The Nourish Takeout Co. Fitness Food

The Nourish Takeout Co. Fitness Food

Tuesday, 5 September 2023

The Nourish Takeout Co. offers guilt-free, calorie counted fitness food. I’m 100% not the target market for this as I don’t think that guilt or calorie counting are helpful when it comes to eating, but I understand that those can be a necessary part of a fitness lifestyle. Nonetheless, they offer vegan options so we went to try them out.

The interior is a colourful industrial vibe with exposed white brickwork, metro tiles, greenery and neon lights. It was quite quiet when we visited so we could have grabbed a window seat for a spot of people watching but it was such a lovely day that we took our food to go and are outside The Steeple.

There are a couple of menus on the screens above the counter but you can order on the tablet nearer the door. It’s nice to be able to browse the vegan options on there, and there was quite a few. I went for the cookies and cream smoothie and a nourish box. You can pick your own protein, seasoning, sides and sauce, or there’s a list of Nourish box favourites to choose from.

I had the Vegan Spice box which was vegan piri chicken, spiced couscous, roasted veg and vegan garlic aioli. This was super tasty, the ‘chicken’ was vegan Quorn pieces which I hadn’t had in ages but they were nicely seasoned and went well with the garlic aioli. The smoothie was quite rich, made with a protein powder which wasn’t too obvious but it did taste kind of banana-y. I think I’d try the summer berry one next time.

Since our visit I noticed that they added vegan protein pancakes with toppings such as cinnamon and apple crumble or banoffee which both sound delicious. It’s great to have a healthy spot in the centre of town, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it even if you’re not into ‘fitness’ food.

Find The Nourish Takeout Co at 91 Nethergate, DD1 4DH
nourishtakeout.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/

HBW Coffee / Stirling

HBW Coffee / Stirling

Monday, 3 July 2023

When we were planning our trip to Stirling earlier this year I found HBW Coffee kept coming up top for vegan recommendations and now that we’ve been, I can see why! It’s not a fully vegan cafe, but the menu was majority vegan or veggie on our visit. There were plenty of interesting dishes to choose from, along with brunch classics too.

HBW is a beautiful, bright space filled with light from the large windows - ideal for people watching - and a fresh but retro mix of blue and red interior styling. The team were super friendly and kept us updated on a kitchen issue that morning. At first we thought we’d just stop in for coffee and cakes but as things got up and running we stayed for lunch too, then they kindly offered us another drink since we’d decided to wait.

We were spoilt for choice with the drinks menu - they had a vegan white hot chocolate! One of my pre-vegan faves, I was delighted that this tasted as I hoped it would. Made with white oat milk chocolate drops it was perfectly creamy and sweet. David had an oat mocha which is always his go-to, then later I had a beetroot latte which was lovely too.

For lunch, we went for tasty sounding brunch options. I had an incredible chocolate babka French toast which came topped with Biscoff pudding, fruit, and cream. This dish lives rent-free in my head and I often wonder if I could make something like it at home but I think I’ll have to plan a trip back to Stirling and keep my fingers crossed that it’s still on the menu! David opted for pancakes with maple bacon and tofu scramble - we’ve never had such fluffy vegan pancakes and the toppings were a delicious mix of sweet and salty.

Make sure you add HBW Coffee to your list if you’re visiting Stirling, or maybe plan a wee trip just so you can go (and check out Nooch Bar + Kitchen while you’re there too). Follow @hbwcoffee for updates on Instagram.



Find HBW Coffee at 54/56 Barnton St, Stirling FK8 1NA
https://www.hbwcoffee.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.

Angus Grill & Larder

Angus Grill & Larder

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

Angus Grill & Larder recently launched their new summer menu and kindly invited* us along to see what vegan treats were on offer for lunch. Just off the A90 before Brechin, Angus Grill & Larder serves fresh food with an emphasis on locally sourced produce. With plenty of seating (indoor and out), a wee doggy park, and to-go service, it’s a handy stopping point - but worth making the trip just for a visit too.

We’d actually been here before when we got a flat tyre on our drive back from the Blue Door Walk in Edzell. Luckily for us, we were able to wait for the recovery vehicle from the comfort of the outdoor area with a coffee by the fire pit that day. It was great to come back under nicer circumstances and actually enjoy a meal this time.

After being shown to our table by the friendly front-of-house team, we found there were lots of Scottish brands on the drinks menu, like Bon Accord and Nuisance. I chose a refreshing Summer House raspberry lemonade which was perfect for a hot day. We were very excited to see that they offered a vegan milkshake; made with vanilla ice cream, oat milk and Oreos. It was served in a traditional steel malt cup and was deliciously thick.

To eat, we decided on the vegan dog and club sandwich. There were also vegan wings and a falafel burger which could be made vegan on the menu. The food was quick to arrive and the portions were very generous.

The herby vegan dog came grilled, in a pretzel bun with freshly fried onions and fries. David really enjoyed this, though it was missing the mustard which would have made it even better. We both agreed that the club sandwich was our favourite. Toasted ciabatta, stuffed with vegan bacon and chicken, plant-based cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato and vegan mayo. It was such a tasty combo and great to see something a bit different. I opted for fries but you could have this with the house salad instead, which might have been a better idea as we were both so full.

