Warning: This post is guaranteed to leave you hungry and health kicking. But, do read it.

Review: Nourish Ecclesall Road, Sheffield

Hi readers,

How are you today?? Are you having a lovely, chilled Sunday?

I hope all is well and you’ve been thoroughly enjoying yourselves this weekend after the long working week (which was DEFINITELY longer than normal this week – I don’t know how it happened. Not just me, several people have commented on how long the week was. So damn long).

On this lovely Sunday, while you’re kicking back, I’m here to share a post that’s a bit different from my usual offering. In that, I don’t have a recipe for you today (sorry, readers, there will be more recipes soon!). Instead, I’m writing to you today to share with you all the down low on a cool event I got to attend this week… a blogger’s event.

Here!

That’s right, readers, for the first time EVER I was asked this week to attend an invite-only event for bloggers, in an independent health café that opened just a month ago in Sheffield. I went along one evening this week to Nourish, on Ecclesall Road, not really knowing what to expect… and had a great time! There were maybe 10-15 bloggers there on the night and we were hosted by a really friendly guy called David, who runs Nourish.

And I was LATE (I know! Soooo bad!) by about 15 minutes, rushing to get there after work, but he made it no big deal. We settled in, seated around one big table in the café, to try out sampler pots for eight different dishes from the Nourish menu. And we tried some reeeally tasty food, readers! The highlights of the night, my favourite things I tried, were hands down sweet potato brownies and chocolate avocado mousse… as I am a chocaholic.

Chocolate avocado mousse!

 Everything we sampled though, readers, was hands down good tasting, healthy food. There was always something I could eat – as a vegetarian – and a lactose intolerant attendee was also very well catered for. Safe to say, dietary requirements are well covered at Nourish. At the end of this post I go into more detail listing the different foods we got to try out on the night – read through this blow-by-blow if you’re interested in knowing more about the food on offer at Nourish, or you can check out the full menu on their website here.

What a great experience it was, to be invited along to a blogger’s event! I was a little nervous, having not attended one before, (I took my phone along to use as a camera, and a pen and paper for note-taking – everyone (everyone) else there came armed with SLR camera and they took NO NOTES… did they not care? Did they have dictaphones? Were they practising mental note-taking??) but our host made everyone feel welcome all the same. He was merciful and let me use the staff loo.

Here he is! Our host, David.

 Overall – a great night. And we learned loads. David knows his stuff. Talking on the topic of their customer base at Nourish, he filled us in. Turns out – gym goers are their tribe and will rave about Nourish to anyone with abs and ears, but gym goers are generally good at making packed lunches. So, most of them only really eat at Nourish as a treat. The health food market is still finding itself, but at the moment students, office workers, and – randomly – hairdressers (!) make up a large part of the customer base at Nourish. Who knew this? Not me.

And David knows a lot about nutrition, readers, and then some. He know a lot a lot. Like, he made me realise how much there is to know about nutrition. Glaringly obvious – he knows all this stuff, he lives and breathe his nutrition, and thus has an incredible amount to share on the topic. When someone’s that passionate about something, readers, it can’t help but rub off. I found it all muchos interesting.

Here's some Baked Sweet Potato
with Nourish Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

David champions nutrition through Nourish’s menu by channelling science and crazy sports performance ideas into every menu item. He told us about the different ways men and women monitor their calorie intake – men are more likely to account for everything they’ve consumed, while women are bigger believers in free calories (totes believe this – I refuse to count liquid calories for fear my wine won’t taste the same).

Plus, there’s an option on the Nourish menu for a breakfast drink called a Bullet Proof Coffee, which contains butter and coconut oil. We were all perplexed by this! FAT?? David explained this is for people who are fasting, as a way to supercharge their brains without eating food. You drink high-fat coffee, containing high-calorie omega 3 butter, in place of breakfast in the morning. No food needed. You metabolise the coffee quickly for energy and it gives you a morning pick me up. Plus, you feel buzzed from the caffeine. What an idea!

I left convinced that:

a)    David knows more about nutrition than most of us ever will do.

b)    The man should indeed be in charge of the menu for a health food café. Basically, it’s his calling.

c)     I should eat at Nourish more.

