The approach of summer really isn’t amounting to much here in the UK. The warm days are few and far between while the rain has been visiting more than usual. We are in dire need of a morale boost in these grey times and Tyrrells just might be the folk to dish it out.
Potato equals truth
Over the moor
Sometimes you have to go the distance for a quality meal.
When I lived in Australia, I would travel from Brisbane to the Gold Coast for stunning vegan pizza at Threeworlds Organic Cafe. My Los Angeles vacations don’t seem complete without a road trip to my favourite Native Foods Cafe in Costa Mesa. These meals are worth doing the miles for and now I can add another destination I’m willing to travel to for vegan dining… Glossop.
Glossop is a country town situated just over 20km/15 miles east of Manchester. It is steeped in history and evidence dating back to Roman and Saxon times can still be found. Windswept moors rise up around the town and a short trip by car will take you to the grim scene of the infamous murders on Saddleworth Moor. Visitors shop the local fresh markets while fans of dark comedy program The League of Gentlemen delight in spotting locations in nearby Hadfield.
There are plenty of reasons to visit Glossop, but I’m about to give you the only one you need. The Globe.
‘Til I’m fit to burst
What will you travel long distances for?
Some people will sit on a train for hours just to take in the wonders of an art gallery at the other end. Individuals will fly half way around the globe to spend time with loved ones. What does a FGV make the effort for? Music and food, of course.
It was these two top hobbies of eating and listening that resulted in me traveling to Brighton last week. Gene, one of my favourite bands of all time, disbanded many years ago and their former lead singer is only now returning to organised solo performing. Martin Rossiter was booked to appear at the Brighton Unitarian Church and I just had to be there. Josh and I packed up the car and made haste to the iconic seaside town.
We arrived to our destination with several hours to spare, so of course we hunted down the nearest food outlet serving vegan dishes. The Brighton Loving Hut supplied us with a feast consisting of a fry up, burger, chips and vegan candy.
I’d rather Jack
One of the best things about living in the UK is the copious amounts of vegan crisps (potato chips) on offer. Wafer thin, crunchy potato is everywhere and the flavours available are increasing at an amazing rate.
The East Anglian Crisp Company has joined the party and is now supplying this FGV with Jackpots, some of the most delicious vegan crisps on the UK market.
Something I’m having a hard time resisting
It is time for a straight up vegan food blog post. Sometimes I love simply describing a delicious meal and nothing more.
222 Veggie Vegan is a glorious restaurant situated in West London. If you want details on their fabulous vegan alcohol menu or their handy location, check my earlier post. This one is just a quick fix for serious vegan foodies.
Each ridge and narrow bridge
I apologise in advance for the money you will be forced to spend after reading this review. The plane tickets, the train bookings and the coach fares will be inevitable.
Sowerby Bridge is a picturesque village situated approximately halfway between Leeds and Manchester. The market town is nestled alongside the rushing River Calder and is made up of true story book visuals. Cobbled lane ways meet narrow passages amid historical churches, chimneys and shop fronts. Sowerby Bridge is a charming location sure to enchant most. Sold? OK. Well what if I throw in a world class, vegan restaurant?
I like my potatoes creamy
Potato is a food I enjoy mostly any which way. Roasted, fried, mashed… you cook it, I’ll devour it. With this established, you will understand it was with great excitement I set about creating a mouth-watering potato breakfast swimming in vegan cream and cheese.
Alpro products are everywhere in the UK. You can’t go into a major store without running into their yogurt, custard, pudding and milks. They produce a wide range of dairy substitutes using non-GM soy beans grown on land that is investigated to not have been deforested or reclaimed. Best of all, the entire Alpro range is suitable for a vegan diet. I had recently been craving creamy potatoes, leading me to search out the Alpro long-life, dairy free soy cream. This cream is housed in a handy and neat resealable carton. But I won’t pretend I needed to reseal it. All of the cream was used in one sitting.
Cruelty-free curry
Leeds city centre isn’t exactly drowning in vegan food choices, but there is a special eatery that has been keeping our lot nutritiously-fed for over 20 years.
Hansa’s Gujarati Vegetarian Restaurant is every bit as much an institution as it is a success story. Hansa Dabhi is an accomplished chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, travel guide and business person. She has been at the forefront of quality dining in West Yorkshire for more than two decades and her North Street location employs an all-female staff. Hansa has made many appearances in support of her first cookbook and has been rigorously promoting her second. Charities supported by Hansa and her customers include Saraswati Vidayala, an organisation committed to constructing schools in India. As you can gather from this paragraph, Hansa is a busy human… and I haven’t even described her food yet.
Pocket bread, flavor sauce and crunch patties
Australia may have lost its only Maoz outlet when the Perth store shut up shop, but at least I’m still able to delight in their crunchy falafel goodness here in London.
Maoz Vegetarian is a chain of falafel bars that originated when their first store front opened in Amsterdam during 1991. Since then, the company has franchised locations all around the world. They serve delicious falafel, salad and tahini masterpieces in cities as widespread and diverse as Madrid, Hoboken, Paris, Rotterdam and Berkeley. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough falafel lovers in Western Australia to keep the doors of the Perth outlet open. I believe a Maoz in Germany might have also fallen by the wayside. But luckily for fine food connoisseurs, 15 Maoz locations are still left standing for our eating pleasure.
The winds blow all of my dreams away
When I stepped out my front door inappropriately-wearing canvas shoes and landed in a few inches of slushy snow, I should have turned back and climbed into bed. Instead, I forged on into the dark depths of a hideous northern town called Wakefield.
Simon and I thought it would be a fun adventure to check out the bars and pubs of Wakefield. This Yorkshire city is located roughly 8km/12 miles from Leeds and is easily reached by car or public transport. Whether people should attempt to reach it is another matter. The town centre is littered with closed stores and bankrupted businesses. Unemployment is higher than the national average and there doesn’t seem to be much of anything happening. Disillusioned with the grim first impression of the town, we decided to brace ourselves and delve a little deeper. Of course when prospects look down, I always head for vegan cider. This time I wish I hadn’t.