Do you ever get that real hankering for a smoothie? Something packed with fresh fruit and creamy, almost like a liquid lunch. I definitely do, but also have learned to quell my yearnings, because creaminess comes at an unmentionable price to the dairy-intolerant tum. Most pre-packaged smoothies and those made freshly in cafes are made with cows milk or yoghurt. It's just another one of those things you really fancy from time to time, but learn to live without (admittedly in my case not without harbouring a small grudge).
Last week I wandered into Beets on Bernard Street. It's a kind of mini Real Foods on the Shore, but with a more delicatessen-styled interior and finish. Its the sort of place that reminds you that you really do make your own choices about how you eat, rather than invoking a more resigned feeling that can hit in some healthfood shops. It's quite small floor space, so their range is by necessity limited. They do however stock basic wheat-free staples like flours and pastas, dried fruit and pulses and fresh local veg. I particularly like a quick rummage in their 1/2 price basket for the odd cook-it-quick challenge. These provide reason enough to recommend Beets, but I digress...
Their delicious sounding menu board of their trademark smoothies, although not advertised to include soya alternatives, is willingly transformed by simply asking. Last week, I was feeling delightfully drowsy post-acupuncture, was peckish and really fancied something packed with goodness. Feeling resilient, I braved rejection and asked if I might have soya milk instead of regular yoghurt, figuring this was more than enough to ask of the catering trade. And what do you know, I was asked 'wouldn't I prefer soya yoghurt?' Wouldn't I ever! I ordered a Number 3 (Mixed berries, apple juice, banana and soya yoghurt) and it was delicious. I wasn't even asked to pay a penny more for my intolerances (£2.55 small, £2.95 large). A wave of respect engulfed me. Three Cheers to Beets.
So if you're in the area, go support this fantastic little shop that comfortably takes intolerances in its stride. It's a wonderful feeling.
Beets: 49 Bernard Street, Leith EH6 6SL (0131 476 5086). Open until 6 all week, all year (except Sundays until 5pm). It's likely to be open until 7 or 8pm during the summar months depending on custom. Beets doesn't have its own website, but is listed at http://www.leithlinks.co.uk/business/delicatessens/beets/beets.html and otherwise speaks for itself.
Showing posts with label Stockists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stockists. Show all posts
Monday, 30 June 2008
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
an extraordinary loaf at The Manna House
How might I compare thee (oh Spelt and Honey Loaf) to a summer's day... (the heaven that I felt at our union)?
Let me count the ways: you remind me of my freedom and youth when I caroused the local bakeries willy-nilly, eating any wheat delicacy that took my fancy. your chewy crust, crispy to the outside. inside, your yielding and supple ways. like flickers of happy memories, you're flecked with sunflower seeds that keep me singing. you're strong, holding together my sandwich, not tearing at the application of a little butter. and you're gentle and light-hearted, not bloating me with unnecessary concerns. you've brought me so much pleasure.
If you would like to experience this or something similar... or would just like me to get to the point and want to eat some really tasty wheat-free bread, details are listed below.
Location: the Manna House, 22-24 Easter Road (pretty sure closed on a Monday but otherwise open)
The experience if you were me this afternoon: bordering on sensual - you walk in to be approached and seduced by as many gorgeous baked goods as can be held on its shelves. delights that you just want to sink your teeth into. Admittedly, most of these fancies are not wheat-free. Given my near-heaven experience of their chocolate twists, I may go as far to say as not particularly nutritious.
But there is the Spelt and Honey Loaf (featured above at a cost of £1.50). I can't tell you how long it is since I have had a truly scrumptious slice of bread that did not incur equal proportions of guilt (and possible fear for how I'd feel later). It was tremendous.
They also sell completely wheat-free 100% Rye Bread (small oblong) - £1.30
If you are able to limit your wheat-consumption rather than omit it entirely, there are 3 other types of bread available, all at £1.30: 40% Rye (round), 40% Rye with Caraway (round) and 20% Rye Baguette (long). Please note the remain percent is wheat flour.
The Manna House uses Scottish products where and when possible.
Let me count the ways: you remind me of my freedom and youth when I caroused the local bakeries willy-nilly, eating any wheat delicacy that took my fancy. your chewy crust, crispy to the outside. inside, your yielding and supple ways. like flickers of happy memories, you're flecked with sunflower seeds that keep me singing. you're strong, holding together my sandwich, not tearing at the application of a little butter. and you're gentle and light-hearted, not bloating me with unnecessary concerns. you've brought me so much pleasure.
