http://www.nhveg.org.uk/articles/1426.html
This is a little far North of me but a useful resource for North Herts. Vegans. There are more vegans out there than you can shake a carrot stick at.
Sunday 24 June 2012
The Attic Cafe, Home & Colonial, Berkhamsted
Heavenly cafe on the third floor
My idea of heaven. The Attic is not a vegan cafe, it's not even a vegetarian cafe. It is however, the kind of place you can take anyone and they'll be happy. I can't praise it enough.
It's three floors up so sorry, it's not suitable for less able vegans. But if you make it up the creaking staircases without stopping in fascination at a shop that can confidently be described as 'quirky' (you don't often see a sales display cabinet of salvaged door knockers, next to local art work and a collection of 1950s clocks), you'll find The Attic.
Decorated in a kind of Women's Institute revival style; yes, that is handmade union jack bunting strung across the rafters, the wooden tables are covered in pastel polka dot table clothes with local art work on the walls.
I first visited with Little Cherub and Vegan Sceptical Mother. We had tea in mismatching floral china cups and a variety of teapots and strainers. There are seventeen types of organic fairtrade tea on offer with black teas in loose form (hence the strainers). The coffee is both organic and fair trade to;, all five different types. I asked for Soya Milk and they filled a pretty little jug up for me, so no small measures here. Little Cherub and Vegan Sceptical Mother shared a cream tea, with VSM casting me suspicious looks when Little Cherub announced she didn't eat cream. I asked if the cakes which were prettily on display on cake stands under glass cloches and the waitress and cook came out and gave them all serious consideration. They said 'not today no' and apologised. It was sincere.
I snuck back a second time to have a 'Full Vegetarian Breakfast'. Happily, the veggie sausage (more of a home made and delicious patty) is vegan and I asked if I could swap the egg for a little extra of something else. The waitress was easy-going and helpful and the plate came out heaving in extra mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, the sausage and a round of granary toast. The waitress pre-empted me and said the mushrooms were cooked in oil and the (lashings) of margarine provided was vegan.
The Sunday morning clientele was as eclectic as the shop. Lovestruck young couples, Sunday shoppers, families from Grandmas to a newborn, friends getting over the night before and solo diners reading a book or the paper.
It's the kind of place that Carnivorous Dad could get a satisfying Full English whilst I could take comfort that the meat as well as the eggs are, at least, free range.
Vegan menu options include Avacado and Mushrooms in a Jacket Potato; the doctored Full Vegetarian Breakfast; Houmous, Avacado and Alfafa sandwich, Garlic Mushrooms on Toast and a Spinach, Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Pepper Burger.
I thanked a different waitress at the till for being so sanguine about my requested breakfast change and she said she herself was vegan and directed me to the comments book to add anything I thought they should do more of.
Just the same, just do more of the same, thank you.
Vegan Food: Vegan options available
Ambience: Lovely. Gives a little warm English glow inside and a faint urge to sing Jerusalem.
Staff: Really sincere, friendly and eager to help.
It's three floors up so sorry, it's not suitable for less able vegans. But if you make it up the creaking staircases without stopping in fascination at a shop that can confidently be described as 'quirky' (you don't often see a sales display cabinet of salvaged door knockers, next to local art work and a collection of 1950s clocks), you'll find The Attic.
Decorated in a kind of Women's Institute revival style; yes, that is handmade union jack bunting strung across the rafters, the wooden tables are covered in pastel polka dot table clothes with local art work on the walls.
I first visited with Little Cherub and Vegan Sceptical Mother. We had tea in mismatching floral china cups and a variety of teapots and strainers. There are seventeen types of organic fairtrade tea on offer with black teas in loose form (hence the strainers). The coffee is both organic and fair trade to;, all five different types. I asked for Soya Milk and they filled a pretty little jug up for me, so no small measures here. Little Cherub and Vegan Sceptical Mother shared a cream tea, with VSM casting me suspicious looks when Little Cherub announced she didn't eat cream. I asked if the cakes which were prettily on display on cake stands under glass cloches and the waitress and cook came out and gave them all serious consideration. They said 'not today no' and apologised. It was sincere.
I snuck back a second time to have a 'Full Vegetarian Breakfast'. Happily, the veggie sausage (more of a home made and delicious patty) is vegan and I asked if I could swap the egg for a little extra of something else. The waitress was easy-going and helpful and the plate came out heaving in extra mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, the sausage and a round of granary toast. The waitress pre-empted me and said the mushrooms were cooked in oil and the (lashings) of margarine provided was vegan.
