Purezza

On an incredibly windy day sometime last week, I braved the rain and wind (talking 40mph winds) and basically risked my life in order to eat at one of the best pizza places I have been to. Despite the fear for my life I was actually really glad I went and here’s why.

There are currently two Purezza’s, one in Brighton and one in London. I visited the one in Brighton hence the near death experience from the weather. Purezza is about a 10-15 minute walk down from the Churchill Square clock tower. The walk there is pretty good mostly down hill. The walk back to the station is the killer as its basically uphill the whole way, and that combined with a tummy full of yummy food makes you very sleepy.

Instantly upon walking in, I was a little surprised, I wasn’t expecting this kind of look and feel. It’s modern rustic with a homey feel. There is an open kitchen and pizza oven with a bar top area for guests to sit at, so you can see everything being made from fresh. It’s a small space but I managed to get a seat without having to book at lunchtime. I would however recommend booking if you were to go at peak times, on a Friday or Saturday. Lots of industrial lighting and piping on the walls. A mix of dark and light colours but a lot of traditional wooden furniture. Pizza panels on the walls, playing on the wooden rustic feeling that comes with pizza. Lots of exposed brick and grey tiles. I love it. I love the feel. It’s extremely photogenic.

This is actually my first pizza experience as a vegan (although I have had a few supermarket vegan pizza’s but they definitely do not compare). As a non-vegan back in the day, pizza was the one thing that didn’t sit well with me, and when I ate it I knew what I was in for. Usually i’d get crippling pain and look like I was 6 months pregnant, and this was within 20 minutes of eating. I used to think this was because of the gluten but I’ve recently learnt it was the dairy doing the damage. One thing I can say is other than feeling very full after I left Purezza, I had no other symptoms that I usually got when eating pizza. So dairy is definitely the culprit.

It was actually really hard to decide what to have, so many different pizza’s to choose from and loads of side dishes. They even had a raw cheese board which I really wanted to try but couldn’t justify eating it all by myself. Next time. I settled for the “Here Comes Truffle” pizza, which was a black truffle base with mozzarella, wood smoked tofu, wild forest mushrooms and micro herbs. I also opted for a side of cheesy dough balls and garlic mayo. There are so many pizza’s to choose from, some classic and some more inventive. I love truffle so I couldn’t resist. You could even choose different pizza bases which I loved, opting for sourdough, hemp and a gluten free base. With the sides I decided to go classic, only because I’ve never had vegan dough balls. The courgetti and mac n cheese also looked amazing, next time I will definitely get the mac n cheese, it’s my all time favourite dish.

It was really nice to see a family there especially as it was an all vegan restaurant. There was a young toddler face deep in pizza, which isn’t something I’m use to. I have a few siblings, two of which are a lot younger than me and the word vegan/plant based really turns them off even trying the food. Even if it’s going to taste amazing. So it’s lovely to a family rather then just a group of millennials which is the the type of crowd I’m used to. Hopefully as Veganism progresses I will get to see more families and older generations.

Not being too heavy on the stereotyping but I do think I see millennials a lot more in all vegan establishments. I think we are more open to the idea of Veganism, as the younger generations are often more open to change. But then again saying that I do see Veganism in a lot of other generations, where people have been eating meat and dairy all their lives and only know that way. So it’s huge for them when they make a change.

On arrival it looked amazing. Oh and by the way it came very quickly fresh out the pizza oven. I could feel myself saying “oooh” as it arrived, it was so pleasing look at. The pizza was big (I ended up taking half home). The base was thin and crispy with puffed up sides. The truffle base was creamy and the cheese was gooey on top with button mushrooms and smokey tofu which tasted nothing like tofu and closely resembled the texture of chicken. The cheesy dough balls came with a hot caution so I sadly had to wait a bit before I could tuck in. The cheese was gooey tucked inside a lovely little pocket of crispy and soft dough. Basically it was the ultimate comfort food. I was kind of glad I couldn’t finish it as it meant I got to take the left overs home and pig out in bed later and relive the experience. There is not a single thing I would change about this. Couldn’t even tell I was eating a vegan pizza. I want this pizza hand fed to me on my death bed. That’s how good it is. Popped into my mouth like grapes. It’s places like this that make me want to move to Brighton.

All I can say is Purezza really need to get more locations because two just isn’t enough! Enjoy.

