Category Archives: Vegetarian/Vegan

Beans on toast

Many years ago, I made baked beans from scratch. After the best part of a day in the oven, the beans were still chewy and, despite my best attempts at coercion, my kids refused to eat them. Well, they were pretty horrid.

The episode removed any desire to attempt baked beans again. Until recently. Fed up with cans of beans floating in orange-red, thin sugary slime, I began to think about making my own again.

Fortunately, since my last attempt, the internet was created. So, last night we ate beans on toast.

And they were delicious. Cheap too, a couple of quid and it’d comfortably feed four. Which means tonight’s evening meal will involve leftover beans.

This experience, and our new found fondness for chilli made only with beans, means that legumes will feature more prominently in my diet.

Pies

Today was the second day of our local’s pie festival.

The vegetarian choice is pretty good. Really good.

I quite enjoyed the two vegan pies I sampled tonight. I rate the aloo gobi highly, but the green-filled second pie was very nice too. I’m not sure what was in it, but it was tasty.

When I say green, I’m not referring to anything you can’t buy from Lidl.

The Ostrich and the Bumble Inn

The Bumble Inn, in Peterborough, opened a couple of years ago, but it has unusual and short opening hours. As a result, it’s taken me ages to catch the place open.

It was mostly populated by middle aged, real ale types. But there was a nice feel about the place and a choice of unfined beer.

And, over a year since our last visit, we called in to the Ostrich. It was already one of the best pubs in the city, it’s now made the full switch to craft beer.

Most impressive was the guest ale board, with a Buxton tap takeover.

Almost every one’s fish free too.

Boho

As it’s my 49th birthday tomorrow, my second in command decided on a meal in the Bohemian in town. If you don’t know it, it’s a vegan restaurant on Pink Lane.

And the food’s incredible.

This was our first visit to Boho, but it definitely won’t be the last.

Out there in Ouseburn

On a sunny, but freezing, Sunday, we decided on a walk along the quayside. Attracted by the prospect of vegan yorkshire puddings in the Tyne Bar.

On our way, we stopped off at the Crown Posada, where the only unfined beer was Jakehead. While a little strong for a Sunday, I couldn’t resist.

Unfortunately, the Tyne Bar don’t seem to have perfected vegan puddings, so we opted for a drink instead. My second in command went with Sam Smith’s strawberry beer, while I had an Out There sour. The latter was kindof nice. For a sour beer.

In the Cluny, I decided on an Out There Space is the Place, a beer which first attracted me to the brewer.

Their beer’s mostly vegetarian/vegan and it’s local too.

Yesterday, we visited the Ship, also in Ouseburn, after a trip to the pretty amazing vintage furniture shop around the corner. We didn’t buy furniture, but we did have a gorgeous curry in the Ship.

I’m pretty sure it’s the only vegan pub in Newcastle. I’d love to be wrong though.

Roma

A few pictures from Rome. 

The hotel wifi isn’t the best, so I might add more pictures later. Most are on a proper camera anyway. 

I’ve only been here once before, way back in 2002 (I think). I’d forgotten how much there is to see. 

Most important of all, it’s so easy to be a vegetariana and a vegano here. 

Gas street

While I’ve been to Birmingham many times, I’ve never been to the canal area before this afternoon. Most impressed with the Canalside Bar, which has a pretty decent vegan menu. 

And, while on the subject, the Stable has a rare choice of vegan pizzas. 

Cinema

What an excellent idea. A cinema commercial against cruelty towards animals. Which obviously involves not eating them. 

Well done Viva, I’m in. 

Nevfest

As planned, I had a walk down to Gateshead Stadium, for its first Nevfest (Northeast Vegan Festival). The Stadium of Light is the usual venue, the cancellation at short notice due to a power failure earlier this year is a likely reason for the change of location.

I was a frequent visitor to Gateshead Stadium from the mid 90s to the early 00s, since it held a really good computer fair. I’ve built many PCs from parts purchased there. Cheap, disposable computers of the last decade meant that home assembly was no longer cost effective (my current PC was less than half the price of the last one I built – over ten years ago). And, so, computer fairs came to a torturous, shameful end. 

Anyway, the today’s vegan festival was held in the hall which had housed computer fairs in the past. It was satisfying to see the place as busy today as it was in its computer fair heyday.