Vegging out

SINGAPORE - Her music legacy is legendary, her bravura inimitable and hard rocking. And Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer and lead singer of The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde, is also a long time vegan with a soft spot for conscious dining. So committed is the London-based musician that Hynde reportedly opened a vegan restaurant in her native Akron, Ohio, in the United States, so that she has a place to eat when she visits. (Unfortunately, the business succumbed to the recent rigours of America's troubled economy.)

The good news for her is that she will always have a place to indulge in when in Singapore. Following her memorable gig at the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend, she accepted an invitation from VeganBurg's founder Alex Tan to tour its four outlets and sample the menu.

"We think that Chrissie is the perfect personification of VeganBurg's character and style," said Tan. "We're all about great tasting burgers with a punch of rock and roll awesomeness. Edgy and straightforward - just like Chrissie."

He added that the concept of the "world's first vegan burger fast food joint" is something Hynde seemed very excited about. "When she took her first bite, she kept on saying that 'this is fantastic … this is amazing', she just couldn't wait to come down to all of the VeganBurg outlets," Tan explained.

And Hynde has already found a favourite: The Cracked Pepper Mayo burger, which she had for lunch at The Grandstand outlet on Turf Club Road. "I've toured around the world with my band and always looking for the perfect burger. I finally found it at VeganBurg," she said.

And why not? The concept actually makes a plant-based environmentally sustainable diet rather hip and discernably healthy - all their patties are also made sans gluten, GMO (genetically modified organisms), preservatives, dairy and transfat. Now that's got to rock.

Visit www.veganburg.com for more information on VeganBurg and its Toy Swap initiative, which aims to reinforce important environmental messages.