Here's my Brazilian Beans

And, I have eaten at Nourish before! This branch on Ecclesall Road is café no.2 for Nourish. Their original cafe is located on Pinstone Street in town, just at the top end of the Peace Gardens. I’ve been in a few times before, readers, as it’s really well located for grabbing a healthy lunch on a sunny day, if you fancy eating outdoors sitting in the Peace Gardens. I spent a few sunny lunches doing just this, back when I worked in Sheffield city centre.

And – just think – the new Nourish café on Ecclesall Road is fantastically near to the Botanical Gardens! It would be so easy, on a sunny day now, to grab a healthy Nourish and take it out to eat in the Gardens with the squirrels. Something I DEFINITELY intend to do.

Aside from the squirrel/sun-bathing factor, as David explained, there are two reasons why Nourish have chosen to move on to Eccy Road and open their second café there. The first reason is that they’re well-liked by students, and Ecclesall Road is an area with a high student population. So, Nourish are wisely focussing in on a target market. They’ll be launching a student discount in September to hammer this home.

Here's some Baked Sweet Potato
with Supergreens & Kimchi

 Plus – second reason – Nourish aren’t a chain cafe, they’re independent. As the locals among you will know, Ecclesall Road is a kind of cool area, it’s vibrant, and it’s a hub for independents – lined up one after another. So, Nourish have made the decision to open on Eccy Road in order to join these independents, and support each other as they get off the ground, without too many brands around to spoil the party. Which sounds a fine idea to me.

I came away from the event on Thursday not feeling brainwashed. Maybe as a vegetarian food blogger, with a gym membership and a smoothie maker, I didn’t take much convincing. But, waving my goodie bag as I walked home, drinking an ingredients-unknown vegetable-tasting orange-coloured juice, I left Nourish feeling informed and enthusiastic about what the café is doing and where it’s heading.

Here's a little Coconut Lentil Curry

I spend a lot of time in Starbucks – have you seen the poor baristas when they’re lining cups up in front of the coffee machine, with steam flashing in their face?? They look hot and they look bothered. The staff at Nourish – meanwhile – get gym memberships, personal trainer sessions, supplements, nutrition plans, and plenty of free food! David said Nourish know they’re doing well when employees are choosing to eat the food, they’re liking it, and they’re not taking time off sick. That’s how they know.

Without meaning to sound like I’ve swallowed a Nourish brand book, readers, I just mean to say that I believe in Nourish. I believe their menu is fun, the food tastes good and is priced reasonably, it’s good for your body and for the supply chain, and the staff are good people who deserve their growing spot on the Sheffield health food scene. If you live in Sheffield or you’re ever visiting, readers, I’d definitely recommend this as a café to try. Especially if the weather’s good – take your food outdoors and soak up some Vitamin D. Enjoy life.

Without further ado, here are 8 reasons to give Nourish a try…

1.     Start the day right and enjoy a healthy breakfast.

Nourish open early – at 7.30am – so unless you begin work before 8am you can swing by and pick up a healthy breakfast. There’s a really varied breakfast selection, with eggs and pancakes, bagels and breakfast bowls, muesli and porridge all on the menu.

2.     They have lunches that you’ll like all year round.

If you’re anything like me, then you maybe struggle with planning and packing up weekday lunches that match the seasons. There’s only so much salad you can munch in summer, and a limit to how much soup you can swallow in winter. It’s easy to just live on cereal/porridge all year round… but don’t do it! At Nourish, they have hot meals and chilled salads, baked potatoes and a choice of hot or cold toppings. Whatever the season – they have your back.

3.     You can get a healthy fast food meal for under a fiver.

All the Nourish cold wraps cost less than £4 and you can ‘meal deal’ and add a piece of fruit and a bottle of water for just £1 more. No excuses – this isn’t a blow the bank kind of café, you can eat well and still stick within a £5 budget.

