Vegan and Plant Based News on the Isle of Wight
Vegan Adventures on the Isle of Wight
Honestly Alessandra, a vegan blogger from London has been kind enough to share how she kept it plant based during her stay with us at The Retro Retreat in Ventnor.
I was keen to see if the Isle of Wight offered enough choice for our vegan guests. Would the island restaurants meet the standards of a prominent London blogger, used to all the best restaurants and choices on her doorstep?
Lets find out......
Off the Rails
Honestly Alessandra started off with a visit to Off the Rails in Yarmouth. Its great place that we have frequented ourselves (maybe deviating slightly from the vegan choices we are talking about here today!).
Here’s her review;
To start with we had the warmest of welcomes from Phillipe and his lovely team. We had the entire vegan menu explained to us which I always love, it's all about the details for me. Then the setting, ah it was so perfect. This little gem is hidden away in the most peaceful, tranquil spot. Never ending views of greenery, ducks and swans drying off a few meters away in front of you. Enjoy the views without the manic noises from rushes of people or traffic, just nature. The building used to be a Yarmouth railway station which was given a new lease of life. This restaurant is full of character throughout right down to the food. There is something for everyone on the menu. They even have a doggy menu, so the whole family can enjoy a day out together. We decided to try a bit of everything; from the vegan burger, to the smokebox and even their vegan bubble and squeak. All were so so delicious. Make sure if you visit to leave a little room for dessert as they do vegan sweets! The homemade banana and coconut creme brûlée is to die for and I've never been a fan of brûlée so that's saying something!
Crave Ice Cream
Another favourite here at The Wight Place HQ is Crave, an ice cream parlour based in Ventnor. We knew we had to send Honestly Alessandra there during her stay. Not only is it a stones throw from the Retro Retreat, they also cater for a variety of diets, including vegan ones.
Here’s her review;
Craving for vegan ice cream? Then Crave is a stop you have to make. Homemade delicious vegan ice cream and not only one bog standard choice. I had pink grapefruit and starbar and my friend had pink grapefruit and Pear & chocolate. Crave have a few flavours that they switch up everyday all while experimenting and constantly creating new ones. It was so lovely to hear how passionate Tracey and her team are about working on giving everybody a choice when they visit Crave, including us vegans 🙂 As with everywhere I have been on the Isle of Wight, we received the warmest of welcomes from Tracey and her team. We absolutely loved the ice cream and went back nearly everyday. Crave sits right in the middle of town and is only a very short walk to the beach, so cooling off on a hot day is a breeze.
Thompson's
Thompson's in Newport is a restaurant we have had on the list of places to visit for a while now. Saving it for a date night (that might be why we've taken so long!), the girls have beaten us to it.
Here’s what Honestly Alessandra says about her vegan experience at Thompson’s;
If you want to add a little ooh la la to your trip then Thompson's is a must. This was a wild card for us as it wasn't advertised anywhere that they did plant based/vegan food. Let me tell you they really do know how to do vegan food. In fact Robert Thompson is apparently one of the best chefs on the island and might I add, is Michelin star! So when we called up to query the whole vegan thing and book a table, we were pleasantly told that of course they would have a vegan menu for us. Just like that without a sigh or a judgmental grunt over the phone, we were booked in to dine vegan, Michelin star style. Everything on the menu was freshly prepared, organic, seasonal and DELICIOUS! Seriously we were absolutely amazed how the simplest of foods were presented to us and so full of flavour. Little additions were brought out to us in-between courses that consisted of pea mousse, rye cracker with marmalade and cherry sorbets that tied the whole meal together so beautifully. All I can say is I can't wait to go back.
Blue Labelle
As Honestly Alessandra was holidaying with a girlfriend on the island, a bit of pampering was on the agenda. Based in Pier Street, Ventnor they visited Blue Labelle, a shop that is full of beautiful, organic, 100% natural skincare.
Here's what they found;
Facial serums, hand lotions, lip balms, hair oils and even pure essential oils are what you will find here as well as natural brushes and hemp cloths to add to your skincare collection. Pascalle the lady behind all of the beautiful botanical blends was so welcoming. So informative, helping us with what was right for us, you know you are in the right place when you witness someone who is so in love and passionate about what they do. This was exactly what I have been looking for when it comes to finding a skincare brand, I want the purest most honest products. I have been using the facial serum since we visited and I swear it has been the best thing I have ever put on my face!
This was Honestly Alessandra's first visit to the Isle of Wight. A short but sweet break, that has left her with a sense of calm and a longing to come back again and try a few more restaurants out.
Thanks Honestly Alessandra for sharing with us your findings, we hope to see you again soon.
Other Places with a vegan menu to try
The plant based movement appears to be getting bigger and better. The Wight Place have a few more favourites to add to the the list and we think we will be recommending them to Honestly Alessandra when she next visits.
Cinderellas Tea Room – If you are anywhere near Shanklin, this little tea shop is worth a visit. Lemon cake, scones and almond slices are just some of the vegan offerings (they also sell dresses and crafts, but that's a whole other post).
The Vegan Boys - Catering for special diets and Isle of Wight events, the Vegan Boys are well known on the Island. We sampled some of their delights at the Chale Show.
Stripped - A new restaurant in Ventnor that keeps it simple. Burgers and Pizza dominate the menu. Their plant based burger specials are just that, special.
In May 2018, the islands first all vegan restaurant opened it's doors. Pulse in Ventnor is run by the lady behind the Isle of Wight Vegan festival. I cannot wait to see how things work out for her little restaurant based in the heart of Ventnor town.
If you have any suggestions for places to visit that provide a vegan menu, please do get in touch. We would love to send Honestly Alessandra to visit some new places on the Isle of Wight next time she visits.
For more vegan inspiration and tips, visit www.honestlyalessandra.com