This week I visited a very cold, windy Leeds to attend a
couple of job interviews. Leeds is one of those places I only seem to see when
I'm passing through on my way to somewhere else, which is a shame as it really
is a great city. Last time I visited properly was over a year ago, for a
(slightly hungover) shopping trip followed by a Nandos.
This time I wanted to
branch out a bit more so I did some research online to see if I could find some
cool vegetarian cafes. I’m always researching new places to eat when
travelling, as houmous wraps and plain jacket potatoes aren’t very inspiring.
Perhaps if I’d done more research on my interviews rather than what I was
having for lunch I’d have been a bit more successful, but who knows...
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| Veggie sausagemeat and vegan garlic mayo on granary bread £3.45 |
I came across this
post from fatgayvegan which led me to the Global Tribe Cafe. It looked cosy and friendly, which
was exactly what I wanted after a morning of gruelling Apprentice-style tasks
and trick questions (I actually used one
of the tasks, a ’60 Second Pitch’ to talk about the benefits of vegetarianism,
hopefully it got people thinking!) I
walked past the cafe twice whilst looking for it, partly because iPhone maps
was refusing to cooperate and partly because Global Tribe Cafe is situated up a
short staircase behind a tiny purple door above a crystal healing shop (also
called the Global Tribe Shop). I’m glad I persevered as lunch was AMAZING. There
were two friends upstairs having lunch and an older lady reading a newspaper. Despite
feeling a bit over-dressed wearing a pencil skirt and heels, the chilled, welcoming
atmosphere soon drew me in.
After perusing the menu I opted for a garlic sausage
sandwich, which was handmade from scratch in front of me by a lovely waitress.
She also brought over a huge carafe of water which I appreciated in my
flustered post-interview exhaustion. The cafe has a sort of open-plan layout so
you can see the food being made in the kitchen. The sandwich wasn’t exactly
what I expected but was delicious nonetheless; fake ‘ham’ sausage with lashings
of garlicky dairy-free mayo, soya butter and a generous amount of salad. The
slices granary bread was soft and fresh, not to mention huge! There was also a
colourful side salad with bean shoots and dressing, which I polished off as
well. I was torn between this and the vegan ‘cheese’ and onion sandwich, as it’s
quite rare to find fake cheese in cafes (although the Sheffield branch of
Holland and Barrett quite often has a good selection). It was so good I was
almost tempted to go back the next day when I had to take a trip up to
Harrogate via Leeds!
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| Vegan hazelnut Bundt Cake £3.00 |
As I left I eyed up the selection of cakes made by That Old Chestnut (who supply vegan cakes and catering throughout Leeds and West Yorkshire), which were on a
counter by the till, and although I was stuffed AND supposed to be watching my
weight (as ever) I couldn’t resist. I took a mammoth slice of hazelnut Bundt
cake to go, and ate it on the train after I couldn’t wait to get home! The cake
was perfect; not too dry but moist without the grease which sometimes comes
with vegan substitutes. There was a thin layer of icing on the top which
reminded me of lebechuken biscuits, and the chocolately inner tasted EXACTLY
like Ferrero Rocher. All for less than £7!
Their philosophy is ‘community, ethics, health, integrity
and love’, through conscious eating, the
staff were friendly and attentive and the place generally just had a great
vibe. I’d definitely recommend this place to veggies and omnivores alike and
would love to go back and sample some of their hot food. It was probably a good
thing I didn’t get the job otherwise I’d end up spending all my money on
doorstop sandwiches and cakes!
Global Tribe Cafe, Swan Street (off The Headrow), Leeds.
Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
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