4.     You can go ALL OUT and still spend less than a tenner.

If you’ve say just done a HIIT session and need some serious food in you, this still won’t cost you the earth! Looking at the menu – you can order the most expensive food item (a large Beef Rendang hot dish - £6.25) and one of the most expensive drinks (say a Mango Spinach Green Smoothie - £3.65) and you’ll still have stuck within a £10 budget. Sweeeet.

5.     They will come to you.

Nourish are on Deliveroo and will be joining Uber Eats in July, so you can still order from the café if you can’t make it in-store. Plus, Nourish run regular lunchtime orders to the staff of nearby businesses. And, as well as delivering food to offices, Nourish offer tailored nutrition services for businesses. Nourish can help a company with health reports for staff members, run healthy eating workshops and group activities, goal-oriented workshops and mobility analysis, they introduce ‘health champions’ in the workplace… and so on.

6.     They don’t rest on their laurels.

Nourish know their customers. We learned from David that March-July can be a tough time for the café as many ladies are bikini dieting, so they’re less likely to treat themselves to fast food – even if it is healthy fast food! I never realised this (no bikini diet going on here). But the challenge isn’t stopping them! Nourish continuously work to improve the flavours of their menu items. David told us all about the difficulties they’ve had with getting hot quinoa to hold flavour – a battle hard fought for them. He could talk at length about it… for real.

7.     The ingredients are wacky and well-sourced.

Nourish aim to introduce Sheffielders to new ingredients – like kimchi! See below for an explainer on what on this Earth that is. They’re not hiding behind a bottle of Hendersons – they’re giving it their all and brandishing a menu filled with exotic flavours. Plus, Nourish listen to their suppliers to keep informed about issues along the supply chain for their far flung ingredients (who knew the Mexican drug cartel were interested in avocados?!).

8.     Nourish love Sheffield.

They will open a café in Meadowhall when their lottery numbers come in. As David aptly put it, “we’re not just here to say here’s some food”. Nourish care more than that. The café want their customers to eat well, feel healthy and enjoy their meals. They hope that customers will like the food and will come back for more… I know I will! Nourish want to stick in Sheffield for a while and grow here at home in the Steel city.

I'd be going back EVEN IF
they hadn't give me this (... result!)

And that, readers, is about everything I have to say. What a fab café and what a great event to have been invited along to, for my first time attending one! I came away feeling surprised at how full I was. And how welcoming everyone had been. Plus, I have some great ideas for recipes to try in the kitchen! I’ll be giving kimchi a go fo sho. And, if you’re in Sheffield, I hope you give Nourish a go, too! Wherever you live, support your local independents.

Nourish safely,

Hayley

^ Also, I realised this week there are now over 100 recipes in the ChefBeHere Recipe Book. Whoo! Is that mental?? Go look! If you’re stuck for what to cook and there isn’t anything in there you like the look of then youareimpossibletofeed. Go eat meat. Order a takeaway. Don’t come back here until you’re in a better mood. Then, you’ll have a lovely time perusing the (now super-extensive) collection of ChefBeHere recipes.

^^ Also, MUSIC. I found a playlist that Yoga Girl share last month and cannot stop listening it’s on Spotify here. My fave song is Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano.

^^^ ALSO, we got free codes at the Nourish event to try out a boot camp exercise place on Ecclesall Road, called Trib3. Love a good freebie, went along this morning, and it was INTENSE. Like holybejesuschrist. I came out soaked. They give you a refrigerated damp towel in order to bring you around enough to be able to do the cool down at the end. You work out like crazy switching between floor work, resistance weights, and running on treadmills. You think you’ll die, you hate the instructor (I got Amy), you wonder if this really is hell. You’re in hell. And then, 45 mins later, you bounce out feeling great! High five Amy and pick up a smoothie in the cafe on the way out. If you’re a busy person and need to squeeze a work out in quickly, and you’re a gritty human being – look Trib3 up here.

