Categorising stuff into small boxes is so much better for the mind! So we’ve got one with sauces in it (Sriracha, soy, chipotle, etc), one with baking ingredients (baking powder, yeast, almond essence, vanilla essence, etc) and one with cooking ingredients like Thai pastes, noodles, seaweed, etc.

I think getting air in a kitchen is a hot tip — be it from a permanently open window, an extractor fan or even an air purifier. Kitchens can become hot and stinky places, so get some air in, and you’ll thank yourself.

While I like cooking under bright light, the rest of the time, the kitchen basks in ambient lighting, creating a warm and welcoming space. We don’t use the main light, but there’s under cupboard strip lighting, fairy lights, and built—in lights in the extractor fan.

In terms of cooking, I’d love to be one of those people that spend some hours every week chopping and prepping ingredients for the week — or even bulk cooking, but it’s something I’ve only ever managed half a dozen times. Prep is key to making ten minute evening meals, and so worth it, if you can get into the habit!

Q: How would you describe the regional cuisine where you live? Are there fresh food markets, or farmers markets available?

A: We’re in central London, so there’s literally everything on our doorstep, for which I’m forever grateful. We’re close to Camden, which has a higher concentration of vegan outlets in a city renowned for its rich vegan dining scene.

We travel for markets, and I do love Borough Market, although the prices are getting ridiculous now. Primrose Hill Farmers Market on a Saturday morning is a lovely walk, but again, I’m resentful of paying £9 for a small tub of olives, for example.

Queen’s Crescent Market is a 15 minute walk away, has been around since the 1870s, and is far more real, but I find the produce is a bit ropey. Bonus Fact: It’s also famous for being the site of the very first Sainsbury’s supermarket!

They obliterated the famous, original Camden Market and replaced it with shipping crate stores full of tourist tat, which made me very sad, as the old market site was always fun to wander around.

We’re proud members of a local organic vertical community garden, Foodscape, where you can pretend to grow a variety of fresh veg, while actually leaving it to a professional gardener. I love it, as it cuts down on waste, packaging and delivers highly nutritious food! They also hold parties and training sessions about everything from planting onions to making nasturtium pesto.

Q: How many cookbooks do you have, and do you have any favourites? Have you written any cookbooks?

A: Over the years, I’ve gathered dozens, but narrowed it down to about 10. These days, I find recipes mostly online, print them and tweak them. A fave book is Maria Ella’s first book, “The Modern Vegetarian” (which can be easily adapted to vegan), and Gaz Oakley’s “Plants Only Kitchen”, which I’ve worked through. I gave my ancient copy of Larousse Gastronomy to my sister’s partner – a chef, who appreciates it far more than I ever did.

Camellia Panjabi’s “50 Great Curries of India” was something of a bible for me for many years, and my most recent purchase is an exciting, beautiful and interesting book, “Afro—Vegan” by Bryant Terry.

I’ve been trying to write a book with a chef, a leading light of London’s vegan scene for a few years now, but life and work get in the way. Wearing my PR hat, I once wrote a regional recipe book for the guests of a Scandinavian hotel chain in the Middle East. It was tough, as the recipes were all in different formats, imperial and metric, and many came from chefs working across the group portfolio with English as a second language…

Q: Do you have a favourite recipe that you would like to share with us?

A: I’d like to respond with “I hope I haven’t discovered my favourite recipe yet”, but that seems like a cop out.

My sausage roll recipe is a definite favourite, it’s a tasty blend of walnuts, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and onion, that is so much better than any available to buy, in my humble opinion. I’ve fantasised about basing a business on these wondrous rolls. But I haven’t shared the recipe on my substack yet — watch this space!

Derek Sarno’s BBQ miso aubergine recipe is one I came across recently, and it’s divine…

Veganised Scotch Pie. Image credit Nichole Miranda

I was recently very happy with this veganised Scotch Pie, a hearty, tasty dish, perfect for Autumn…

Vegan Salmon. Image credit Nichole Miranda.

Sam Turnbull’s vegan salmon was a game—changer for me, and I’ve tried serving it to a few non—vegans who loved it too.

Q: Have you had any kitchen disasters you can share with us?

A: Almost too many to describe, but in recent years, I managed to melt my prized dehydrator, which was on top of the hob, by accidentally turning the ring on with my belly.

During COVID, there were lots of nettles in the back garden of a previous flat, so I lovingly gathered them, prepared them and made a delicious nettle soup. Sadly, when it came to blending it, I absent mindedly left the blender lid off. The clear up took 2-3 months we kept finding lurid green stains in the back of cupboards, the ceiling and inside packets and pots!

I think there’s something wonderful about cooking, and a bit of chaos and disaster makes it all the more fun. I’m the sort of person who will pull a pizza out of the oven, only to drop it face down. I’ve boiled dried beans and forgot them — leaving the pan ruined and the kitchen full of acrid smoke — more times than I’ve had burnt dinners… the list goes on!

Embrace your disasters, and learn from them! (Just try not to burn your house down).

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with us

Will Rankin

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