After a week long break from blogging, I am ready to get right back to it with a report on my time at Center Parcs. Every February since I can remember, myself and my family have gone to Center Parcs to come together and enjoy a week away. It started with a weekend when we were in Junior school, now all of us working (well, sort of) we each take a week off a year for Dad's birthday.
Center Parcs is a great place to go for a week full of activities or relaxation whilst being a great escape for peace, quiet and fresh air! This year was probably one of the coldest, yet strangely it didn't feel that bad to me! Over the years, due to my body being a bit of a let down, I have been able to join in on less and less activities. This year, food was more of a focus for me and I was determined to enjoy myself even if I couldn't take part in everything.
Believe me, there is plenty of things still to do when you can't be too active. Plus it gives you an excellent excuse to eat loads and keep telling people, "It's ok, I'm on holiday!".
This is my report on binging on a ridiculous amount of food in Center Parcs. If you're going there or maybe thinking of going, you should have a fair amount of choice no matter your diet, just choose carefully and do your research!
The Pancake House
The first and last time I went to the Pancake house was when I was a teenager. I ordered the biggest, most indulgent and most full of chocolate Pancake you could get. Perhaps that may be the reason I was then sick for an entire week. Beginning of my Dairy intolerance? I think so.
Fast forward over 10 years and I have finally gotten past my fear of Pancakes and I decided it was about time to overcome the fear of the place that started it all. They cater for Vegans and for those with a Gluten Intolerance with separate menus for both. So with them in my hand and the allergen menu on my phone there was no way I was going wrong.
Having decided that a stack of crazily sweet Pancakes at 1pm was probably less than ideal, I settled on experiencing a Savoury Pancake for the first time in my life. After all, you should always try new things and they sounded pretty interesting! I took a fair bit of time deliberating to eventually settle on the French Pancake with some added Paprika Potatoes. It contains Sun Blushed Tomatoes, Caramelised Onions and is topped with Rocket. A nice fresh and full of substance Pancake!
Well this is what I had hoped, actually it was a little bland. The tomatoes were a bit burnt and didn't have much flavour left to them. The Caramelised Onions were crispy and burnt away so the Caramel stickiness had gone. Adding the Potatoes was a good shout because it broke it up a bit, though I couldn't taste much Paprika. It was all just a bit disappointing, perhaps they are more specialised in making the Sweet Pancakes. I had to add a fair bit of Ketchup to moisten it up and add a bit more of a flavour kick. Even then, it didn't help all that much. Though it did have the characteristic pale glow of Gluten Free so at least I knew it was definitely for me.
The staff however were great, he double checked with the Kitchen that the Vegan Pancakes were Gluten Free, as this is what it says on their Allergen menu online. It evens comes over with a flag on it. I would try going again, just perhaps opting for something with a bit more natural moisture in next time!
Rajinda Pradesh
For Dad's birthday, of course he has the choice of where we eat (after thoughtfully consulting me on where is possible to eat). Now knowing that Rajinda is a safe place for me to go, he always will choose this restaurant. He rarely gets to eat out at an Indian Restaurant as my mum is a little fussy so it is always a treat for him!
Rajinda Pradesh has a great selection of food, no matter if you're fussy, Vegan, Gluten Intolerant or think you can handle all of the spice (my Dad). I took the Gluten Sensitive menu, with again my trusty phone having the allergen menu open to guide me towards Vegan as well. With me and spice not being the best of friends, I always go for the mildest of mild curries. So much so, you could call them more of a tomato stew or soup. This time was no different.
I ordered the Vegetable Dopiaza which is an Onion based Curry Sauce with beautiful big pieces of Vegetables, with a side of Mushroom Pilau Rice and for a burst of freshness, the Indian Salad. I had originally opted for the Indian Coleslaw, yet unfortunately it was unavailable that evening. As a bonus, our server double checked that I could indulge in some Poppadoms as although cooked in the same fryer, they didn't contain Gluten so there would only be trace amounts. As a huge lover of Poppadoms, I was over the moon. My excitement causing me to forget to take a picture!
The food, as always was incredible. The mild yet beautifully combined flavours and spices in my Curry were delicious. They used some of my favourite vegetables, such as Baby Corn, Cauliflower and Carrot, ones that wouldn't become soggy and could hold their own weight. The rice was some of the best rice I've had, perfectly cooked and fluffy with little pieces of Mushrooms mixed in. The Indian Salad was exactly what I wanted for that fresh kick. The mild dressing on top really added to it, with a hard to describe yet fresh flavour.
