Best places for a vegetarian to eat in Chorlton

Now I have lived in the delightful suburban idyl of Chorlton for nearly a year and sampled an embarrassingly vast array of restaurants, I feel (almost) qualified to provide some pointers on the best places to eat.

One of the reasons I love Chorlton is because of the eclectic mix of food available within such a small radius, however this does mean you can really have your work cut out for you when trying to choose where to eat.

Here are my five current favourites, chosen based on: choice of vegetarian options, taste, customer service and value. 

5. The Lead Station

This one is a contentious one for me. The food here is the thing that has earned it it's place on the list and the brunch menu in particular is amazing - you really can't make a bad choice. HOWEVER, the service has never been impressive here. I always feel like I am inconveniencing the staff by trying to spend money there. It is such a shame because if they could just improve their customer service, they could be a serious contender for the top spot.

4. Olive and Thyme

This is a wonderful Turkish restaurant. I avoided Olive and Thyme for a while as the outside of the place does not do it any favours - it looks like some kind of characterless chain, which is certainly is not. The standard of the food here is simply fantastic.  With a range of veggie mains and platters to choose from and a complementary steamed bread and garlic butter to welcome all guests, they really have their menu sorted.

3.  The Laundrette

I visited the Laundrette on the day I first looked round my flat and it has been a firm favourite ever since. It is everything a Chorlton eatery should be; trendy, quirky and plenty of good honest grub. It should also be noted, that the cocktails from here are insane! From a chocolate lime cocktail, to a tipsy fish in a bag to my absolute favourite - the Raspberry Flossi that comes complete with a ball of candy floss :)

A Tipsy Fish from The Laundrette

2. Chapati Cafe

This place is one of the best kept secrets in Chorlton. It is only open until 8pm so it is more of a lunchtime or early tea time kind of place. However, the food on offer here is fantastic. It is all served on steel Thalis, and a mixture of three vegetarian curries served with salad, rice and chapati is available from just £4.50! The food is all authentic, wholesome and probably pretty healthy too. My personal favourite is the chickpea and spinach curry, but I have yet to be served something here that I didn't like. Win for value and win for flavour and veggie variety too.

A vegetarian Thali at Chapati Cafe

1. Tibetan Kitchen

This place, is quite simply brilliant. It is everything that a Chorlton eatery should be. The owners are so friendly and offer complementary chai tea while you wait for your food. The food is fantastic - an authentic mix of flavours and a wealth of vegetarian options that can be bought as individual mains or  as a mix...and all for very reasonable prices (around £6.50!) Their vegetable momo's and homemade chilli sauce are the perfect side dish too.

In festival season, they often have extra drinks and treats left over from recent events which they just leave on the counter top and people just help themselves. 

Although the dining area is a little more "rustic" than some of the other places on the list, the atmosphere of the place and the friendly, communal feel all add to the experience and make for a fantastic meal out!

Tibetan Kitchen - The best restaurant in Chorlton

Top ten cruelty-free toiletries

In tandem with my new eating habits, I am trying to buy animal friendly products wherever I can these days. However I have found it really difficult to find out which are "safe".

I have had to do quite a bit of research on the big brands in the UK who do or do not test and animals. And I have to say, I have been pretty shocked.

According to the website NotTested.co.uk, there are scarily few brands that are able to make this claim. Instead, it seems that it is own brand high street products that are leading the way with ethical toiletries.

Although there are lots of cosmetic companies seem to say that they don't test on animals, in actual fact, the same can't be said for their component parts.

Anyway, to try and help others where I have struggled, here is my list of top ten high street brands that don't test on animals:

1. Asda own brand
2. The Body Shop
3. Burts Bees
4. Lush
5. Morrisons own brand
6. Neals Yard
7. Superdrug own brand
8. Waitrose own brand
9. Neals Yard
10. The Sanctuary

And if you are trawling the high street yourself for animal-friendly products, the best option is to look for the PETA sign...

Diet schmiet...

Diet. The word of the month.

The word that we beat ourselves round the face with after Christmas along with "resolution" and "dry". And maybe this is why it is always associated with going without and general misery...

I for one have been in an extremely bad yo yo cycle - that old classic: Getting into shape and eating well, followed by "I'm just gonna forget being healthy for a while" and piling the pounds back on...

So this January, I have decided not to go on a diet as such, but rather to change the way I eat, change and change the things I eat. So nothing too radical then...

In April 2014 I made a decision to start eating meat again. This was a big one for me as I had been veggie for five years. However at the time I was diagnosed with anaemia and my hair had started falling out, so I was willing to try anything to sort it out!

However, for 2015 I have decided I want to go back to my veggie ways - after all, I had chosen that way of life for a reason.

