Plant-Based Eating in London
I just got back from an amazing whirlwind trip to London for the FoodFluence conference, a wonderful nutrition conference coordinated by the amazing Stephen McCauley of The Ginger Network. It has been about 8 years since I last walked the streets of this fair city, and the city has aged well. When it comes to plant-based food choices, London has always been a mecca for plant-based eaters. England has the highest percentage of vegetarians outside of India. They are enlightened eaters, increasingly concerned about health, the environment and animal welfare. I found a wealth of amazing, delicious plant-based foods everywhere I went. And while London was once looked down upon for their rather bland, uninspired food scene, things have changed, as we learned from Paul Hannagen, owner and head chef of Cuisson, who spoke at the conference on dining trends in London. London is home to food playgrounds, pop ups, and a dedication to farm to fork foods, traditional dishes with a modern twist, and root-to-stem eating. I got to sample so many amazing, plant-based foods in London, which I have chronicled here.
I spent an incredible afternoon in this gorgeous, old world hotel. The lobby was just stunning and the entire hotel is an art deco masterpiece.
Tom Wakely, Vocal Coach at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London at Claridge’s Hotel
It was so fun to participate in vocal training with Tom Wakely, who has trained some of the most acclaimed actors of our time to use their voices to the best of their abilities. Tom has also directed a number of musicals, including Chicago. Our team even put together our own little musical inspired by food! (Food, glorious food! A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Wouldn’t it be loverly.)
Claridge’s High Tea
After training with Tom, we enjoyed high tea at Claridge’s, a traditional, must-taste experience in London. I do enjoy a nice cup of tea, but while I was in London I went full tilt enjoying tea all day long! Here’s my first cup of Claridge’s own special blended tea, served in fine bone china.
Plant-based Tea Sandwiches, Claridge’s
Part of the traditional tea ceremony is a collection of delicate tea sandwiches. I requested from a plant-based menu, and mine included (from bottom up) Portobello mushroom, tomato basil, butternut squash, cucumber, and roasted red pepper hummus. So yummy! I can’t wait to do a plant-powered high tea now at home, stay tuned!
Desserts, High Tea at Claridge’s
For those of you that think you’ll miss out when you eat vegan desserts, take a look! That’s a chia pudding on top, followed by (clockwise) tofu cheesecake, pound cake, and macaroon. So pretty!
While I was in London, I stopped into a few different supermarkets, such as Tesco. It’s a requirement for me to check out supermarkets to understand what’s going on with food and nutrition in various places around the globe. These markets are so similar to those here in the U.S., it’s tough to tell the difference (except the unit of currency is pounds). Here’s a look at the produce department. They were filled with ready to eat foods, too (sad!).
Healthy Foods in Supermarkets
See what I mean? Healthy food is hot in the UK, too.
Rude Health Plant-based Milk
I saw a variety of plant-based products in UK supermarkets, such as this plant-based milk. Love the packaging!
Four Seasons Canary Wharf Room Service
I ordered a room service lunch one day, and was pleased to find plenty of plant-based options at Four Seasons in Canary Wharf, where I stayed for five nights. Four Seasons is a wonderful hotel chain, and I’ve always found great plant-based options every time I stay there. This was a seasonal blend salad with truffle vinaigrette. Look how pretty the table service is!
Dinner at Four Seasons Canary Wharf
For dinner one night, the chef at Four Seasons made up this special creation for me: quinoa with carrots and Asian vegetables. It was very rich and savory and so satisfying.
The Gun, London Docklands
We enjoyed dinner in a traditional pub called The Gun in the London Docklands area. There has been a public house here for 250 years, and it was filled with charm and history. This area was home to the iron foundries that produced the guns for the Royal Naval fleet in the 18th and 19th century. Legend has it that Lord Nelson would meet Lady Emma Hamilton in an upstairs room for their rendezvous.
Bubble and Squeak, The Gun, London Docklands
One of my dishes at The Gun was bubble and squeak, a traditional dish meant to use up the leftover potatoes and vegetables from the traditional Sunday roast dinner. This was so yummy, served with a truffle sauce.
Vegetable Scotch Broth, The Gun, London Docklands
I also enjoyed this delicious plant-based dish, which was a very hearty, yet humble bean and barley vegetable stew.
Traditional English Breakfast, London
During my conference, I loved feasting on the traditional buffet breakfast with classic (plant-based!) English foods, such as baked beans, baked tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and whole grain porridge. It doesn’t get any better than this!
St. John Bread & Wine, London
We were so excited to have dinner at St. John Bread & Wine, which is a happening restaurant in London, created by Michelin-starred chef Fergus Henderson. The restaurant is based completely on the concept of traditional English foods served stem to leaf (or snout to tale for omnivores). I had beautiful plant-based offerings, such as the first course, which was tender radishes with a Dijon sauce (you eat the whole thing—radishes and leaves!).
St John Bread & Wine, London
In true root to stem fashion, this heirloom beet salad was served with beet greens. So delicious!
St. John Bread & Wine, London
My main course was this lovely squash lentil dish with watercress—divine!
St. John Bread & Wine, London
My plant-based dessert was this entirely fresh and delectable rhubarb sorbet.
Marble Arch, London
I spent one afternoon walking the streets of London. Check out this video for views of Buckingham Palace.
Cooking lesson at Four Seasons, Park Lane
We enjoyed a fun exercise of mixing up our own plant-based spread at a nutrition session held by Unilever. It’s quite easy! Look for recipes on my blog coming soon!
Fruit at the Four Seasons at Park Lane
We had our nutrition sessions at the Four Seasons at Park Lane on our last day, and lunch was divine. Just look at this pretty fruit platter!
No trip to London is complete without a stop at the amazing food halls at Harrods, the legendary shopping complex. Just look at the ceiling and chandeliers!
Hixter, London
My final dinner in London was at Hixter, which is housed in a former box factory. The building is like an art gallery, with paintings and art displays surrounding you. The restaurant was created by famous London chef Mark Hix with the philosophy of simple ingredients, done well. I enjoyed so many lovely dishes there, such as this cauliflower on a bean puree with hazelnuts.
Heathrow Airport, Giraffe
As I departed London, I stopped in at Giraffe for a nice hearty breakfast before getting on the long plane ride home. They had so many plant-based options, such as homemade veggie sausage with potato wedges, mushrooms, baked tomatoes, and baked beans. What a plant-powered farewell!
Note: This nutrition conference was partially sponsored.