The Sunday morning clientele was as eclectic as the shop. Lovestruck young couples, Sunday shoppers, families from Grandmas to a newborn, friends getting over the night before and solo diners reading a book or the paper.
It's the kind of place that Carnivorous Dad could get a satisfying Full English whilst I could take comfort that the meat as well as the eggs are, at least, free range.
Vegan menu options include Avacado and Mushrooms in a Jacket Potato; the doctored Full Vegetarian Breakfast; Houmous, Avacado and Alfafa sandwich, Garlic Mushrooms on Toast and a Spinach, Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Pepper Burger.
I thanked a different waitress at the till for being so sanguine about my requested breakfast change and she said she herself was vegan and directed me to the comments book to add anything I thought they should do more of.
Just the same, just do more of the same, thank you.
Vegan Food: Vegan options available
Ambience: Lovely. Gives a little warm English glow inside and a faint urge to sing Jerusalem.
Staff: Really sincere, friendly and eager to help.
Chain Gangs 2: Ask : Berkhamsted
As before: Chain Restaurants are not all bad, particularly for a vegan and particularly if you're going out with a group. Their main claim to fame is that food is consistent in whichever branch you go to. For many this is also what makes them charmless but they have their place. For a vegan, they offer a chance to know exactly what's on the menu as the companies helpfully publish them on their websites and it's possible to order something without having to cross-examine the chef. That can be a bonus if you're out with a lot of different people.
Because they are so similar, I'll only look at one of each on this page...
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| ASK, Berkhamsted |
Owned, by the same company as Pizza Express, Ask are pretty much the same idea with more of a focus on the pasta.
The pasta, pizza bases and ciabatta are all vegan.
I went here with my Carnivorous Dad and Vegan Sceptical Mother as well as Little Cherub.
I had Panzanella; a salad of bread, tomato, capers, cucumber and balsamic vinegar which was good enough to have great big bowls of.
For my main course, I had Fettuccine con Verdure, pasta with vegetables and an olive tapenade which the waiter advised to have with a tomato sauce. Very pleasant if not entirely memorable.
Little Cherub had dough sticks, with chopped cucumber and carrots which was dipped in non vegan sauce. Her spaghetti al pomodoro was vegan. Basic but she enjoyed it.
Carnivorous Dad and Vegan Sceptical Mother were surprised that I ordered from the main menu without having to write a note for the kitchen. In itself, worth going for.
Vegan Food: Pizza Bases and dough all vegan. A few vegan mains too.
Ambiance: Pleasant enough family dining
Customer Service: Staff very helpful and happy to discuss dishes.
Chain Gangs : Pizza Express, Hemel Hempstead
Chain Restaurants are not all bad, particularly for a vegan and particularly if you're going out with a group. Their main claim to fame is that food is consistent in whichever branch you go to. For many this is also what makes them charmless but they have their place. For a vegan, they offer a chance to know exactly what's on the menu as the companies helpfully publish them on their websites and it's possible to order something without having to cross-examine the chef. That can be a bonus if you're out with a lot of different people.
Because they are so similar, I'll only look at one of each on this page...
Pizza Express dough is vegan. So any pizza can easily be made vegan.
For starters, the Bruschetta is vegan, as are the dough balls, olives, tomatoes and almonds.
The Giardiniera without pesto and Veneziana Pizzas, as with others, are vegan if made without cheese. The Giardinera is full of vegetables; artichoke and asparagus and is really surprisingly pleasant. I prefer this over the Veneziana as it's bulky and filling and doesn't have that empty feel that some pizzas can have without cheese.
For desert, 'Caffe Reale' or baby figs in syrup without mascarpone is pleasant enough.
All in all, a surprisingly edible meal and made easy by the staff who seem completely unfazed by tailoring an order to individual needs. They even have a 'NO CHEESE' button on the till and the chefs make a particular point of making that pizza separately to the others, presumably in case of allergies.
Hemel Hempstead isn't a particularly notable branch or interesting building but then it wouldn't be, as it's built in the modern shopping precinct. It's clean and the staff are attentive. Classic Pizza Express.
Vegan Food: Pizza Bases and dough all vegan. A little customisation means there will be plenty to eat.
Ambiance: Not especially elegant but perfect when you are yourself not feeling especially elegant.
Customer Service: Staff not all sure what is or isn't vegan but went to find out.
Because they are so similar, I'll only look at one of each on this page...
 |
| Pizza Express: Hemel Hempstead |
Pizza Express dough is vegan. So any pizza can easily be made vegan.
For starters, the Bruschetta is vegan, as are the dough balls, olives, tomatoes and almonds.
