Last Updated:September 29, 2026, 07:40 IST

Chef Ranveer Brar commented on the vegetarian menu at the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, stating it avoids global controversy as some countries eat beef and others pork.

Ranveer Brar on BRICS vegetarian menu

Celebrity chef and actor Ranveer Brar has spoken up on the recent controversy surrounding the serving of a full vegetarian menu at the recently concluded 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital.

Ranveer spoke with IANS in the Andheri West area of Mumbai during the promotions of his new streaming show ‘Yess Chef’. The complete vegetarian drew criticism from left-leaning sections of society, which said that the menu could have been diverse. He told IANS, “We make that thing a mandate. Sometimes, you want to stay away from the global controversy. Some countries eat beef, some countries eat pork, so sometimes you want to stay away from it and you want to serve food that stays away from controversy. Vegetarian food stays away from controversy, internationally”. The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12 and September 13. It was held under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”.

Leaders of all 11 BRICS members participated including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. The summit also brought together representatives of 10 partner countries, including Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Nigeria, Uganda, Cuba, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

“Another thing, it is not that we will always serve vegetarian food. In ‘MasterChef’ there was a vegetarian season last year. People were like, ‘MasterChef has turned vegetarian’. But, that was not the case. It was only that we wanted to highlight the vegetarian food of our country. The world is talking about vegetarianism, veganism, so this time, we celebrated our vegetarianism and we should see it that way. We have to put a united front in front of the whole world”, he added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of institutions including the WHO, WTO, AIIB and New Development Bank also participated. The summit adopted the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-point document covering global governance, peace and security, trade, finance, technology, health and climate.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – IANS)

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Why was only vegetarian food served at the recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi?

Chef and actor Ranveer Brar explained that serving a completely vegetarian menu helped avoid global food controversies, noting that different nations consume beef or pork. The choice also highlighted India’s culinary traditions, millets, and sustainable food culture to international delegates.

When and where was the 18th BRICS Summit held, and who attended it?

The 18th BRICS Summit took place in New Delhi on September 12 and September 13. It featured leaders from all 11 member countries—including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—alongside representatives from 10 partner countries and international figures like UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

What political controversy emerged over the BRICS Summit food menu?

The all-vegetarian gala dinner sparked a political debate as opposition figures like Rahul Gandhi criticized the exclusion of non-vegetarian options, arguing that it failed to represent India’s diverse food culture. Meanwhile, the ruling BJP defended the menu as a celebration of regional Indian cuisine and culinary heritage.

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