Pumpkin Picking at Cairnie Fruit Farm

Pumpkin Picking at Cairnie Fruit Farm

Monday, 16 October 2023

Every year I say I’m going to go pumpkin picking but then it gets booked up before I get the chance. Not this time! There are quite a few places nearby offering this seasonal activity, but Cairnie Fruit Farm is where we chose to go as I know their cafe serves vegan treats so it meant we could make an afternoon of it.

Cairnie Fruit Farm is under a 30-minute drive from Dundee. From June to September (but mostly July), you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, gooseberries, cherries, and sunflowers. You don’t need to book for those, but you do for the pumpkin patch. You can choose from a morning or afternoon slot, it costs £1.50 per adult then you pay for the pumpkins you pick, priced by their size.

It was super busy when we got there but it’s such a lovely atmosphere. They went all out with the decorations and the wee shop is stocked to the brim with autumn treats and accessories. There are loads of backdrops set up for photo opportunities; from spooky hay bales to face-in-the-hole scenes, and crates filled with pumpkins.

We walked around to the ‘pumpkin patch’ which is actually two massive fields filled with a wonderful variety of pumpkins in all different sizes and colours. You can grab a wheelbarrow or cart (another photo op if you have a wee one!), and fill it up with your haul. It’s actually really hard to choose but we ended up getting a giant warty orange one, medium green, and a couple of tiny white ones. We shared a wheelbarrow with our friends and when it came to payment there was a bit of confusion so we accidentally got charged twice for some of theirs but didn’t notice at the time - might just be easier to have your own wheelbarrow if you can.

We then stopped at the cafe for a quick bite to eat. We had the spiced butternut soup which was delicious and warming, just what we needed after a slightly chilly walk around the fields. We finished up with some chocolate cake which was absolutely perfect - it reminded us of how you'd imagine the one from Matilda tastes - properly sticky and fudgy, yum! There was also a vegan toastie and carrot cake available, though you’ll need to check the specials on the day. I totally forgot to photograph lunch but you can see a peek of the chocolate cake in this video.

Next year Cairnie’s Pick Your Own Pumpkin Patch will be celebrating 25 years! Make sure to follow @cairnie_fruitfarm so you can get your slot booked in. We had such a lovely time, it’s just a really wholesome activity.

Find Cairnie Fruit Farm at Cairnie, Cupar, KY15 4QD
www.cairniefruitfarm.co.uk

Afternoon Tea at Post House Coffee Co.

Afternoon Tea at Post House Coffee Co.

Tuesday, 15 August 2023

Post House Coffee Co is just outside of Dundee, in the wee village of Invergowrie. They offer breakfast, brunches, lunch and afternoon tea with separate vegan menus making it easy to choose something delicious to eat. They’re licensed too if you fancy some fizz with your afternoon tea.

I booked our afternoon tea as a sort-of baby shower for my friend Lyndsey, I told them we were vegan in advance and paid a deposit. We were shown to a table inside but it was such a beautiful day we asked to sit outside. I chose a pot of earl grey tea and Lyndsey went for regular breakfast tea. Not long after the tea arrived, a huge stand of treats appeared - decorated with fresh strawberries and all looking very tempting.

From the bottom, we had sandwiches that were cut into triangles filled with falafel and hummus, and coronation chickpea (to replace mature ‘cheddar’ & tomato chilli jam which wasn’t available that day). There was a couple of tasty little sausage rolls too. We realised we were missing the mango and coriander falafel skewers but not until later on and didn’t want to ask at that point. There was plenty to eat and we almost didn’t manage it all anyway.

Onto the cakes; there was lemon and blueberry cupcake, Persian style flapjack, dark chocolate fudge brownie, pistachio and carrot cake, and a salted caramel cheesecake bite. We both liked the lemon and blueberry cupcake best, it was zingy and moist (I think it was a sub for the lemon, raspberry and rose drizzle that was on the menu which sounds lovely too). All of the sweets were delicious, although we did find the cheesecake a bit too sweet.

I would absolutely love to see an afternoon tea with a proper scone, jam, and cream alternative. I used to work in a tearoom in fife with award winning scones before I was vegan and it just doesn’t quite feel like a proper afternoon tea without. If you know of anywhere serving this please do let me know! The vegan afternoon tea at Post House is still a treat and one to add to your list.

Find Post House Coffee Co. at 104 Main Street, Invergowrie, DD2 5BE
www.posthouseinvergowrie.co.uk/

A Vegan's Guide to Dundee Restaurant Week

A Vegan's Guide to Dundee Restaurant Week

Monday, 26 June 2023

Dundee Restaurant Week is nearly here! For 11 days from the 29th June - 9th July, there’s a whole host of venues to visit and enjoy dining discounts at. Simply sign up and get your free digital pass here, have a wee browse of the participating restaurants and get planning.