Earth and Stars

The Earth and Stars pub is a quirky establishment, just off north road in Brighton, filled with your typical Brighton hipsters. I hate to be overly stereotypical but its very vegan inside. Saying that I don’t want to put off my non-vegan readers, as they do have meat options on the menu. I am currently imagining a few eye rolls and the thought of dreadlocks and harem pants may spring to mind. Don’t worry it wasn’t like that at all, mainly just a lot of friends deep in conversation and laughter whilst stewing over a yummy Sunday roast.

So back to the vegan vibes… lots of repurposed wood, mix match furniture, which probably means a lot of the furniture is secondhand. Normally my inner OCD kicks in and wants everything to match, look new, be neutral, lots of plants and basically look like some sort of studio set up for a instagram photoshoot, but in this case I like the fact that the pub has a bit of soul and character. Lots of eccentric art on the walls, which by the way are painted lime green and a dark mustard yellow… honestly I kind of love it.

Something that really caught my eye was a phrase dotted around the pub “Local – Sustainable – Seasonal”. This is something that really appeals to me. Naturally as a vegan your ethics are to make a difference, whether it be improving your health, the environment or stopping animal cruelty (to name a few). When I see this phrase its makes me feel good inside and reminds me of why I became a vegan.

This is actually my first Sunday lunch experience that hasn’t been homemade. The thought of not having to cook a vegan Sunday lunch is very comforting. Don’t get me wrong I love to cook but there’s just a few too many elements in a home cooked vegan Sunday lunch. It’s almost not worth the stress, particularly if you are the only vegan in your household. So that sparked this adventure to go out and find a vegan Sunday lunch.

Now onto the food. Instantly upon looking at the menu you have your vegan mains and sides first at the top and then the meat options follow. This is actually something that I’ve never seen before. Unless you are eating at an all vegan establishment, normally the vegan options are like sides, hidden at the bottom. However Earth and Stars are proud to serve vegan food not because they have to due to the growth in Veganism. All the accompaniments are even made vegan for example the potatoes and stuffing are firstly vegan and then meat can be added to it. The food is initially made vegan, so essentially the vegan comes first. Which is really appealing to me! As well as that if you have family that eat meat then you can still bring them here for a Sunday roast and enjoy a vegan roast with them.

I ordered the Hash cake with charred red pepper, sautéed asparagus, potato and spring onion. 100% vegan and gluten free. I also added a side of cashew cheese cauliflower, because why not. All roasts come with roasted potatoes, slow braised red cabbage, gravy, vegan sage and onion stuffing, maple roasted carrots and parsnips and minted peas. So basically I was in for a full on Sunday roast treat. Although I am focusing heavily on the Sunday roast aspect it’s important to note that they do have a week menu filled with lovely dishes. Vegan and non-vegan.

On arrival it was basically a huge mound of comfort food and I was not complaining. I’ve never has vegan stuffing before and it was lush. The red cabbage mixed with the gravy was also up there. But the vibrant cauliflower cheese was heaven. I never used to be a huge fan of cauliflower cheese when I was a non-vegan. I often found it too heavy from all the greasy cheese. This cauliflower was strangely light with a creamy tangy sauce. If I wasn’t so full I would have drank the excess sauce left over from the cauliflower like it was a soup. Instead I opted for dipping the roasties in it. Could not fault it. Please give me the recipe. The hash cake honestly didn’t need to be on the plate, all the veggies and gravy kinda made it. I was also looking forward to the roasted truffle cauliflower fritters advertised on the website but it was subject to change. Above all everything was flavoured so well and it was a really yummy plate of food. I just wish there was a vegan Yorkshire. The meaters got one , but I assume that’s because it probably had egg in it. I know they are a pain to make (as I have made them) but it would have made the dish!

I’ve been watching a lot of Masterchef recently and like all of us my inner John and Gregg has been released. So I felt like a real food critique I knew exactly what I was looking for. Comforting, indulgent food which is what I got. And above all the food came out super quick. I was still making notes and hadn’t even thought about the “where’s my food”, which entails watching all the servers and waiting to see where they take the plate of food in their hands. Thank you for feeding my hunger so quickly. No hangry eyes today. If you don’t feel like slaving around a stove for hours and would rather stay in bed on Sunday morning, then you should probably book a table at Earth and Stars.

Moving Mountains

Today I gave in and visited my local Harvester in order to get a taste of the Moving Mountains burger that I’ve heard so much about. Honestly… it’s nothing personal Harvester, I just prefer a rustic, chic cafe by the sea, that’s visually appealing. Plus every time I step into a Harvester I’m instantly catapulted back to my uni days of cheap cocktail jugs that always ended badly. Needless to say I dove in and joined the local pensioners for lunch with the support of my mum.