If you would like to experience this or something similar... or would just like me to get to the point and want to eat some really tasty wheat-free bread, details are listed below.
Location: the Manna House, 22-24 Easter Road (pretty sure closed on a Monday but otherwise open)
The experience if you were me this afternoon: bordering on sensual - you walk in to be approached and seduced by as many gorgeous baked goods as can be held on its shelves. delights that you just want to sink your teeth into. Admittedly, most of these fancies are not wheat-free. Given my near-heaven experience of their chocolate twists, I may go as far to say as not particularly nutritious.
But there is the Spelt and Honey Loaf (featured above at a cost of £1.50). I can't tell you how long it is since I have had a truly scrumptious slice of bread that did not incur equal proportions of guilt (and possible fear for how I'd feel later). It was tremendous.
They also sell completely wheat-free 100% Rye Bread (small oblong) - £1.30
If you are able to limit your wheat-consumption rather than omit it entirely, there are 3 other types of bread available, all at £1.30: 40% Rye (round), 40% Rye with Caraway (round) and 20% Rye Baguette (long). Please note the remain percent is wheat flour.
The Manna House uses Scottish products where and when possible.
Monday, 9 June 2008
save your pennies at the Leith Wholefood Co-op
Today I chanced upon a fortuitious thing. I was walking past the Post Office collections building, towards Leith Walk. On the corner of West Montgomery Place and Brunswick Road, sits a very exciting prospect, the Leith Wholefood Co-op. It is open only limited hours (Saturday 11am-6pm Tuesday 1pm-4pm Thursday 6pm-8pm ), so I was delighted to find it open.
A little background: The Co-op is not-for-profit and is run by volunteers at the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, founded 'for groups or individuals to use who are trying to make a better society and improve their lives'. It's friendly and helpful atmosphere, accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Why do I tell you all this? There is cheap, organic and eco-friendly produce on your doorstep for a snip of the price. Food prices are kept low by buying in bulk. A small mark-up is taken in order to pay for the premises.
To see if it really was cheaper, I compared how much I would spend if I were to buy organic chickpeas, rice and honey here and with a few other shops:
£4.45 at the Co-op
£6.62 at Realfoods
£7.57 at Damhead
£5.31 at Sainsbury's (buying own-brand organics products where possible)
Below you'll see that the Co-op was not the cheapest for every item, but the bill in total was considerably cheaper. The Co-op has a good range of staples with which you could fill up your store cupboard (at least until you are familiar enough to know what they have and you will need on a regular basis). It is certainly worth visiting and catching some of their cut price goodies.
http://www.autonomous.org.uk/foodcoop.html
Only one's own circumstances can direct you to save pennies primarily, the degree to which you can and wish to make ethical decisions and if time means you need to get all your goods in one place. Each person is different.
Three Products Compared:
Suma organic chickpeas (tinned):
75p at the Co-op
75p at Realfoods
89p at Damhead
45p at Sainsbury's for own-brand organic chickpeas organic
white basmati rice (non-brand), 1kg:
£1.70 at the Co-op
£3.58 at Realfoods
£3.99 at Damhead
£2.79 for Sainsbury's own-brand
organic Rowse organic honey, 340g:
£2 at the Co-op
£2.29-£2.85 at Realfoods (range of Rowse honeys)
£2.69 at Damhead (for equivalent Capilano organic honey, 340g)
£2.07 at Sainsbury's for Rowse's acacia honey
A little background: The Co-op is not-for-profit and is run by volunteers at the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, founded 'for groups or individuals to use who are trying to make a better society and improve their lives'. It's friendly and helpful atmosphere, accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs.
Why do I tell you all this? There is cheap, organic and eco-friendly produce on your doorstep for a snip of the price. Food prices are kept low by buying in bulk. A small mark-up is taken in order to pay for the premises.
To see if it really was cheaper, I compared how much I would spend if I were to buy organic chickpeas, rice and honey here and with a few other shops:
£4.45 at the Co-op
£6.62 at Realfoods
£7.57 at Damhead
£5.31 at Sainsbury's (buying own-brand organics products where possible)
Below you'll see that the Co-op was not the cheapest for every item, but the bill in total was considerably cheaper. The Co-op has a good range of staples with which you could fill up your store cupboard (at least until you are familiar enough to know what they have and you will need on a regular basis). It is certainly worth visiting and catching some of their cut price goodies.
http://www.autonomous.org.uk/foodcoop.html
Only one's own circumstances can direct you to save pennies primarily, the degree to which you can and wish to make ethical decisions and if time means you need to get all your goods in one place. Each person is different.