The Giardiniera without pesto and Veneziana Pizzas, as with others, are vegan if made without cheese. The Giardinera is full of vegetables; artichoke and asparagus and is really surprisingly pleasant. I prefer this over the Veneziana as it's bulky and filling and doesn't have that empty feel that some pizzas can have without cheese.
For desert, 'Caffe Reale' or baby figs in syrup without mascarpone is pleasant enough.
All in all, a surprisingly edible meal and made easy by the staff who seem completely unfazed by tailoring an order to individual needs. They even have a 'NO CHEESE' button on the till and the chefs make a particular point of making that pizza separately to the others, presumably in case of allergies.
Hemel Hempstead isn't a particularly notable branch or interesting building but then it wouldn't be, as it's built in the modern shopping precinct. It's clean and the staff are attentive. Classic Pizza Express.
Vegan Food: Pizza Bases and dough all vegan. A little customisation means there will be plenty to eat.
Ambiance: Not especially elegant but perfect when you are yourself not feeling especially elegant.
Customer Service: Staff not all sure what is or isn't vegan but went to find out.
Honourable Mention : Shop : Clare James, Kings Langley
Clare James Health food Shop
Health food and vegan emporium in an unassuming village shop parade. It's crammed, and I do mean crammed, full of everything. Want to buy Booja Booja Truffles, Seitan, Vegan Cosmetics and that obscure brand of seaweed cracker you like so much in one shop? It's all in here. Just be prepared to be overwhelmed at the choice on offer.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable even let us charge through the stock room to the staff loo when Little Cherub had a one of those sudden and urgent needs to answer the call of nature so beloved of the three year old assistant shopper.
They use Faith in Nature products in their bathroom, in case you're wondering. I like a store that practises what it preaches.
Health food and vegan emporium in an unassuming village shop parade. It's crammed, and I do mean crammed, full of everything. Want to buy Booja Booja Truffles, Seitan, Vegan Cosmetics and that obscure brand of seaweed cracker you like so much in one shop? It's all in here. Just be prepared to be overwhelmed at the choice on offer.
The staff are friendly and knowledgeable even let us charge through the stock room to the staff loo when Little Cherub had a one of those sudden and urgent needs to answer the call of nature so beloved of the three year old assistant shopper.
They use Faith in Nature products in their bathroom, in case you're wondering. I like a store that practises what it preaches.
Tamarind Thai Cafe, Rickmansworth
No Frills but tasty and reliable
A firm lunch time favourite with Vegan in the Green Belt's lunching colleagues. Quick service and reliable and unchanging menu.
Like most Thai food, there's very little that's got any dairy content and those dishes with egg noodles can be swapped for rice noodles. Similarly, if there is to be egg on the top of or in a dish, it will say on the menu and can be omitted from the ingredients.
The friendly and welcoming staff are themselves Thai and as such, explaining veganism is pretty difficult.
Having researched, dear blog reader, so that you don't have to, I've ascertained that fish sauce is added to most of the curry sauces so these are not vegan. The free Prawn Crackers on the table are obviously not vegan either so politely decline them.
Happily, a number of the vegetarian dishes are vegan, including the delicious Vegetable Lardnar, which is always presented with crisp broccoli, mushrooms and a chilli sauce. This, and other 'vegetable' dishes are served with deep fried tofu which is a surprising treatment of tofu but ultimately one I can live with in these really reliably tasty concoctions, otherwise not generally being tofu's greatest fan.
In the evening, the menu widens to include a variety of other options but again, steer clear of the curries as they all have fish sauce in. If you want to check yourself, fish sauce is 'Nam pa' in Thai. (Never say pursuing veganism wasn't an educating experience).
Vegan Food: Not always immediately obvious, but available
Ambience: No frills, appears to have been decorated in the belief that it was going to be a pie and mash shop but adored by locals.
Customer Service: Super friendly and quick.
A firm lunch time favourite with Vegan in the Green Belt's lunching colleagues. Quick service and reliable and unchanging menu.
Like most Thai food, there's very little that's got any dairy content and those dishes with egg noodles can be swapped for rice noodles. Similarly, if there is to be egg on the top of or in a dish, it will say on the menu and can be omitted from the ingredients.
The friendly and welcoming staff are themselves Thai and as such, explaining veganism is pretty difficult.
Having researched, dear blog reader, so that you don't have to, I've ascertained that fish sauce is added to most of the curry sauces so these are not vegan. The free Prawn Crackers on the table are obviously not vegan either so politely decline them.
