There’s a saying that you can’t teach your Grandmother to suck eggs, but can you get her to eat vegan fish and chips?
It was announced last week that the Nottingham’s Peacock Hotel tack on the classic chippy fare had earned a place on PETA’s list of the UK’s best, so we decided to put them to the test with someone who has been more used to eating your standard fish and chips for years.
We took along 75 year-old Sylvia Buttress from Rise Park in the City, to see what she thought to the winning dish.
The Victorian pub is the first in Nottingham to introduce a 100% vegan menu. That means no more meat or fish, and diary such as cheese, butter, milk, cream and eggs have been ditched in favour of vegan-friendly alternatives.
The pub has now been offering the vegan only menu since its refurbishment in September last year. A healthy choice of vegan options were already being served alongside meat dishes, including Sunday lunch and the popular 100 per cent plant-based fish and chips, served with mushy peas.
Nottingham-based nutrition coach and food writer, Susan Hart said:
“A vegan diet has many benefits, including plenty of ‘free radical fighting’ Antioxidants (thanks to a high plant based diet), lots of fibre for gut health, low saturated fat and cholesterol for better heart health.
“I have eaten at the Peacock and can vouch for that comment. It’s great that a Nottingham pub has taken the decision to offer a vegan only menu. The Tofu ‘Fish’ and Chips were very, very, tasty. Wrapping the tofu in a nori sheet before cooking in batter was a great idea and added a salty sea taste and some useful nutrients like iodine, omega 3, B12 and vitamin A”
But what did our Grandmother think to it?
“It’s not for me” says Sylvia.
“The ‘fish’ looked more like chicken and it needed more flavour. The chips were lovely though. Proper old fashioned chips” she added.
Portion sizes are good and the dish comes with a zesty side sauce. I have to say though, that I agreed with the taste of the ‘fish’. On first appearance, it does look like battered fish but the texture is much denser and the nori sheet, although aiding the appearance, didn’t seem to add the desired flavour. It still tasted like tofu – but in decent, crispy batter. The chips were good, chunky and golden like a traditional chip. The mushy peas were also of a good consistency and flavoursome.
The pub offers a number of vegan beers and a cider, the wine menu is also vegan friendly. Go along and give it a try for yourself and see if you could be converted.
The Peacock were not aware of our visit and we paid for our meal and drinks in full.
The Peacock, 11 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3FB. Tel: 0115 9472152
By Tanya Louise Raybould
Editor
@tanyalouiseray