Angus Grill & Larder has quite a minimal but modern interior vibe, so it’s a fun surprise to find the colourful art gallery toilets (“lavatoriums”). There are three, each painted by a different local artist, and finished with eco-friendly products. Pictured here is Arbroath Adventures by Laura Darling, the other two are Fields of Forfar by Louise Kirby and Pamela Scott’s Bonny Brechin.

As well as using local suppliers in their kitchen, you’ll find some fab products in their larder area. These shelves are filled with goodies such as drinks (I spied Angus Alchemy!), jams, candles, coffee and soap. We picked up a jar of Dip Club Rasp-beret Chipotle salsa which I’m very much looking forward to opening soon.

One thing worth noting is that although Angus Grill & Larder is dog-friendly, dogs aren’t allowed inside the restaurant. There’s Hallie and Maple’s doggy play park which is a secure area for letting them off the lead, and you can have them in the outside seating area too.

You can find Angus Grill & Larder at Balnabriech, Brechin, DD9 6RN
https://angusgrillandlarder.co.uk/
@angusgrilluk

*Angus Grill & Larder gifted us our lunch, all opinions are my own.

Dundee Espresso Lab

Dundee Espresso Lab

Friday, 2 June 2023

Dundee Espresso Lab opened on Commercial Street towards the end of last year. We’d been meaning to visit, and after messaging to see if they had vegan food options, we popped in for a light Sunday lunch after wandering around the waterfront with guests we had staying for the weekend.

The coffee shop is bright and welcoming with exposed brick walls and tungsten-style bulbs - a mix of vintage and industrial aesthetics that works nicely in the space. The window seat was taken when we arrived but it looks very inviting, I do love a people watching spot and it would be ideal for that - or cosy to look out from on a rainy day. Espresso Lab is dog friendly so we brought our two along (spot Izzy peeping out on that last photo!).

We ordered a selection of coffees and some fresh orange juice which is squeezed to order - delicious and refreshing. The mocha (or hot chocolate) can be made vegan if you order with plant milk which is always good to know, it’s disappointing when places only stock a chocolate powder with milk in it. I had an oat flat white which is always a great way to test the coffee and I can confirm that it was perfect. They also sell coffee beans by the bag if you want some Espresso Lab blend for home.

The lunch options are labelled vegan on the chalkboards, there was a choice of greek pies or soup of the day. The pie options were olive, tomato and pepper, or herby leek - we had one of each and they came with side salads. The flavours were great, very rich and Mediterranean, it was nice to have something a bit different to the usual offerings.

They did have one vegan cake which was an apple and almond one, it was on the crumbly side as it was also gluten free but tasted lovely. I’ve had a brownie from here since, and that was nice and sticky. I would absolutely love to see vegan cannoli - we had at Purezza in Manchester and wish there was somewhere that sold them locally!

If you’re looking for something to do on a Thursday evening, Dundee Espresso Lab has been opening from 6-8pm for a craft club. It’s fab to have more options for week night hang outs, especially for a creative get-together. 

Find Dundee Espresso Lab at 31 Commercial Street, DD1 3DG
https://www.dundeeespressolab.co.uk/
@dundeeespressolab 

Rascals / Perth

Rascals / Perth

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

Have you been to Rascals in Perth yet? If not, you’ll want to plan a visit soon! This fully vegan eatery is tucked around the corner from the river with an easy to spot green exterior complete with a silhouette of Rascal the dog. The menu is full of tempting comfort food and I’m sure you’ll be spoilt for choice.

We were given a warm welcome and shown to a window table. Rascals is dog friendly, so we brought Daisy the chihuahua with us and she was offered water on arrival which is always appreciated. The interior is simple and bright with pops of green and flowers on the table, and there’s a counter covered in sweet treats under glass domes. 

It’s so nice to have another fully vegan cafe in Perth, since 269 Vegan sadly closed. There’s lots to choose from on the menu with a mix of classic comfort dishes and some more unusual offerings. There are light options including open sandwiches with ‘happy tuna’ and sweetcorn, coronation chic’n with crispy fried onions, or a BLT.

We went for more indulgent mains - I had the Thai fish cakes with chips and tartar sauce and David went for the mac and cheese loaded fries. The fish cakes were made with banana blossom which kept them light and they had a lovely delicate flavour. David loved the mac and cheese (me too - I had this on our second visit!), it was rich and creamy, and very moreish. On our more recent visit, David had the Rascals house burger which he has not stopped talking about - he wouldn’t even let me try it as he wanted it all to himself!

Back to our first visit, we had a pot of tea and a hot chocolate to drink, and even though we were very full we had to try some of the sweets. After much deliberation, we shared an apple and cinnamon mini loaf and a hazelnut Danish pastry. These were incredible, though our eyes were bigger than our bellies, so had to take the rest home as a treat for later! They also had their own homemade Jaffa cakes which I hope to try another time.

Since Perth is just 30 minutes away it’s definitely worth popping over for a weekend lunch, you won’t regret it! I’d recommend booking though, as it filled up quickly when we were there on a weekday lunchtime.

Rascals is part of Starting Step, a social enterprise set up to work with the harder to reach young people, people with convictions, their families and those socially isolated from society. You can find out more about their mission here. 

Find Rascals at 13 George St, Perth PH1 5JY

@rascals_cafe

https://www.rascalscafe.com/