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CLOSED: The Olive Branch
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2
Closed
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Veg-options
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Opened in the 1960s, this wholefood cafe/restaurant, with fast counter service, serves mainly vegetarian hot and cold meals, including vegan and gluten-free options. There is a varied selection of dishes, salads, and cakes prepared using the freshest local ingredients. This restaurant achieved fame of a literary sort when in 1992 Bill Bryson described it as a pleasant little salad bar in his book, Notes from a Small Island. Reported closed, Sept '20.
10 Reviews
First Review by SplashWellyKid
SusanLander
Points +26
Went there today, appears to be closed. - Edit
No information on the door, but appears closed.
Read morePros: N/a
Cons: N/a
Guest
VeganKJ
Points +33
Closed down - Edit
This place is currently closed with the premises to let- Sep 2020
Read moreGuest
dpn
Points +16
Disappointed - Edit
No longer doing vegan sausage rolls, although still on the menu. So apart from soup and a jacket potato (which seems to be standard vegan options where ever you go) there was 1 cake we could have.
Read moreSalads that were served on our parties plates didn't look overly fresh and there wasn't 1 clean, finished plate at the end.
Disappointed as we had read good reviews about coming here for vegan food.
Pros: Cant think of any
Cons: Not a lot of vegan options
Guest
aamarks2002
Points +26
Amazing chocolate cake! - Edit
Good selection of soups, salads and mains and soya milk for drinks. Excellent vegan cake selection. Chocolate cake was scrumptious!
Read moreGuest
AndyMay
Points +48
Fantastic beans!! - Edit
I went there for breakfast 3 days in a row and had the following: homemade beans on toast (no butter), mushrooms (ask to be cooked in oil) and a grilled tomato. The beans were some of the best I have every had and the breakfast on a whole was very tasty!! I also had the vegan apricot flapjack which was good, the sliced apple cake was a little dry.
Read morePros: Fantastic home made beans, Great customer service , Nice home made vegan flapjack
Cons: Cake a little dry
Guest
juliabliss
Points +83
Lovely healthy lunch - Edit
We broke a long journey for lunch in Ludlow and were so glad to find the Olive Branch on the HC app. There was lots of choice, including two vegan/gluten free options. I had the veggie jambalaya with salads which was delicious. My husband had almond cauliflower cheese which he also enjoyed. We were really hungry so it was good to be able to have food from the counter straight away and not have to wait. It is all very wholesome and appetising.
Read morePros: Lots of choice, Counter display of food to choose from, Tasty wholesome food, nice atmosphere
Guest
Paulwarwick
Points +17
excellent vegan choices - Edit
Good vegan cake always available and lunch items too
Read morePros: good priced coffee .soya too.
Cons: none
Guest
Wolstej
Points +17
Our saviour! - Edit
We took a (non-vegetarian) friend to Ludlow because of its reputation for fine dining. Unfortunately we found that fine dining is a byword for snobbish anti-vegetarian values and we really struggled to find somewhere where we could all eat. Thank goodness for The Olive Branch! Pretentious it is not. They served more vegetarian options than all the other restaurants put together and the food was delicious. I would strongly recommend the Olive Branch for vegetarians and anyone looking for great value, healthy food.
Read morePros: A great number of veggie options, Nice atmosphere, Friendly staff
Cons: Could be difficult to find a table at peak times, There's only one Olive Branch
Guest
orangensaft
Points +461
Nothing to write home about - Edit
Unlike the other reviewer I didn't have any problems with getting served non-vegan food (at least not that I noticed!!). The food, in my opinion, while not completely inedible is very uninspiring and not the kind of food I would even choose to make at home.
Read moreI also found it pretty expensive - I ordered a bowl of strawberries costing £2.50 and after refusing the non vegan ice cream and custard options, they were served completely unprepared without even taking the stalks out (not the worst thing in the world I know lol, but I would have expected fruit to be at least prepared if I'm paying £2+ for a small bowl in a cafe/restaurant).
Pros: only place in Ludlow offering vegan options
Cons: expensive, boring food
Guest
SplashWellyKid
Points +234
Great Menu; Beware As Staff Clueless Re Veganism - Edit
PROS: A pleasant restaurant in picturesque Ludlow with attentive staff boasts menu options for most dietary requirements using fresh & often local produce, including separate sections for both vegetarian & vegan dishes. Evening menu for our visit - starters of homemade houmous & pitta bread or pea-&-bean soup of the day. Mains: Jamaican Sweet Potato Casserole; Red Lentil and Cashew Nut Bake; Red Pepper stuffed with Quinoa, Mint, Apricots & Courgettes served with a Butternut & Red Pepper Sauce; or a salad - all served with stir fried veg & potatoes. Three vegan cakes were available: spiced apple, apricot flapjack & chocolate cake; no soya cream/ice-cream/custard or soya milk on offer. The vegan food itself was tasty & beautifully presented, although small portions & medium to expensive price range.
Read moreCONS: We had high expectations after such care for catering for different dietary needs was mentioned on their website, outside board & menu. However, none of the three staff on duty had any clue about veganism & delivered non-vegan food to us for every course! Distressing enough for ethical vegans, this is extremely dangerous for those with allergies, so if you wish to risk eating here please double-check at every stage of your meal, as we did.
After checking the soup of the day was vegan & ordering from the vegan menu:
- Complimentary covers of bread & olives arrived with obvious butter. On asking if the bread was vegan, we were told no & apologised to for giving us food we couldn't eat.
- The kitchen had confirmed soup was fine; it was served without the advertised crusty roll (replacement pitta would have been nice).
- Main course looked lovely, with Dauphinoise potatoes served in a separate dish. Initial bite tasted cheesy - we checked & were told it was dairy cheese. Replacement wild rice was delivered promptly but my comment on how dangerous/upsetting this was met with no comprehension.
- A neighbouring diner came over to apologise for poor service; we thought she might have been the owner but she didn't assist the staff & the mistakes continued.
- Dessert; we asked which were vegan & were told three interesting cakes. Upon asking if there was anything to accompany them, we were offered cream, custard or ice cream. To double-check, we asked they confirm these were all vegan: they were all dairy.
- At the end of the meal, our bill came with two wrapped chocolates. These were non vegan too.
Nice food but uncomfortable experience, so cannot recommend.
Pros: Wide Menu Choice, Fresh Ingredients, Pleasant Atmosphere
Cons: Staff Do Not Understand Veganism, Repeatedly Delivered Non-Vegan Items, Try But Check Every Food Item Delivered
Guest
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