Leading the way in the vegan street food scene, The Hogless Roast has grown from a pub-born idea into one of the UK’s most original plant-based ventures. What began as a simple thought - could there be a vegan hog roast? - has become a food business built on flavour, sustainability, and the belief that no one should have to compromise on taste to eat better for the planet.

In this interview, we sit down with founders Ross Mundy and Matt Mitchell to hear how The Hogless Roast is redefining what plant-based can mean: from market stalls, to Hackney Wick to a new home in Walthamstow, to pioneering packaging choices that put authenticity and impact first.

Tell us a little about yourselves and The Hogless Roast? 

The Hogless Roast started in 2018, I had just quit my job. I actually was writing about a hog roast company and had been Googling for a vegan version. There hadn’t been a vegan version of a hog roast at all. So, I think I then went for a drink with Ross and we were talking about it. All good ideas start in the pub, so I said I was thinking about doing it and he was like... I want to it too. And that was seven years ago. 

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How would you describe the story so far? 

We started just doing street food markets, trying to find our feet. We got such good feedback that we thought we might try and get a full-time place. We started out in Hackney Wick, actually next door to the Notpla office. We had four years there and we actually moved to Walthamstow earlier this year. 

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Sustainability is clearly a big part of your approach, has this always been the case? 

Right from the conception of the business, we found sustainability was one of the biggest factors which made us want to start it. We are 100 % plant-based, which I think is one of the most important things you can do. When it comes to sustainability. We have a very small piece of an already small pie. There's not many vegans out there. The most important thing to us is being able to show people who do eat meat that plant-based is an option. 

So it gives us a unique take on the sustainability challenge. The most important thing for us was for the quality of the food to be absolutely top tier. If someone was making a choice to have plant-based food, they weren't having to compromise on taste and the experience of eating the food. And that's been kind of one of the main driving forces through the whole journey. 

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When did you first hear about Notpla and what made you switch? 

I did a tour of Notpla’s factory and it was mind blowing. Some of the stuff you guys come up with. It kind of inspired us to make that extra step to using Notpla as well. Right from those little water bottle things that you eat, the chip packets getting decomposed in the wormery.

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When you see innovations like this, you want to be there at the beginning. There's a lot of greenwashing in the industry. Notpla rise above that and they've got an actual sustainable product and their ethos is good. It's not just about selling to the masses. It's about changing the world. 

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Since switching, have you experienced any change in your waste management systems? 

We don't always have control  in how our customers deal with the packaging. We can give them cardboard boxes for when they have takeaways, but they're not always going to recycle that. They might just chuck it in the bin. If we’re using Notpla then they can chuck it in the bin and it's still going to decompose. Or they can chuck it in their garden waste. 

When we're events, it's great to know that we can chuck all our packaging in the food waste bin and we like to make an effort to tell our customers that. 

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Have you experienced any feedback since switching to Notpla? 

So there's a big overlap between people who are interested in eating plant-based food and people who are interested in sustainability. We have a lot of people mention everyone we use not for packaging. So for us, that's great. It's win-win. 

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What does it mean to be called a Sustainability Legend? 

I've always wanted to be called a legend for starters, so that's great. But It's not always easy making choices which are sustainable. We think we make ethically the right ones, but they're not always financially the easiest ones. It's really nice to be recognised for making those kinds of choices. So, we really appreciate it.

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Why taste and integrity matter in plant-based food

The Hogless Roast proves that sustainability isn’t just about ingredients, it’s about choices. From creating the UK’s first vegan hog roast to championing packaging that decomposes naturally, Ross and Matt show that great food can be both uncompromising in flavour and uncompromising in impact.

At Notpla, we’re proud to partner with pioneers like The Hogless Roast – independent food businesses proving that with creativity, conviction, and conscious decisions, the future of food can be delicious and sustainable.

Want to join the movement? Become part of Notpla’s Sustainability Legends – our programme celebrating food and drink businesses raising the bar for sustainability.

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Watch the full interview...