ELISHA EATS
This December, Elisha Young has rounded up the best spots in the city for tasty plant-based Christmas cuisine A VEGGIE CHRISTMAS We wish you
A ccording to the Vegetarian Society, there are now more than three million vegetarians and vegans in the UK, plus pescatarians and people trying to either reduce their meat consumption or pick a healthier option. While I’m not actually a vegetarian, apparently I have ‘vegetarian energy’ (whatever that’s supposed to mean!). Probably because I’m a passionate consumer of mushrooms who often opts for the vegetarian choice on a menu. But that does mean I have also experienced the disappointment of getting a veggie dish that’s clearly an afterthought, while everyone else at the table tucks into their better-prepared meaty meals. In one particularly memorable incident, I was served half of an unripe avocado stuffed with partially defrosted chunks of mango as a starter at a Christmas meal. So if this column does anything, hopefully it can save others from a similar fate! First stop, Whittlesford Provenance Kitchen in Whittlesford is known for cooking up epic Sunday roasts using an open fire, charcoal and grills, so it makes sense that the Christmas menu would be just as delicious. The sublime starters on offer include chargrilled beetroots with whipped goat’s cheese, grilled chicory and candied pecans and wood-fired celeriac soup with toasted seeds, crispy sage and Grain Culture
sourdough. For the main event, all of Provenance Kitchen’s Christmas meals are served with perfectly crispy roast potatoes, flavourful vegetables, a selection of greens and a huge boat of gravy. The platter of seasonal vegetables is given the same care and attention as the meat, so you need not be worried about lacklustre greens or tasteless root vegetables. Vegetarians can choose between a roasted aubergine with a nut and herb crumb or a roasted winter vegetable tart, both of which come with green sauce. If you still have room for dessert, there’s the chocolate nemesis with crème fraiche and honeycomb, the Christmas pudding with brandy butter and dark rum sauce or the vegan cherry sorbet. Cheese and crackers also feature on the menu, although I don’t know anyone strong enough to eat a full Christmas dinner and then immediately move onto a wheel of Baron Bigod! City eatings The Burleigh Arms on Newmarket Road in Cambridge is a hidden gem. From the outside, it’s an unassuming pub, but inside is a kitchen that’s putting out some excellent food, headed by Kareem Roberts, formerly head chef at Trinity – check out his new cookbook Cassava & Cardamom ! I was lucky enough to try an early version of the Christmas menu while writing this, and I can confirm that plant- based diners will not be disappointed.
Each dish had rich, complex flavours and interesting textures. Veggies can look forward to a starter of carrot and stilton chowder with baked cheese croutons, followed by an exciting wild mushroom and celeriac pavé, served with chestnut crust and truffled cream. The main arrives accompanied by honey- glazed sweet potatoes, buttered savoy cabbage and chive and onion roasted new potatoes, to be shared by the table. And don’t forget about dessert. There’s a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream or a cranberry and white chocolate cheesecake. But my recommendation is the banana bread
54 DECEMBER 2025 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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