Sevenoaks restaurants go Vegan!
Last month the final figures for the 2020 Veganuary campaign were released and the results were quite astounding. Just over 400,000 people signed up to the month long pledge, far exceeding the target of 350,000. An impressive 150,000 more people that the 2019 figure of 250,000.
Veganuary is a UK registered charity inspiring people to try vegan for the month of January (and hopefully to continue throughout the rest of the year). With a host of famous faces as their ambassadors including actor Joaquin Phoenix, Wildlife TV Presenter Chris Packham, Musician Paul Mc Cartney, Professional Rugby Player Anthony Mullally and Racing Driver Leilani Münter to name but a few.
Reading some of the facts and figures on the Veganuary website got us at My Sevenoaks Community wondering whether the people of Sevenoaks had taken part in the challenge too. We spoke to some of our favourite restaurants to find out what they had experienced during Veganuary.
All the restaurants we interviewed saw similar results in an increase in vegan meals ordered, with many people loving the taste of the vegan version equally as much as that of the original. When asked whether there had been an increase at The White Hart Inn, Manager Tom Dennis said “ vegan dishes are certainly a very popular trend right now and we are seeing them being ordered from a mix of customers, men, women, young and older”.
Here is our run down of the very best vegan meals Sevenoaks has to offer.
The White Hart Inn
The traditional pub has always prided themselves in finding quality fresh ingredients and preparing, cooking and presenting them in a modern but unpretentious way. Their menus have a spine of classic British dishes complemented by more exotic influences from other parts of the world. Their most popular vegan meal this January was the delicious Beetroot and quinoa burger with spiced avocado guacamole in a pretzel bun with fries.
www.brunningandprice.co.uk/whitehart/
The Fine Dining Chef
Sevenoaks born chef, Carl Williams, started his career at the prestigious Connaught Hotel. His company the Fine Dining Chef caters for weddings, parties, private dinners and barbecues. Having launched a series of sold out mid-week Supper Clubs, the January supper was to celebrate Veganuary. Guests were treated to delectable shitake mushrooms & mock duck Bao Bun, a stunning main course featuring torched cauliflower, and heavenly roasted pineapple with coconut & lime yoghurt.
The Bricklayers Arms, Chipstead
The delightful lakeside Bricklayers Arms serves a fantastic range of wine, beautifully home cooked British pub food and is a great supporter of the local community. Landlord Andy Hoag agreed he had seen a definite rise in sales of vegan dishes this month and had some fantastic feedback, even from the meat eaters! His biggest selling vegan dish was the scrumptious pan fried Gnocchi with chestnuts, roasted onion, spinach and mushrooms served with a side salad.
www.the-bricklayers-arms.co.uk
Bill’s
Bill’s certainly spoilt their vegan customers with a whole menu dedicated to Veganuary. With a mix of old favourites and some appetizing new specials, Bill’s offered vegan starters, main courses, deserts, breakfast, pressed juices and low or no alcohol cocktails. Their biggest seller was the very tasty Beetroot steak served with tarragon yogurt and beetroot powder, side salad and fiery tiger fries.
www.bills-website.co.uk/restaurants/sevenoaks
Kazoku
Kazoku is an authentic Pan Asian & Sushi Restaurant using the finest and freshest ingredients to serve the true taste of Asia onto your plate! Due to the increase in demand, more vegan dishes such as Miso Soup and Age Tofu have been added to the menu with Korean Fried Cauliflower coming soon. Head chef, Rex de Guzmen won the British Street Food award for the best vegan dish in the UK, which also happens to have been the most popular dish last month, the mouthwatering Filipino dish, Chargrilled Aubergine with soy garlic glaze.
Foraged & Found
Foraged & Found is the latest eaterie in Sevenoaks to open it’s door to the public. A hand-crafted lifestyle and interiors shop downstairs with a food-store, deli serving delicious food upstairs. Owner Jane Whitby is responsible for the veritable feast on offer which includes a whole range of vegan delights such as banana bread, cookies, sausage rolls, and, the best I have ever tasted, empanadas! Oh and did I mention the organic and vegan wine and Prosecco?
www.facebook.com/forgedandfoundco/
For further information on Veganuary including recipes, eating guides and how to get involved visit: www.uk.veganuary.com
