BRISTOL: UK’s VEGAN CAPITAL
Bristol was recently declared vegan capital of the UK. This may come as a surprise, as you’d probably expect London to hold that title. After all it has a bigger and more diverse population. But having lived a lot of my life in London I can tell you that it doesn’t serve vegans all that well. Yes, there are a number of wonderful vegan restaurants, but they are widely spread (making access tricky) and most of the non-vegan restaurants behave as though a meal is not a meal without meat in it and consequently offer very little in the way of good plant-based dishes.
So, it was with an optimistic stomach that I set off in search of vegan eats in the south west England city of Bristol.
First stop was Swoon Gelato on College Green. After all, who doesn’t want a delicious gelato after a three-hour drive? Although most of their ices are vegetarian rather then vegan, they did have two vegan flavours on offer – one of which was a rich, velvety chocolate that tasted like heaven on a spoon. And if you need a tea or coffee on the side, they have a range of plant milks on offer.
As we walked back towards the Brooks Guest House on St Nicholas Street we passed plenty of places advertising their vegan options; from noodles to pizza, from curry to burgers – everyone was making a point of calling out to those who don’t eat meat or want to cut down on their meat consumption.
As it was now time for lunch, we stopped off for some street food at St Nicks. This is a large, buzzing undercover market with an entire lane of food vendors. Once again there were plenty of vegan options. Although street food is about fast service and take-aways, most booths had small seating areas where you could enjoy your meal. We opted for a bowl of noodles and tofu in a spicy soup. Perfect for a wintery afternoon.
After some sight-seeing it’s time for dinner at Suncraft. This new vegan eatery on Gloucester Road has its own hydroponics section where they grow salad leaves and herbs. It’s just a few feet from the kitchen, so they are super fresh! The food here is hearty and healthy. No silly little dishes with colourful splodges of sauce; but rather steaming bowls of chilli sin carne, dahl masala with jackfruit, or kimchi fried rice. Start with kimchi fritters or Bondas Balls (with blueberry) and end with banana doughnuts dipped in a fruit coulis. The vibe is fun and colourful, and you won’t leave feeling hungry.
For your overnight stay, check in to The Brooks Guest House. This is a small friendly place with a relaxed atmosphere in a great central location. There is a vegan cooked breakfast on offer, and you can ask for plant milks for your tea/cereal/porridge. They also operate an honesty-bar if you fancy an alcoholic drink later in the day. And if you’ve come by car, park in the Galleries Car Park where you’ll get a discount.
Saturday is a great day to visit St Nick’s Market; the place is buzzing with stalls selling art, crafts, souvenirs, bo-ho clothes and homewares, and, of course, food. Leave some space for a slice of arty cake from AhhToots. Beautifully decorated and generous slices, I’d recommend the vegan ginger cake with lashings of icing containing crystalised ginger nibs.
Ready for lunch? Try The Canteen on Stokes Croft. With its large Banksy mural outside and its black painted interior this informal café has a student-grungy vibe. They do serve meat, but the emphasis is on slow food and plant-based dishes. I opted for a warm winter salad of roast Jerusalem artichokes, curly kale, leeks and lentils pan fried in lemon and maple and served with harissa toast. Salads can sometimes leave you wanting a bag of chips afterwards – but not this one. It was bursting with flavour and left me feeling nicely full – ready to explore more of Bristol’s best tourist attractions, including The SS Great Britain (a ‘must see’), the Clifton Suspension Bridge and its visitor centre, and the Observatory with its camera obsucra and the Giant’s Cave.
In the evening we made our way to The Old Market Assembly on West Street. The building used to be home to a bank, but it now hosts a restaurant and bar with a small alternative theatre and a live music stage. The food is ‘flexitarian’ with plenty of plant-based options.
All the pizzas can be made with vegan mozzarella and gluten-free flour, but personally I’d suggest ordering a selection of the sharing dishes. Most of these were vegan, and all of them were wonderful. Truffled parsnips, roasted heritage potatoes with a vegan aioli, Tamari roasted sprouts, and mushroom arancini, followed by an oat milk latte and vegan chocolate truffles.
As a vegan I am frequently disappointed by the food I am given when I eat out, so much so that I often avoid restaurants and will book self-catering when I travel. But not in Bristol. Here there is not just plenty of choice, there’s also plenty of taste. With a wide variety of high-quality vegan dishes that will satisfy even those for whom meat is a must – Bristol truly is the vegan capital of the UK.
FACT BOX
www.visitbristol.co.uk
http://www.swoononaspoon.co.uk/
www.brooksguesthousebristol.com
https://www.ahhtoots.co.uk/
https://www.suncraft.co.uk/
www.canteenbristol.co.uk
www.oldmarketassembly.co.uk
http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/
https://www.cliftonbridge.org.uk/
https://cliftonobservatory.com/
www.wethecurious.org
https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed/
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and co-founder of PASSION for the PLANET. Chantal is passionate about tourism being used as a force for good. You can follow her adventures on Facebook and Twitter @chantalcooke and on Instagram @Chantaldcooke