Photo source: Viki Ntafillis
The following is an adaptation of my article published at ‘On the Record’. For the full article, click here.
Ten years ago, eating out as a vegan in Adelaide would only get a salad, maybe a bowl of pasta if you were lucky. Nowadays, vegans can expect an entire culinary experience at most eateries.
One business leading the trend is Staazi and Co, South Australia’s first Greek vegan eatery, co-owned by husband and wife team, Roger Brackley and Anastasia “Staazi” Lavrentiadis.
“This whole project is about being kind and showing that we don’t need to harm other sentient beings, ever.”
Originally only a food truck, Staazi made its debut appearance at the 2017 Vegan Festival in Adelaide. Fortunately, however, the business recently announced that their three-month old pop-up store on Grenfell Street would remain open over summer.
I was lucky enough to talk to Anastasia about the inspiration behind Staazi, veganism and her niche in SA’s food scene.
“[Our physical store] came from the demand from the vegan community and our customers. They wanted to be able to get our food on a more regular basis, without having to stalk our truck,” Anastasia said.
“We didn’t know exactly what the menu would be,” she said. “We originally wanted to do lots of chickpeas and fasolakia [green beans], and stuff like that.
“But, as it evolved, we [realised that] it’s hard to serve those dishes without a restaurant. At festivals, people want to grab things and go… they want something greasy and satisfying.”
“Lamb” and “Tzatziki” AB with Oregano Chips.
Photo source: Viki Ntafillis
“Lamb” Yiros with Oregano Chips. Photo Source: Viki Ntafillis
To retain the meaty taste the yiros and AB are famous for, Staazi and Co developed a meat substitute, which is about as satisfying as lamb itself, if not more.
“The “lamb” is plant-based…it’s made of [a] mixture of soybeans, gluten and our own secret herbs and spices,” Anastasia said.
“As a vegan, you could get a chip yiros but this way, you get the complete product.”
She hopes Staazi will prove food can be cruelty-free and still taste amazing.
“There is a misconception that if food doesn’t contain animal products that it’s going to be lacking… also, that Greek food is only meat and dairy,” Anastasia said.
“This whole project is about being kind and showing that we don’t need to harm other sentient beings, ever.”
You can catch Staazi and Co on Grenfell Street’s East End, or check out their Insta at @staazi_and_co
Cheers,
SAvour
SAvour 