Eating vegan in Newcastle

I recently took a trip up north to the Toon with my friend Jade to watch The Weeknd! Although we were only there for one night, this provided us with plenty of opportunity to discover some great, vegan eateries.

I must admit, when Googling vegan places to eat in Newcastle, I was surprised that there wasn’t much on offer in the city centre. However if you head slightly further out, Heaton has tonnes of vegan places to go to, well so Google told me!

Anyway, after a slightly dramatic start to the weekend, a missed train and a lift to York, we made it to Newcastle and checked in to our hotel. We stayed in the Crown Plaza which was just behind the train station, close to the city centre and close to the area, it was the perfect location!

First up for a late lunch/early dinner was The Bohemian, on Pink Lane. A vegetarian and vegan restaurant, there was tonnes to choose from on the menu and some enticing cocktails as well!

Jade and I chose to get a selection of dishes from the tapas section of the menu, so we could try as much as possible.

Here’s what we got:
The classic quesadilla
Shredded Peking jackfruit with hoi sin sauce pancakes, spring onion and cucumber
Tempura vegetables with sweet chili
Fully loaded nachos
The mini meze which was made up on hummus, ciabatta and olives with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

The entire spread was absolutely delicious and we devoured almost all of it (we did order a lot of food!) The highlight for me was most definitely the shredded Peking jackfruit pancakes, they literally tasted like crispy shredded duck pancakes, they were incredible!

I can’t remember exactly what the bill came to, but with a bottle of wine as well, I think it was maybe between £25-30 each which I thought was good for the amount of food we had and a nice bottle of wine. I’d definitely recommend it.

Finding somewhere in the city centre for brunch proved a little more tricky. However, Jade was on the case from about 7am on Sunday morning (!) and found The Ship Ouseburn, Stepney Bank which was about a ten minute uber ride away. For that short car journey, it was definitely worth it.

We were blessed with the weather and were able to sit outside in the sun. Their entire menu is vegan, as are their beers and wines and there was so much to choose from. Both Jade and I went for the ‘fish and chips.’ Thick cut chips with mint peas, horseradish and deep friend seaweed wrapped tofu. Oh my god – this was SO good. Vegan comfort food at its best and the perfect alternative to fish and chips if that’s your thing.

Washed down with a bottle of Vegan wine (I think it was Jack Rabbit!?), we couldn’t resist having a look at the sweet treats on offer. A peanut butter chocolate torte with ice cream – HELLO!! Yes, it was just as unreal as it sounds. If I lived in Newcastle The Ship would definitely be my Sunday local without a doubt.

If you’re in Newcastle I’d recommend giving them both a try if you’re after some good food with a twist. Have you got any recommendations of where to get good vegan food in Newcastle? Let me know!

Brunch at Alyssum Cafe Bistro, Sheffield

If you’re looking for a delicious brunch in a super cute setting with mouth-watering cakes to devour afterwards, Alyssum is the place for you.

In a predominately student populated area, you could easily drive past Alyssum, based on Barber Road, Crookesmoor, if you weren’t looking for it.

It’s tucked between a few shops and is really quaint. With just a few tables inside, surrounded by ornate, homely décor, you’re in luck if you get a table straight away.

This popular brunch spot is a very foodie place indeed and an Instagrammers haven for sure!

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Instagram is in fact how I stumbled across Alyssum and after browsing through their pictures it was quickly added to be brunch ‘to do’ list.

After the gym one morning, I finally headed there with my friend Jade. We both had the vegan Alyssum breakfast which was made up of a potato rosti, house-made tomato and pepper smoke paprika salsa, sautéed mushrooms, falafel and avocado.

It was absolutely delicious, not to mention beautifully presented. The menu speaks for itself, with plenty of choice and lots of delicious Greek options for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Take a look for yourself here to get those taste buds tantalised.

Beware though, you’ll definitely want a cake afterwards! The cakes change daily and although I didn’t try one on my most recent trip, it’s safe to say I’ll be back to try one asap. Check out their website here for some seriously insane pictures of their cake creations. They even make vegan chocolate cake too!

Alyssum’s tasty creations don’t stop there though…we need to talk about the coffee! Both Jade and I devoured two cappuccinos (almond milk for Jade, soya for me!) with vanilla syrup in one and hazelnut in the other. They were SO good, seriously – so good! I love coffee. Not to mention, they were presented beautifully as well.

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The menu and pictures speak for themselves but once you’ve read the menu and looked over their Instagram feed, get yourself in the car and head over there!
Enjoy! If you do go, let me know what you think 🙂