The thing with The Harvester is you get what you pay for, you have those expectations. Its cheap, cheerful food. Which is why I had put this off for a while. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not a snob, that’s the best thing about veganism, you have to be incredibly open to trying new things, which I am. And honestly, The Harvester’s vegan breakfast when hungover, saves you. Basically… i’m waffling as my university lecturer would say. But the only reason for the babbling is that i’m trying to get the point across that I had low expectations… until I tried the Moving Mountains burger. It would be fair to say that for me as a vegan, the Moving Mountains burger has put The Harvester on the map.

On arrival, visually not very appealing… Let’s just say I tried a lot of different angles and lighting. Did a little research and found that other food companies that sell the Moving Mountains burger on their menu’s make it look amazing, so again might just be the cheap and cheerful side of The Harvester. Was also a bit gutted my burger didn’t come with the Moving Mountains flag that sticks out the top of the burger. I feel like that would have made the photo’s.

Not to be mushy and cliche but the first bite shocked me, I was taken a back, it was amazing. So incredibly juicy and full of flavour. As some people say it “bleeds”, which is something that really puts me off, I don’t mind eating something that resembles meat, but please don’t label it as bleeding. Honestly I couldn’t even tell it was vegan, I thought I was eating meat. This burger would fool any meater (meat eater). Kind of wish I asked for an extra patty. As previously mentioned not a massive burger fan, mainly just do it for the gram. This burger has changed my opinion. I will also be converting to Violife cheese, a gooey layer that topped the burger. I have seriously been struggling with vegan cheese lately, I can’t get past the smell of it. However the Violife cheese slices are an absolute game changer. That paired with triple cooked chips and a delicious burger sauce and I am absolutely sold, please take my money.

After inhaling my food, I instantly went onto the Moving Mountains website and was pleasantly surprised to find the stockist map is full of suppliers all over the UK, including The Harvester, Ed’s Diner, Kalifornia Kitchen, Sports Bar and Grill and Dirty Bones… to name a few. There were even suppliers in surrounding European countries *fist pump*. The only thing that saddened me was that Moving Mountains don’t directly sell to their customers *hint hint*. I would definitely fill my freezer with these burgers, absolute ultimate late night snack or even hangover saver.

Moving mountains for me have completely changed the game on vegan burgers. Guys, go get yourself one of these burgers.

The Green Welly Cafe

Based in the heart of Ditching, Lewes this beautifully refurbished cafe is mine and my mum’s go to. We love it. Hearty homemade soul loving food in a small homey cafe, need I go on?

The cafe boasts a rustic vibe, wooden work tops, pastel greys, fresh daffodils and potted plants. Basically an instagram haven. Lots of exposed industrial lighting, bare bulbs and fairy lights. An open kitchen and barista area, making the cafe stand out uniquely from others. Contemporary art from local artists litters the walls. As well as hanging bunches of dried lavender and the placement of pumpkins and squashes around the cafe. Let’s just say I’m sold.

The copious amount of times I have been here and never had to book a table does surprise me. We do always seem to time it incredibly well. Give another 15 minutes and the cafe is swamped with people being turned away. However saying that this isn’t a small cafe so don’t be fooled just because of it’s cafe title. There is a variety of seating from sofas to arm chairs, small tables for 2-4 people and then a very long table that could easily seat up to 2-3 parties. Put it this way, it’s worth the visit so take the chance.

Now down to the food and drink. One thing I love about The Green Welly is that they pretty much sell the whole Folkington’s still and sparkling juice range. I love Folkington’s, therefore am never stuck for my drinks order, and it really suits the theme of the cafe. In case you were wondering Folkington’s is a sustainable brand that sells authentic juices and sources their produce from local farms.

The cafe is a meater (meat eater) cafe and by this I mean they do not solely sell vegan food. They have their standard lunch menu which includes a mixture of salads, tarts and sandwiches. Alongside this is a specials board which is regularly updated with tasty treats. This is where you will find the secret vegan options that no one chooses to try. In all fairness I was a little lost for choice, which is almost unheard of in a non-vegan cafe. Dare I say the rise of Veganism?

I decided to go for the sautéed mushroom and fennel on rustic bread topped with onion marmalade and rocket. This was any easy choice in the end, I adore mushrooms on pretty much anything, in any form. My mum went with the avocado, hummus, tomato and spinach on granary. The waitress picked up on our vegan aura and asked if we would have butter on the bread. It really is the little things that make these experiences so enjoyable.