This time though I am going to do things slightly differently. I am cutting out meat altogether, but will keep eating ethically-sourced fish to keep getting my protein and healthy oils. In recompense for this I am also going to try and cut down on dairy and buy more PETA approved products too.

Rather convoluted I know...

At first, I worried that this wasn't "proper vegetarianism" so it "didn't count" and to some extent I suppose I still am, but my reasoning is - at least I am doing something...I am doing what I can. Even if it doesn't fit neatly into an established category.

And without sounding over the top about it, in today's society of political apathy, I think it is better to be voting with my pound again - to be making a conscious choice about what I buy and what I put in my body.

So there you go - I will stop rambling now, but just to let you know, my blog will no doubt soon be littered with veggie recipes and other hippy shit...

You have been warned!

A New Year and a new start

Well, another year is over. And what a year it was...

I can't really believe how much has changed in just 12 months. I do know however that in January 2014, I was not a happy girl at all. I had a horrendous chest infection, my hair had started falling out and to some extent, it seemed that a lot of things were falling apart.

However, 2014 was a year of change, and I needless to say, I am extremely happy to be where I am now.

In the last year I went to Portugal with my bestie...

I have been to Belgium and Slovenia with work...

Bought a beautiful flat of my own...

Headed to Paris for a long weekend with one of my favourite people...

and went to Spain with my awesome family...

2014 was also the year that I started seeing a certain someone who has made me smile a lot along the way, as did my brilliant friends and the best family in the world! :)

So, when it comes to 2015, I am not sure what resolutions are left to make.

I would like to get fit and healtht ahead of a rather exciting holiday I am planning in April. I also want to make sure I cook more, and would like to become more adventurous with food - which no doubt will become apparent in my future posts.

Other than that I just want to do more of the same - be brave, make decisions, see the world and keep those I love close by!

Happy New Year to all :)

A very Jazzy Christmas

It has now been quite a while since I moved into my lovely flat, however I am only just getting around to writing a blog about the most fantastic house-warming gift that I received...a Yosemite print by the artist Jazzberry Blue.

Yosemite by Jazzberry Blue

Yosemite has long been one of my favourite places in the world, and I had been having a look at his stuff for a while as I thought that the colourful, geometric prints he is renowned for would fit perfectly with the look of my flat.

Paris print by Jazzberry Blue

Little did I know, that as well as the amazing map prints which I had long loved, the Toronto-based artist, had developed a range of National Parks prints, of which the Yosemite piece is just one!

The gift in question, was provided by a certain boy, not long after we had started seeing each other, making it even more thoughtful. It really has set the tone for my flat and makes me smile each time I see it.

My beloved new print now sits, pride of place in my (now rather festive-looking) living room and I hope you will agree, it really ties everything together.

Jeff makes the perfect festive accesory

In other news...It is very nearly Christmas!

Jeff and Tallulah were given a couple of presents, but they didn't stay wrapped for very long - turns out Jeff earned his title of Chief Sniffing Officer.

I can't wait for my family Christmas this year. I have so much to be thankful for, not least of all, getting to spend the season with everyone I love.

So, without further ado... I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a wonderful 2015!

Graphic art prints that make your walls smile

In the process of decorating my new place, I have been really keen to discover new prints and artists. As my new home is all about bright colours and typography, I was thrilled to discover the lovely new website: www.mleko.co.uk. 

In fact, this week, I have been lucky enough to have an exclusive interview with Mleko's owner and founder Ania Newland, who has been telling me all about the birth of this exciting new brand...

The wonderfully talented Ania Newland

1. When did you start Mleko?
The company is very new, we launched in May 2014 so only a few months ago!

2. What is your background? 

My background is quite varied: I studied English philology at a University in Poland hoping to become a translator for the EU but then I moved to England and took up a variety of different roles from management consulting to Insurance. I never liked the corporate world and had to find a way out of there so I started to think about doing something that I really love... 
I have always enjoyed art, drawing and anything crafty and one day I stumbled upon a vector programming software and thought – ‘OK, let's see how this works’. I loved it so much that graphic design quickly turned into my true, insatiable passion. I started off teaching myself digital arts, after which I enrolled onto a graphic design course at St. Martins which was so inspiring and motivated me to open Mleko.

3. What is your company ethos?

We strive to be different, colourful, fun, playful, modern, personal and at the same time offer only premium quality, well-made items that people can enjoy for years to come.  

4. Where did the name Mleko come from?

The name was actually suggested by my British husband and my business partner Mark. He thought that I should give the venture a polish name but I really struggled to come up with a short, pronounceable name in polish. One day, my husband got home from work and said; ‘why not Mleko?'. 
Mleko actually means milk in polish but the spelling of the name was easy so I said ‘yes’-:) Interestingly, after we decided on Mleko, someone from India told us that ‘milk’ as a business name should bring us luck as cows are sacred over there – it sealed the deal for us.

