BITE CLUB: The Plant Base, The Wallflower Cafe & Notorious B.R.G
If you hadn’t already guessed, this edition of ‘cene magazine has an eco-conscious focus. But before you dismiss this Bite Club as something that meat-eaters can’t get their teeth into, think again.
If you hadn’t already guessed, this edition of ‘cene magazine has an eco-conscious focus. But before you dismiss this Bite Club as something that meat-eaters can’t get their teeth into, think again. None of the ‘cene team members are vegan, but we do recognise the importance that cutting down on eating sh*t meat is going to play in changing our planet for the better. So open your minds and then your stomachs. You can thank us later.
NOTORIOUS B.R.G, CANTERBURY & MAIDSTONE
It’s often the case that when you’re out with a group of mates, it can be a bit of a nightmare to find a place that will serve enough options to satisfy everyone. Well, Notorious B.R.G in Canterbury (and recently opened at Lockmeadow in Maidstone) could be on for a Nobel Peace Prize for its work in inter-friendship dining relations.
Not only does it offer a dirty burger directory packed with as much cheese, habanero mayo, smoked streaky bacon and locally-sourced patty as you can eat but it offers a vegan version of every single burger option.
Using Beyond Meat patties, plant-based chicken and bacon from Miami Burger Co., and even with a vegan chef in charge of the grill, this has got to be a first for the burger market in the county.
Since opening in 2019 it has gone from strength to strength, often battling for the top spot of best restaurant on TripAdvisor and Deliveroo in the area.
On our visit we went for vegan Mac Daddy – Beyond Meat vegan patty, house-made mac n cheese, vegan mature Cheddar, smoky BBQ sauce, lettuce and tomato.
Look Out For: The vegan shredded ‘duck’ fries with hoisin mayo, cucumber and spring onions. Absolutely quacking.
INFO: notorious-brg.com
INSTA: (@notoriousbrg_)
THE WALLFLOWER CAFE, HERNE BAY
What a find, what a gem, what a team. With its entrance tucked away (between the High Street and the leisure centre car park), The Wallflower Cafe is a treasure trove of vegetable-based inspiration ready to change your mind on what vegan food can be.
Having opened just before the first lockdown, the team have done extremely well to have already cultivated a cosy and community feel at the cafe.
All is freshly prepared in front of your eyes, using homemade… well, everything. While the main menu has more of a focus on breakfast and lunch, the daily-changing specials incorporate a bit more of a dinner feel with the fantastic sweet potato and chickpea curry with naan bread. Along with our speciality coffee and whipped cream, we took on the frittata with super salad and home-made hummus, the falafel buddha bowl with beetroot dip, hummus and dukkah and the Portobello mushroom burger (we really didn’t need to order that much because the portions were generous, to say the least!). The green ethos runs right through the restaurant, from its compostable tea bags through to its window blinds made from recycled sea plastic.
Look Out For: The loaded chilli chips with guacamole and cashew soured cream. It’s the nuts.
INFO: vegan-cafe.co.uk
INSTA: @thewallflowercafe
THE PLANT BASE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
We absolutely love it when you visit a restaurant that reworks your favourite dishes so well that it changes how you think about the original.
The Plant Base in Tunbridge Wells recently blew our minds with its own versions of the classic eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros.
The power of ingredient knowledge and flavour control meant the chefs at The Plant Base reimagined the Mexican-style spicy eggs and chorizo into huevos rancheros featuring paprika-spiced scrambled tofu, black beans and spinach served on a sweet potato rosti with smashed avocado. Just wow!
Its smoked carrot Benedict takes the classic breakfast dish to a new veggie level. The carrot lox (a take on the traditional smoked salmon fillet) is served on a toasted English muffin with a tofu and hollandaise sauce. It’s unbelievable.
Offering breakfast, brunch and dinner menus across the day, the restaurant has a cracking chilled vibe, with healthy lunch bowls through to tapas-style plates. You could easily stay and graze all day, especially with the snack list ranging from smoked almonds and wasabi peas to the kale crisps – spiced and dehydrated with tamari and sesame.
Look Out For: The cauliflower burrito – roasted spiced cauliflower and chickpeas, curried hummus, sweet red onion pickle and coriander/mint coconut yoghurt. That’s a wrap!
INFO: theplantbase.co.uk
INSTA: @theplantbaseuk
