IT’S not true that Edinburgh people say “you’ll have had your tea” though it’s true they have never had a vegan one in a swanky hotel.
All that’s changing in the capital, for if you are a vegan like an estimated seven per cent of the UK population, your tea is now ‘out’.
Believed to be a first for a major hotel in the capital, the Radisson Collection Hotel on the Royal Mile has announced that is has partnered with Edinburgh cafe Pumpkin Brown to create an organic, vegan afternoon tea that will be on offer alongside its traditional afternoon tea served in Cucina restaurant.
Catering to a wide range of dietary requirements, the tea will also be free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. The Pumpkin Brown Afternoon Tea at Cucina offers raw, plant-based and organic dishes, designed by Pumpkin Brown in partnership with Cucina’s new head chef Andy McQueen.
It’s not cheap at £25 per person, though some might say it’s just reassuringly expensive.
The tea will offer treats including mini blueberry and lemon cheesecake, mini chocolate tarts, mini rocky road tray bakes, juice shots, sandwiches, savoury quiches and scones with jam and clotted cream.
Katy Duncan, head chef at Pumpkin Brown, said: “Over the past two years here at Pumpkin Brown we have watched Edinburgh fall in love with healthy eating.
“The plant-based diet is becoming incorporated into menus across several local and commercial business within the city. Teaming up with the Radisson Collective for this project has been a great opportunity for us to show Edinburgh that treating yourself doesn’t have to be to the detriment to your health.
“Afternoon tea can now be nutritional and ethical as well as utterly indulgent.”
Radisson head chef Andy McQueen said: “Be it for animal welfare, health or environmental reasons, veganism is of rapidly growing importance to our guests.
“We wanted to ensure we could meet that demand with an offering that does not compromise on flavour, it therefore made sense for us to partner with Pumpkin Brown who have a wealth of experience in this area.”
Will it succeed? The proof will be in the pudding – vegan, of course.
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