MEET THE CHEF
Sam Thomas
Cantina opened in December 2016 serving simple vegan pies and cakes. In April 2017 it rebranded itself as a tapas-esque restaurant but as it grew, Cantina went through a metamorphosis as the chefs began pushing the boundaries with plant based ingredients. Cantina is now one of the top vegan spots in Leeds with Sam Thomas driving the innovation there.
Sam took the time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about how vegan ingredients have inspired him to innovate and his hopes for the future.
“I try to create a menu that would appeal to the palate of vegans and non-vegans,” Sam said. Perhaps one of the most popular meals at Cantina is their vegan roast dinner. We have all had the vegan roast which amounts to a few vegetables on a plate but Sam said: “I knew there was more to it than that. I knew that we could innovate and try and match all of the flavour and the amazing stuff you get with a normal roast, but just do it all vegan.”