Leicester Shire Promotions and the Leicester Vegetarian and Vegan Group have launched a new short break aimed at attracting vegan and vegetarian visitors to Leicester and Leicestershire and we were thrilled to try out this super new initiative – their very own Veggie Vacation! What a super idea! 
The break has been revised and improved for 2016 and onwards and we are thrilled to have helped this super idea with our feedback from our recent trip.
At just £139 per couple you can’t go wrong and the highlights of the weekend break for us were the Vegan Cocktail master class with cocktail master Kal Ruparell at 33 cankstreet and the stunning food we enjoyed at the all vegetarian and vegan Indian restaurant Shivalli.
The vegan cocktail experience was great, Kal was very informative and we learnt a lot about how to make a good structure of a vegan cocktail. We tried spirits that we thought we didn’t like at all – and loved them.
We did think that we may be having a go ourselves however it suited us to sit, chill, watch (and taste!) instead.
Kal mentioned a cocktail that typically has egg white in it and as soon as I mentioned Aqua Faba he was on the case! One of the team went out and bought a few cans of chickpeas and there we were experimenting with a vegan Whiskey Sour – and it really worked well. I suggested that they name this new cocktail after me too!
It was great to try cocktails that we wouldn’t usually go for and to pick up some super tips too. They made a lovely non alcoholic cocktail for our son and Kal and the team were funny and helpful. We would definitely go back.
After the super cocktail master class we headed over to Shivalli – a lovely all veggie restaurant with very helpful staff. They knew of us coming and showed us what was vegan friendly at the extensive buffet.
The food was delicious and the restaurant got busier and busier as the evening went on with a good atmosphere. We were pleased that we went here as this and the cocktail event made the trip.
Shivalli contains 100% pure vegetarian food with over 50 items to choose from. They offer a variety of appetizers, soups, dosa, curries, breads and various sweets, all from southern India.
The Veggie Vacation offer includes either buffet lunch including one welcome drink (bottle/half pint of beer/175ml wine or any non-alcoholic beverage) per person.
Shivalli is well worth a visit and both experiences are worth heading to Leicester for too.
Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions told us:
“Leicester is justly proud of its diverse population and this is reflected in the city’s various cuisines. With such a proliferation of vegetarian restaurants and vegan/vegetarian-rich menus throughout the city, we’ve developed a short break aimed at providing a real gastronomic choice for vegetarians, vegans and lovers of healthy foods.”
Amit Gokani, a member of the Leicester Vegetarian and Vegan Group recently told the Leicester Mercury that:
“For a population of approximately 320,000, we probably have the greatest concentration of vegetarian restaurants in Europe. The fact that the word ‘vegan’ was originated from Leicester in 1944 by Donald Watson gives Leicester a great historic past regarding the origins of veganism.”
The new Stay Play Explore Vegetarian short break is one of the first breaks of its kind in the UK and includes a choice of three from five vegetarian-friendly experiences!
Leicester Shire Promotions and the Leicester Vegetarian and Vegan Group Veggie Vacation
