Tag: vegan food

Zizzi Vegan Pizza

I’ve been vegan for about a year and a half now, and I don’t regret anything, other than not doing it sooner. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is how veganism is being embraced by mainstream restaurants. Zizzi have led the way with not only have a vegan offering, but by developing their own vegan cheese, they have put themselves on the map as a vegan friendly place. Others have followed in their footpath, but I wanted to try Zizzi’s cheese. The reason being is because I struggle with vegan cheese. I’ve not really found a vegan pizza cheese that is anything remotely like regular cheese. As a result, I’ve quite happily gone without cheese on all my pizza. That being said, I wanted to see if Zizzi had nailed it.

Zizzi Vegan PizzaThe pizza itself was really tasty. I added red onion, mushrooms and green chilli and it was great combination. I wasn’t overly impressed with the cheese, as it was very wet, so that it melt like mozzarella. I was never a huge fan of mozzarella, and maybe that’s why I wasn’t that keen on this cheese. It had a decent flavour and there was plenty of it, but I wasn’t keen on the texture. I realise that nothing is ever going to be the same as regular cheese, and I’m really pleased that Zizzi have made such a huge effort for their vegan customers. Not only do they have vegan cheese, they also have vegan desserts that aren’t sorbet. I know, right?! How cool is that? Naturally, I wanted to give the vegan calzone a try, despite being pretty stuffed.

Zizzi vegan puddingMy first impression was that it was way smaller than I was expecting! This is because I’m a huge greedy guts and wanted one as big as my pizza! It had pecans, banana and blueberries inside and had chocolate and coconut ice cream on top. It was delicious! The first vegan pudding I’ve had in a mainstream restaurant! I really enjoyed it. It was warm and doughy and filling. Well worth leaving room for.

I hope that other restaurants who aren’t being as forthcoming with vegan options take note. My friends and I, one of which is gluten-free, purposely went to Zizzi because we knew we would be catered for. The vegan revolution is beginning!

Lizard Coast path walk

It feels like forever since we were walking along the coast path in Cornwall, instead, it’s only been a few weeks. A few long weeks. As I was poorly for a lot of the week, our walks were short and sweet and mainly town based. This was necessary, as I got out of breath walking around Cadgwith, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I love walking with Poppy, especially by the coast so I was disappointed not to do more of it this time. On our final day though, we had something special planned. We did a circular walk, starting in the Lizard, heading round to Kynance and back to the Lizard. It was awesome!

lizard lifeboat signlizard view lizard horses We stopped in at Ann’s Pasties to get some lunch to take with us and then we headed towards Church Cove. We hadn’t been down there before and it was amazing. The view was breathtaking. We then went out onto the coast path. I’m not sure who loves it more, Poppy or me! She loves to sniff as much of it as she can and she’s completely fearless. She has not qualms about getting close to the edge or coming across horses or cattle on the narrow paths. She just keeps on walking!

poppydog on the lizard walk annes vegan pasty lizard lighthouseThe first time we went to the Lizard point on this holiday, it was blowing a gale. The wind was so strong that Poppy freaked out and we had to go. Fortunately this time, it was calm and quiet so we weren’t almost blown away! This part of the walk was busier, as it’s a little bit easier. Plus Kynance is really popular and this is a great way of getting between Kynance and the Lizard.

lizard dogwalk lizard coast walk smugglers chips sleepy dogWe walked over 8 miles, 125 floors and 20,000 steps on that day. We rewarded ourselves with a generous portion (each) of Smuggler’s Chips (the best chips ever!) and Poppy rewarded herself with an epic nap!

lizard walk

The Walk: As its part of the South West Coast Path, it isn’t easy. There are times when the path is muddy and very thin, but then there are parts which are flat and open. You’ll need a good pair of walking boots and a walking pole too if you’ve got dodgy knees like me!
Cost: Completely free, though we always make a donation at lifeboat station.
Car Park: We parked on the grass in the Lizard. It’s free, but donations are welcome. We generally make one donation to cover us for the week that we stay in the area.
Refreshments: I cannot recommend Ann’s Pasties enough. Their vegan pasties are delicious and hold their heat well. Obviously! Smuggler’s Chips are also amazing. They cook their chips separately from everything else so are suitable for vegans and gluten free. They source everything locally and use sustainable energy. They are awesome!
Toilets: There are some public loos in the centre of the Lizard and at Kynance Cove.

