Vegan Junk: The Derby pop-up where the doner meat is so good you won't realise it's vegan

Never before has there been so much choice for diners than today and I am all here for the inclusive nature of dining in the 21st century. I am a meat eater who loves vegetables. I am always intrigued by vegan food, which is why a plant-based chef’s menu caught my eye.

Vegan Junk is a pop-up I follow on social media and the food pics are insane! So when I discovered they were due to host at a Derby city centre café one miserable November evening, I literally ran out of the door in eager anticipation.

Read more: Reviews on Derby World

On the evening Vegan Junk had taken up residence at vegan and vegetarian café Vedi. I have visited this venue before which is a few minutes’ walk from Derbion shopping centre. There is free on-street parking available nearby, which was handy. The pop-up was from 6pm - 9pm, and when we arrived at 7.30pm, there were still some tables available. 

Considering the nature of pop-ups which usually have compact menus, I was surprised to find a good variety of dishes on offer. There were burgers, kebabs, loaded fries, Philly ‘cheesesteaks’ naanwiches, cheesecake, and more. 

I tried the burger which came sandwiched in a soft bread bun.

The double patty burger was filling and was nicely chargrilled on the edges. My dining partner had a Philly cheesesteak which was a generous portion.

This came in a baguette loaded with vegan filling, which tasted great with a nice peppery aftertaste. I would have liked to see more cheese on this to really make the dish sing, however the actual ‘meat’ chunks were moreish on their own.

Do you know that Tom Cruise movie Jerry Maguire made the catchphrase ‘You complete me’ famous? Well, I feel that way about fries which I think make a meal feel whole, which is why I had to order loaded fries.

Doner ‘meat’ nestled on a bed of crisp fries and topped with sweet chilli relish, mayo and pickle was absolutely wonderful. Ribbons of meaty goodness had a good bite and just so happened to mimic the meat texture well.

For the record, I love eating fish and chicken. I usually find the flavour of meat in kebab shops too strong for my palate, so this vegan doner kebab is definitely one for me. 

The flavours were so good, that this kebab is easily one of the best kebabs I have eaten this year. The wafer thin sliced vegetables, still juicy and fresh from the mandolin were an added bonus.

The dishes at Vegan Junk are exceedingly well executed. I love how the meat substitutes are handmade by Becky, who is the founder and chef at Vegan Junk.

What we ate at Vegan Junk pop-up at Vedi Cafe Derby

• Vegan double patty burger £6
• Philly cheesesteak £7.50
• Loaded fries £8.50

Total £22

Becky is also a vegan and says her company and menu is 100% plant-based. For more information about Vegan Junk visit their social profile by clicking here.