Prezzo

1 Culver St East

 Colchester 

CO1 1LD
 

 I emailed Prezzo to enquire whether their pizza dough and pizza sauce are vegan.

They replied to say they are not! Both apparently contain egg and milk, which seems quite unusual!

They did however confirm that their Penne Arrabbiatia is vegan if ordered without cheese.

If you would like to email Prezzo to let them know how disappointed you are that they use egg and milk in their dough and sauce then they have a contact  form here: http://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/contact

In the meantime why not visit Pizza Express , Strada or Zizzi!

As ever, all information on this site is intended as a guide. Menus and ingredients may change, so always mention that you are vegan at time of ordering.

If you spot any out of date information/broken links on this site, please email me to let me know!

COMPETITION CLOSED!

Thinking of trying veganism but not sure where to start? Then enter this giveaway competition (run by "ps...it's vegan!" www.facebook.com/psitsvegan) to win a "Vegan Starter Kit", packed with useful things for first time vegans!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The prize consists of:

• The Animal Free Shopper: Lists vegan products from many companies and supermarkets. Also has a handy glossary in the back of vegan/non vegan ingredients to look out for. Printed by The Vegan Society. Available from their online shop here for the bargain price of £1!
•  The L plate vegan: Really amazing little guide from Viva! (vegetarians international voice for animals). Contains lots of useful advice for new vegans, including vegan options from different supermarkets, meal ideas and online resources. Available from Viva! here for £1.90, or you can download the PDF for free! (Thank you to Viva for the complementary copies for this giveaway!) 
• For peace of mind...Veg 1: vitamins from The vegan society. Especially formulated to make sure you don't miss out on any vital vitamins and minerals! Available from the Vegan Society shop for £4.99 
• For peace of mind.. Iron and Vitamin C tablets from Holland and Barrett (Available from Holland and Barrett for £2.55) 
• To prove you don't have to go without..Oreos! Vegan oreos are now available in the Uk! (watch out for any old packs in circulation contains whey powder. New packs carry the warning "may contain milk" but this is just a precaution in case of cross contamination. Milk is not used in the recipe (neither is bone filtered sugar which they use in America!), so they are classed as vegan (although unfortunately they have yet to update their website to say this!)
• As a treat: White chocolate buttons! Available from Tesco and Asda.
• As a snack: Caramailsed onion oaty bakes by Nairns! They also make tasty vegan oat biscuits :) Available from most supermarkets. (along with many other vegan snacks/crisps from other brands!) 
• As a pick me up: Nak'd bars! Yummy raw bars made with dates and nuts. Available from Holland and Barrett and most supermarkets. Recipe contains no wheat or sugar! 
• For pudding: Alpro Soya cream! Pour over fruit or use for cooking! Available from the "Free from" section in most supermarkets. Alpro also make vegan custard,chocolate pudding and caramel desserts! Plus yogurts! (in the chilled aisle with the dairy yogurts).
•  (Don't be put off by the name..) Nutritional yeast flakes! (Americans sometimes call it "Nooch") Use it in cooking to add a cheesy flavour/make cheeses sauces! (More tasty than it sounds!) 
• FYI.... a selection of informative leaflets. Helpful for answering your family when ask "but what's wrong with eggs??"
•  FYI.. a selection of helpful leaflets covering nutrition, recipes and more!

Plus there are 2 runner up prizes of "mini starter kits" containing "The Animal Free Shopper", "The L plate Vegan", a pack of Oreos, a pack of oaty bites, a nak'd bar and info leaflets!

Good Luck!

*A polite note to experienced vegans! Please don't enter unless you plan to give the prize to a new or aspiring vegan! Let's increase the vegan population! Thank you!)



Open to UK residents only. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. Winner(s) will be contacted by email 48 hours after the giveaway ends. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send us an email!

ps...it's vegan! (vegan bakery)

"p.s...it's vegan!" 

www.psitsvegan.co.uk

"P.s...it's vegan!" is a Colchester based cake making business that specialises in cakes that are 100% plant based, free from all animal products, including eggs, milk and honey. 

Run by vegan baker Jennifer Dunn "ps...it's vegan!" provide a delicious array of cupcakes and celebration cakes, made especially to order.

"P.s...it's vegan!" have twice been voted into 3rd place in the category of "Best vegan cakes" at the UK vegan awards. Cupcake flavours include classics like chocolate and vanilla, and also new favourites like cherry bakewell.

To order simply visit their website to peruse the cakes on offer and email through your order. Unfortunately they don't deliver, but all orders can easily be collected from their private address just outside of Colchester town centre. 

