A little pitta courage went a long way!

We are often asked how our now beloved Vegan Döner Kebab came to be. And, like many great stories, it all started over a cold beer on a hot day in Bodrum. Cem, a historically renowned meat eater, had just dropped the bombshell that he had given up meat and dairy and was now following a plant based diet.

The first takeaway restaurant for What The Pitta

As Cem lamented the lack of choice in quality vegan takeaways, Roj excitedly explained that his uncle in Germany had developed a tasty, and top secret, Vegan Döner Kebab recipe which was really popular in his shop in Freiburg. And, with that simple revelation, What The Pitta was born.

After a quick pit stop back in London, Roj and Cem headed over to Freiburg to try Roj’s Uncle’s famous Vegan Döner and were so wowed by the great flavour, they knew that they had to bring the recipe back home to share with the UK. It didn’t take long to learn the ropes: making and flipping the fresh breads and seasoning the soya to make it just right. Only two weeks later What The Pitta officially opened its doors (or, in this case, hatches) at The Pump in Shoreditch to bring the Vegan Döner Kebab and other Turkish inspired vegan treats to vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

Sometimes, you just know you’re on to something special and What The Pitta was created with a whole lot of love. It is a true family franchise which aims to bring a healthier and more ethical spin to a beloved British favourite.

Aside from the occasional comment from passer-by who have been heard to remark, “What the f*ck is a Vegan Döner!?” What The Pitta has fast become a cult favourite and has gone on to feed the likes of JME (UK Grime Artist), The Happy Pear (Vegan Chefs), FatGayVegan (Blogger) and superstar footballers.

We have also been featured in The Metro and on BBC News Night, The One Show and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch. We have been nominated for a number of awards and won Best Vegan Caterer at Vegfest Awards 2018 and Best London Takeaway at the Kebab Awards 2020 (the first EVER vegan winner).

From our humble roots in a green hut after a spontaneous trip to Freiburg, we now have locations in Shoreditch (Brick Lane), Camden, Croydon, Manchester and Brighton. We are the original Vegan Döner Kebab and pride ourselves on ensuring that every single wrap is as special as that first one we tried almost five years ago.