Eighth Day Cafe - breakfast

So my boyfriend and I had a day off together...yay!...so we went to Eighth Day cafe, we had the vegan and veggie full english breakfast, this includes mushrooms, 2 veggie sausages, tomato, toast and either 2 eggs or fried tofu. I had a soya mocha and the Mr had a 'blue' smoothie. The food was really good and great value for money. Tofu was tasty and the toast was good rustic style bread. Service is always great and really friendly.

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The cafe its self is nice, they have plants dotted around and art to buy on the walls. The only thing a couple of us agree on is we would love it if the decor was abit more funky or cozy or sommit! It just lacks atmosphere but it definitely doesnt lack anything when it comes to the food.

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general info: 10% off for you lucky students when you spend over 5 pounds, and 10% off takeaway food if you bring your own container, open 9am -7pm Mon - fri, 9.30am - 5.30pm Sat, closed Sundays and Bank Holiday - breakfast 9- 11 am on weekdays and 9.30-12 pm on Saturdays. Heads up!....pricing on website is not up to date.
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where it is: 111 Oxford Road,Manchester,M1 7DU

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overall: love Eighth Day Cafe never been disappointed.....lunch menu review to come!

Contact Theatre Cafe

I had a full-on day at uni today, and absent-mindedly went to Costa for an early lunch, in dire need of caffeine and calories. Of course I got to the counter but there were NO vegan lunch options, so I went over the road to Contact theatre, knowing that at least their homemade chips were awesome from undergraduate days.

Even though it was only 10am and the lunch menu wasn't served until 12, I got chatting to a very friendly staff at the till, and she offered the hummus, red pepper and rocket ciabatta, as the only breakfast options involved egg and bacon. As she was making my drink (gingerbread soy latte - omnomnom) we were talking about my vegan challenge, and she recommended their vegan cakes: ginger or flapjack were the options that day. I couldn't resist, especially not when she did me a coffee and cake offer for £3, which somehow got lowered to £2.50.

The sandwich was amazing - at just £2.95, it was fairly big and filling, everything tasted fresh and the flavours worked together. The latte was steamed well, with a lovely creamy taste, and as for the cake - wowzers, it was rich and moist without being too greasy. The atmosphere of the place is fun and quirky; it all feels very upmarket and trendy but, importantly, student-friendly, especially in terms of prices as well. This is definitely the sort of place you could sit and have coffee and cake or lunch between lectures, knowing that your veggie, vegan, even meat-eating friends are well-catered for. For me though, one of the big wins was the staff - very friendly and very helpful. Maybe that has something to do with how quiet it was at that time in the morning, but then again it's quite a small cafe so I can't imagine that being massively significant.

Oklahoma Cafe

Today, after work, we both definitely needed stress relief in the form of coffee and cake, so we headed to Oklahoma in the Northern Quarter. The place has a really relaxed, chilled out atmosphere with funky decor - there's a definite "lived in" vibe, and a real sense of community where you feel genuinely welcome. The menu is as diverse as the furniture, with options ranging from scrambled eggs to sweet potatoes, veggie moussaka to toasted chorizo sandwiches, and seating options from retro school chairs to the hand of God! The cafe is also part of a shop which has lovely quirky gifts and trinkets.

I opted for the spinach and chickpea calzone with a jumbo-sized (yes, it really *had* been one of those days) 'soy ahoy' smoothie. Laura went straight for the tea and cake combo and had soy chai latte and the only vegan cake in the cabinet, a tasty coconut number!

The soy chai latte cost £2.50 for a jumbo size, it was really good very subtle flavour but a little heavy on the cinnamon powder! The cake had a really homemade feel, rich buttery creamy topping which complimented the sponge well. The coconut flavour wasn't overpowering or too sweet. I did think the price was a little high at £2.95, but definitely worth it!

The 'soy ahoy' (£3.50 - jumbo) is a bit of a favourite of of ours - it's got an almost creamy taste, also very yummy and fruity. With the wraps, I was a bit disappointed that they aren't freshly prepared, as they are pre-packed which doesn't really keep with the bohemian mood of the cafe and shop. That said, the calzone was moderately spicy and had a real rich flavour from the chickpeas, very filling and thus good value for money (all wraps are £2.70-£3.00).

General info.... There is free wifi, 10% student discount and hot drink loyalty card 10 stamps = free drink! And there are also 'all day deals' for example latte and scrambled eggs £4.95, soup and wrap £5.50, and tea and cake £3.95.


Find it...Oklahoma, 74-76 High St Manchester
M4 1ES

Overall....we love Oklahoma!!!

Pizza and Pancakes

Lent starts tomorrow, and though I'm not religious I'm using the 40 days as a challenge to foray into veganism. I need to try to eat healthier, particularly when snacking or binging on biscuits or whatnot, and I like to use Lent as a sort of personal test more generally. Being vegan is something I've wanted to do for a while, but have lacked the insight or knowledge on how to properly go about it. So, as I embark on this project I'm going to share experiences by way of a diary on this blog, and also as a means of learning tips and advice from other vegans.

Day -1
I'm excited about tomorrow and have now bought supplies to make my own granola (which I hope to blog about when I get round to making it) as well as soy milk (Tesco had sold out of the hazelnut and almond milks I was keen to try, booo), dairy-free butter, veg, etc. As a sort of farewell to dairy food I fully embraced pancake day by scoffing 3 of them, loaded with chocolate, nutella, lemon, sugar, the usual. We also had Domino's pizza - the gastric combination of which has made me more ready to embrace healthier, greener food over the next few weeks. Talk about going out with a bang...!

The only real apprehension I have right now is what I'll eat on my break at work tomorrow, as our choice of vegan food is currently nil. Luckily I'm working with my fellow Vegebee though, and we're heading out for a bite to eat after work (review to follow). Until tomorrow, then...

Bye bye, cheese and cakes and biscuits...

Marigold Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes

So whilst browsing the internet for vegan recipes, nutritional yeast kept making an appearance! Ive never heard of this ingrediant before so I went to Eighth Day Co-op, Vegetarian Healthfood Shop and Cafe, and they had the 125g for only 2.59 which I think is pretty good! Nutritonal yeast is a great way to get B12 into a vegan diet. Its an inactive yeast and tastes kinda cheesy! can be used instead of parmesan in recipes and a topping for popcorn. It is also a complete protein, low in fat and salt and can be dissolved in water. I used it in tofu scramble which gave the tofu a lovely subtle flavour. I will be definately be using this ingrediant in other recipes soon.