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.

Playhouse (Pub)

4 Saint John's Street  Colchester, Essex CO2 7AA

01206 571 003

The Playhouse is operated by pub chain “Wetherspoon”.

Wetherspoon helpfully have a “plan your menu” section on their website, where you can choose to just view the vegan items. [take note other restaurants!!]

The items listed were:

Portion of chips

 Sides:

 Side salad without creamy dressing

Children's:

Happy Monkey strawberry & banana smoothie

Curry Club:

Sweet potato, chickpea & spinach curry with extra poppadums

An award-winning dish, in a coconut sauce, with yellow basmati rice, mango chutney and poppadums. This meal is suitable for vegans if ordered without Naan.

Large onion bhajis

Vegetable samosas

Extra poppadums & mango chutney

Bombay potatoes

Confusingly jacket potato and beans (without butter) doesn't show up on this list, but it does show up if you select "vegetarian"+ "egg free" + "dairy free"... as does"Organic Tomato and Basil Soup" and "Hummus and Roast Vegetable Flatbread".

Looking through their menu I noticed a lot of  vegetarian things that could easily be made vegan, if  Weatherspoon so chose-such as: Mexican bean burger, vegetable burger, vegetarian sausage with chips and beans, superfood salad/pasta, Vegetarian roast(Portobello Mushroom, Chickpea & Pumpkin Seed Roast served with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy), Five-bean chilli (uses Quorn mince), Vegetarian breakfast (Two fried eggs, three vegetarian sausages, baked beans and chips).

I think some polite email suggestions are in order!

Cafe at number 21

Cafe at number 21, Trinity street, Colchester

Cafe at number 21 (next to Timbers on Trinity Street) opened in June 2012 with the aim of catering for for vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and omnivorous diets.  

It is now under new ownership, and  after chatting with the current owner I learnt that their current vegan options are:

-Aubergine bake
-Roast vegetable salad
-Usually at least one vegan soup.

They are open to suggestions, so the menu may change.
Soya milk is available for teas and coffees.

Cafe at 21 has nice a bright interior and pleasant garden at the back.

This cafe previously sold vegan cupcakes by local  business "ps...it's vegan!" 
Vegan cakes can now instead be be brought from "Caffe Sala" or  "The Minories Garden Cafe", or privately ordered from "ps...it's vegan!" by visiting their website here.