Christmas came a little early for me yesterday as I was lucky enough to experience an Offbeet one day only Christmas menu, they opened specifically for this 8am-8pm special menu and I couldn't be happier that I made the 3 hour round trip to experience it.
A couple of weeks ago, I spotted on Instagram that they were advertising this and being fortunate to be on a career break from work at this time meant I could do whatever whenever. I just booked it for 3 people without even knowing who would be coming with me, Offbeet is a popular restaurant with my friends and so I knew someone would come. Just who the lucky ones would be I didn't know and quite frankly I didn't care as long as I had a seat!
After booking it and eventually deciding who I would let grace me with their presence (had to be Ingrid and my mum who are always my Offbeet buddies) I eagerly awaited the menu drop on Instagram. I knew whatever they would come up with was going to be amazing and I couldn't wait to find out what my choices were so for the next week I could slowly decide what I could eat.
It came a little later than promised but when it came out I was both delighted and a little disappointed. The thing I wanted more than anything was on the brunch menu and I had booked a table for dinner! I cheekily asked if they could extend it but they couldn't so I decided that I would be going for the The Roulade when I went in just a few days time.
For me, I would never have a salad in Offbeet as it is all I can normally eat at a high street restaurant. Soup without any bread accompaniment would also be too boring for somewhere I could eat like a Queen, although I'm sure both would have been delicious. So it was between the Carbonara and The Roulade, I like how experimental they both sounded but in the end it was a Christmas dinner and the Roulade just sounded more Christmassy. With all three sides to share between us I was sure this was going to be the meal to end all others and Christmas might as well be over. But then the day came.
We arrived and took our seat, greeted by the team who now know me which is lovely, I mean I do go there every single time I go home and then even made a special trip solely for this dinner so I guess this place is almost part of my food family. They inspire me every visit to do better cooking and baking at home, I believe they are also the reason I became more interested in food.
Anyway, I digress. When we sat, we were told the Brunch options were also still available. I actually, no word of a lie, exclaimed very loudly and collapsed onto the table. Of all of the things on the menu, the item I wanted the most by far, was the Santa's Sarnie. It sounded like pure heaven and being a gluten free vegan, it is rare that you are able to enjoy the delights of something people mundanely eat for lunch, A SANDWICH. A TOASTED SANDWICH.
Of course, there were no more decisions to be made, I was having that sandwich no doubt in my mind. My mum was going to go for the soup (she had looked at the menu early too and decided on a sensible option), of course I then talked her out of that so she would have the Carbonara and I could taste that too! I tried my hardest to convince Ingrid to have The Roulade but to no avail, she was also blown away by Santa's Sarnie but without avocado. Avocado to her is a fruit and should be simply enjoyed with some brown sugar... So weird.
These are pictures of the delight that came out for me, the pictures really can't do the sandwich justice. It was a piece of art between two beautiful pieces of sourdough bread (made by Rana's bakery in London) and filled to the brim with freshly innovated cooked to perfection ingredients.
To start with I tried the Popcorn Cauliflower Cheese, the first bite was a shock because it was cold! Both me and my mum were surprised but then after tasting the gloopy mustard cheese and our favourite coconut bacon topping on this crunchy cauliflower it didn't matter. I should add it was meant to be cold, it was a great contrast to our other food and a beautiful side dish for our meals.
The Triple Cooked Roasties were the next thing to grace my tastebuds and by golly they were amazing. They had such a beautiful crunch to them and perfectly fluffy on the inside, they were topped with a cashew mayo that gave them the bit of sauce and moisture that roasties need. The flavour was beautiful and a great size as well for myself and mum to share on the side of our main courses. (Ingrid wasn't left out, she had her own!)
Now to the main event, Santa's Sarnie. I have been disappointed for about a year as I am unable to eat Seitan due to it being vegan but not gluten free. Of course, our friends at Offbeet solved this problem for me without even needing to ask.
They made a beautiful sandwich that shows off the best of what I can imagine Christmas leftovers to be in a vegans house. The gooey joy of the Cashew Mozzarella really brought all the components together through it's warm binding but by no means sticky texture. The Gluten Free Seitan was the star of the sandwich, the base on which to build all the other amazing layers and flavours. The perfectly ripe Avocado with what I now know I love Cranberry Chutney, the sweetness really complimented the other ingredients (I don't usually like fruit chutneys). The Aubergine Bacon was a delight, I love how they make the "bacon" smokey and a little chewy. All of these flavours and textures brought together made the most decadent sandwich, encased in the most beautiful Free From bread I have ever tasted.
You can see a better photo of the sandwich layers below, completely loaded an insanely delicious!
I wish Offbeet would please move something similar to this into their regular menu because I would eat this everyday if I could (if they would only open one in Reading!).
As you can see in the photos, the Christmas Dinner Carbonara was also a work of art with both it's presentation and flavour combination. Mum let me try a little bit and what I tasted was great, really did taste like Christmas!
I also had to get a cake while I was there, the slice of the day was a Winter Spice, Blackberry and Almond Slice. After eating all that food, don't get me wrong I have the most tiny stomach so I couldn't face anything else to eat that day. So I had it for breakfast, it was a beautiful mix of spices and fresh berries, not my favourite from there (will always be when they did the strawberry and almond muffin) but it was still a great fluffy cake!
The cookie and brownie will be eaten later on!
All in all, it was a great hit. I must admit, taking the first bite out of the sandwich brought me to so much delight I got a little emotional. It is so rare for me to be able to enjoy such a simple thing as a sandwich that it really made me stop for a minute and really appreciate every single minute of it. Living with this diet can be hard and to be able to enjoy something that you haven't had for years is always a moment to be remembered.
Thank you Offbeet for giving me such a great experience and enabling me to be able to eat a sandwich. I am always grateful to you for being such an innovative and experimental place for me to eat when I'm home, I wish that you will be able to grow your company without losing any of those qualities I hold in such high regard. I'll be back soon!