For more info, price lists and photos visit www.psitsvegan.co.uk or www.facebook.com/psitsvegan
Email: psitsvegancake@gmail.com

The Kings Arms Pub

61-63 Crouch Street

Colchester

CO3 3EY

01206 572 886

I emailed the Greene King chain regarding some of their vegetarian options that looked as though they may be vegan. The results were:

VEGAN: Vitality Salad- Broccoli, rocket & seasonal leaves, edamame beans, roasted butternut squash, peas, pico de gallo, lemon-infused oil £6.45-

-The Vitality Salad is a vegan dish, but prepared on site in a kitchen where animal products are present, but there are strict guidelines on preparing vegetarian dishes and so there should be no risk of cross contamination.

NOT VEGAN:Bulgar wheat, Quinoa & Pistachio Salad -

Bulgar wheat and Quinoa salad contains honey.

NOT VEGAN: Crushed Pea & Broad Bean Risotto 

Pan-fried courgettes, edamame beans, peas, lemon oil £8.45-

The Crushed pea and broad bean risotto contains butter.

NO RESPONSE: Rocket leaves, olives, fine beans, chickpeas, sun-blushed baby tomatoes, toasted flatbread £6.95-looks like it may be suitable! Check with staff!

Please note that unfortunately we cannot verify the accuracy of any findings provided by the eateries surveyed.

Vegan meal ideas for caterers!

[this post is not finished! Work in progress!]

Ask any vegan what they are offered when they request a suitable meal at a restaurant, and the response is usually the same! Fruit salad for starters, risotto or stuffed pepper for main, and the same fruit salad again for dessert! Whilst this is by no means the worst meal, there are sooo many more possibilities!!  Here are some dishes that vegans have said they would like to be offered (with links to the recipes where possible).

Easy Starters

• Soups- Tomato soup/ tomato and lentil soup/ tomato and red pepper soup. (Obviously use vegetable stock!  Other soup recipes could be veganised by using vegan margarine/oil in place of butter/omitting cream etc. )
• Sugar snap pea salad with lemon mint vinaigrette 
• Hummus and toasted pitta bread/crudités
• Spinach and apple salad
• Mushrooma and tomato bushetta

Fancier starters

• Green papaya salad (som tum) with salt and pepper fried tofu
• Warm aubergine tomato salad
• Mushroom Satay Skewers
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Tempura vegetables with dipping sauce
• Olive and herb stuffed tomatoes

(Directory of more vegan starters)

Easy Mains

• All day breakfast- Vegan sausages (such as Linda Mc Cartney), hash browns, baked beans, fried mushrooms, grilled tomato.

• Roast Dinner-roast potatoes (without lard/goosefat etc), steamed veggies/roast veggies (sweet potato/parsnip etc) with vegan sausages (such as Linda McCartney) or vegan nut roast (some love it some hate it!) and  vegan gravy (such as Bisto favourite or follow a recipe such as this one)

• Pie and Mash-Vegan pie (Example recipe here or buy Linda Mccartney Country Pies), with dairy free mash (use "Vitalite" or "Pure" in place of butter, and soya milk in place of dairy milk), veggies and gravy (such as Bisto Favourite)

• BIG Burgers! Either choose to make your own (20 recipes here!) or source vegan burgers from Frys or VBites!.  Stick in a bun (check that they are vegan too!-most are but some have milk in!), with lettuce, tomato, and add a side of chips, sauces and corn on the cob! (to really please your vegan customers, offer them some vegan mayo too!)

• Pizza- offer a plethora of veg toppings to add to a vegan base (most dough recipes are vegan, as are most sauces).  Toppings could include: Roasted vegetables such as peppers and courgettes, red onion,cherry tomatoes, artichoke

• Curry-23 recipes for vegan curry on the BBC Good Food website here including Spinach and sweet potato curryand Pumpkin chickpea curry (naan bread usually contains milk, so offer rice/chappatis instead).

• Chilli-Filling and full of flavour vegan chilli will please everyone! Jamie Oliver Chilli recipe here

• BIG Salads...vegans don't just eat salad, but we do like them sometimes! Add filling additions such as roast sweet potato/chickpeas/cashews/slices of avocado (and use a dairy free/honey free/egg free dressing) 

Fancier mains

[work in progress!]
Easy Desserts

• Keep to hand some cartons of soya cream (Alpro brand-from supermarkets), soya custard (Alpro brand-available in cartons or snap pots, from supermarket) or soya whipping cream (Soyatoo brand-available online or from Natural Foods in Colchester). The cream and custard are available as UHT so have a long shelf life and can be used as and when required. This can be added to fresh fruit, fruit crumbles or fruit pies to make an appetising vegan dessert!

• Crumbles and pies are easy to veganise! Just replace the butter in the recipe with vegan margarine such as "Vitalite" or "Pure" (and brush pastry with soya milk instead of dairy milk!)

