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!

Makers For Maggie's Spring Market

Monday, 6 May 2019

Makers for Maggie's Spring Market might not be a "vegan event" but once we heard there would be vegan rocky road brownies there we knew we had to tell you about it! Taking place on Sunday 12th May from 11am-4pm at Discovery Point, Makers for Maggie's returns for its third market with a fantastic line up of local and regional designers, artists and makers all supporting Maggie's Cancer Centre in Dundee. I'll be there with my JillyJilly goodies, including 'vegan' travel cups and mugs. You'll also find The Black Cat Soap House with their range of vegan soaps, shampoo bars and skincare. Make sure to look out for The Candle Bothy too, for a collection of soy wax candles with lovely fresh scents.

As well as stalls, you'll find a pop-up tea room, creative activities, mini beauty treatments and information about cancer support. Our favourites, Sorbus Coffee will be there, with Minor Figures oat milk and Nitro cold brews, Almighty Foods chocolate bars and Rapscallion Sodas. They won't be selling their brownies but that's because Artisana Brownies will be bringing their vegan rocky road slices, we can't wait to try them!

Artisana Brownies will also be selling their recently launched hot chocolate, the signature and dark hot chocolates are both vegan. We were kindly gifted some to try by Sophie who is organising the market, and it is delicious! Super chocolately, a really indulgent treat. You can also make a luxury chilled chocolate milk - "make up the hot chocolate as usual and allow to cool in a glass bottle. Once cool transfer to the fridge for a few hours. Add ice to a glass and pour the thick chilled chocolate over".

Entry is a £1 donation to Maggie's.
Find out more here - Facebook Event.

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!

Mono

Wednesday, 27 February 2019

I'm sure most vegans know of Mono in Glasgow, but we thought it'd be good to share it on here for anyone who's yet to visit! Mono is a completely vegan café bar in Glasgow's Merchant City which also hosts events and has its own in-house record store - monorail music.
Choice:★★★★★Staff Knowledge:★★★★★
Value for Money:★★★★☆Overall:★★★★★
We've tried to eat at Mono before but without a booking at the weekend didn't have any luck! This time we went on a Monday lunchtime and didn't have any problems getting a table although it was still busy. It's always exciting to be somewhere where you can eat everything on the menu! There's loads of pub classics and tempting junk food options to choose from. I decided to have macaroni cheese with chips (no surprise!) and my fellow diners went for the black pudding pizza and the sausage supper. It did take a while for our food to arrive but it was worth the wait! Everything was really tasty - proper comfort food. The chips were so good, especially with the creamy macaroni... Yum! The portions were pretty generous so as it was lunchtime we didn't manage any dessert sadly. We'll just have to come back another time!
12 Kings Court, Glasgow, G1 5RB
12.00 - 21.00 daily (open later but these are kitchen hours)
www.monocafebar.com/


Menu Key:
Everything vegan!
Suitable for Little Vegans:
Yes
Dog Friendly:
Yes
Accessibility:
Ground floor accessible
Top Tip:
Check out the specials board


Curiositeas Vintage Tea Room

Wednesday, 6 February 2019


My parents were staying in Anstruther for the week when my Mum spotted this little tearoom which she was surprised to find had vegan options on the menu. So, of course, when I went to visit them for the day we had to go and check it out! It's located on Shore Street, just across from the harbour. The ideal location for a spot of afternoon tea after a walk around the town.
Choice:★★★★☆Staff Knowledge:★★★★☆
Value for Money:★★★★☆Overall:★★★★☆
Curiousiteas is a tiny wee tearoom, so it's best to book if you're planning a trip. It's filled with vintage knick knacks, I loved all the mirrors on the ceiling! When you arrive you can ask for the 'tea menu' which is a dish of little loose leaf tea blend samples with cute little labels so you can smell them and choose your favourite to order. I had the rhubarb infusion which was lovely and sweet. We were just visiting for tea and cake but there were two vegan sandwich options on the menu which sounded delicious - chickpea mash & lime pickle, or curly kale and cashew pesto. There's a cabinet filled with homemade cakes, so we asked which were vegan and were told it was the lemon cake. The owner, who was very happy to help, said there's usually at least one vegan-friendly option. My slice of lemon cake wasn't very photogenic but that didn't matter as it was so yummy! Especially the buttercream... mmmm. If it's a sunny day then you can get some treats to takeaway which would be perfect for a wee picnic along the coast.
17A Shore Street, Anstruther KY10 3EA
12.00-17.00 Tue-Sun 


Menu Key:
Vegan options labelled
Suitable for Little Vegans:
High chairs (no toilets)
Dog Friendly:
Yes
Accessibility:
Small step up to cafe
Top Tip:
Book in advance as it's tiny!

