What’s better than reading about the latest out-of-home trends? Eating and drinking them! As you know, we are experts in the out-of-home market and as such we regularly keep up to date with the latest developments through Lumina’s Food Strategy Forum Debrief.  But even better than hearing about the latest trends is getting out and about to try out a range of restaurants leading the way in setting these trends.

After the latest Lumina session, we headed out around Angel & Islington for a tour focussing on the key theme of this quarter; Value vs. Values (the importance of cost to the consumer versus the importance of company values, such as sustainability and authenticity).

Tofu Vegan

Our first stop for the day was the incredible Tofu Vegan – a fully plant-based restaurant serving up authentic Chinese dishes.

We tried the Wontons, Smacked Cucumber, Cloud Ear Fungi and Fisc Bao Bun.

The Wontons come highly recommended on the menu, which is of no surprise when you try them. The house dressing is flavourful, and the wontons themselves are super light. The Smacked Cucumber in a Sesame and Garlic Dressing is so refreshing and was a step up from your usual side of vegetables.

A firm favourite here was the Fisc Bao Bun. Made to have the appearance of a fresh fish fillet, but without the overly fishy taste, this would fool any non-vegan.

 The Shoap, by Auld Hag

A much-anticipated stop on our tour, The Shoap is London’s first Scottish deli. Filled with meats, cheeses, Iron Bru and a range of ambient offerings from ‘North of the Border’ – gin, peanut butter, Tunnock’s Tea Cakes, The Shoap is where you can savour a real taste of Scotland.

Despite being half-Scottish, and visiting many a time over the years, I’m yet to try Iron Bru, and sadly this continued! However, we did sample the traditional Scottish pie, made with lamb in a buttery shortcrust pastry. It wouldn’t be hard to sit here for lunch with a coffee and people-watch for hours.

 The Tamil Crown

Walking past The Tamil Crown, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a quiet, London neighbourhood pub. It’s down a side-street away from the bustling Angel North, but yet, inside it’s truly something special. With food inspired from the Tamil Nadu region of India, this traditional English pub is only so by design.

With its sister site, The Tamil Prince, on the Michelin guide – the same quality is found in Angel, and in the words of the acclaimed Grace Dent, it’s “just plain great”.

We were treated to a feast from the menu – Okra Fries, Lime Leaf Roasted Chicken, Coconut Prawn Moilee, Roti and Aubergine Curry. Each as good as the last. Plates were emptied amongst our study group, and I look forward to returning for their famous Sunday Roast.

 Bewliehill     

When you think Fast Food, images of burgers, chips and kebabs spring to mind. But Bewliehill is challenging that assumption. This is one of London’s sustainable fast food salad shops, with an ethos that encourages using only British seasonal across its menu. It’s farm-to-bowl, and more than that, it’s value for money.

It’s often hard to find a salad that’s got more than iceberg lettuce in it, with a little cucumber and maybe some avocado for a price under £6 in London. So, if you look at Bewliehill, with salads around £8, then analyse not only the size of the bowl, but the contents, those looking for a healthy lunch stop offering real value will be in for a treat.

 British Patagonia Bakery

Heard of the Ice Crone? If so, you’ll know of the British Patagonia Bakery. The ice-cream stuffed croissant cones have gone viral on socials. This artisanal Viennoiserie is filled with mouth-watering pastries. With an Instagrammable interior, and even more beautiful bakes, it’s a must visit site with sustainability on its mind. As there’s no single use plastic in the operation, and it’s vegan-friendly.

We were able to try either the Strawberry or Pistachio ice cream – and both were great!

 Detroit Pizza

Deep pan pizzas. NBA vests. Light up restroom signs. Detroit Pizza has that all-American vibe. Inspired by the city’s innovation and passion – the thick cast-iron like steel pans that the pizzas are cooked in, dating back to the 1940s, are responsible for the deceptively soft and fluffy dough.

We tried the Detroit Special – a cheese blend, double pepperoni with jalapeños, honey and mozzarella as well as the classic Margherita. Both were delicious.

In summary, this was another delicious Food Safari led by Lumina, and an insightful view into how authenticity, sustainability, and trend-led values are leading the way in attracting new customers to eating out of home.

Have you been to any of these restaurants and loved them? Let us know on our socials @jellybeanagency