• Or how about offering a vegan chocolate pudding cake!? Your vegan customers will love you for it! See recipe below!

• Vegan chocolate pudding cake-measurements in cups

Fancier desserts

• Chocolate and brandy truffle torte-UK measurements

Suggested websites for finding vegan recipes:

Some of my favourite recipe sites:

• Post Punk Kitchen (US) : Possibly the most reliable recipes ever, by one of the most popular vegan chefs, Isa Moskowitz  (author of “Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World”).
• Fat free vegan: Delicious reliable recipes, mostly with a reduced fat content
• Mouthwatering vegan: Gourmet style recipes, with tempting photos.
• Vegweb-over 15,000 recipes, for every kind of food you can imagine! Recipes are uploaded and rated by members.
• Maple Spice:Extensive directory of sweet and savoury recipes, by a Canadian blogger now living in Ireland.
• Parsley soup: User friendly recipes with UK measurements and ingredients

Tips for stocking your vegan kitchen can be found here:

• Vegetarian Times - How to stock a Veg Kitchen
• Peta-Vegan Kitchen Essentials.

Useful guides

• The animal free shopper (£1.00)-Fantastic guide  by The Vegan Society for new vegans, that lists which UK companies and Supermarkets sell vegan versions of foods, wines, toiletries etc.  Helpful glossary of animal ingredients.
• The L-Plate Vegan (£1.90): Pocket guide printed by Viva!  Tips for going vegan.  View online for free or download the PDF

Curry Hut

*NOTE* The curry hut on Osborne street has now closed.  I will however keep this post available to help with possible vegan options at other curry houses, although remember to always check suitability at time of ordering.

Starters:

Aloo  chat (fried poatoes with spices and chutney)

Aloo chop (crispy potato balls)

Vegetable Samosas 

Garlic Mushrooms

Tandoori Dishes-None Suitable

Mild Creamy Dishes: None suitable

Hot Dishes

Vegetable Jalfrezi

Vegetable Shakuti

Korma Dishes: None suitable

Medium Curry Dishes:

Vegetable curry (Lightly spiced dish)

Ceylon/Madras Dishes:

Vegetable Ceylon (Fairly hot dish, cooked with coconut in thick sauce)

Vegetable Madras (A fairly hot saucy dish)

Vindaloo Dishes:

Vegetable Vindaloo (A very hot dish cooked with potatoes)

Bhuna/Korai/Rogan/ Dopiaza/Archar/Saag Dishes

Vegetable Bhuna (Well spiced, cooked on a low heat)

Vegetable Korai (Dry spiced, cooked with onions & tomatoes)

Vegetable Rogan (Medium spiced cooked with fresh tomatoes)

Vegetable Dopiaza (Medium spiced cooked with flavoured onions)

Vegetable Archar (Pickle dish slightly tangy flavour)

Vegetable Saag (Spinach)

Kasmir and Malaya Dishes: None suitable

Persian Dishes:

Vegetable Dansak (Sweet & sour, fairly hot cooked with lentils)

Vegetable Pathia (Sweet & sour dish medium dry)

Balti Dishes:

Vegetable Balti (Highly flavoured dish cooked with authentic spices, served with (non vegan) naan. Naan can be substituted with tandoori roti or puri bread on request).

Biryani Dishes:

Vegetable Biryani (Stir fried rice dish served with vegetable curry)

Vegetable Side Dishes:

Chana Masala  (chickpeas)

Mixed vegetables 

Brinjal Bhaji (Chargrilled aubergine (egg plant) combined with spices)

Muhroom Bhajee 

Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower)

Sag Aloo (spinach and potatoes)

Bombay Potatoes 

Tarka Daal 

Daal Samba 

Bhindi Bhajee (okra stir fried with onions, tomatoes)

Rice:

Pilau Rice

Boiled Rice

Mushroom Rice

Vegetable rice

Tomato Garlic Rice

Peshwari Rice(Coconuts & almond)

Poppadoms and Pickle:

Poppadoms, Plain or Spicy

Mango chutney

Mixed Pickle

Onion Salad

Green Salad

Kebab and Chips:

Chips

Breads:

Puri

Tandoori Roti

Paratha

Chapati

As ever, all information on this site is intended as a guide. Menus and ingredients may change, so always mention that you are vegan at time of ordering.

If you spot any out of date information/broken links on this site, please email me to let me know!

North Hill Hotel Green Room Restaurant

The North Hill Hotel & The Green Room Restaurant,

51 North Hill, Colchester, Essex. CO1 1PY

Tel: +44 (0)1206 574001

www.northhillhotel.com

Email response from The North Hill Hotel:

"We don't have vegan options on our menu but the kitchen are able to provide vegan meals on request but the choice will obviously be more varied with a few days notice".

