I’d heard rumours that a small cafe linked to an antique and vintage emporium in Budby, north Notts had got the vegan bug after taking part in Veganuary in the New Year.
We took a trip out one Sunday to see what all the fuss was about. The place is a collection of rooms filled with antiques, furniture and curios and nestled amongst them is the warm and welcoming Crew Yard Cafe and Bistro.
The attentive and polite staff were quick to seat us, bringing the menu and tap water. The vegan menu has breakfast items served from 10-11.30am and main meals from 12-4.30pm.
I was very tempted with the vegan breakfast as it also appears on the lunch section, but I’ll save that for another time.
We opted for butternut squash curry with rice and garlic bread and my other half had butter bean and lentil casserole with garlicky smashed sweet potato and roast potatoes.
The dishes arrived at the same time and were piping hot
It’s the attention to flavour that I particularly liked. My rice had fresh mint and coriander running through it. The curry was perfectly spiced giving not just heat but great flavour too. The artisan garlic bread was wonderfully crispy.
The butter bean stew was an equal delight. The earthy flavours from the lentils and mushrooms worked well with the soft beans and produced a very comforting bowl of goodness. The garlic smashed sweet potatoes were so tasty as were the very crispy roasties.
My only observations would be to possibly add some chickpeas or nuts to the curry for additional protein and to serve the stew with either the sweet potato or the roast potatoes but not both and instead add some steamed broccoli or other greens. Don’t get me wrong both types of potatoes were scrummy but I do like my veg.
We just about managed to squeeze in a vegan brownie with strawberries and scoops of chocolate and vanilla vegan ice-cream. The brownie was so light and moist and the strawberries were delicious. All our dishes were amazing, tasty and filling.
There was a steady stream of customers; from regulars with their loyalty cards to newbies like us, being served sandwiches, filled jacket potatoes, omelettes, burgers or tea and cake.
I would highly recommend taking a trip to the emporium and cafe. You could bag yourself a bargain as well as a tasty meal.
For healthy eating advice from Susan visit her blog at nutrition-coach.co.uk
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