Food for Thought (restaurant)
| Food For Thought | |
|---|---|
 | |
  | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1971[1] |
| Current owner(s) | Vanessa Garrett[1] |
| Previous owner(s) | Margot Boyce-White[1] |
| Food type | vegetarian |
| Street address | 31 Neal Street |
| City | London |
| Postal code/ZIP | WC2H 9PR |
| Coordinates | 51°30′51″N 0°07′32″W / 51.5142473°N 0.1255163°WCoordinates: 51°30′51″N 0°07′32″W / 51.5142473°N 0.1255163°W |
| Seating capacity | 40[2] |
| Website |
www |
Food for Thought was a vegetarian restaurant in the Seven Dials district of London's Covent Garden.[3]
History
The restaurant was founded by Margot Boyce-White in 1971 when the relocation of London's fruit and vegetable market to New Covent Garden caused the area to be redeveloped. The premises in Neal Street had formerly been used as a banana warehouse. The business changed hands in 1977 and was owned by Vanessa Garrett, daughter of the couple John and Jane Damant, who bought it. Rising rents caused the restaurant to close on June 21, 2015.[1]
The counter-culture activist Sue Miles worked at Food for Thought, so starting a career as a restaurateur.[4]
The restaurant was patronised by workers in the nearby businesses of the Covent Garden district, which included the numerous theatres. Acts which ate there included the Red Hot Chili Peppers.[5]
Cuisine
The food at the restaurant was vegetarian and vegan. Fresh vegetables were used but, to keep the cost down, these were not normally organic, The preparation avoided peeling to preserve the nutrients in the skin of the vegetables.[6]
Reception
Russell Rose, reviewing the place for Veggie & Organic London, rated it five stars for vegetarian choice and three stars for taste.[2]
This is a remarkable bargain basement vegetarian eaterie on one of Covent Garden's busiest thoroughfares. ... Food For Thought is a bit rushed but for a really cheap bite, in the middle of London's theatreland, it's tough to beat.
Gallery
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The counter and tables are in the basement.
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A lunch dish of soup and salad served on stoneware
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Patrons would commonly queue up the stairs ...
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... and squeeze into the cubbyhole
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Vanessa Garrett (right) on the last day
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Peter Watts (30 March 2015), "Food for Thought: the last vegetarian gasp of alternative Covent Garden", The Guardian
- 1 2 Russell Rose (2009), "Food For Thought", Veggie & Organic London, Metro, p. 24, ISBN 978-1-902910-32-1
- ↑ Sonya Barber (25 March 2015), "Food for Thought in Covent Garden to close after 40 years", Time Out
- ↑ Jonathan Green (13 October 2010), "Sue Miles obituary", The Guardian
- ↑ Alexandra Rucki (30 March 2015), "Favourite among vegetarians, Food For Thought in Covent Garden, 'forced to close due to rent hike'", Evening Standard
- ↑ Jane Noraika (2002), "Introduction", New Food for Thought, Andre Deutsch, ISBN 978-0233050713