Category Archives: Stratford Upon Avon

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s Roof Top restaurant introduces Vegan menu and afternoon Tea in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Posted in Afternoon Tea, Cafés and Restaurants, Stratford Upon Avon, Theatres, vegan, Veggie foodie, Warwickshire restaurants by

‘Do you think because you are virtuous, that there shall be no more cakes and ale?’

Food and Shakespeare are intrinsically

linked. His plays are full of references.

Shakespeare used food and drink as metaphors to create accurate impressions of the times he lived in. For example the quote above from the great Othello play Act 2, scene 3 is one of the best. Often meal times were a recipe for drama.

The scene in Macbeth when the new king invites everyone who’s anyone in Scotland to his table to determine who’s with him and who’s against him, is a good example. He fails to be a good host which shows us he’s unfit to be king.

But on hearing this news from the RSC my eyes didn’t smell onions, and I didn’t weep anon, but quite the opposite in fact.

I’ve eaten at The Roof Top restaurant before a few years ago after a play. To be fair the vegetarian options didn’t inspire me greatly and I felt compared to Ruth’s options a bit short changed.

Not now though.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has introduced a new Vegan pre-theatre and dinner menu alongside a Vegan afternoon tea at their theatre venue in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Visitors to the Company’s Rooftop Restaurant, which boasts fantastic views across the river Avon, can now enjoy a three-course vegan fixed price menu.

Starters include warm marinated vine tomatoes, roasted baby beets, basil puree and rocket, or giant couscous with red quinoa, fig, toasted almond and red onion salad and pomegranate molasses.

Mains range from Turkish aubergine and chick pea stew with freekeh pilaf, herb salsa and pine nuts, or fusilli with butternut squash, red onion, chestnut mushrooms, fried sage and creamy walnut sauce.

The meal can be rounded off with sloe gin poached pear served with blackcurrant sorbet or Autumn fruit compote with Calvados custard.

Diners can also tuck into a traditional afternoon tea vegan style which includes scones, sandwiches and a range of desserts including dipped chocolate fruit, tartlets and chocolate cake.

A range of specially crafted vegan muffins and croissants are also available from Susie’s Café Bar based at the Company’s The Other Place down the road from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The Company also offers an array of gluten free dishes.

Executive Chef, Simon Malin, said: “As with our shows – we are always looking to make our food offer as accessible to as many people as possible – which is why I am excited to introduce our brand-new vegan offer to open up more of the RSC to people looking to have a great shared culinary experience.”

For more information on the RSC’s brand new vegan pre-theatre and dinner menu visit – www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant/menus/vegan-and-gluten-free-menus/vegan-pre-theatre-menu<http://www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant/menus/vegan-and-gluten-free-menus/vegan-pre-theatre-menu>

For information on the RSC’s new vegan afternoon tea check out – www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant/menus/vegan-afternoon-teas<https://www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant/menus/vegan-afternoon-teas>

Photo caption:

The RSC’s brand new vegan offer which includes Turkish aubergine and chick pea stew with freekeh pilaf, herb salsa and pine nuts and afternoon tea. Photo credit Sara Beaumont, courtesy of the RSC.

The RSC Vegan pre-theatre menu is served Monday to Saturday from 11.30am-3.30pm and 4.30pm-6.15pm. Two courses are available from £21 or three courses for £26.

RSC vegan afternoon teas are available from 11.30am every day except Saturdays where they are available from 1.30pm to 3pm.

www.rsc.org.uk<http://www.rsc.org.uk/>

So ‘call for dates and quinces in the pastry.’

The RSC are set to be good hosts for Vegetarians and vegans!.

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

Last quote from Henry IV Part 2: Act 2, scene 4.

The onions quote from Romeo and Juliet: Act 4, scene 2.

Thanks to the RSC press team for the information and images.

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#TastyMorsels: Veggie and Vegan friendly Happenings and new openings. 

Posted in Birmingham, Cafés and Restaurants, City Centre, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Meat free monday, Stratford Upon Avon, Tasty Morsels, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie, Warwickshire, Warwickshire restaurants, Wolverhampton by



Stirchley Vegan Summer Fair is happening this Sunday. With 50+ stalls from cakes and cheese, to animal friendly products including fashion, it’s going to be a good day. ChangeKitchen CIC will be providing the food at Stirchley Baths and Two Towers Brewery the drinks. 

