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Where to enjoy Veganuary in Devon

10th January 2020

Categories: Visitor News

If you’ve decided to change up your diet as we head into 2020 you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed about where you can and can’t enjoy meals – don’t worry though, there are plenty of incredible places in Devon offering vegan friendly dishes and entire dedicated menus so you can enjoy delicious food this Veganuary.

For those that haven’t heard the term before, Veganuary is an annual event that challenges people to try a vegan diet for the month of January and helps you learn more about veganism. Whether you are looking to detox after indulging over Christmas or want to cut down on your meat consumption or just want to try something new, getting involved in Veganuary gives you plenty of support and inspiration. As the challenge has grown in popularity over the past few years, you’ll have likely noticed that a number of the chain restaurants and cafes around Devon have been offering special prices on vegan meals or adding tasty new dishes to their menus during January. It isn’t just the high street that can offer you excellent dining without the meat and dairy – restaurants, delis, cafes and hotels all over Devon have plenty of vegan options to choose from.

We thought we’d make a few suggestions of some of our favourite places that offer vegan food on their menus to make your Veganuary challenges that little bit easier.

We expect many of you will be visiting Plymouth over the next few months to take part in the various events to commemorate the 400^th anniversary of the Mayflower, so let’s start there. Bistrot Pierre which can be found in the historic Royal William Yard has a wide range of dishes available including their own dedicated vegan menu. For those of you who like the idea of touring a distillery and sampling a few of the gins on offer, Plymouth Gin don’t use any animal products in the distilling process. So, while there are certain foods and drinks that are off limits with a vegan diet, gin isn’t one of them!

Image: Plymouth Gin.

For those of you who are planning a trip to see the penguins this January, the Terrace Café Bar at Living Coasts, Torquay, has several vegan options on their menu as well as all the other family favourites making it a great place to stop with the whole family. The terrace offers some incredible views and well behaved dogs are welcome to join you too. If you liked the look of Bistrot Pierre but you find yourself in the English Riviera rather than Plymouth, their Torquay branch also features a vegan menu – so don’t miss out! While we’re in the Torquay area, The Haytor Hotel caters for vegans on their breakfast menu, so you can be sure of something a little more exciting than just cereal or toast! Speaking of places to stay with great vegan options on their menus, take a look at what’s on offer at the Cary Arms restaurant there are even deserts for you to indulge in!

Image: The restuarant at the Cary Arms.

One thing that you absolutely must have when in Devon is a cream tea which might seem like it is out of reach for those taking part in Veganuary but you’d be wrong. Many of the National Trust cafes now offer vegan cream tea as well as a number of other vegan options for you to choose from, just make sure to check with the individual properties before you go. If you do want to sample a cream tea though, book into the Laura Ashley tea rooms at High Bullen who are happy to produce a vegan menu on request. The sandwiches, cakes and other treats offered by the tea rooms are home made and the menus include allergen advice making it easy to make substitutions so everyone can enjoy that Devon tradition. Just make sure to spread your jam and cream the right way!

One of the best places to go in Devon for vegan food is the village of Totnes where you’ll find all manner of trendy places to stop for a bite to eat. One place to head is Ben’s Farm Shop, which has a range of vegan friendly products and with shops in a variety of places, including Totnes and Exeter, you’re never too far from somewhere you can support local business and take part in Veganuary at the same time!