If you want to make good vegetarian food you must have fresh ingredients

It’s no big secret that we’re not all vegetarians at Food for Friends, in fact even 70% of our customers claim to be meat eaters. rn8 years ago, Ramin and Jane wanted to take over a restaurant in a great location in Brighton and chose this ‘hippy student veggie cafe’ in the middle of the bustling South Lanes. They decided to keep the name (it’s a winner!) and gave the decor and menu a drastic facelift while keeping the dishes vegetarian and vegan. The focus at Food for Friends isn’t on health but on tasty and modern vegetarian cooking using the freshest and, where possible, most local ingredients we can find. The fresher the produce, the tastier it is. It’s also true that produce loses its nutritional value over time so buying fresh is very important for taking as many nutrients as you can for a healthy immune system. We love using fresh watercress in summer because of its fantastic peppery and mustard flavours, at the same time it’s rich in nutrients including iron and calcium. Take butternut squash in winter with its nutty taste, while also providing us with a great source of dietary fibre. rnFlavour is essential for cooking all types of dishes but we think it’s especially important to use the best combinations of spices and fresh herbs in vegetarian dishes to make the ingredients really shine! This is even more important with meat replacements such as tofu which doesn’t stand out on its own but with the right flavour friends it can really sparkle. Coriander, for example, is a rich source of minerals and promotes digestion. Paprika is a regular player on our menu for its smoky kick and is well known for its antibacterial properties. There’s no denying the fantastically aromatic taste of ginger and it’s also great for the stomach and for fighting colds! At Food for Friends our priority is definitely making delicious and original fresh vegetarian dishes which have the bonus of using healthy ingredients. Some dishes are pretty indulgent and perhaps nutritionally challenged (take our Gooey Hot Molten Chocolate Pudding with Baileys Ice cream) but we are firm believers that all foods are fine in moderation. The pure enjoyment of food and relaxed smiles on faces is surely a big health benefit in itself.