Where to eat and shop for the health conscious and speciality diets in Sheffield

I care about what I eat and I look after myself. I've not always been this responsible but I've developed this passion over the past few years. I suppose this comes from working in an organic cafe, researching  nutrition and reading blogs and magazines that promote a healthy way of living.

With my limited diet comes limited eating out choices and I'm not the only one who struggles in finding places to eat and also buy their groceries from. Hopefully this list I've compiled will help those of you in the same boat, if you know anyone with a limited diet, share this post with them and maybe they've got a few I've missed off the list. I'm always keen to discover more places.

Filthy Gorgeous
Brand new greengrocers / health food store literally two minutes from my house. What sets them apart from other health stores is the fact that they make fresh smoothies, sell organic wine AND stock products from pure on raw, including cheesecake! Wonderful! Plus they are the only place I've come across in sheffield where you can buy multicoloured quinoa!
Great for - healthy treats, chia seeds, buckwheat, unusual vegetables.

Rude Shipyard
Not a secret that this is a fav' haunt of mine, they'll always do their best to make something I can eat even if its not on the menu. Lovely quirky bookshop cafe with individual clientèle that frequent there
Great for - cd's from local artists, home made breakfasts ( the potato cakes!), wonderful staff, live music evenings.

the rude shipyard

Beanies
Beanies is run by a workers coop and stocks a variety of unusual vegetables, vegan vegetarian and wheat free produce. They are also Sheffield’s first, longest running, best quality and best value organic veg delivery scheme and they have their own blog too!
Great for - knowledgeable staff, ethical produce, organic veg, good chocolate (booja booja and montezumas)

Pure on Raw
Sheffields only raw restaurant. Their mocha pie with  clementine gelato is one of the best desserts I have ever eaten, fact. You can read my full review here.
Great for - raw macaroons, cashew cheese pizza, home made almond milk coffee

Pure on raw dishes

Zeds
Quirky little shop, always seems like they are having a move around. Located in one of my favourite areas of sheffield, very inviting with green awning and lots of fresh veg and plants outside. Inside is a mix of organic and ethical produce from incense to toothpaste, nut butters and vegan cheese. A nice shop to spend time browsing in.
Great for - raw cacao raisins, dairy free ice creams, candles, tea

Zeds in nether edge

Fanoush
I go here a couple of times a month or more. The salad boxes are packed full of tasty veg, hot fresh falafel and sauce. Full of flavour, cheap and healthy.
Great for - in house pickled turnip, fresh juices, event posters, chatty staff

Incredible Nutshell
Much brighter and friendlier since the new management and name change from "in a nutshell" here is a small and sparkly health store who stock home made fresh soup to go as well as plenty of other exciting food and ethnic gifts and jewellery.
Great for - christmas shopping, happy kitchen brownies, local honey, smoked garlic, tofu

treats at incredible nutshell

 
Saigon 68
Previously pho 68, as far as I know, only the name has changed. They do the most amazing crunchy fresh vietnamese salad with chilli and palm sugar and peanuts. Lunch time offer includes a hot bowl of noodle soup which you can have with rice noodles, delicious and you get a free tea and fruit.
Great for - huge portions, sriracha, people watching on london rd, yee kwan sorbet for pudding

The Blue Moon Cafe
Popular vegetarian late opening cafe in the city centre. Has tasty vegan cakes and gluten free ones too. The specials are wholesome and they serve organic beer and wine too. Menu doesn't change that often if at all so if you have a favourite then you can rest assured they'll have it when you visit again.
Great for - vegan ice cream, tasty jam, a plethora of notices, quirky meal names, pre-theatre dinner.

Just Natural 
I always visit here whenever I'm in crookes. I love the layout, very neat and the little wicker baskets are cute. It is rather expensive though so watch out for that. I love the self-pour raisin and nut selection.
Great for - fresh orange juice, wide variety of fruit and veg, yoghurt raisins, hipster shoppers

Heeley Farm Kitchen
Small bright cafe, located on their farm so nice for visiting after looking at the animals. Always children, always vegan options.
Great for - bringing the kids, petting the animals, the veggie chilli

heeley farm kitchen

 Otto's
 Delicious moroccan food in a busy restaurant that caters for all dietary needs.
 I recently had the fish tagine and there was plenty of tender fish, very filling with the rice.
 Great for - live entertainment, garlic mushrooms, friendly staff


So there you have my favourites. Let me know what you think and tell me yours.

Café # 9

Today is the first day of two and a half weeks off work. As I'm not going away during this time I decided to visit the only place in Sheffield I can think of where you can go inside and feel like you're a million miles away - Café # 9.

