CELEBRATING VEGANISM WITH THE CRAIGHAAR HOTEL

[ Post contains gifted meal from the Craighaar Hotel ]

November. The month that has us celebrating bonfire night with fireworks, we wear poppies to honour members of the armed forces who lost their lives in battle, men grow moustaches in support of men’s health and now we can add something a little different. Veganism.

If that wasn’t clear enough, November is a month of celebrating Veganism. Through-out November there is several ways people support the Vegan community. You can;

• Host a vegan lunch or dinner party
• Share your vegan recipes online
• Pledge for go vegan for 30 days

With that in mind, The Craighaar Hotel has created an all-vegan menu that will run from the 11th to the 17th of November. The menu showcases how versatile that vegan eating can be and delicious too! 

THE CRAIGHAAR HOTEL

The four-star hotel is situated on Waterton Road, Stoneywood, a 5-minute walk from the P&J Live. They offer effortlessly chic and stylish rooms and suites ranging from £55 to £85 per night.  

The hotel also offers a Club Lounge area that boasts beautiful tartan furniture, a cosy fire and a large bar. This area is great for relaxing pre or post-meal drinks. 

THE RESTAURANT

Now onto the main event. The restaurant continues a chic, Scottish vibe. With a variety of beautifully set tables for small or large parties. Offering a variety of classics such as; Chicken Liver Terrine, Steak and Ale Pie and Sticky Toffee Pudding – their standard menu is one not to be missed. 

THE VEGAN MENU

In support of Vegan month, the Craighaar Hotel is offering a special Vegan only menu for one week only and I was lucky enough to be invited along to try it out before it launched. 

THE STARTERS 

It was a tough choice on what to go for however I eventually opted for the Herbed Quinoa Salad which came with a raspberry vinaigrette. I have to admit, I’ve never had Quinoa before so I didn’t really know what to expect. The Quinoa was mixed with cashew nuts, avocado, onions and peppers too. It was truly delicious and the vinaigrette was insane! 

James decided to try the Fresh Tomato, Basil and Mozzarisella Crostini. What is Mozzarisella I hear you ask? It is the most convincing Vegan Mozzarella I have ever tasted. I’m a cheese fiend but I could absolutely switch to this! 

THE MAINS 

Trying to decide the starters was tough but choosing a main was tougher! After much discussion with James about the two dishes we wanted to taste the most, I went for the Stuffed Baked Courgette. The courgette was stuffed with wild rice, cashew nuts and mixed veggies. It also came with a side of tomato and basil sauce which was unreal. It was so thick and creamy that it was almost like a cold soup. 

James was very keen to try out the Craighaar Special Vegan Burger. We were both intrigued to see what sort of patty they would go for. The burger was served with a vegan brioche bun, lettuce and tomato relish with a side of skinny fries. The “meat” patty taste-wise was incredibly convincing and James admitted he would struggle to tell the difference.

THE PUDDINGS

As soon as I read the menu I just knew what two puddings we would go for. I went for the Vegan pancakes with blueberries, maple syrup and vegan vanilla ice-cream. I definitely felt like I was having breakfast at the end of my meal but I certainly was not mad about it! If I’m going to be incredibly picky I would say these pancakes weren’t quite as fluffy as regular pancakes but like I said that’s being super fussy! 

James arguably chose the best pudding that we have had this entire year. He went for the Vegan Salted Caramel Cake with vegan coconut ice-cream. Okay, I honestly don’t have the words to describe how insanely beautiful this cake was. It was soft and gooey and the added coconut flavour of the ice-cream takes it to a whole new level. 

THE MOCKTAILS

Since James and I were both driving on the evening and so alcohol was out of the question so instead we decided to give the Mocktails a go. I fancied the Not A Cosmopolitan, made with orange, cranberry and lime juice shaken with sugar syrups and orange bitters. 

James went for the Island Spice which was a mixture of Fentimans ginger beer, pineapple juice a lime. Both were very refreshing and complemented our puddings perfectly. 

MY OVERALL THOUGHTS

I can honestly say that if I had been served this menu without being told it was specifically vegan, I would not have had a clue. Each course was as delicious as the last and I’m sad that they are only serving this menu for one week! I’m hoping that they will incorporate some of these choices into their everyday menu to ensure a great variety for vegan eaters. 

Don’t forget this menu goes live on Monday 11th of November and finishes on Sunday 17th of November. To ensure that you don’t miss out on this scrumptious menu then click here to book your table asap. 

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