Happily, a number of the vegetarian dishes are vegan, including the delicious Vegetable Lardnar, which is always presented with crisp broccoli, mushrooms and a chilli sauce. This, and other 'vegetable' dishes are served with deep fried tofu which is a surprising treatment of tofu but ultimately one I can live with in these really reliably tasty concoctions, otherwise not generally being tofu's greatest fan.
In the evening, the menu widens to include a variety of other options but again, steer clear of the curries as they all have fish sauce in. If you want to check yourself, fish sauce is 'Nam pa' in Thai. (Never say pursuing veganism wasn't an educating experience).
Vegan Food: Not always immediately obvious, but available
Ambience: No frills, appears to have been decorated in the belief that it was going to be a pie and mash shop but adored by locals.
Customer Service: Super friendly and quick.
Woodys Cafe, Apsley Marina, Near Hemel Hempstead
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| http://www.woodyscafe.co.uk/ |
Does what is says on the ethically sourced tin and a must for all vegans and vegetarians in the South Hertfordshire area. The cafe occupies a unit within the Apsley Lock development, right on the Grand Union Canal. It's reached by foot (or narrowboat!) across a modern footbridge from the Apsley side.
The food and service are cafe style with the menu a little bemusing for first time visitors. The main menu includes savoury crepes (available as vegan rice flour versions) with a mixture of fillings, you may have to ask which ones are vegan but there will be a few. There are pizzas (three are specifically vegan but without cheese, the rest would be too) and a partly changing specials board on the wall inside the cafe which has a number of vegan options.
Mixed salads with various changing components are available although you're likely to be limited to a certain number of changing salad components.
Refreshingly, there are usually a number of vegan cakes and desserts.
There are no meat options and the cafe has quite an ethically progressive, vegan and vegetarian 'feel' to it, so it may not be the place to take your sceptical dad if you want to gently introduce him to the concept that not all vegans are hippies (well alright, we're all a BIT hippy but we don't all meditate at the dining table). On the other hand, if you want to relax amongst veggie and vegan friends, and not have to justify your leather free outfit, this is the place to do it.
I've tried a number of dishes here. I have to say that the burgers leave me underwhelmed but they're tasty enough. It's the rather dense consistency that I find a little abrasive. I'm similarly unmoved by the crepes, which have been a little bland for my taste. The specials and soups are usually a really good bet and are always varied. Similarly, the cakes are delicious. A mixed salad, where you get a selection of things to eat such as a vegan coleslaw or a couscous mix, can also produce some interesting combinations, most recently a shredded red cabbage and caraway mix that I would never have put together myself but was really vibrant and unusual. A taste combination I may try and recreate myself.
Not least of Woody's virtues is the child friendly cafe atmosphere which doesn't mean the place is so overrun as to put other diners off. A selection of books, colouring pencils and paper have kept my own Little Cherub amused whilst she waited for her Penne in a Tomato and Herb Sauce or a Rose Ice-Cream (Little Cherub isn't vegan) . Plain and simple food but nicely done. Special mention to the apple and Rhubarb Juice. It's just heaven.
It would be perfect if the staff were a tiny bit more friendly perhaps. Not that they've been unfriendly but I've twice had the impression that asking for the vegan options was interrupting the waitress' busy workload. A little odd for a vegetarian cafe.
Vegan Food: Plenty of choice
Ambience: Relaxed Cafe
Customer Service: Efficient if a little impatient
Bricklayers Arms, Hogpits Bottom, Flaunden
Gourmet dining in the picture perfect village of Flaunden.
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| http://www.bricklayersarms.com/ |
The menu is however, daunting for a vegetarian let alone a vegan. It's equally daunting for those not familiar with food presented in the French style, so if you don't know your foie gras mi cuit from your mirepoix, I'd suggest you refresh your knowledge before taking anyone you want to impress.
That being said, as I happened to be timorously enquiring at the bar area about the ingredients of a risotto when the very stereotype of a French Chef emerged, overhearing me. He swept the waiter aside and said that if I did not mind a little wait, he would cook something from scratch for me. It would be vegan yes, magnifique.
And lo, as Sophisticated Acquaintance nodded approvingly at the presentation of his meal, the chirpy waiter brought out the chef's very own vegan risotto and artfully arranged vegetables with minimum fuss and at the end, no extra charge.
The menu may not be vegan friendly but the chef deserves particular mention for not only providing excellent customer service but a beautiful meal.
I have been subsequently and managed to make a meal from available side orders and starters. Not perfect but I get the impression that whilst they may not always be able to accommodate a vegan, they might well be able to with a bit of advanced warning.
Vegan Food : Bespoke on a good day but otherwise difficult.
Ambience: Pleasant Gourmet Gastro Pub
Customer Service: Couldn't be faulted.
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