6 Places to Eat & Shop Vegan in Newcastle
Being vegan in the city has never been easier
It wasn’t so long ago that vegans were a relative rarity but in the last few years that’s changed to an incredible degree, with estimates suggesting there may be between 600,000 and 800,000 vegans in the UK alone.
Add to that the millions of people who are reducing their consumption of meat, or adopting flexitarian or vegetarian lifestyles, and the numbers are even more impressive. Alongside this, the range of vegan food widely available has expanded hugely, as have vegan-friendly products – it’s pretty much never been so easy to be vegan.
Newcastle, as ever, does an excellent job of catering to vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and just those who want some great, tasty, healthy food or shop more ethically. Here’s a selection of some of the many great places to eat vegan in the city.
Eating Vegan in Newcastle
Super Natural, Grainger Street
An oasis of calm close to Central Station, Super Natural Cafe is a lovely, friendly environment that offers great coffees, teas, smoothies and alcoholic drinks alongside hearty brunches and main courses - all suitable for vegans. The restaurant has been flying the flag for veganism for nearly 45 years and they really know what they’re doing when it comes to showing that you can serve tasty, interesting food that just happens to be vegan.
Vegano, Blandford Square
Growing from a food truck into a stylish café that’s joined a number of excellent eateries around Blandford Square, Vegano is open from midday until 9pm from Wednesday to Saturday for a fine selection of snacks, drinks, cakes and a main menu that offers burgers, pizzas, pasta and even kebabs, often with an Italianate twist. You could have a three-course meal of pizza fritta, pasta carbonara and a dessert and still be completely vegan (and full up!).
SnackWallah, Grainger Market
SnackWallah is a gorgeous little food shack in the Grainger Market that serves delicious Indian vegan street food open from 9.30am every day except Sunday. Taking pride in their ethics and sustainability as well as their food, this family-run business really is a great advert for a vegan diet: the selection of puris, wraps, curries and snacks is a delight and the chais and lassis are wonderful too.
Karma Kitchen, Bigg Market
Another family venture (two sisters and their Punjab-born mum), Karma Kitchen has a reputation for great vegan food. Based at Newcastle's Bigg Market, the eatery specialises in north Indian cuisine with a plant-based twist that customers can collect or have delivered directly to their door. Their menu is full of amazing, authentic Indian dishes – dhal balla, mango curry, ch’kn jalfrezi, and even tandoori pizzas – with a full range of sides and sundries, plus plenty of desserts and drinks. You'll want to try their Karm Boxed offer too - curries, rice and naan bread frozen and delivered to your home to enjoy at your leisure.
Shopping Vegan in Newcastle
The Body Shop, Eldon Square
The Body Shop has been a force for ethical consumption for decades now and was one of the very first chains to embrace the kind of values that are now commonplace. A high street presence for as long as most of us can remember, The Body Shop is the place to go for cosmetics, fragrances, hair products, gift packs and more that are great quality but also ethically sourced.
Holland & Barrett, Eldon Square
Also in Eldon Square, Holland & Barrett has been around even longer than The Body Shop: it started as a family store in Nuneaton around 150 years ago and is now a multi-national, famous chain of health food stores. They offer a vast range of vegetarian and vegan products, dietary and vitamin supplements, health and beauty products and much more. So whether you want some manuka honey, essential oils for insomnia or some CBD products, Holland & Barrett remains the go-to store.
Hopefully this round-up of vegan and vegan-friendly eateries and stores offers some interesting places for you to try, and reminds you that being vegan doesn’t mean boring food. Plant-based living has never been easier or tasted better and Newcastle is proof of that.