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Penryn to Flushing dogwalk

Our little break in Cornwall feels like it was months ago, such is the pace of life at the moment. While we were there, we decided on having brunch at the Muddy Beach restaurant in Penryn and Phil found a nice little walk for us to do beforehand, that we can do more of another time. We didn’t do the whole Penryn to Flushing walk, but we did a good chunk of it. The bit we did was okay, though I’m thinking we didn’t get to the best bit. Plus I’ve heard that Flushing is quite dog friendly so am keen to explore it next time.

Penryn to Flushing dogwalkPenryn dogwalkPenryn cemetryPenryn cemetry door

To get to the walk, you have to walk along the main road. You take a sneaky little path just before the church to head down to the coast path. You then walk along, under the cover of trees, catching glimpses of the estuary. It’s a little bit like a secret world! After a while you head out from the trees to walk along at the bottom of a field, which had an electric fence. I always worry about walking Poppy next to these, not that she’s ever hurt herself on them, but I’m not a fan. This bit doesn’t last for long, until you can head down onto the river bed and get to walk among the reeds if the tide is out. That’s where we turned round and headed back, as we’d planned to have brunch at Muddy Beach. And we weren’t disappointed!

Muddy Beach vegan breakfast

We had visited Muddy Beach years ago in it’s previous incarnation as Miss Peapod’s. Phil did a bit of a google to check out their vegan offerings and dog friendly potential. They have plenty of outside seating, which is perfect for dogs, but they also have a section inside which is the perfect area for dogs. Not only do they offer a veggie breakfast, but they also did a vegan breakfast, which was delicious. It was hearty, healthy and satisfying. While I was ordering, I also noticed that they had a vegan cake on offer, along with the regular fair and one or two non-dairy milks. We will definitely be going back there next time we’re in Penryn.

The Walk: The part of the walk we did was okay, some bits were much better than others. As the tide was out, we were able to walk down on the coast and Poppy loved walking among the reeds. Next time we go there, I’d like to walk the whole way to Flushing, as it’s not far. The walk through the cemetery was quite creepy! Make sure you wear good walking boots!
Cost: Completely free, unless you’re paying for parking.
Car Park: We parked at Exchequer Quay car park and paid £3.20 for three hours, which was plenty of time.
Refreshments: Muddy Beach restaurant is well worth a visit. It has plenty of seating, both inside and out, and has a special dog friendly area.
Toilets: There are some public loos in the car park.

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The Cornish Vegan, Truro

Despite having visited Cornwall a number of times, I had never been to Truro. Since the opening of The Cornish Vegan, we had a reason to visit this time. We had a bit of a mooch about Truro beforehand. Phil wanted to go to a vinyl shop and I wanted to have a wander around. We had a look in a few shops, there’s a great mix of high street and independent shops in Truro, and we picked up a few things for the house.

Truro Truro Cathedral

I had seen people talking about The Cornish Vegan on Twitter and it was recommended by a number of vegans online so I was desperate to go there. I wasn’t disappointed. There was loads of choice and it all looked delicious. The people on the table next to us had lasagne and a salad, which I was tempted by, but in the end I opted for the BBQ Jackfruit, as I’d never had jackfruit before.

The Cornish Vegan BBQ jackfruit The Cornish vegan brownie

The jackfruit was delicious. The BBQ sauce, which is made by the restaurant was really tasty and it made for an excellent burger. The coleslaw was light, fresh and crispy too. Service was excellent and Poppy was made welcome too, by getting her own bowl of water and as many vegan dog treats as she could eat, which turned out to be quite a few! I really wanted a brownie with some ice cream, but by this time, Poppy made it clear that she was ready to leave so I got a brownie to go. It was immense! It was the best vegan brownie I’ve had since becoming vegan. If you go to The Cornish Vegan, get one!

Poppydog in Lush

I can’t blame Poppy. She had been an absolute star while we shopped and mooched about. She was able to come into most shops with us, including Lush, where she got a lot of attention! It’s so great to be able to take her into shops and cafes, even if she does want to eat everything in there!

We’ll definitely be going back to The Cornish Vegan next time we’re in the area. I’d love to sample one of their Sunday roasts as they look epic!