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!

Happy Veganuary!

Wednesday, 9 January 2019

Happy New Year! We're back from our Christmas break which was mostly spent eating lots of homemade food with a mix of visiting, hosting and all round lovely time with family and friends. It's almost a year since we started our Vegan Dundee blog! We'll be celebrating at the start of February and take a look back at our most popular posts. For now, you can see our top posts from Instagram above featuring Padrino Pizza, Heart Space Whole Foods, Dundee Vegan Festival, Sea No Waste, Tonic and Simpsons. 

It feels like ages since we've blogged as so much has happened with vegan menus and products appearing everywhere for the biggest Veganuary yet! This is so exciting but we'll have our work cut out trying to get round to reviewing everything. Especially as quite a few places are trialing menus just for this month so fingers crossed the results are a success and the new options will stick around for the future. You've probably seen most of the new options but just in case, here's what to look out for in Dundee:

Frankie & Benny's
They have just launched a full vegan menu with burgers, pizza and pasta (including Mac No Cheese), there's also 'I Ain't No Chicken Parmigana Grill' and a 'Not Hot Dog'. Even better, Frankie and Benny's is now offering 5 vegan dessert options including a Cookies and Dream Sundae! See the full menu at The Hectic Vegan.

Marks & Spencers
Plant Kitchen is a whole new range of over 60 meals, snacks and ingredients, with plenty convenient comfort food! The range includes everything from pizza, lasagne and alternatives to meat, as well as delicious popcorn cauliflower and dirty fries. Yum!

McDonalds
McDonalds now offer a spicy veggie wrap that's vegan-friendly! It's made with red pesto goujons, relish and salad. There's a non-spicy mini version available in the Happy Meal too.

Pizza Hut
New Vegan Jack 'n' Ch**se pizza has joined the vegan veggie and Margherita pizzas. With Violife cheese and BBQ jackfruit and veg it's great to see more pizza options!

Boots
Two new sandwiches have been added to the Boots range, the Vegan All Day Breakfast (with veggie sausage and scrambled tofu) and Vegan BLT (with smoky maple carrot bacon). These are available in the meal deal so are handy if you're in need of lunch on the go or for the train.

Co-op
Co-op have added vegan options to their ready meals and sandwiches, featuring lots of BBQ jackfruit. They are also labeling their doughnuts as vegan now!

Greggs (in Dundee soon!)
The new vegan sausage roll has caused excitement among vegans across the country... until it turned out that they were only available in 900 Greggs, with none around Dundee and the rest of Scotland which isn't Edinburgh or Glasgow. The good news is that they have been so popular, with queues and sell-outs, that they are now being released in all 1800 stores! There isn't a date yet but we're very much looking forward to them coming to Dundee.

Which have you tried? Let us know if there's something we should add to the list! Of course, these are just the big chains but it's great to have convenient options especially when you're on the go. We love to support local businesses, especially those that have been catering for vegans for a long time and we'll get back to reviewing these soon!

Bruach

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

With just a few days before the Etsy Made Local market we realised our itison voucher for Bruach was about to expire. We took a break from getting organised to treat ourselves to a relaxed lunch break in Broughty Ferry. I had looked up the menu before buying the voucher and saw that only the superfood salad was included in the offer from the regular lunch menu.
Choice:★★★★★Staff Knowledge:★★★★★
Value for Money:★★★★☆Overall:★★★★☆
When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised when our very helpful waiter said we could choose from several options on the vegan menu which he brought out to show us. David went for the rice noodle bowl, which was really tasty and gave me a bit of food envy! I did decide to have the warm superfood salad in the end as it sounded like an interesting flavour combination with beetroot, pear and orange in the mix. It was nice but there wasn't any pear or crispy kale which was a shame.
If we'd had more time I'd have loved to have tried the coconut rice pudding (with candied pineapple and crushed pistachios). It's great to see another restaurant with a separate vegan menu that offers lots of choice. We were told that the menu changes seasonally so it'll be great to see what's next!
326 Brook Street, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, DD5 2AN
10.00-21.00 Mon - Sun
www.bruach-bar.com

Menu Key:
Ask for vegan menu
Suitable for Little Vegans:
Kids menu but no vegan options on it
Dog Friendly:
No
Accessibility:                        
All ground floor
Top Tip:
Check the main menu for vegan sides
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