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Not going to lie, i am a little sceptical when it comes to veganism. Yes, i have absolutely no doubts that following a vegan diet makes a positive different to our environment, the planet and not to mention saves animals from being killed for human consumption and this alone is enough reason to want to give veganism a go. However, when people go vegan and claim to feel ‘amazing’ i’ll have to be honest, i can’t help thinking that this a huge cliche and an example of how the mind works – you go vegan expecting to feel amazing because you’ve been told you will, and guess what, you do. Psychological? Who knows? BUT, with all this being said, i’ve decided to give veganuary a go to not only see what all the fuss is about but to also make myself more accountable for my actions, which are impacting the planet. Not going to lie, i was dreading approaching veganism at first – What the hell would I eat? Would i simply FORGET i couldn’t have milk in my coffee? Maybe Would i absentmindedly eat 3 celebrations before remembering i wasn’t allowed them? Probably. But, to support my vegan quest as a foodie, some of Liverpool’s favourite restaurants have really come through with the vegan offerings this January. Here’s what i’ve tried so far.

Bill’s

With one of the most insane veggie breakfasts I’ve ever had, i knew that Bill’s would come up trumps with their vegan menu. Usually most restaurants will now offer one or two vegan offerings, but when it’s a whole menu, it’s so much better. From plenty of starters, mains and desserts, vegans are spoilt for choice at Bill’s. Visiting as a vegan, I opted for the delicious beetroot humous on sourdough (insane) and the butternut wellington and beetroot steak for our main courses. The wellington was so so good, wrapped in flaky pastry and served with a rich gravy, there was nothing missing from this dish! We approached the beetroot steak with caution, only because we thought it was literally going to be a slice of beetroot on a plate lol but oh we were wrong. With the texture of steak but a subtle flavour of beetroot, this was honestly such a good replacement for the real deal – it was even served with super crispy, salty fries! Yessss. For dessert, we went for the coconut ice cream (can’t go wrong) and the vegan sticky toffee pudding. If’s safe to say we had a slap up meal without compromising on anything at all! Would definitely recommend.

The Hilton Afternoon Tea

You can’t go wrong with a traditional afternoon tea and call me boring but i absolutely love everything about it, from the sandwiches to the clotted cream scone, YES. So when i was invited to the Hilton Liverpool to try their vegan version (including Vegan prosecco) I obviously wasn’t gonna say no. The afternoon tea was fab, well presented and a fab selection of cakes and sandwiches. I was a huge fab of the fillings (smokey aubergine, almost like a babaganoush, vegan cheese and pickle, red pepper and humous) but i just don’t think vegan cake and scones are as good as the real deal. To be fair, the Hilton’s versions were some of the best id tasted but my love of cake is probably one of the reasons I couldn’t be vegan forever (shameful, I know). This being said, the afternoon tea is really worth a go and if you’re looking for something a lil bit fancy then id say that this is definitely it. 

Wagamama

Wagas are already renowned for their insane vegan offerings and I’ve had the Avant Gardn before now and i’m obsessed (hellooo BBQ seitan) but this Jan they’ve added a few more goodies to the menu. I chose the positive juice (I’m not quite doing dry Jan but i’m definitely giving my liver a break after Christmas) and the Nikko Yasai (sweet potato) curry. For starters we shared the miso aubergine bao buns (I’ve had these before a few times and you really can’t go wrong with them) and some tempura veg (again, just delicious). I did toy with the idea of ordering the avant gardn just because I love it, but decided to try something new and I wasn’t disappointed. I always find Wagas veggie dishes to be super fresh with loads and loads of colour and this was the same. The sweet potato chunks sat in a fragrant, coconutt-y broth packed with fresh chillis – it was honestly delicious. Served with a little pot of steamed brown rice sprinkled with sesame seeds – delightful. If you’re visiting wagas and aren’t vegan, it’s honestly well-worth requesting to see the vegan menu anyway, some unreal dishes on there!!
So im now halfway into veganuary and so far sogood (and kind of the same)! I will update you at the end of the month to see if i notice any changes – good or bad!