Last Saturday evening, my friend P and I headed north (well, north London) for an evening at the V- Curious Supper Club. The supper club came with the promise of a four course vegan feast prepared by our hostess, Rowena, and the company of eight other “curious” diners. I arrived first at precisely 7pm – feeling a little nervous (my attempts at describing a supper club to a male friend maybe did not help me here – oh, yes, well I’ve paid to have dinner in the home of someone I’ve never met with people I don’t know!)! I immediately felt welcomed and had a chance to chat to Rowena about the ideas behind the supper club and about my blog (and could I, maybe, possibly take pictures of the food!) before the other guested started arriving.

For an amuse bouche we were served sweet potato and sprouted barbecue bites – these were delicious and a perfect way to start the meal. 

Raw beetroot ravioli with lemon cashew cheese and rosemary cream to start. This was beautifully made and presented – I think often vegan eating makes people think of hippies eating tubs of hummus but this proved that vegan food can be refined and photogenic, too! 

The evening was one of the best Saturday nights I’ve had in a while – for less than the cost of a restaurant meal we were treated to amazing, delicious food that had been made with love and passion, had great conversations with our dining buddies and felt truly welcome in Rowena’s beautifully decorated home. This was my first experience of a supper club and I’m a convert – it felt like being at one of the civilised adult dinner parties I dreamed that my late twenties would involve but without having the obligation to return the favour when you’re a single girl living in a studio apartment with very little cooking ability.

The main was a quinoa, avocado and shiitake pilaf with a side of kale. This was so tasty – I loved how it combined Mexican and Asian flavours. The supper club is BYO if you want to bring your own alcohol but I stuck to lime-infused water and the food was amazing enough on its own. 

The menu was a complete surprise (all we knew was that it would be vegan but you can notify Rowena of any allergies) and each course was explained to us by Rowena who was so passionate about vegan food and vegan cooking. Despite the vegan theme there was no preachiness about veganism – as the title suggests this supper club is ideal for those curious about vegan eating but all are welcome – our table was a mix of vegans, vegetarians (my friend P), newly converted pescaratins (me) and meat-eaters.

I’m already a fan of vegan desserts so I was really excited to try the chocolate truffle tart with whipped coconut cream and raspberry coulis. Even the orange flower was edible!  

For those already interested in vegan eating this evening was further confirmation that meals without meat or animal products can be amazingly delicious and for committed carnivores its a chance to try new things and see how delicious and satisfying vegan food can be. Whatever your own views are about eating meat and animal products, it is indisputable that eating less meat is better for the environment and better for us too if it means we try new recipes, new foods and be open minded.

The last course was absolutely amazing – a vegan cheese board. I’m not usually a cheese fan (especially after making the connection between dairy and my skin acting like a 14 year old’s…) but this was incredible – it looked and tasted cheese-like but was made of cashew and coconut. The cheeses were smoked gouda, basiron pesto cheese, piquant sun dried tomato coconut cheddar and lemon cashew cream cheese. The perfect way to end the meal and the first time I’ve wanted to try everything on a cheeseboard!  

The up-coming supper clubs can be booked here and you can get a sneak preview of the sorts of dishes that could be offered can be found here.