Vegetarian dining has grown well past the point of being a niche request at the end of a menu. More people are choosing it for health reasons, environmental reasons, or simply out of curiosity about what plant-based cooking can actually do when it's taken seriously. Here's what's behind that shift, and how it shows up in a kitchen like Herb's.
Why more people are eating this way
- Health - diets built around vegetables, lentils and whole grains tend to be lighter and easier to digest than meat-heavy, cream-based meals.
- Variety - cuisines like Kerala's have built entire culinary traditions around vegetarian cooking, so "vegetarian" doesn't have to mean limited.
- Curiosity - plenty of diners aren't vegetarian themselves but want to try food that's genuinely built around plants rather than adapted from a meat-based menu.
The difference between vegetarian "by removal" and vegetarian "by design"
A lot of vegetarian dining disappoints because it's built the wrong way round - take a meat dish, remove the meat, call it done. Kerala cooking doesn't work like that. Dishes like a coconut-based vegetable curry or a Kerala thali were never built around meat in the first place, so nothing about them feels like a substitution.
Is it actually filling?
This is one of the most common doubts, and it's worth addressing directly: yes. Lentils, rice, coconut and vegetables, cooked properly, are genuinely substantial - a Kerala thali is a full meal, not a light side dish standing in for a main course.
Where Herb fits
Herb's entire menu at both Leicester and Leamington Spa is vegetarian, with most dishes vegan or easily made so. It's built on Kerala's long vegetarian cooking tradition rather than a general "plant-based menu" approach, which is part of why it tends to land differently for people trying it for the first time. See our guide to what vegetarian Indian cooking actually means for more detail.
FAQ
Why has vegetarian dining grown so much in the UK?
A mix of health awareness, environmental concerns and simple curiosity about plant-based cooking has pushed vegetarian dining well beyond a niche choice.
Is vegetarian food less filling than meat-based meals?
Not when it's built properly - lentils, rice, paneer and vegetables cooked with the right technique are just as filling as a meat-based meal.
Where can I try this kind of cooking?
Herb serves fully vegetarian Kerala cuisine at both the Leicester and Leamington Spa restaurants.
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Authentic vegetarian and vegan South Indian & Kerala food in Leicester and Leamington Spa.
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