They’ll have a fantastic array of delicious food to tempt you, including BBQ wings, pizza, Thai curry, burgers, their lovely healthy salads & hot & cold drinks. 

Drinks from Two Towers Brewery include:

Baskerville Bitter 3.8% 
Electric Ale 4.1% 

Hockley Gold 4.1% 

Completely Muppetry 4.3%

Vork pies from Nottingham will also be in attendance with their pies including Piri Piri and butternut squash. Hot or cold. 

Veggie Foodie favourites Mex it up will also be there as will Greens Vegan Catering. 

There will also be talks and food demos. 

Photo courtesy of Vork pies

Free entry from 10.30am to 4pm on the 7th May at Stirchley Baths, Stirchley.

Though not a purely Vegetarian restaurant in the slightest Salt has opened in Stratford Upon Avon. It’s a cause for celebration in my book and a restaurant to keep an eye on this year. It’s also completely Kickstarter funded. 

Paul Foster is the head chef. Well known for  his well executed food focusing on seasonal humble ingredients combined with foraged produce and locally picked herbs which become gastronomically pleasing, 

Initially from Coventry he had recently been the head chef of Mallory Court bear Leamington Spa but did wonders before at Tuddenhan Mill in Suffolk. 

Salt always have a separate veggie menu available which has a tasting menu and a 2 choice 3 course option. The dinner menu is £32 for three courses and £25 for two. The tasting menu is £57. 

Dishes such as slow cooked celeriac, black garlic, sprouting broccoli and pickled shallots and Wye Valley Asparagus and pea salad, Truffled goats curd, sourdough.

Also on tasting menu is a salt baked beetroot and seed and grain risotto with pickled and confit shallot and a Asparagus with lovage oil and crispy panko.

 Sounds delicious. 

For full menus below: 

Thanks to Paul for sending me the menu photo.

One to keep an eye on and on my hit list to visit this year. 

Salt is now open on Church Street in Stratford Upon Avon. 

https://www.salt-restaurant.co.uk/

Wahaca is set to open in Birmingham on 13 Temple Street later this year which is great news for Veggies as their menus are full of tempting Mexican veggie friendly choices. I’m getting a season ticket.

He’s my review from London last year: 

https://t.co/ZGOYLI9ovf

Watch this space for more details later this year. 


50% off all Vegetarian and Vegan dishes every Monday at all Soul Food Project Sites. That’s Peel and Stone in Jewellery Quarter and Harborne and The Church pub in Jewellery Quarter. Plus free selected cake with any vegetarian or vegan sandwich. 

Izza Pizza is open at Selfridges. Owned by the guys who run Veggie Foodie favourites Lasan and Raja Monkey. Thin crust pizzas made from special flour imported from Italy. Try their Margherita, and a luxurious one with truffles and mushrooms. Pizzas from £8. 

Also try The Woodhouse pizzeria on Ladypool Road at the old Brighton Arms pub site in Balsall Heath. 

Neoplolitan pizza including traditional pizzas such as Quattro formagi (Four cheeses) and Margherita. 

Plus Vegetariana with San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella, aubergines, peppers, mushrooms and basil and Fileto a white base pizza with cherry tomatoes mozzarella and Basil and Marinara tomatoes, garlic, oregano and basil and the classic Forte with goats cheese and sun dried tomatoes. Lovely! 

There’s also a lovely children’s menu. 

When pizzas are done well there are very few finer things in life with a cool beer. 

http://www.woodhousepizzeria.co.uk/

And veggie superstars Mr Singhs are opening up in Wolverhampton. Watch this space. 

Lucky Wolves. 

It’s also National Vegetarian Week from the 15th-21st May. Stay tuned for more. 



Oh and Guinness has just become Vegan and Veggie Friendly! Hurray. 

Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

Bottomless brunch comes to The One Elm, Stratford Upon Avon.

Posted in Bars and Pubs, Brunch, Cafés and Restaurants, Stratford Upon Avon, vegan, vegetarian, Warwickshire restaurants by

  

One of the hippest food trends has hit Stratford-Upon-Avon. Bottomless Brunch has arrived at The One Elm in Stratford, as the perfect antidote to the morning after the night before and a saviour to rumbling tummies everywhere.