Dundee Restaurant Week sent us to Mexican Grill* to see what they had on offer. Their Restaurant Week deal is 2x courses for £17.95 or 3 x courses for £20.95. We opted for a pineapple mocktail and a deliciously refreshing virgin mojito. Sadly there weren’t any vegan starters for us to try, but we thoroughly enjoyed our main courses. The staff were clued up on what could be made plant-based and told us they could make their burrito and fajitas vegan (without cheese). These were both so flavoursome and I loved the dramatic sizzling plate of veggies for the fajitas. The portions were very generous, so we shared a lovely orange sorbet for dessert.

Mexican Grill is taking part in Dundee Restaurant Week

Mexican Grill might not be the most obvious vegan-friendly dining choice, but it just shows how many plant-based options you can find these days. The good news is, I’ve done the research for you to create an A-Z of the vegan-friendly Dundee Restaurant Week venues. There may well be more, but these are either eateries we’ve previously visited, or have clearly marked vegan options on their online menus.

Andreous

(20% off)
Andreou’s have lots of vegan options including roast veg gyros, and hot and cold meze such as vegan halloumi fries, patatas bravas, chickpea stew, falafel and grilled veg skewers.
118 Nethergate / @andreousdundee

The Barrelman

(brunch and mimosa for £13)
There’s one delicious sounding option on their brunch menu - black bean chilli tacos with bean chilli, sweet potato, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo, avocado & pickled slaw. Yum!
100-108 Commercial Street / @thebarrelmanbar

Brewdog

(pizza and a pint of beer or any medium glass of wine for £14.50)
Their pizza options include vegan spicy meaty (Temple of Seitan strips, wild mushrooms, chilli fl akes, fresh red chilli, smashed Napoli tomatoes & vegan mozzarella) or the hero (Wild mushrooms, courgette ribbons, pine nuts, smashed Napoli tomatoes, rosemary).
Chamber Building, Panmure Street / @brewdogdundee

The Cannon

(any sandwich/wrap/toastie and soup for £7)
There’s an old school vegan option on their menu - avocado, red pepper hummus, tomato and rocket sandwich or wrap.
11 Union Street / @thecannondundee

EH9 Espresso

(bagel and coffee for £6)
They have a lovely vegan bagel named “The Betsy”; hummus, sun-dried tomatoes, carrot ribbons and rocket. If you’re in making the most of this offer look out for the cinnamon scrolls too.
248 Perth Road / @eh9.espresso

FIKA

(Large hot drink & cake for £6)
Vegan cake is usually available along with plant milk.
75 Perth Road / @fikadundee

Frankie & Benny’s

(family meal deal for 4: £35.99, or pasta meal deal for 2: £21.99)
They offer plant based pasta, pizza, salad, burger, hot dog and sides.
Overgate Centre / @frankienbennys

Gallery 48

(£18 for 3 x tapas of choice or £25 for 3 x Tapas & Glass of Sangria - Saturdays until 6PM)
Vegan tapas options include chickpea stew, tenderstem broccoli and chargrilled vegetables - though these are actually less than £18 for three anyway.
48 West Port / @gallery_48

Giddy Goose

(any pizza or pasta for £9)
Choose from two vegan pizzas: Margherita or Garden Heat (peppers, shallots, jalapeños & sweetcorn)
2 Perth Road / @thegiddygoosedundee

Innis & Gunn

(£35 for 2 - 2 starters, 2 mains and a drink each)
Starters are KFC cauliflower or butternut squash hummus, and choose from moving mountains burger or vegan shepherd pie for your main.
10 South Tay Street / @innisandgunndundee

Little Things Cafe

(Hand-crafted drinks and a cake for £5)
You’ll usually find vegan cupcake options, and a vegan and gluten free salted caramel brownie to go with your hot drink.
35 Reform Street / @littlethingscafe

Loco Ritas

(Any 3 dishes for £15)
Fully vegan Mexican Cantina! You can read our previous blog post here. Shout out to the cheeseburger loaded fries.
Old Hawkhill / @loco_ritas_dundee

Malmaison

(2 x courses for £22 or 3 x courses for £27)
Starters are cauliflower & coconut soup and Cobb salad, or Cobb salad can be had as a main. There’s also a black bean burger.
44 Whitehall Crescent / @malmaisonhotels

Mas Mexicana

(4 dishes for £16 - usually £26)
Choose from vegan quesadillas, tostada and tacos. They also have apple pie tacos with vanilla ice cream for dessert!
304 Perth Road / @mas_mexicana

Mexican Grill

(2x courses for £17.95 or 3 x courses for £20.95)
See above, items can be made vegan.
24 Castle Street / @mexicangrilldundee

