The Vegetarian Butcher Matches Vegans with Meat Eaters Showing No One Has to Sacrifice Love

For Valentine’s Day, creative agency TBWA\NEBOKO from Amsterdam created a new social dating experiment for The Vegetarian Butcher. In this experiment, they set up matched blind dates between six unsuspecting vegans and meat-eaters. The singles either shared similar life experiences, had common interests, or were matched on their attraction preferences. But would they still feel like going on a second date after we revealed their food beliefs? 

Two menus, one meal

Both sets of couples were served exactly the same plant-based menu, with just the wording changed to suit their individual taste profiles and diets. After disclosing their dates' food beliefs, they revealed they’d actually been eating exactly the same meal… they then asked them if they wanted to go on another date.

Meat the lovers 

Two of the most lucky-in-love singletons were Drew Miller, a 34-year old passionate vegan, who takes his plant-based lifestyle very seriously, and Jonathon Charlesworth, a 34-year old carnivore whose chosen idea of heaven is a good bacon sarnie. After a romantic meal for two, the starry-eyed pair are still dating one another.  

While not all of the couples were head over ‘meals’ for each other, all participants in the social dating experiment were shocked at the revelation of the plant-based dishes served up, with the meat-eaters even claiming love at first ‘bite’.

Joris Philippart, creative director at TBWA\NEBOKO adds: “We’re lucky that we work with such brave clients who dare to stand behind such an important message. Because no one should ever sacrifice love because of what they eat. Especially on Valentine's Day.”

Laura Iliffe, senior brand manager at The Vegetarian Butcher, said: “Following Veganuary last month, Valentine’s Day felt like the perfect opportunity to prove a plant-based diet can be for life, not just for January. It’s clear more people are choosing to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, but that doesn’t need to be at the sacrifice of finding love. At The Vegetarian Butcher, we believe that we must sacrifice nothing when it comes to enjoying our food and in a world that is already so divided, we want to bring people together with our plant-based meats – not tear them apart.”

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, The Vegetarian Butcher is asking daters to sacrifice nothing when it comes to love and daring them to date a vegan or a meat-eater, with the help of its plant-based meats. Like the participants in its social dating experiment, you too – singleton or loved up – can fall in love with The Vegetarian Butcher’s meat-like cuts and join its food revolution via @vegetarianbutcher (Instagram) and @vegebutcheruk (Twitter).