5 MINUTES WITH… HASHGREEN

Love potatoes? Don’t love animal products? HashGreen is the food stall for you. Selling delicious vegan creations to Camden Market visitors, from seitan fried chicken to DIY salads, all served on top of their signature potato hash, we caught up with owner Matthew to find out a little bit more…

How did you decide to set up a vegan food business and more importantly, why potatoes?

Why not potatoes? You can chip them, bake them, crisp them, mash them and don’t forget hash them. Everyone loves potatoes! When they are fully loaded, they’re even better.

I’ve been a chef and worked in catering for more than 20 years so a food business was the natural path for me to take. The decision to make it a plant-based food business was made when I decided to live a vegan lifestyle. I’ve combined two of my passions together and hopefully that shows in my food.

How many potatoes do you think you get through a week?

How many potatoes are in 175kg? They’re cut, boiled and fried way too quickly to count them.

What has been your most unusual feedback so far?

Umm – our vegan bacon is too much like real bacon! One customer simply couldn’t believe the bacon was vegan so she returned her Mac Attack hash and asked to exchange it for a Truffle Shuffle instead!

What is your favourite dish on the menu?

I eat the Chili Non-Carne pretty much every day. I made it and ate it at home a lot before I even opened up the stall. It’s my comfort food.

You’ve also made an effort to source sustainable, recyclable food and drink containers for your business, why is that important?

Living a vegan lifestyle is not just about plant-based food choices, it’s about being aware of how our daily lives impact the planet and the lives of all of its inhabitants.  You do what you can and this is what we can do at HashGreen to help make the planet a little better for everyone. HashGreen is just doing its bit!

Why did you choose to set up in Camden, what did you think of it so far?

The vibe of the Market just made me feel like it was a place I’d want to be every day. It hasn’t let me down either. There’s a great community feel among the traders and people who work on the market and meeting people from all parts of the world has been entertaining.

What are your plans for the future?

One word: HashDog (fully loaded of course)!

Want to meet another of our vegan traders? Click here to find out all about VBurger!