London chefs team up to create limited-edition plant-based taco for Veganuary

Two London restaurants, Ixchel of Chelsea and Holy Carrot of Notting Hill, have joined forces to create a limited-edition plant-based taco, available exclusively at Ixchel every Tuesday from 13^th January to 10^th February. The collaboration is part of Ixchel’s ongoing Tacos with Friends series, which invites guest chefs to reinterpret the taco through their own culinary lens, and coincides with the annual Veganuary campaign.

The special dish is the result of a partnership between Ixchel’s head chef Ximena Gayosso Gonzalez and Holy Carrot’s executive chef Daniel Watkins. It features grilled king oyster mushrooms, paired with a roasted koji mole, house-made pickles and a base of toasted focaccia trim – an element designed to reduce kitchen waste. Only 20 portions will be served each Tuesday evening at Ixchel’s King’s Road location.

According to the organisers, the collaboration aims to showcase the shared values of both kitchens: a commitment to bold flavours, sustainability and innovative use of vegetarian ingredients. Ixchel takes a contemporary take on Mexican cuisine, with a menu shaped by traditional techniques and regional dishes. Their monthly Tacos with Friends series fosters collaboration and innovation among London chefs. Meanwhile, zero-waste eatery Holy Carrot, which opened in the summer of 2024, has already been featured in the Michelin Guide and specialises in vegan cuisine using fire and fermentation techniques.

Gonzalez explained, “Tacos with Friends is a chance to bring different voices into Ixchel. Daniel’s cooking has serious depth – I love how he works with fire and fermentation to make vegetables taste so good. His taco is proof that a plant-based dish holds its own against anything with meat.” Watkins described the process of creating it as an opportunity to focus on the essential elements of the dish. “Thinking about how our flavours would work in a taco pushed us to focus on what really mattered: texture, balance, heat,” he explained. “It’s a dish that carries our signature style, while inspired by the techniques of Mexican cuisine.”

Food Desk

Holy Carrot’s guest taco is available every Tuesday from 13^th January until 10^th February 2026 at Ixchel, 33H King’s Road, London SW3 4LX. To book a table, visit Ixchel’s website here.

For further information about Holy Carrot, visit their website here.