Parlour Cafe

(10% off)
Soups, salads, sandwiches, mezze - lots of seasonal produce means the menu changes but there’s always vegan options.
58 West Port / @parlourpeople

Reboutique 

(Cup of Tea & Cake £4)
Cakes are all vegan! Usually lots of choice too.
Reboutique: 33 Castle Street / @reboutique_dundee

Serendipities

(Cup of tea & cake £4, iced tea or spritzer £2, homemade pie, wedges & house salad £5.50, quesadilla, homemade cake & any drink £11)
Fully vegan!
Serendipities: 12 Union Street / @serendipities_dundee

Tahini

(15% off before)
Lebanese small plates set menu, tell them you’re vegan when you book and you’ll be in for a treat!
11 Bank Street / @tahinidundee

Taza

(15% off, excluding drinks)
Lots of vegan options including traditional curries, and even naan breads.
City Quay / @tazadundee

The Flame Tree Cafe

(Rainbow bagel BLT and coffee for £7)
Bagel can be made with vegan Sgaia rashers for £1.50 extra. Alternative milks available for coffee.
20 Exchange Street / @theflametreecafe

The Selkie

(3 tapas for £10)
Lots of clearly labeled vegan tapas options including vegan meatballs, seared sweet chilli tofu and homemade veg chorizo in red wine.
27 Exchange Street / @theselkiedundee

The West House

(2 main meals for £17.50)
They have a couple of vegan pizzas including a Margherita and Verdura (tomato, not-zarella, spinach, onions, peppers, chillies and mushrooms), as well as an arrabbiata pasta.
2 West Port / @thewesthouse

Lots to choose from! If you’re feeling inspired to visit some local restaurants make sure you sign up for your free pass today. You can also make a donation to pay it forward to one of Dundee’’s community cafes.

Remember to mention restaurant week when booking and tag @dundeerestaurantweek to share your favourite foodie finds.

https://www.dundeerestaurantweek.co.uk/

*This post is in partnership with Dundee Restaurant Week. All opinions are my own.

Sweetpea Cafe

Sweetpea Cafe

Wednesday, 22 May 2019

While Falda was on holiday I visited Sweetpea Cafe in Broughty Ferry for lunch with my (newly vegan) friend Sam Baxter Art as guest blogger. There wasn't a menu as everything is on display in the counter but it's clearly labelled and there was a lot to choose from! 

Choice:	★★★★★		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★★
Value for Money:	★★★★★		Overall:	★★★★★

We decided to share a couple of things as they all looked so good. There was a jackfruit sweet potato wrap, and spiced roast vegetable tart. Both were served with beautiful, colourful salads topped with flowers, the wrap with crisps and the tart with vegan coleslaw which is always a bonus! They were delicious, enough of a treat to be comfort food but still felt healthy.

Sam had a Teapigs berry tea and I had an oat milk latte with chai syrup. There was also soya and coconut milk to choose from for hot drinks. Sweetpea Cafe offer a lot of vegan sweet options too, we had a pineapple crumble cakey thing which was very tasty. They also had ginger tiffin, scones, and a chocolatey nut thing.

Hopefully we can visit again soon since the menu changes all the time (we spotted vegan sausage rolls on the Sweetpea Cafe Instagram) and Falda doesn't want to miss out!

327A Brook Street, Broughty Ferry, DD5 2DS

08.30-17.00 Mon - Fri | 09:00-17:00 Sat | Closed Sun
https://www.facebook.com/Sweetpeacafebroughtyferry/

Menu Key:	Vegan options labelled + ask staff
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes but no baby changing
Dog Friendly:	Yes
Accessibility:	All ground floor but not a huge amount of room around tables.
Top Tip:	Ask staff for vegan cake options!

The Parlour Cafe

The Parlour Cafe

Tuesday, 16 April 2019

We are back TOGETHER… after a few weeks of not blogging together we FINALLY got the chance to have a proper blogging lunch and eat at another place on our ever-growing list. We have been wanting to try lunch at The Parlour Café for ages and with my little one fast asleep in her pram it was the perfect chance for us to have longer and more relaxed lunch.

Choice:	★★★★☆		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★★
Value for Money:	★★★☆☆		Overall:	★★★★☆

Located a bit out of the centre of town but close to the university, The Parlour Café is a popular lunch spot and takeaway. Although we arrived early and before the lunchtime rush we were a little disappointed at how difficult it was to get the pram through the door, however after a wee bit of manoeuvring a member of staff eventually opened the second door. This is a really small but cosy space if you are eating in which is lovely without my little vegan but it was a challenge to fit the pram in and even then we really felt we were getting in everyone’s way especially when the lunch rush started.

