Tuesday, March 19, 2024
REVIEWS

Vegan Revelation Café Presents The Herron Brothers/Johnny Swineherder – Review

Whilst festivalgoers were warming up to Stormzy at Worthy Farm, Vegan Revelation brought its own party to Number28 to showcase a handsome blend of big flavours and good music.

Usually residing in the Gatehouse Building in De Bradelei, where they have been serving up vegan dishes since the summer 2017, the Vegan Revelation Café event saw Leise and Simon Taylor and her team bring a set meal of three courses to diners. What more do you need on a Summery Friday evening?

The bokeh lit Number 28 has a relaxed, layback feel and has just enough room for a smattering of tables and a small stage area for the bands to perform. Opening the evening were trio Johnny Swineherder who nimbly jumped through classics from the Stones to the Doors before switching it up to spit out some spoken word poetry over a tight walking bass line.

To start was a tomato and black olive tart, and I went for the gluten-free option which the Revelation  team were more than happy to cater for. Thankfully the gf option was just as crispy and flaky as my fellow diners dishes and was the perfect size to begin the meal. The salads, like all those prepared on the night, were locally grown and dressed with sharp cider vinegar and olive oil. For the main I had spaghetti with buttery (naturli) forest mushrooms, organic garlic, peas and gf bread. A simple looking dish but with big, bold slap-you-around-the-face flavours coming from the strong garlic and deep textured dressings. The only disappointment was the gf bread, which I have yet to find a decent version of despite trying for many years (no fault of the chef!). Extra portions were then generously dished out ad-hoc to those who, surprisingly, had space for more pasta!

The Herron Brothers, real-life brothers Paul and Steven Herron, are an indie duo from Derby with an impressive back catalogue of polished songs, many taken from their debut ‘The Last Ones Left’ and follow up EPs. Like the food the duo are locally sourced, personable and full of sassy flavour (sorry). In between songs the brothers are self-effacing and quick witted, playing the double act with Steve as the straight man to Paul’s occasional barbs. The duo had enough experience to navigate their way through the hazardous waters of a close-knit audience spurred on to banter with the band after a bumper amount of alcoholic beverages and for that they should be commended.

As the Herron Brothers finished their set, we were served black cherry cheesecake. Was it better than the ‘real thing’? Definitely a close call and I would question someone who could tell the difference. It tasted just as rich, indulgent and creamy as any other cheesecake and was a suitable closing number to the evening.

With an attentive team who went out of their way to make the night go smoothly, quality local music and food that was unctuous and ethical, all I can say is all hail to Leise and Vegan Revelation. Get down to their café if you get the chance and expect both voluptuous potions and good times.

Menu

Starter

Tomato & Black Olive Tart

Tomato, black olive, onion, garlic, chilli, fresh basil & vegan cheddar + caper & dill vegenaise + naturally, locally grown mixed leaf salad + organic apple cider vinegar & olive oil dressing.

Main

Forest Mushroom, ‘Naturli’ Butter, & Garlic Spaghetti

Organic Spaghetti with truffle oil, organic garlic & ‘Naturli’ butter sautéed forest mushrooms + Sue’s cashew parmesan + naturalIy & locally grown mixed leaf, parsley & lemon salad + organic apple cider vinegar, vegan lavender honey, wholegrain mustard & organic olive oil dressing + crusty bread.

Dessert

Black Cherry Cheesecake

Leave a Reply

GDPR, Your Data and Us: https://nailed.community/gdpr-your-data-and-us/

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Nailed - Belper Independent News