Vegan eats in Harrogate
Harrogate in North Yorkshire
A friend and I took a train from London to Harrogate earlier this year and although I'd not really heard of the place before, I was quite excited! Why? You guess it....food!
We did some research and found out that there were a number of places that are open about the fact that they cater for vegans. So we had lots of choices, which included a variety of cuisines and a lot of the restaurants and cafes were small business, as opposed to chains, so we'd be supporting them too!
Veganism is bad
There seems to be a group of people who have been misled into thinking that veganism hurts the environment, that it will lead to a massacre of animals and that all vegan food is processed and therefore, bad for you.
This really isn't the case and I'll be brief, because this could really be an article in its own right!
The soya that's grown for animal feed is the reason that many forests have been destroyed. This soya is not for vegans.
Not all, but many people are vegan for the animals, so they wouldn't want any animals to be killed or harmed in any way at all. If the world went vegan tomorrow, we wouldn't sit back and be fine with any harm coming to the animals that were being bred for meat, eggs and dairy produce.
Many foods, (in general), are processed and unnatural and I agree, they're probably not the best for the body. However, the majority of vegan food is natural and therefore, not processed, so it's actually the healthier option.
This confusion has led some business owners deciding to 'hide' the fact that they have vegan options available. This becomes a bit of a cloak and dagger affair and can make choosing what to eat a complex process, involving a lot of thought and questioning, when it really doesn't need to be like that.
Why I want businesses to be clear about their vegan options
Lots of places in Harrogate were not secretive about the fact that they have vegan options, so knowing where to eat was simple, clear and effortless!
I actually find that exciting and inspiring! Why? When a business is open about what they offer, in this case; they're ensuring those who want to eat vegan know from the onset that they'll be fed there; if the business isn't 100% vegan, it will also be clear that they'll have other options for those who don't want vegan food, and this upfront attitude, makes the whole process relaxed and fun.
Sometimes, ordering did become a long process, but it wasn't because the menus or staff weren't clear. It was usually because we were drooling over far too many things on the menu! So we created a system of making a shortlist and then reducing it further, until we came up with a few things that we both wanted, so we could share them. Sharing is a great way of tasting more things from the menu!
Tilly Peppers
One of the places we visited a few times was Tilly Peppers.
It's a cafe which is managed and staffed by a lovely family of four. It was clear that they care about their customers, they were openly reflective and looking for ways to serve their customers better, and they just seemed naturally good at providing great customer service!
The cafe itself is nice and cosy with seating inside and out.
We couldn't believe that they had only been open for 8 weeks when we visited in April 2015! It didn't come across that way at all!
Hoxton North is a gorgeous cafe.
Due to our working schedule, we couldn't spend much time there, but we wanted to check it out, at least once, before we left. So we made a flying visit just before we caught the train home.
Hoxton North is cosy and has a funky style of seating. The staff were friendly and they knew their stuff. I said that I wanted a smooth coffee, which wasn't too strong and they suggested which coffee beans to use and the type of coffee to have. It was delicious!
We 'had to' get some cake, but we didn't have enough time to eat them in the cafe, so they kindly packed them for us and we enjoyed them on the train.
B.e.d is a lovely restaurant with a great atmosphere.
The staff are friendly and not salesy. So when we told them we weren't hugely hungry, but wanted to taste a few things and share them, they agreed that one main and two starters may be enough. Of course, if we felt we wanted more, ordering something later on, would be no bother at all.
We were content, nourished and quite smiley after our meal there.
We would have loved to visit B.e.d again but weren't able to, due to working commitments. Next time!
And there are MANY more places to eat vegan in Harrogate
HAPPI have made it really easy to know what's what in Harrogate. Have a look at this article with lots and lots of recommendations.
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"What we have come to consider as “normal” illnesses of aging are really not normal. In fact, these findings indicate that the vast majority, perhaps 80 to 90% of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented, at least until very old age, simply by adopting a plant-based diet."
- Colin Campbell, MD