Last weekend Nick and I went on a lovely social distancing mini-break to Yorkshire and it was just what the doctor ordered. An opportunity to get away and see something other than the four walls of our house and to take the dog for a ramble around the Yorkshire Moors and the Yorkshire Dales. It was truly a breath of fresh air and made me realise how lucky we are to have such stunning landscapes on our doorstep. If the COVID crisis has taught me anything, it is to live in the moment and appreciate what you have because who knows what’s around the corner?
Apart from seeing the countryside, it was also an opportunity for us to go out for a delicious vegan meal (first time in about 5 months!) At first, I was concerned that Harrogate may have limited options when it came to vegan cuisine (the North of England is farming country after all!) but once I started researching I realised how wrong I was! It seems that every restaurant nowadays has several vegan dishes on the menu (and no, that doesn’t mean a green salad). We ended up booking Farmhouse; a dog-friendly restaurant with loads of tasty vegan options ranging from their popular B12 burger (meat-eaters can’t even tell the difference) to smoky butternut squash chilli and even crispy tofu tacos. In fact, they had such a huge vegan range that we returned the following evening and we still didn’t get around to trying everything!
It was clear that the vegan menu was at the forefront of what Farmhouse did, rather than simply putting a few items on there to ‘tick the vegan box.’ When talking to the Manager she told us that Jordan the chef went vegan for three months so that he could fully explore the flavours and variety of plant-based food to create a delicious and varied menu. Quite a commitment I would say! Another surprising discovery was that all the ice-cream they serve is vegan because according to the Manager ‘people can’t tell the difference.’ I found this incredibly innovative and I only hope that this becomes more widespread in other establishments. According to the Manager, 40% of their customers are Vegan and even those who aren’t, quite often order vegan food anyway especially if they’re dining with other vegans (peer pressure is a wonderful thing!)
In this day and age, there is no excuse to not serve a delicious and varied vegan menu alongside classic staples. Perhaps a few years ago plant-based eating was still very niche but with the rise of veganism (1 million people at the start of 2020 and this is predicted to double by the end of the year!) restaurants and supermarkets would be excluding a huge market if they didn’t embrace plants. Almost every time I go to the grocery store I discover a new vegan product that has launched. Finally, veganism is on the road to the mainstream and it has never been easier to make the switch to a plant-based diet.
Which brings me to the question: what does a vegan look like? When we checked into our Airbnb, our middle-aged, Northern host Ken was recommending restaurants to us and we soon discovered that he too was vegan! It really surprised me as I’ve always thought of the North as being the home of sausage rolls, Yorkshire puddings and the famous Wensleydale cheese. I felt very ignorant indeed! I also overheard a bloke who was enjoying his pint of beer tell his noisy group of friends that he was vegan. This would have been unusual even a couple of years ago but with the rise in popularity of Veganuary as well as the health and environmental benefits of a vegan diet, more and more people are taking the plunge and these people come in all shapes and sizes. When ordering a coffee in York I got chatting to my Barista who confessed that he and his girlfriend took part in Veganuary this year and have now been vegan for six months.
So within the space of three days, I discovered that vegans are in fact, everywhere and they can no longer be stereotyped. I also learnt that finding a top-notch vegan meal was easy, even amid a global pandemic! The most surprising discovery was when we stopped off for a cuppa in the middle of the Yorkshire Moors and the lady serving us proudly exclaimed that the chocolate cake was vegan! Pretty impressive when the menu only consisted of four types of sandwiches and two cakes!
In today’s world, the fear of ‘missing out’ as a vegan is completely unfounded. Yes, the choice of food may vary from country to country but in the UK at least, the choice is vast (even up North!) and it continues to grow. Finding scrambled tofu on the brunch menu rather than eggs is becoming a common occurrence and when made well I would challenge any omnivore to notice the difference. We actually had the most incredible brunch at a rustic dog-friendly cafe in York called Partisan (check it out if you’re in town!) Even Pret a Manger has a vegan jam croissant which is more popular than their traditional croissants! This is music to my ears as I have always had a weakness for pastries. 😳
So if you’re a person who has been teetering on the edge of the platform but worried about stepping on board the V train because of limited choices (especially when eating out), then don’t be. You will discover a whole new range of delicious cuisine and who knows? Maybe you can convince others to come along for the ride too! So take a mini-break from your lifelong habits and let’s go journeying; because you know what they say…a change is as good as a holiday! 😉
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