5. How do you get your inspiration for each piece?

I get inspired by a variety of things from day to day stuff or beautiful colours to nature, as well as my 2 cute cats!  
I am also definitely inspired by Scandinavian design, colourful polish folklore art, beautiful African and tribal patterns and the Bauhaus movement. 
Ideas for new pieces pop into my head all the time and I draw them up as quickly as I can, In fact, I have dozens of workbooks full of sketches and new ideas – most of those will probably never turn into a design but I like to draw them up or write them down anyway, just in case I come across a creative block one day.

6. Which designers/illustrators inspire your work?

I am a huge, huge fan of Paul Rand… I can safely say he is my very favourite graphic designer of all times– I love his approach to colour – his sense of playfulness, the simplicity of his work. I also love the way he writes about design, some of his client proposals are like poetry. To me, he is a genius. 
There are loads of other, younger designers that I really like – Anna Sannuka, Kate Moross and I adore the work of the guy behind the Partizan brand – Alec Doherty. Oh I also love the work of tattoo artist Angelique Houtkamp and one of her beautiful girl prints graces my bedroom wall.

7. What is your most popular design?

This is a hard one as I have quite a few designs in my store and people tend to buy a wide range. At the moment: ‘so fruity’ is being very popular with bloggers and fellow designers. We receive a lot of orders for the ‘Yummy Tea’ ‘Noah’s Ark’ & ‘Mr Stork’ prints at the moment.

Yummy Tea print from Mleko

8. Where do people tend to hear about you? Have you been featured anywhere else online or in print?

We try and introduce people to our brand via  social media. We also proud to partner with on Not On The High Street which has been amazing for us so far. We have  been featured on the Apartment Therapy, Design Sheppard, Print & Pattern blogs and many, many others, perhaps less known ones too. The interest in our brand is definitely on the up and we hope to appear on many more blogs in near future.

9. Which prints do you have in your own home?

We have 3 framed prints – LOL, Tour de France/Bicycle and the Egg print gracing our kitchen (I actually use it as a reference when cooking eggs!)

10. Where do you hope to take the company in the next five years?

We hope to grow the brand to incorporate many other design-led home-ware. Currently, we are working on expanding our personalised/special occasion range for NOTHS & are planning to introduce greeting cards very shortly too. 

I have my head full of ideas so time is my only limit at the moment, I can’t wait to grow Mleko and make it a recognised brand for unique, quirky and colourful home ware and gifts. 

Ania's passion for design is intoxicating and her work really enchanting. In fact, I even have her Love Birds print up in my own flat - and it certainly makes my walls smile! 
Her determination to follow her dreams and invest in her own creativity is really inspiring and I wish her all the success in the world with Mleko. Some of those prints would make lovely Christmas presents...

Love Birds print from Mleko

I'm in! And so are my kitties...

It has been rather a mad dash, but I am finally in my new flat in Chorlton.

I am still have lots to do throughout the flat and will share photos of each when I am done. However, in the mean time, I thought I would share a bit more info about my cats, now that are now back living with me once more! Yay!

The move was stressful for them - probably even more so because they are house cats so had never left my old house. But they have only been here a few days and are already settling in nicely.

So without further ado, may I introduce to you...my kitties!

Tallulah-Belle
A.K.A Tea bag, Lulah, Tulisa, T-Bone, Mrs Lulah.
Age: 2 and a half
Breed: Ragdoll
Looks: Like a model! Beautiful pointed Ragdoll with bright blue eyes.
Reason for purchase: To keep Jeff company
Hates: Being stroked on the head, or generally being touched. Particularly despises being dressed up in clothes.
Loves: Playing, sitting near you (but not near enough that you can touch her), dreamies, exploring, running away from people. Bags and boxes.
Will permit under sufferance: Being cradled on her back and having her tummy rubbed.
Personality traits: Aloof and dozey but patient and sweet-natured. Not much between the ears.

Jefferson Keith
A.K.A Jeff, big dog, lad, mate, the fat knacker.
Age: 3 and a half
Breed: Ragdoll
Looks: Like a massive fluffy white polar bear. Blue eyes that sometimes get a bit gammy.
Reason for purchase: Always wanted a Ragdoll.
Hates: Anything or anyone new or unfamiliar, Tallulah when she gets too big for her boots. All men. Loves: eating, sleeping next to me/on me, following me around like a dog, washing my hair when I am in the bath, waking me up by nuzzling my face from 4am onwards, being cuddled (on his own terms), dreamies, being groomed.
Will permit under sufferance: Nothing
Personality traits: Thinks he is a human and the leader of the pack/free world. You have to earn his respect, but when you do, you will not lose it. Massive love muffin.