Three Products Compared:
Suma organic chickpeas (tinned):
75p at the Co-op
75p at Realfoods
89p at Damhead
45p at Sainsbury's for own-brand organic chickpeas organic
white basmati rice (non-brand), 1kg:
£1.70 at the Co-op
£3.58 at Realfoods
£3.99 at Damhead
£2.79 for Sainsbury's own-brand
organic Rowse organic honey, 340g:
£2 at the Co-op
£2.29-£2.85 at Realfoods (range of Rowse honeys)
£2.69 at Damhead (for equivalent Capilano organic honey, 340g)
£2.07 at Sainsbury's for Rowse's acacia honey
Sunday, 1 June 2008
a meat-eater’s delight at Ardross
Once a year, we spend a long weekend in Elie and one of the most wonderful culinary delights is our trip to Ardross Farm Shop, just I mile north-east of Elie on the coast road. Our delight mostly centred around the delicious meat they have on offer.
Ardross Farm use traditional farming methods to produce their own cattle. While not 'organic', the welfare of their animals is a priority as is providing them with local GM-free feed. A perfect opportunity to buy local and feel comfortable about how the beasts were kept. The rump steak was excellent, full of flavour and tender to boot. We are very satisfied customers: 3 frozen packs have made it via the cooler to our freezer in the city.
http://www.ardrossfarm.co.uk/
They are also suppliers of Ballencrief sausages and bacon, which we found out comes from Longniddry on this side of the Firth. Absolutely phenomenally delicious and lucky for us, also available at the Edinburgh Farmers Market. Again 2 packs via the cooler to freezer. Their honey mustard one sausages are excellent and I can't even find words to explain exactly how delicious the bacon is. I'm just in heaven.
http://www.ballencrieffrppigs.co.uk/shop.php
If that's not good enough news for the Edinburgh resident, they share another good thing in common: Mrs Hamilton's lamb. I was delighted to find delicious gluten-free lamb and onion burgers that blew my socks off. Next to the Ardross steak, it was definitely rich, but certainly no less delicious.
http://www.mrshamilton.com/
And to round off the meaty entries with a touch of green... just yesterday, we discovered their garlic scapes. These are the parts of the garlic grown above ground, and can be sauteed for 6-7 minutes and then served. They are truly garlickily delicious. They were a bit strong for some as part of our 11am Sunday brunch, but would be perfect to have with some fresh crispy greenery a bit later on in the day. Looking forward to a trip up to the farmers' market when our supplies run out for more tastes in the present to remind us of the beautiful East Neuk and one of its many perks, Ardross.
http://www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk/ (every second Saturday on Castle Terrace).
Ardross Farm use traditional farming methods to produce their own cattle. While not 'organic', the welfare of their animals is a priority as is providing them with local GM-free feed. A perfect opportunity to buy local and feel comfortable about how the beasts were kept. The rump steak was excellent, full of flavour and tender to boot. We are very satisfied customers: 3 frozen packs have made it via the cooler to our freezer in the city.
http://www.ardrossfarm.co.uk/
They are also suppliers of Ballencrief sausages and bacon, which we found out comes from Longniddry on this side of the Firth. Absolutely phenomenally delicious and lucky for us, also available at the Edinburgh Farmers Market. Again 2 packs via the cooler to freezer. Their honey mustard one sausages are excellent and I can't even find words to explain exactly how delicious the bacon is. I'm just in heaven.
http://www.ballencrieffrppigs.co.uk/shop.php
If that's not good enough news for the Edinburgh resident, they share another good thing in common: Mrs Hamilton's lamb. I was delighted to find delicious gluten-free lamb and onion burgers that blew my socks off. Next to the Ardross steak, it was definitely rich, but certainly no less delicious.
http://www.mrshamilton.com/
And to round off the meaty entries with a touch of green... just yesterday, we discovered their garlic scapes. These are the parts of the garlic grown above ground, and can be sauteed for 6-7 minutes and then served. They are truly garlickily delicious. They were a bit strong for some as part of our 11am Sunday brunch, but would be perfect to have with some fresh crispy greenery a bit later on in the day. Looking forward to a trip up to the farmers' market when our supplies run out for more tastes in the present to remind us of the beautiful East Neuk and one of its many perks, Ardross.
http://www.scottishfarmersmarkets.co.uk/ (every second Saturday on Castle Terrace).
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