Eating Vegan in Cornwall
Having lived in Cornwall for the majority of my life, and considering Cornish food is mainly known for being either seafood or pasties, it’s been so interesting to watch the progression of vegan food options over the past few years. One of the most common questions I get asked when people are transitioning to veganism is how easy it is to eat out at restaurants when transitioning or living the vegan lifestyle, so hopefully this post (along with all the other posts I have done on eating vegan in different cities) will help you see that eating out as a vegan is easier than you think, and full of tasty food!
TRURO
THE CORNISH VEGAN - 100% VEGAN
Hands down one of the best vegan cafes in Cornwall has to be ‘The Cornish Vegan’. They never fail to impress with their extensive menu of burgers, buddha bowls, ‘fish’ & chips, cream teas and most importantly their incredible selection of cakes (the mint oreo one being the best I’ve tasted so far). The first time I visited was at Christmas and I had the sweetcorn chowder (amazing), with bread and their homemade butter (even more amazing), followed by a mushroom wellington and all the trimmings of a roast, and mince pies with coconut cream! They also do vegan roast dinners on Sundays so if you're in the area I would definitely recommend checking them out! Not to mention the owners and staff are all so lovely, making this another cafe that is at the top of my list! Be sure to check out their full website here: http://thecornishvegan.com
ARCHIE BROWNS - VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
Archie Browns acts as a combination of a health food store and a vegetarian / vegan cafe which I love because you can go for breakfast/lunch and then go downstairs and buy all the ingredients to recreate their amazing meals! They have a pretty extensive menu full of vegan options such as the burger of the day, soup, salads, quesadilla and breakfast items. They also have a great selection of vegan friendly cakes, crumble, ice cream and other desserts! If you would like to check out their menu for more information, you can click here but it is definitely somewhere I highly recommend !!
LISKEARD
OLIVE & CO - VEGAN OPTIONS
I was overjoyed when Olive & Co opened in my hometown as having such easy access to vegan options is still a surprise to me in Cornwall, but the food here is honestly amazing! Although they’re not an exclusively vegan or vegetarian cafe they offer vegan breakfast options such as pancakes & avo on toast, toasties, salad bowls, and daily specials such as BLT’s, buddha bowls and thai noodles. They also have a beautiful outdoor seating area, lovely staff and are dog friendly - so not only do you get great vegan food but the chance to be surrounded by cute dogs too! You can check out their full menu on their website www.olivecocafe.com, but definitely another top recommendation on my list!
DOWNDERRY
SUMMINK DIFFERENT - VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
A fairly new find for me, and again so close to my childhood home, is the cutest little cafe right by the sea ‘Summink Different’. From burgers, paninis, nachos, cream teas, milkshakes, breakfast items and another selection of vegan cakes this is definitely a cafe to try if you’re in the area! The bbq tempeh cheese panini is a MUST, just take my word for it and try it asap. You can find out more about them over at their facebook page www.facebook.com/summinkdifferent.
LOOE
KIND - 100% VEGAN
Kind is a newly opened cafe in Looe that is two seconds from the beach and offers plant based food such as burgers, pies, cooked breakfasts, salads and soups, sandwiches, garlic bread and kids meal. They have a full salad bar where you can add one of their daily salad specials such as potato salad or coleslaw to your meal or get a combination of salads as a main course. With friendly staff, a perfect location and delicious food this is definitely one to try! You can find them on Higher Market Street or at www.kindcafelooe.com.
ST AGNES
LITTLE GREEN BAKERY - 100% VEGAN
If you are looking for custom make vegan cakes then you have come to the right place. I had a joint birthday cake with my dad from Little Green Bakery that was vego bar flavour and it was honestly, without sounding dramatic, the best cake I have ever eaten. Layers of fudgy chocolate cake sandwiched with vego bar ganache and adorned with vego bar and hazelnut pieces, a medium cake serving 10 lasted us all of one evening. If it’s cakes or authentic vegan cornish pasties then THIS is the place to go! Although almost in the middle of nowhere, it is worth the drive (over an hour in my case) just to taste the vegan cheese and onion pasty (a bold claim I know, but just try it). Little Green Bakery share their kitchen with the Cornish Vegan Pasty Company to offer a large selection of vegan pasty flavours such as cheese & onion, seitan & potato, curried vegetables and more. You can buy them warm in store or frozen / fresh to take away and eat later, alongside an array of other vegan groceries such as vegan cheeses, meats, chocolate and dessert items and harder to find vegan ingredients that you can usually purchase from a health food store. All tucked into a quaint little village, Little Green Bakery is a MUST DO if you are vegan in Cornwall. You can check out their facebook page here; /www.facebook.com/littlegreenveganbakery/
FALMOUTH
WILDEBEEST (NOW SADLY CLOSED) - 100% VEGAN
The one restaurant that everyone recommended when I talk about vegan food in Cornwall is Wildebeest - a 100% vegan restaurant in Falmouth that served incredible food, ranging from butternut squash laska and mexican tacos to raw cheesecake and chocolate and almond brownies. I have only visited here twice and unfortunately it's now shut down but I thought I'd leave the pictures up just to show how amazing it was when it was still around. Pictured below is the Mex Mix and a sweet potato dish that was on their menu a few summers ago, the fried polenta (honestly the most incredible vegan dish I have ever eaten), raw cheesecake, a brownie and the peanut butter chocolate fudge ice cream. I also visited their stall at the Cornish Vegan Festival and they had an array of cheesecakes on offer (also pictured below). Hopefully the business will return one day in the future as I wish you could all try it out!
PEA SOUK - VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
Pea Souk is beautifully charming, a quirky little cafe up a small lane just off the main high street of Falmouth, with an extensive vegan and vegetarian menu. With daily specials, including the likes of chocolate cake, cheesecake, vegan quiche, and unique set menus in the evenings. When we last visited, we all had a variation of the vegan cheese burger which was absolutely delicious and even my dad (who is never the biggest fan of vegan food) said that he couldn't tell it was vegan! For a full range of the food they do you can check out their website www.peasouk.co.uk, but this is definitely a place I would recommend !!
CIURI CIURI - VEGETARIAN & VEGAN
If you are looking for the BEST vegan ice cream (or regular ice cream) around then this is the place to go! Run by 3 italian friends, this small gelato parlour nestled in Falmouth High Street has an abundance of vegan gelato flavours. I sampled the strawberry and peach flavour, and my sister got the mango flavour but other vegan flavours include chocolate, lemon and every other fruit you could imagine! The cheerful customer service combined with the delicious produce places this cafe at the top of my list of recommendations, I suggest you visit as soon as possible if you are ever in the area! If you want to find out any more information on the cafe you can check out their Facebook page here.
If you have any more recommendations for vegan cafes in Cornwall then please let me know via my twitter or instagram (@positivesoph) or email me at positivesoph@gmail.com as I would love to hear from you! Also please let me know if you try any of these out! - Sophie :)