I do prefer to stay in the more suburban areas when I'm in the mood for reading and procrastinating whilst enjoying my food. I'm not sure why.. maybe its because a lot of city centre places are usually full of people nipping out of work for a quick coffee or lunch and as such, you generally tend to feel rather rushed and not able to fully relax, never-mind read a book!

I ordered my food then proceeded to walk slowly around the place, taking in the surroundings. There are so many fascinating things to look at, from the vast range of foreign currency stuck to the walls to various paintings, including a man with a turban and one of the café itself, being visited by Darth Vader..

According to a faded newspaper clipping, this was a favorite hang out for the late John Peel. I'm not surprised as the music playing is kind of a mix between Kate Bush and Joanna Newsom but even more bizzare.

My brunch arrives - a simple beans on toast washed down with a cup of tea.
Wait! Don't go just yet, I can assure you I'm didn't write this post to review their beans on toast.
I'm merely revisiting an old favourite hangout that happens to sell food. The menu isn't huge: a few cakes, toasted sandwiches and bagels. They also do amazing milkshakes - a must for a hot summers day if you're in the area.

I could take endless photos of the decor but half the fun is coming down and discovering it for yourself.
Café # 9 is full of eclectic charm and I'm sure I'll visit many more times in the future!


Thanks for reading.

Andrews Cafe Review

I've heard this place is good so I went to go in at about 1 but it was too busy so I came back an hour later and it was still quite busy but it didn't take me long to get a seat.

I sit down and see a sign for an outdoor terrace area so ask to be seated outside but she points to one table on its own which I don't think is really much of a terrace but its lovely weather so I go sit there admiring the view of the back of marks and spencers.

Theres not much variety on the menu which can be a good or bad sign. I ask what quiches they have and the waitress replies 'cheese and onion or salmon and watercress' so I go for the salmon and a dandelion and burdock.

The food arrives about 3 minutes later! It is a big piece of quiche with some salad, coleslaw and some crisps. It looks nice on the plate, very colourful with the crisps giving a European twist to it.

The dandelion and burdock is fentimans which I love and its very tasty.

I try some of the quiche and its disappointing. Soggy bland pastry with metallic tasting salmon which can either be because its tinned or on the turn. Either way its not very good. I can't taste the watercress and the eggs are very bland too.

Maybe I'm spoilt because I work somewhere where I get to eat the most delicious quiches made with fresh pastry and organic eggs, who knows but at least I've got something to compare it to.

The salad isn't dressed and the coleslaw has chunky bits of carrots to suggest its homemade but doesn't taste it, crisps are nice as are the two cherry tomatoes. But overall its a sad plate of food.

I decide to have a cake. There's the usual selection victoria sponge, chocolate, carrot (with weird orange carrot shapes on top made of icing), cherry scones etc I go for the classic victoria sponge and the waitress brings it out with a strawberry on the side which is tasty and the cake is light and tasty with a creamy filling.

I finish up and pay the bill which is £13.70. Expensive and over hyped I won't be visiting again as theres much better places with better food for less money.

The Blue Moon Cafe

Ah the blue moon cafe, it was my favourite place to eat a few years ago when I was a vegan/vegetarian. I remember it as being very good so decided to give it another visit. Its a beautiful building with loads of light shining through. Theres art on the walls and about 1 million little flyers and postcards on the noticeboard varying from 'have you seen my cat?' to advertisements for yoga classes and also one asking anyone if they know who killed their mother which I find kind of strange but fascinating to read through some of them. It smells quite a bit of patchouli but I suspect thats from the diners. I walk in a bit more and smell delicious food. I'm getting hungry! I look at the menu and it has dishes such as pea soup (gluten free and vegan), aubergine and chickpea bake (vegan) cauliflower, cheese and brown rice bake, hommity pie, a couple of quiches and something with sweet potato. It all looks and smells delicious. I choose the cauliflower dish and ask for some salads to accompany it aswell as a hot chocolate and a orangey chocolatey slice thing. It tastes good! It is seasoned well although quite heavy on the cumin but luckily for me I love cumin! The salads -cous cous, rice and peas, lettuce and tomato- are all good, the rice and cous cous also being heavy on the cumin but it doesn't distract too much from any of the other flavours. Its a good meal. I feel full but not bloated. I sip some of the hot chocolate and taste some of the chocolate slice. Its very very sweet. I think because its vegan they have compensated for the lack of tasty dairyness by adding bucketloads of sugar. I can't manage it all but I'm sure someone with a sweet tooth would love it. Altogether my bill comes to just under £10 which isn't too bad, I'll go again but there are other places in town that would definately give blue moon a run for its money.