Fat Annie's Leeds: Vegan chef James Stock reimagines American street food classics at Kirkgate Market
When James Stock first opened Fat Annie’s nearly a decade ago, the idea of a plant-based menu was far from his mind. But what began as a venture inspired by American street food has since undergone a bold transformation into one of the city’s most popular vegan eateries.
The 46-year-old’s journey into the industry wasn’t a traditional one. An economics graduate from the University of Leeds, James worked in finance for Manchester City Council for 10 years - but spent a lot of that time dreaming about opening his own food stall. Fortuitously, he was offered a generous redundancy package at a time when the authority needed to make savings.
“I thought, if I’m going to do this, I’ve got to do it now,” said James. “The first thing I did was book a solo trip to New York. I’d already decided I wanted to do hot dogs, but the ones I tried on the street were absolutely terrible.
“Then I tried them in the American diners, which is where I really got my inspiration. I met chefs at restaurants who showed me how to do proper sauerkraut and pickles. And when I came back, I went to Big Apple Hot Dogs in London and chatted to the owner about doing something similar up north.”
The discovery of a farm shop in Bradford making high-quality smoked sausages was the next step, and a street licence for a stall in Manchester’s Northern Quarter followed.
“It was a steep learning curve, I was serving a lot of customers at the same time,” said James. “Rats were a problem too - I was told that the smell of used oil is an aphrodisiac for them. Then I realised that events were how people were making their businesses successful, so I started doing those.
“In the meantime, I moved to Leeds, which was when the food hall in Kirkgate Market was being renovated. John Lewis had just opened up next door and I had a feeling this was going to be really good.”
Fat Annie’s quickly became known for its smoked sausages, brisket chilli and Philly Cheesesteaks made with rib-eye cuts, garnering a loyal following and making appearances on ‘best sandwich’ lists in Leeds.
But James was finding himself increasingly disillusioned with the meat industry. A turning point came after watching the 2017 mockumentary Carnage, which explores the ethical and environmental impacts of meat consumption.
“Fat Annie’s was a drop in the ocean, but we were still using 100 kilos [of meat] a week. I just thought, this seems crazy,” he said. “I’m not judging anyone that sells meat, but on a personal level, I started to lose my passion.
“We’d gone as far as we could with the hot dogs and we lost touch with what we were doing. I stopped coming into the shop as much. Then covid came along and I realised, if we were going to go plant-based, this was the opportunity.
“We decided to expand the menu and started doing some more interesting things. We were experimenting, which created a brand new challenge. I felt so relieved that it was clicking with my own values. I wanted to be a part of the future that will need more meat-free options.”
But the transition was far from easy - James said it was like “starting again” with a whole new mission. He realised that burgers should become more of a focus, inspiring an innovative approach to comfort food.
Signature items like The Supreme, James’ plant-based take on a McDonald’s Big Mac, have become fan favourites. “It’s like a high-quality version of a Big Mac...how a Big Mac should be,” he said.
With plant-based beef, cheese, pickles and a secret sauce, the burger draws on James’ childhood memories growing up in Llandrindod Wells, where the nearest McDonald’s was an hour away.
“It was my first experience of being really into food, because it was quite special going all the way there. I even remember trying to recreate the burger at home,” he said.
Fat Annie’s menu balances that level of nostalgia with creativity. The Annie Mac hot dog, another customer favourite, encapsulates this perfectly. James said: “It was the first special we did when I started in street food - I wanted to create a Big Mac in a hot dog.”
Featuring New York-inspired pickles, secret sauce and cheese, it remains their bestselling hot dog to date.
While Fat Annie’s is entirely plant-based, its branding doesn’t shout about it - and that was intentional. “We deliberately kept the branding non-vegan specific,” said James. “It was a strategic thing, because we still rely on a lot of passing trade.
“If we put the word ‘vegan’ on everything, it might alienate a lot of the crowd that comes here, particularly now that veganism seems to have gone off-trend.”
The nuanced approach has helped Fat Annie’s secure a broad customer base, including meat-eaters. “We love serving the vegan community, but it’s a bit like preaching to the choir,” said James. “It’s the most satisfying thing when you find someone who’s had their mind changed.”
Not everyone is open-minded, though. James said: “People still leave comments online like, ‘I didn’t know this was vegan rubbish, I came for a lemonade but I won’t be coming back.’ And it’s like...lemonade is vegan anyway, who’s putting beef dripping in it?”
Today, Fat Annie’s continues to evolve. Specials like the Soul Bowl - a wholesome combination of pickled carrot, bulgur wheat, vegan fried chicken and ranch sauce - showcase the team’s commitment to offering diverse options.
However, big changes are on the horizon. James has revealed that he plans to sell the shop this year.
“I’m looking for someone who has the passion to take it to the next level. We have a great team here, and I’m hoping someone might want to take it on as a lifestyle brand,” he said.
After nine years in Leeds, James said that he’s ready for a new chapter - but he won’t be leaving the industry behind just yet, as he hinted that an exciting new whole foods venture might be on the cards.