Alexis Gauthier
Alexis Pascal Gauthier is a highly acclaimed French chef and the proprietor of Gauthier Soho,1Gauthier Soho. Webpage. Available: https://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/home.php. [Accessed 07 September 2023]. an esteemed restaurant located in the heart of London’s Soho district.
His culinary journey reached a pinnacle when he earned a prestigious Michelin star in 2011.2Michelin Guide. Profile: Gauthier Soho. Available: https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/greater-london/london/restaurant/gauthier-soho. [Accessed 07 September 2023]. Prior to this, he had already garnered Michelin recognition during his tenure as the head chef at the renowned Roussillon restaurant in Pimlico, London, where he held a Michelin star until 2010.
In 2016, Gauthier underwent a transformative personal shift by adopting a vegan lifestyle. Fast forward to 2021, and he took a bold step by eliminating all animal products from his restaurant’s menus, aligning his culinary philosophy with his deep commitment to environmental responsibility.3Gauthier Soho. Veganism. Available: http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/veganism.php. [Accessed 07 September 2023].
“I believe it is our duty as human beings to leave the planet in a better state than we found it, and a very good place to start is addressing the impact we make with our needless and selfish consumption of animals. I am a classically trained French chef who held Michelin stars for 12 years and the thought of someone like me being vegan would have been insane five or ten years ago. But now the world is waking up. This is the future.”4Alexis Gauthier. Webpage. Available: https://www.alexisgauthier.co.uk/. [Accessed 07 September 2023].
At Vegan Camp Out 2025,5Alexis Gauthier. Webpage. Available: https://youtu.be/4Gvbq4LS4eo?si=m0AK0rUEtgCXaJxD. Alexis sat down with Viva!’s founder, Juliet Gellatley, for an interview where he opened up about this journey. He even read a letter he wrote to his younger self, admitting how he used to ignore his doubts and profit from animal suffering. “For years, I built my career on dishes that dazzled. I earned applause, accolades and respect, but behind every standing ovation was a silence I refused to hear. The silence of suffering, of animal turned into ingredients, of pain plated as art,” he said.
Switching to a fully vegan restaurant wasn’t easy, but Gauthier says it made him a better chef. He had to push his creativity to make plant-based dishes taste incredible and now his restaurant attracts more diners than ever. Many visitors aren’t vegan, but they leave surprised and impressed by the flavours and the presentation.
Gauthier calls himself vegan “for the animals” and wants more chefs to be open about it. “Maybe your restaurant doesn’t work or maybe you’re not as busy as you should be because there isn’t that much of you in your plate.” He believes plant-based cuisine is the future of gastronomy, saying it’s like “discovering a new planet” where chefs can really express their creativity. His dream is to inspire other chefs and spark what he calls an “intellectual revolution that’s going to be based around kindness”, where compassion becomes central to the way people eat and think about animals.
WATCH HERE: Alexis Gauthier in Conversation with Juliet Gellatley – VCO 2025
