The Hextol Tans Coffee Shop and Vegetarian Cafe

The provision for vegans here is about the same as at Bunters so I don't know why I was so disappointed; I think it's the weight of expectation, as I knew this used to be a well-known veggie café so had fairly high hopes. It has been redecorated and looks attractive; the toilets are nice. Gluten-free items are clearly marked on the menu and cake bar but vegan items are not, and almost every question about vegan suitability was met with, "Oh, I'll just go and ask," followed by a trek to the kitchen. The Italian stew was vegan when a jacket potato was substituted for the mash, but toasted ciabatta came with a pot of mayonnaise. "Is this vegan?" "Oh, I'll just go and ask." (It wasn't.) Staff didn't know whether the instant hot chocolate or GF cake were vegan (they weren't) but assured me the ginger biscuits probably would be as they were made with Stork margarine (they weren't). I was told they usually have at least one vegan cake but this had sold out three days previously or they would have given me some. The stew and ciabatta were hot and tasty but there is really not much for vegans here at the moment. The café has just relaunched and has warnings on the menu that staff are in training, so hopefully once it finds its feet I can make a more enjoyable return visit.