From now on, every Saturday morning from 9am until 3pm you can enjoy two hours of delicious bottomless dining plus soft or stiff drinking with plenty of the good stuff to fill you up and set you on your way. It’s all available at the busy town gastropub that’s just a stone’s throw from Shakespeare’s Birthplace, as Mat Faulkner, general manager of The One Elm explains.

 “We’ve all been there – a Friday night out with a few beers too many and a heavy head and rumbling stomach the next morning,” he says. “Now it doesn’t matter if you’ve slept in and missed breakfast as well because if you can find your way to the pub, you can make it all good again by tucking into bottomless brunch at The One Elm. Our brunch menu is packed with bottomless good stuff, with something for everyone whether you fancy a healthier kick-start, a cracking full English or anything in between.

Free-range local eggs and bread come from the Brown Sugar Bakery. Wash it all down with a cup or two of single origin Rwandan filter coffee or tea of the Yorkshire, fresh mint or green variety. And if there’s nothing for it but hair of the dog, go for Bloody Marys, Brunch Punch and Mimosas.

 “We’ve created Bottomless Brunch as the saviour not just to Friday nights out but also for anyone in search of food satisfaction,” continues Mat. “So if you’re in town with friends and family and want to refuel or are starting a day’s sight-seeing in Shakespeare country, come along and do brunch with us first to get your day off to the best possible start. Hangovers are optional of course!” he says

   
    
 

For us veggies there’s plenty of choice. 

Try out: 

Breads:

Toasted Bloomer & Preserves 3.00
Eggy Bread, Strawberries, Natural Yogurt 4.50
 
Granola:

Summer Berries & Natural Yogurt 4.50
Superfruit, Honey Yogurt, Chia Seeds 4.50
Almond Milk 4.50
 
Pancakes or Waffles:

Blueberry & Ricotta 5.75
Superfruit, Natural Yogurt & Honey 5.75
****************************************
 
Bagels:

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Hummus 5.50
 
Muffins:

Veggie Haggis Muffin 4.00
 
Free-range Eggs Benedict With Spinach 7.75
Smashed Avocado & Poached Eggs on Sourdough 6.50
****************************************
Full Cooked:

Veggie Haggis, Spinach, Eggs, Tomato, Mushroom & Beans 9.00.

Bottomless Brunch is served every Saturday from 9am to 3pm at The One Elm in Stratford. A two hour Soft Bottom slot costs £15, and a two hour Stiff Bottom costs £20. 

 To view the menu please go to 

Click to access bottomless-brunch-menu.pdf

To bag a table for brunch, please call 01789 404919 or visit the website. 

The One Elm is at 1 Guild Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 6QZ. 

http://www.oneelmstratford.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/theoneelm

@theoneelm


Thanks for reading, 

Andy 😊

The One Elm, 1 Guild Street, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV 37 6QZ.

http://www.oneelmstratford.co.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#Veggiepizzawatch: Barebones Pizza-The best pizza on four wheels. 

Posted in Events, Festivals, Food, Food Festivals, Independent, Independent Birmingham, Kings Heath, pizza, Stratford Upon Avon, Street Food, vegan, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

Barebones pizza produce wood fired pizzas. Pizzas are cooked in a wood fired oven to a Neopolitan style and are very generous in size from their strikingly funky red van. 

Deservedly they were recently shortlisted by Shortlist.com for best pizza in the UK and were awarde 5 stars for hygiene and food safety standards. 

 As street food Barebones are the real deal. 

A chance reading of an article on the new wave street food scene paved the way for the idea to sell pizzas in the Midlands from their travelling pizza van. Bare Bones relates to the notion of natural and organic ingredients. No additives, and the freshest ingredients, which equals healthier pizzas. 

Barebones Pizza are a family run company. Father and son team Mike and Tim Evans are the main cogs in a well oiled machine or in this case van. 

Pizza’s are cooked to order in front of you, piping hot, fresh and incredibly tasty. 

Pizza’s are 10” using the best toppings. For vegetarians  try: 

Margherita (Bare Bones) pizza with tomato and mozzarella cheese. 

Vegetarian: (Boneless) with mushrooms, red Onion, sliced green Peppers, and mozzarella cheese. 