The service was wonderful, very attentive and fast though not too quick between courses. Our waitress was super friendly, even taking our group picture and going out of her way to include me for the starter. Definitely a must go when in Center Parcs.
Cafe Rouge
I only went to Cafe Rouge for Breakfast, so I cannot comment fully on this restaurant apart from my experience and what they can serve me. Having been to Cafe Rouge a handful of times, I know they aren't the best for someone with my eating choices.
Having just looked at the menu, there is just the one dish I can have and that is new. On a positive note, this means hopefully they are looking to increase the possibilities for Vegans and Gluten Intolerant folks. On the more negative side, there is still only one dish that is Vegan and nearly all contain Gluten.
Anyway, back to my actual experience. If you would call it that, as I only indulged in a Fruit Salad. I was going to perhaps go for the Vegetarian Breakfast, without this, that and the other but I just wanted something simple. Also perhaps to not have to take almost everything out of the plate of food to be able to eat it!
The fruit was brilliantly fresh, a decent amount and the Apple juice was beautiful. There were far too many Raspberries for my taste, but I am not the kind to complain about something like that. It's not their fault that I don't like them!
Overall, a nice and fresh start to the day. Just somewhere I wouldn't go for any other time as the amount of changes needing to be made for me to eat the food makes me nervous. Too much room for error!
Las Iguanas
I have already reviewed Las Iguanas elsewhere, there won't be much difference here. For their restaurant is the same as those outside of Center Parcs with the amazing amount of food that can be catered for Vegans and those who are Gluten Intolerant. With many dishes catering to both. Knowing how much I love the place, I practically bullied my family for the entire day about going there. Who can pass up a chance to have Guacamole?
With Vegan menu in hand, I happily sat down and ordered a Mocktail. The Tropical Cooler, a magical mixture of Mango, Pineapple, Lime and Lemonade. Sharp, tangy and brilliantly sweet all at once. Getting my tastebuds ready for the rest of the meal!
I ordered the Holy Guacamole, the Gluten Free version of Tortilla Chips and the Vegan version of Guacamole. It is a starter where you can build your own Guacamole, adding as much Red Onion, Coriander, Tomato and Lime as you like. Naturally, nothing was left behind on my plate. Guacamole is my favourite starter of all time, no one was going to get a look in!
For the main I ordered the Fiesta Ensalada, the tangiest, mildly spicy and fresh Salad I've ever had. It has a wicked Poppyseed dressing that has a great kick to it, with sharp Sun Dried Tomatoes and only a few Pink Pickled Onions is all I can manage. The rest is purely fresh Vegetables but somehow it works so much better than your run of the mill Salad. So glad I went for it, as I nearly went for the Veggie Chilli!
For those with food intolerances or opting to be Vegan, this is the best place to eat in Center Parcs. It has the most choices and it is very easy to adapt dishes as they are marked clearly on the menu. The service was excellent as well, the waiter was so friendly it made the lunch even more enjoyable!
Bring your own food!
Center Parcs prices are no joke, plus eating out everyday is a little challenging for someone with my lifestyle. Bringing your own food therefore is a must. I brought Coco Pops, a ridiculous amount of Violife Vegan Cheeses, some Schar Bread, Asda Pastry, Pesto etc.
Enough to have breakfast every morning, lunch for a couple of days and a few dinners too without needing to buy too much from the sky high prices of the Parc Market. Also the Free From section is extremely limited in Center Parcs so it would be hard to buy enough to create lunches and dinners for a week.
Here are some of the lunches and dinners I had. Cheese and Ham focused of course, Quorn Ham is still the biggest deal to me! Cheese and Ham Baguette, Grilled Cheese and Ham and then for dinner a Pesto Tart. On the final day, I even had my bowl of cereal with a Squirrel just outside the patio door eating nuts!
I would recommend going to Center Parcs to anyone. You can make it whatever holiday you like. For me, it is about escaping the city, having some time to create and spending quality time with my family. In the future I'll get back to those activities.
Being able to eat, makes it so much better. The first time going there as a Gluten Free Vegan was tough, they didn't have the allergen menus online and suggested I go to each restaurant to find out. Not so helpful when you want to plan and make a holiday simplistic. Fast forward to now and they have improved a lot, they just need to put all restaurants online as only a handful are there right now.
Thanks Center Parcs for another great holiday, here's to many more February holidays!