The Cornish Vegan For The Win

If we've had a great vegan experience we like to write about it.  If we've had a bad one, we don't. That's generally our Driftwood Vegans rule. There's an exception to this rule however.  For a couple of years now we've been keeping quiet about something really close to home; The Cornish Vegan.  

In the early excitement of The Cornish Vegan opening in September 2016, we did write about it, but the fact of the matter is we felt we needed to then keep quiet about it; much in the same way that Phil refuses to write about his favourite Cornish surf spots for fear of overcrowding.  The Cornish Vegan doesn't really need more people extolling its wonders; it needs crowd control! (or let's say in a less dramatic fashion; it's best to ring ahead and book a table if you don't want to run the chance of missing out"!).  

We are extremely fortunate that Paul and Dawn decided to set up such an amazing vegan eating experience in Cornwall. The food they offer is addictively tasty, generously portioned, value for money and creative.  The menu sensitively balances the palates for those wanting a naughty treat to those seeking a more healthy indulgence.  For Dawn and Paul it isn't just about selling food that fills vegan bellies.  They put a lot of thought into creating dishes that go beyond the standard vegan fayre or what you would create for yourself at home; so much thought in fact that not even a holiday or the much anticipated glass of wine at the end of a long working day can switch their minds off from inventing new culinary creations.  

It's not all about the food though at The Cornish Vegan.  The service is second to none. Whether you are regulars or not, the welcome is immensely warm (Dawn gives great hugs too!) and attentive.  Details will not be missed here.  Then there is the speed of service.  The ambiance may be homely and cosy but the service is fast and slick.  It just goes to demonstrate further the hard work and thought that has gone into The Cornish Vegan.  It represents what Dawn and Paul would want as customers themselves; and likewise what we always look for.  That's why we love it so much and why we now use it as a benchmark for anywhere else we eat.  Let's just say it's pretty unbeatable.

So why have we broken our Cornish Vegan silence and not just kept this one to ourselves?  After all they certainly don't need any recommendations from us or anyone else for that matter; they've done it all themselves and their customer base is already huge.  Well we are proud of them; that's why.

In November The Cornish Vegan stormed the Cornwall Tourism Awards 2018/2019 bringing home the Gold Award for Best Cafe/Tearoom of the Year.  Let's be clear here, this is the best of the whole of Cornwall not just in the vegan sense of the word.  This needs to be shouted from the rooftops.  Cornwall is rammed full of cafes and tearooms and I'm sure many of these would have been left saying "wasson?" about this.  

This achievement was then very quickly followed by news that The Cornish Vegan had landed an entry into the next edition of the globe trotting bible that is the Lonely Planet for Great Britain.  

Next up are the South West England Tourism Excellence Awards 2018/2019 which takes place this coming Thursday in Bristol.  The Cornish Vegan is a finalist for Best Cafe/Tearoom and is guaranteed bronze, silver or gold.  Again, let's be clear, the competition includes all cafes and tearooms across the whole of the South West of England, not just veggie or vegan establishments.  In our vegan world of course that is natural but for the rest of society to recognise this; well that is so amazing for Paul and Dawn to have achieved both for them and for veganism.  Vegans and Cornwall as a whole should be so proud.  

We wish them luck for Thursday and most of all we hope they have a lovely evening and break from all their hard work. What they express through their food and the service they provide does so much for the whole vegan ethos.  For this we love you and thank you so much.  They say an army marches on its stomach.  If The Cornish Vegan is feeding that army, we feel that their vegan campaign will continue to march way beyond the South West.  

Please note that The Cornish Vegan is closed on Thursday and Friday this week for Paul and Dawn to attend the awards ceremony.