Food trends: vegetarian and vegan

Posted by Paula Woodward in Food & Drink, Latest Events,

With vegetarianism and veganism becoming some of the largest food trends we have seen in the past decade, we wanted to explore why people are jumping on these new ways of eating, and how the restaurant industry, and us at The Beach, are responding.

When considering the impact of eating meat, for many it is now more than just the ethical standpoint. It is no surprise that the broader consumer lifestyle trend of cleaner living means more people are adopting a ‘plant-based’ diet as a way to minimise their individual environmental impact. Also, as you may expect, eating more fruits and vegetables might just lead to a healthier overall diet.

When exploring the previous and projected trends in the UK, we can now see that one third of us have stopped or reduced our meat intake. It is easy to see that more and more people are becoming interested in opting for a vegetarian based diet.

Being in Cornwall, an area that takes pride in working towards minimising its environmental impact, adopters of a plant-based diet are numerous in the area. From sustainable tourism awards, beach cleaning sessions, and a focus on locally sourced ingredients, there is quite a demand for high quality vegetarian and vegan offerings.

Here at The Beach at Bude, our restaurant has been ahead of the curve when it comes to vegetarian offerings. With a stunning menu offering an excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan options, and further focus on making gluten free options easily available, we are leading the change into this new culinary landscape.

Our head chef Jamie Coleman has been working hard to ensure the vegetarian and vegan food options are not only healthy and locally sourced, but also totally delicious and will leave you wanting more.

Whilst it is important for us to deliver a full offering of vegetarian options, we haven’t compromised on flavour for the meat and fish dishes which are available on the main menu.

Below is a sample of our vegetarian and vegan menu. Please note, this is subject to seasonal change and availability:

SMALL PLATES

WHIPPED GOATS CHEESE

with carrot, sea buckthorn and crispy quinoa

PANZEROTTI PORCINI

with Arrabbiata sauce

SWEETCORN AND COCONUT SOUP (vegan)

with sourdough

RANCH SALAD

Iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, pickled walnuts and croutons

TEMPERUA VEGETABLES (vegan)

with chipotle chilli and avocado

LARGE PLATES

HERB RISOTTO

with confit egg yolk, parmesan, leeks and wild mushrooms

HAY ROASTED CELERIAC

with Granny Smith apple, date puree and fried duck egg

CHICKPEA & BUTTERNUT SQUASH BURGER (vegan)

with shredded iceberg, tomato and French fries

PICCOLO PARSNIPS (vegan)

with quince jelly, poached pear, Cavolo nero and hazelnut cream

PUDDINGS

BLACKBERRY ETON MESS (vegan)

with gin marinated blackberries, rice cream, lime sorbet and hazelnut crumble

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (vegan)

with coconut mousse, passion fruit sorbet, pineapple crisp, rum and raisin

CHOCOLATE TOFU (vegan)

with roasted banana, chocolate crumble and sea salt