Wivenhoe House

Wivenhoe House Hotel

Wivenhoe Park

Colchester

Essex

CO4 3SQ 

Email response from Wivenhoe House:

"The Brasserie restaurant is always happy to adapt any dish for special food requirements.

I have spoken to our head chef and it would be possible for him to make a special 3 course meal for somebody who is vegan. However, we often have vegans come to dine with us and the chefs are more than happy to change a dish slightly to accommodate."

The Rose and Crown Hotel

Best Western Rose & Crown Hotel

East Street

Colchester

Essex. CO1 2TZ

Tel: +44 (0) 1206 866677 l Fax:01206 866 616

http://www.roseandcrowncolchester.co.uk/

Email reply from the manager at the Rose and Crown:

"We do not have specific items on the menu but can ALWAYS cater for at least one choice for Vegans – our current options are:-

Mixed vegetable sausages with mash potato and caramelized onion gravy

Sauteed garlic mushroom and roasted tomatoes with tagliatelle pasta

This is what we offer functions particularly as they have a higher % of dietary requirements."

University of Essex

Some info on vegan options at the University of Essex, from a lecturer who works there:

Fusion restaurant is quite good, they change the menu a bit but they do various stir fries with tofu and vegetables. They can customise as you like. 

Zest has a hummus flat bread, and a tofu and vegan pesto panini.

Happy days has a veggie burger

Take three has a hummus and salad baguette (sometimes) and a peanut butter sandwich (good breakfast). 

There is a salad bar in Blues open til 2pm and they do jacket potatoes and beans. It is ok on campus for vegan food and it is getting better, but you usually have to be quick because sometimes these things run out by late lunch time. If you want anything about 4pm onwards they may have sold out. 

The Chickpea Curry Stall

Colchester Market, Culver street (near Debenhams) most Fridays and Saturdays.

http://www.thechickpea.co.uk/

info@thechickpea.co.uk

07813 923110

Please note that unfortunately we cannot verify the accuracy of any findings provided by the eateries surveyed.

The Chickepea is a curry stall on Colchester market that always offer a vegetarian option, which is usually suitable for vegans.  

-I have been told that the only time it may not be suitable is if the stock used contains lactose. (so it is worth asking just to be sure!)

Vegan options include chickpea dhal, bombay potatoes and rice.

A small take away tub is £3.50, and a large tub is £4.50.

The Chickpea is also available for parties and private catering services as well as an independent stall for festivals and public events. 

The Foresters Arms Pub

1-2 Castle Road, 

Colchester, 

Essex 

CO1 1UW

Phone : 01206 543900 ‎

Please note that unfortunately we cannot verify the accuracy of any findings provided by the eateries surveyed.

Had a  tip off on this site's accompanying Facebook page that the Foresters Arms do a vegan Sunday roast!
So sent them a little message to find out more!
They replied:

"Hi, yes, we do do a vegan friendly Sunday lunch, consisting of nut cutlet, roast potatoes and veg, with veg gravy, for £7.50. We also do a veggie chilli in the week (not sundays), and baked potatoes with beans that would be vegan friendly."

(I wrote back to check that the veg chilli is vegan friendly and indeed it is!) 

They unfortunately don't carry any vegan beers at the moment, but do sell Aspall cyder which is vegan.

The Foresters Arms is tucked away just off of East Hill on Castle Road.

Vegan friendly shops in Colchester.

Lush-(Trinity Square) Soap, shampoo, shower gel, make-up, face products (vegan products labelled)
Sante -(Trinity street)-Natural remedies and homeopathy, toiletries  mineral make up. All vegetarian, some vegan. Knowledgeable staff .
Natural foods-(Eld Lane) -Colchester's independent health food shop.  Frozen and refrigerated vegan food, plus store cupboard essentials and sweet treats.  Vegan skin care, toiletries, vitamins, cleaning products and more. Knowledgeable staff.
Holland And Barrett (Priory walk)-Frozen and refrigerated vegan food, plus store cupboard essentials and sweet treats.  Vitamins, supplements etc.
Co-op- (Stanway, Prettygate, Shrub End, West Bergholt, Mile End, Mersea Road, Rowhedge, Harwich Road, Greenstead)-Vegan labelled toiletries and cleaning products (Buav approved)
Superdrug (High street and Priory Walk- Buav approved own brand toiletries (vegan items labelled), make up range "B"- labelled vegan and Buav approved,  Barry M make up (some of which is vegan), GOSH make up, some of which is vegan (For full low-down on vegan make up, check out crueltyfreeface.com), Naked skin and hair care, some of which is vegan.
Marks and Spencer (High Street) Own brand toiletries and make-up are Buav approved. Email to find out if specific products are vegan. Also sell Tara Smith vegan and Buav approved hair care.