I decided meat was not the be all and end all any more

But the 36-year-old has now decided to renounce meat and open up a vegetarian kitchen.

His new venture is at The Victory in Duke Street, Brighton, and he believes The Lanes is the perfect place for his vegetarian food.

Matt said: “I didn’t want anything too big as I’m passionate about producing fresh food. We must be the only pub in Brighton that doesn’t have a microwave. Also, I liked the quirkiness of it all. People don’t expect to find this kind of cuisine in this pub.

“It requires them to take a leap of faith, and hopefully makes them realise sustainable, healthy food is the future.”

Pattypan’s all vegetarian menu includes a bit of everything, from Arancini and stuffed mushrooms to Sri Lanka style curry and open sandwiches.

The deserts are rather more unusual however. Using the in-house ice cream machine, Matt makes a range of vegan, vegetable based sorbets, like butternut squash and lemon, sweet potato and ginger or roasted banana and star anise.

He said: “We still offer bar snacks like homemade chunky chips and garlic bread. A lot of vegetarian and vegan places over-dress their dishes and give them pretentious names. Pattypan is nothing like that. You won’t find any square plates here, tomatoes served on the vine or edible flowers sprinkled on everything.

“My focus is on healthy, colourful, seasonal food for the soul.”

“After 15 years in the food industry, meat began to appear an unnatural and unsustainable food source. Pulling apart a lamb shoulder become a weird concept to me.

“I didn’t want to be a part of that world any longer. I decided to move away from the Open House (in Springfield Road where he previously worked) and go it alone.

“To be brutally honest, it wasn’t about what I thought people wanted. It was about what I thought vegetarian food should be. We have no meat substitutes on the menu, no tofu. It’s just vegetables, done really well.”

It was a bold move to open a vegetarian kitchen in a pub in The Lanes, with Nando’s, and Browns on the doorstep.

But since launching on August 1, the restaurant has been busy and Trip Advisor reviews have been positive.

One read: “Vegetarian food outstanding, no pre-prepared items from Brakes brothers served here. Seasoning and presentation of food excellent”

Another said: “Really lovely veggie food from Pattypan Kitchen in a lovely cosy pub. Surprised by how brilliant the food was here.”

Matt is committed to sustainability, buying local and recycling. Everything that can go back into the ground does so in his allotment.

While his menu is simple and wholesome, Matt does admit to having more than 20 different types of flour in his kitchen, to make the ultimate gluten free bread for sandwiches or vegan Yorkshire puddings.

“Our sweet potato, beetroot and polenta burger, served with roasted beetroot ketchup, pickles and grilled Emmental is a best seller. It’s taken me about two years to perfect, but I’m confident it’s as satisfying as a beef pattie, and much better for you. I’ve eaten a lot of burgers. The thing I love most about them is the sides. Even when I ate meat, I was always drawn more to the pickles, bread and sauces. The meat is not the be all and end all.

“Food should fun, the sorbets are a bit silly. We’re not making them to be pretentious, we are making them show the versatility of vegetables and fruit. Often when a restaurant is purely vegan or dedicated to reusing everything, they tend to shove morals down customers throats, but we’re not like that. We want to show people that vegetarian food can be fun, healthy and tasty.”

It seems to be a case of opposites attract for The Victory and Pattypan, as supervisor Sam Klemmer explains: “At the end of the day we’re a traditional pub. We have four traditional cast ales on tap and fridge full of craft beer. The new kitchen hasn’t slowed down business, in fact it’s done the opposite. People who come in looking for fish and chips are always pleasantly surprised when they try Pattypan’s menu. New customers often get excited as they were not expecting a vegetarian kitchen. We get all sorts of people in here because of the location. There’s a real mix of tourists, stag dos and people just wanting a pint after work. We get the odd customer upset they can’t get a meat roast, but if they hang around to try the veg roast they’re never disappointed.”

Matt’s top tips for snazzing up vegetables

1: It’s all about getting the water out of vegetables. Dehydrate your veg to get the true flavour out.

2: Throw about your steamer and get out your roasting tin. Different oils and spices work for different veg, but ultimately, it’s about what you like.

3: Vegetables make super tasty dips. Pumpkin and apple or beetroot and pomegranate are cheap, quick and tasty.

4: A pumpkin’s for life, not just Halloween.