This Manchester venue has just been named the Best Vegetarian Restaurant in the north at a national awards ceremony - fresh from a move to a stunning new home in the city centre. The Allotment vegan restaurant has been winning rave reviews and an army of admirers since first opening on Lloyd Street four years ago.
But bosses last month made the move to a new site - in a historic location. They are now to be found next to the Mitre Hotel in an idyllic side street of Manchester with incredible views looking directly out to Manchester Cathedral.
Fresh from the move, the owners this week discovered to their delight that they had been awarded the Best Vegetarian Restaurant in the north honour for a second year running at the Food Awards England 2022. The awards are chosen by members of the public for the establishments that deliver "great flavours and experiences".
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The restaurant, on Cathedral Gates, now boasts an outdoor terrace for dining as well as a stylish indoor restaurant that is based inside part of the 19th century Mitre building, one of Manchester's oldest hotels. The fully vegan menu has been praised for its inventive range of small and large plate cuisine.
Small plates include their signature cauliflower wings (£6) and satay tofu skewers (£5.25) and miso maple mushrooms (£6). Large plates include tofu laksa (£13.50), jackfruit tacos (£12.50) and their fully vegan version of "fish and chips" featured battered banana blossom for £15.
Restaurant owner Anthony Sheridan spoke of how proud he was of the whole team for winning the Food Award title for a second year running. He said: "We’re truly honoured to have won the award for Best Vegetarian restaurant in the North for the second year running.
"It’s a small team at The Allotment who work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring fresh, seasonal, flavoursome vegan and gluten free dishes alongside the relaxed, friendly service we pride ourselves on.
"The award is a great accomplishment for the team and is solely down to our incredibly loyal customers who continue to support us on our journey at the Cathedral Gardens.
"The move to Cathedral Gardens has given us scope for an extensive outdoor area in an idyllic setting where we can offer Al Fresco dinning and cocktails with the backdrop of the stunning Manchester Cathedral again enhancing the dining experience of our guests. We’re excited for what’s to come in 2022 as we continue to grow and look forward to sharing the journey."
Opening the restaurant was a personal passion project for Anthony, who operates a number of hotels and pubs across the city, after his son was diagnosed with the life-long bowel condition Crohn's Disease. As the family researched treatments for the condition, they found that following a vegan diet helped to manage his symptoms and when Anthony struggled to find restaurant-quality vegan food that he and his family liked, decided to set up his own.
The Food Awards England were set up to recognise the success of local professionals and establishments that "continue delivering great flavours and experiences to their customers". It honours restaurants across an eclectic mix of categories, including best street food, best burger bar and best dessert shop from across the UK.
A Spokesperson for The Food Awards England, said: “These awards aim to thank those that work hard within the city’s food industry and contribute to making England a great gastronomic place to visit. It is true that England combines tastes and flavours from all over the world and the visitors can find different restaurants, gastro pubs and bistros to meet their needs.
“These people enhance the country’s reputation nationally and internationally, and we would like to make sure that the hard work of England’s food professionals doesn’t go unnoticed. It was lovely to be part of this celebration and we would like to congratulate all finalists and winners for their achievements."
The Allotment Vegan Eatery is open Monday to Sunday, 1-3 Cathedral Gates, Manchester, M3 1SW
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