Twenty-three-year-old Brennah Lambert of Lindenwold brings her specialty cuisine to a Merchant Street storefront this January.
By Matt Skoufalos | December 1, 2020
Brennah Lambert outside the LesbiVeggies storefront in Audubon. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Twenty-three-year-old Brennah Lambert has only been cooking for three-and-a-half years, but in that time, the Lindenwold native has built up a dedicated following for her vegan dishes.
Lambert fell in love with plant-based cooking as a teenaged high-school student who was trying to change up her diet to lose weight.
A family member took notice of her success, and asked whether she’d cook for her, too.
Then some friends at the gym caught on, and before she knew it, Lambert’s meal prep business, LesbiVeggies, was off and running.
“It started out by accident,” she said. “It made me realize, ‘maybe I can do this.’
A self-taught chef, Lambert describes her food as health-conscious by virtue of being plant-based and gluten-free, but she’s also hoping to elevate the concept of what vegan cooking can be.
“This is my creative outlet, and I’m happy to be able to share that with people,” she said. “There’s no specific type of cuisine that I do.
“It’s whatever I feel like is different, unique, creative, and tastes great,” Lambert said. “It’s always got to be some kind of collage of different ideas.”
Brennah Lambert’s vegan “clam” chowder dish. Credit: LesbiVeggies.
Like her decision to push into cooking full-time, Lambert says she similarly coined the name LesbiVeggies “at the drop of a hat.
“It was a creative, whimsical way to put that out there, sharing a little bit about myself,” she said.
“I’m gay, and this is my business,” Lambert said.
“I want people to understand who I am; I want people to respect who I am.”
The shop at 112 West Merchant Street—formerly the short-lived Twist Bakery—represents Lambert’s first foray into a brick-and-mortar storefront, and she’s put in the time and labor to open it as a full-service café.
“It was not easy,” Lambert said. “I had to put in a lot of work. It came together very nice.”
The chef is cagey about her opening-day menu, promising only “a little bit of everything.” She’ll start with brunch service, moving up to dinner as the restaurant finds its footing. Lambert described its aesthetic as “urban street café vibe,” and said she can’t wait to join the Merchant Street business district.
“I can definitely feel the environment when I come over here,” she said. “I’m excited to be a part of it; bring my little piece of it.
“My vision for my business is not small,” she said. “I’m excited to take it step by step and put my best effort into it, and I know I’m going to get that same amount back. This is just the starting point for me.”
LesbiVeggies is headed for a January 2021 opening, but if you want to sample Lambert’s cooking before then, her weekly bulk meal prep service is still on offer on her website and Instagram. She is also looking to hire kitchen staff; interested parties may contact her directly about those opportunities.
