A blog that started as an opportunity for Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway to improve their photography and cooking skills has become a worldwide smash hit.
Vegan-food blog Thug Kitchen has taken the web by storm after going viral in 2013, and now a newly released, self-titled cookbook is flying off the shelves across the globe. “There was no strategy or plan – we were kinda just fuckin' around and when it first started it was just a free Tumblr account type of thing,” Matt says about the genesis of Thug Kitchen.
“It was something we initially started for ourselves so that I could work on my photography and Michelle could blog and stuff. It was a chance for us to cook some recipes and get them out there on Tumbler. I think it was around late summer of 2012 that we started the blog to create something that we actually wanted to read and it ended up going viral by the spring of 2013.”
The blog was initially conceived after Michelle decided Matt had a terrible diet and was in dire need of a change. After reading through several food blogs online, they decided they could do a better job themselves. “Matt and I met about four years ago,” Michelle. “He had a real shit diet back then when we met and I tried to get him to eat better so I was showing him some healthy eating blogs and he absolutely hated them."
“Yeah I mean she was showing me a lot of cooking blogs and health food sites but the language that they use and everything – it's just really delicate I guess,” Matt adds. “I couldn't relate to it, and it was intimidating with all the weird-ass ingredients they were using.”
The blog has grown to become a global phenomenon, with the pair having recently quit their day jobs to pursue the Thug Kitchen movement even further. They'll even be making an appearance at the Sydney and Melbourne Vegan Festivals this weekend. “Going from our shitty day jobs to this is just wild. To even think we're coming to Australia now is just so fucking crazy – we've never been to Australia before,” Matt says with excitement.
“We couldn't have recreated it if we tried, we are just really, really lucky,” Michelle adds. “It's so incredible, we wish we could tell you we planned it this way.”
Despite the enormous success the blog has had, it hasn't been smooth sailing for the pair throughout the life of Thug Kitchen. The blog has come under fire for its use of ghetto vernacular, with some publications even citing Thug Kitchen as 'online blackface'. “That's a pretty narrow perspective, if that's what someone thinks, but that's not at all what it is for us.” Matt says. “We were trying to teach ourselves to take care of ourselves better and to eat better so we took this no-nonsense attitude to doing that, so you know it was like fuck, I'm gonna eat a salad.”
Michelle explains there's always someone complaining about one aspect of the blog or another – whether it's the language used or the recipes listed, but the majority of feedback from readers has been positive. “It was initially a bit hard because we're actually both pretty private people, but you know – it's the internet. We get shit for everything all the time.
“People have been writing and complaining to us forever about the swearing or even not including meat and cheese in our recipes. So if it's not one fucking thing then it's something else. But the bulk of the responses have been overwhelmingly positive.”
Although Matt and Michelle's use of gangster terminology has been criticised by some, the inspiration came from growing up in the golden era of hip hop on the west coast of California. Interestingly enough, Matt has an Australian hip hop interest. “We grew up through the late '80s and early '90s with hip hop. Who the fuck doesn't like classic hip hop? There's a lot that I like, but I gotta say Australia is really interesting right now too – you guys have got a lot of hip hop people out there and that's really exciting to see. But dude, we obviously listen to a lot of Snoop and Dre. You know, Wu-Tang.”
“West coast, fucking west coast!” Michelle quickly adds. “And yeah it's part of our blog, but I think any kid growing up, especially in California, in the '80s and the '90s – you're gonna love rap music.”
Matt and Michelle haven't always been vegan, with Michelle having been vegan since she was ten and Matt having converted two years ago after being a vegetarian for two year before that. Their Thug Kitchen blog is not an extremist vegan blog as such – so you won't be bombarded with criticisms and guilt. Instead, the blog focuses on emphasising the importance of including bulk vegetables in the human diet. “What you put on your plate, and what you have for dinner is your decision. We're not really trying to get everyone to go vegan, what we're really trying to push is for people to eat a lot more vegetables. We're just worried about your fibre,” Michelle laughs.
Veganism seems to work well for Michelle and Matt, and that's the simple message they're trying to spread. “I would say that when I first went vegan, which was when I was a lot younger – it was definitely for the animals,” Michelle says.
“But then as I got older I realised it really worked for me and my body and also every time I sit down for a meal I feel really good about making a positive choice for myself and for the planet. So that really helps keep you vegan as well.”
The biggest challenge that Matt faced when he converted to veganism was dealing with the taunts from other guys. “I'll say, as a guy, cooking healthy food is kind of seen as a strike against you as a man and I got real fuckin' tired of that. I've always been about protecting the animals, but I'm in it for the same reason that I also exercise and I go for runs and I do give a shit about my health. Also I do think that when people see how sausages are made, they'll think they don't wanna eat that shit.”
Michelle Davis and Matthew Holloway from Thug Kitchen appear at the Melbourne Vegan Festival on 21 March (The Corner Hotel) and the Sydney Vegan Festival on 22 March (Factory Theatre).