On arrival of our food it was fair to say the presentation was a bit messy, but this was totally saved by the fact that it was a big bundle of healthy comfort food, vegan style. So simple and yummy. We even had a bit of eye oggling from fellow neighbours and one of the waitresses admitted that she wouldn’t normally go for the vegan option but ours looked particularly inviting. The onion marmalade on top really made it, adding a sweet note to the crunchy bread and soft sautéed mushrooms. The addition of the side salad and sweet vinegar dressing on top added a crunchy extra and I loved the fact that it wasn’t your bog standard limp iceberg lettuce. My mums sandwich was super yummy, with lovely ripe avocado, rich hummus and crunchy spinach sandwiched between super soft granary bread, clearly freshly made that morning.

Now down to the real reason why myself and my mum come here, the homemade cakes. As soon as you walk in your are hit with this mountain of homemade cakes, littering the side of the counter and basically telling you to cheat on that diet. And it is a cheat worth taking. Now not all of the cakes are vegan, with it being a non-vegan cafe, but there are a small handful of the cakes completely dairy and animal free. As we vegans all know, it is very hard finding a cafe that sells vegan cake, let alone a cafe that sells a variety of vegan cakes giving you a choice. We settled on the chocolate and banana muffin, packed with oats, almonds and apricots. It paired perfectly with our lunch and didn’t really make me feel as though I had cheated and over indulged. The best part? The staff actually took the time to talk us through the vegan cakes, even when we hadn’t asked. So incredibly welcoming and attentive over the fact that we were vegans in a non-vegan cafe.

Overall a very pleasant experience which I definitely encourage others to try. I will certainly be back for one of the winter warmer soups and crusty bread, which goes down well in this cold weather. Alternatively come in the warmer months when you can bare to sit outside and bask in the sun. The Green Welly has a private walled garden. However I suggest booking a table, especially when the sun is out. Happy Vegan Eats.

Cactus Kitchen Gals

If you haven’t heard of Cactus Kitchen Gals, then head on over to their instagram and have a good old goggle. Based in Worthing, a few steps from the sea sits small a quaint cafe. It’s rustic and cosy. It is rammed with eager faced vegans, with people even being turned away or invited to settle for takeaway.

Much to my disappointed they had sold out of the Mac ‘n’ Cheeze burger. Mac ‘n’ cheeze is the way to my heart…so i’d already decided that I have to come back again just for that. When I usually go to a poplar vegan eatery I always find myself asking what they have run out of, this is a common side effect from the rise of Veganism. But saying that you take what you’re given.

Menu in hand I settled with the Classic burger, topped with a side of Mac ‘n’ Cheeze and a side of fried pickles with ranch and Notzerella Sticks. Then I waited, maybe no more than 15 minutes, which for a hungry vegan felt like a lifetime, a slow waiting game.

On the arrival of food my mind was instantly screaming *DO IT FOR THE GRAM*. It could not be any more instagram worthy, arriving on a metal tray, with buckets for the sides. The natural blogger within whipped out my phone and began snapping away. I’m genuinely surprised to say this, but people actually still stare at you when you get up and start having a photoshoot with your dinner. No judgement guys. It’s the life of a blogger, oh and a millennial.

My next initial thought was “is this even vegan”, which to be honest is my reaction with most all vegan restaurants and cafes. These days you really can’t tell that everything on you’re plate was once a plant. Needless to say, I dug in. Fried pickles, where do I start. In love. Who even thought to fry pickles and why aren’t they everywhere?? Then there’s the Notzerella Sticks, they pulled apart revealing a gooey steamy inside. A perfect crunch on the outside and paired amazingly with sweet chilli sauce.

Normally I’m not a massive burger fan, I wasn’t when I was a meater (meat eater) and that’s stayed with me since being vegan. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The ‘burger’ was made from soya protein, had some delicious seasoning and was somehow moist and juice. A huge dollop of Mac ‘n’ Cheeze and I was set, left feeling extremely belly happy.

This is what I would describe as a dirty vegan experience, it doesn’t follow the normal healthy vegan expectation. Cactus Kitchen Gals breaks all the norms around Veganism which I am very grateful for. By far the perfect hangover, good day, bad day, anyday of the week kinda meal. Can confidently say I will be back soon for the dirty fries and Oreo ‘Mylkshake’.