You can also create your own pizza with mozzarella, try from red onion, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives and sliced tomato. 

Plus the Vegan pizza: vegan friendly veganic cheese, red onions, smoked tofu, mushrooms, (example only) 

Plus you can order garlic bread with or without cheese. 

On a recent visit to Brum Yum Yum KingshEATh i ordered the Boneless pizza. 



It was a real pizza, crispy, nice toppings, great fresh thin base, cheesy, and looked a proper Italian pizza. 

What impressed me by the Boneless was that you could taste all the ingredients individually, they weren’t charred or burnt. The ratio of veg was spot on, a good size portion, ingredients in proportion and not too much cheese that it felt greasy and sickly. A quality authentic pizza. Like Italy in Birmingham.

Added to that is friendly service, and though very busy and with a long que,  it never felt rushed or that the standards of Barebones had slipped. A quality experience. 

You can find them at Street Food events, festivals and markets. 

14th March-Brum Yum Yum 10-4pm 

15th March- Digbeth Dining Club St Patrick’s Event 5-9.30pm

20th March- Scoff Street; Stratford Upon Avon 5-9.30pm

27th March: Digbeth Dining Club 5-10.30pm

11th April- Brum Yum Yum KingshEATh 

24th April Scoff Street Food event- Stratford Upon Avon. 

27th March: Digbeth Dining Club. 

2nd/3rd/4th/5th/6th April: Easter Market, Brindley Place. 

11th April: Brum Yum Yum Kings Heath. 

24th April Scoff Event in Steatford Upon Avon. 

Barebones have a great concept, a quality product and a fun looking and hard working van. They have an innovative menu, good vegetarian and vegan options and their pizza is good value for the price between £5 and £8. Dependent on choice. 

Barebones have put time into their flavours and cookery, their pizzas are handmade, rightly irregular, and have authentic fillings and a great choice for vegetarians and vegans. 

A 5 star success,  and not only the great pizza from a van, but from anywhere in Birmingham. 

Seek them out at the next street food event near you. They are well worth it. See above details on where to find them and also on their website. 

http://barebonespizza.co.uk/

Facebook: barebonesizza

Twitter: @barebonespizza 

For menus, details of events and background to the company. 

Thanks for reading. 

I paid for my own pizza and all opinions expressed are my own and honest at all times. 





Have you tried Barebones pizza? What did you think. Let me know your thoughts via Twitter @andydhare or in the comments section below. 

Thanks 

Andy 😊





Scoff Food returns for Fab Feb Food extravaganza

Posted in Bars, beer, Cocktails, Coventry, Events, Festivals, Food Festivals, Independent, pizza, Stratford Upon Avon, Street Food, vegetarian, Veggie foodie by

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The last weekend of February (this Friday and Saturday) is a street food lovers birthday and Christmas rolled into one. Especially if you live near or in Stratford Upon Avon or Coventry in the Warwickshire.

On Friday 27th February at The Stratford Boat Club overlooking the pretty River Avon and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) theatre sees an evening Scoffs Food Event.

Featuring The Jabberwocky, Spectacular Goat Pizza, Delize Italian, Canoodle and Bournville Waffle, amongst others. Plus live music and shelter from the elements if need be.

So what’s better than Stratford’ s first street food night and theatrical setting and even Shakespeare himself would be impressed with the atmosphere and stunning river views.

Plus, of course cocktails, and beer from 17.00-23.00 27th February and every week until the 27th March at Stratford Boating Club. CV 37 7LS.

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Saturday 28th is just as good.

Venue is Fargo Village in Coventry. This Saturday you will find an enlarged foodie extravaganza, a full line up of world-wide street food, and a colourful double decker bus, The Bus Bar to quench your thirst. Plus fantastic independent shopping throughout the village.

The Fargo Street Food Scoff Food thing has excellent nosh, plenty of veggie options at both events.

See Spectacular Goat pizza, yummy. Canoodle, Big Daddies Diner, and more. The food and the atmosphere should warm the cockles of your heart whatever the weather.

http://www.scofffood.co.uk for directions

Venue:

Fargo Village, Far Gosford Street, Coventry, CV 1 5ED.

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The Bus Bar at Brum Yum Yum.

Thanks for reading.

Andy

@andydhare

Facebook: Andy Hare and Veggie Foodie

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