We were delighted that all but one of the freshly made and delicious salads were vegan and we decided to share the Vegan Wrap, which changes daily and a couple of random colourful salads. The portion was huge so we were glad we had opted to share, for the wrap and salad it was £7.

We decided to share a piece of Chocolate cake too, there was also a vegan chocolate torte but a big slab of cake between us was just perfect. I opted for a decaf soya latte and Jilly for a lemon San Pellegrino and all together the lunch cost just over £16, which was ok for sharing but a little on the expensive side if we had ordered a meal each. It is cheaper to get your food to go - the wrap and salad would've been £4.50. The food was fantastic and fresh and we would definitely recommend for a sit in lunch, just get there fast to grab a table as this is a busy wee spot.

58 West Port, Dundee DD1 5EP
08.00-18.00 Mon - Fri | 08.00-17.00| Closed Sun
The Parlour Cafe on Facebook

Menu Key:	Vegan options on menu and check at the counter for cakes and Sandwiches
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes
Dog Friendly:	No
Accessibility:	All ground floor but difficult to get pram in and tight on space
Top Tip:	Ask staff for vegan cake options!

Blend Coffee Lounge

Blend Coffee Lounge

Tuesday, 22 January 2019

Blend has since moved to Dock Street as of autumn 2023

And we are back…after a wee bit of time off over Christmas, we went out for our first blog post together in a few weeks.  We headed to Blend Coffee Lounge on Reform Street, one of our favourite new coffee and cake spots in the city.  It was just the place for a catch up and with a little play corner for my wee vegan.

Choice:	★★★★☆		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★☆
Value for Money:	★★★★★		Overall:	★★★★☆

Blend is a massive space but feels super cosy with big sofas and little quiet corners, such a great atmosphere for a coffee date or to get some work done.  I went for a soya hot chocolate and Jilly had an oat milk latte with hazelnut, they were perfect for a cold January day.  Blend has lots of dairy free milks on offer; soya, almond, oat and coconut. YUM.

Blend usually has a couple of vegan cake options but they only had a peanut butter slice left.  I ended up having most of it as Jilly isn’t super keen on peanut butter but it was DELICIOUS and very filling.  They also had a space for a vegan falafel wrap and a few tasty looking brunch options, but we werethere mid-afternoon.  We can’t wait to go back and try more vegan goodies.

With so many new places opening up in the City, we are excited for the second year of The Vegan Dundee Blog and can’t wait to eat lots more cake.  If you have any suggestions or would like us to try your vegan menu, get in touch onFacebook or Instagram.

63 Reform Street, Dundee DD1 1SP
08.00-18.00 Mon - Wed | 08.00-21.00 Thu-Fri | 09.00-18.00 Sat| Closed Sun
http://blendcoffee.co.uk/

Menu Key:	Vegan options on menu and check at the counter for cakes and Sandwiches
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes
Dog Friendly:	Yes
Accessibility:	Pram and wheelchair accessible. All ground floor
Top Tip:	Ask staff for vegan cake options!

The Bach

The Bach

Wednesday, 28 November 2018

The Bach has changed their menu a lot since 2018 - check out a newer post here.

After visiting McManus with a friend we decided it was time for lunch. I'd heard a lot of good things about the vegan options at The Bach so we double checked the menu outside and thought we'd pop in and see if there was a table free.

Choice:	★★★★☆		Staff Knowledge:	★★★★☆
Value for Money:	★★★★☆		Overall:	★★★★☆

It was pretty busy when we arrived but we got a window seat. While we were there a lot more people did arrive and had to wait or were turned away for tables so it'd be worth booking if you know you're coming! The Bach has a lovely atmosphere with its casual decor and welcoming staff. They are super dog-friendly and even have beds available for your furry friend!
The vegan options are clearly labeled on the menu, it's nice to see different choices from the usual, even with the drinks menu. My friend ordered the rumbledethumps (potato, sweet potato, turnip, cabbage, onion, mustard with roasted mushrooms and tomatoes) with the extra marinated tempeh and I went for the Bach bean nachos. They were both very tasty and decent sized portions, but I was a bit disappointed that the nachos didn't come with any substitutes for the cheese and sour cream - it could've been clearer on the menu as it wasn't a different price. We didn't have time for a sweet, but there were delicious looking cupcakes on offer and when I mentioned being vegan was told that there would be a vegan pavlova ready soon! Yum! Will definitely need to make it back in the hope of trying that soon.

31 Meadowside, Dundee, DD1 1DJ

08.00-17.00 Mon - Sat | 09.00-17.00 Sun
https://the-bach.com/

Menu Key:	Vegan options marked on main menu
Suitable for Little Vegans:	Yes
Dog Friendly:	Yes
Accessibility:	Steps to enter
Top Tip:	Ask staff for vegan sweet options!