Now, full disclosure about the food…

8 items from the menu that I got to try at the Nourish launch event:

1.     Nourish Bowl – mixed leaf, chickpeas, kale, butternut squash, red pepper, feta cheese. One of the most popular options on Nourish’s menu, a veggie salad. With cheese! I’m loving feta lately. (£4.85)

2.     Baked Sweet Potato with Supergreens & Kimchi – avocado, broccoli, hempseed, lime juice, mint, kimchi. David explained that kimchi is a favourite of his (I’d never heard of it!). Kimchi is a mix of cabbage, spices and chilli left to ferment – it’s sour and packs a real flavour punch! Works well when paired with sweet potato. (£4.95)

3.     Baked Sweet Potato with Nourish Sun-dried Tomato Hummus. I would never have thought to put hummus on a sweet potato, but this works nicely. The sweet and savoury balance each other out. I’ll carry on this combo at home for sure. (£4.45)

4.     Brazilian Beans – black beans, butternut squash, red pepper, red onion and okra cooked with chilli, garlic and spices. Ingredients you don’t buy everyday – black beans and okra – make for an exotic dish. (£4.45)

5.     Coconut Lentil Curry – coconut milk, red lentils, chickpeas and sweet potato with Nourish Thai paste, garam masala and lime. A lovely mild curry – it’s rare I cook with lentils so I always enjoy ordering them out, when someone’s cooking for me. (£4.45)

6.     Chocolate Avocado Mousse. Interesting! Not as sweet as a chocolate mousse or as savoury as an avocado. A refreshing flavour somewhere in between. Do try this if you get the chance – it’s hard to describe. (£2.95)

7.     Nourish Acai Berry Mix. A pink fruity, flavoursome mix. Somewhere between a yoghurt and a smoothie in texture. Tasting summery! (£4.45 in a breakfast bowl with fruits).

8.     Sweet Potato Brownies. Yummy, dense and chocolatey. No hint of the vegetable in your cake. Definitely taste like a treat, instead of a healthy option. But, healthy they are! With only 174 calories per pot, these brownies are a light pud. (£2.95)

And 8 items from the menu that I’d like to try when I visit Nourish again:

1.     Porridge with Nourish Chia Jam – I haven’t tried a chia jam before but I am a lover of a jammy bowl of porridge. (£2.45)

2.     Avocado, Tomato & Sumac Bagel – I googled and sumac is a tangy, lemony spice… I’m intrigued! (£2.95)

3.     Sweet Potato Pancakes with Vanilla Protein Yoghurt – I haven’t tried a pancake made from sweet potato before and wouldn’t normally serve pancakes with yoghurt, so this sounds interesting. (£4.45)

4.     Supergreens & Kimchi Wrap – will the sour kimchi work when it isn’t offset by sweet potato, like when I tried it at the launch event? I wonder! (£3.65)

5.     Baked Sweet Potato with Feta Cheese & Kale Pesto – I like pesto and remain quite unsure about kale. Can kale pesto work? Is it good?? (£4.95)

6.     Baked Sweet Potato with Chipotle Beans & Mozzarella – Nourish slow bake their beans and this topping is served hot. Lovely on a cold day, I imagine. (£4.95)

7.     Espresso shake – a coffee milkshake… what might this be like? I love a frappuccino on a hot day and wonder if this is similar. (£3.45)

8.     Blueberry cheesecake – if Nourish can make a healthy version of one of my favourite desserts, and it tastes good, then I’m going to be visiting A LOT. (£2.75)

DO follow this recipe - BE a super chef - HAVE Pasta Primavera!

Recipe of the week...
... Pasta Primavera

Ingredients: A small knob of unsalted butter, 1 garlic clove, 60g asparagus tips, 100g peas (tinned or fresh), 100g frozen soya beans (or – if you can’t get hold of any – tinned butter beans), 100g baby spinach, 100g pasta, ½ a lemon, a large handful of fresh spring herbs (e.g. mint, basil, dill, parsley), salt and ground black pepper. Plus, to serve, a small handful of hazelnuts, grated parmesan / hard cheese, and olive oil for drizzling.

Time taken: Half an hour or so.

Serves: One decent portion.

Hi readers,

How are we all today? Are you doing okay?? I hope everyone is hanging in there post-heatwave! I have been loving the sunshine. Hasn’t it been great? I’ve been sat in the beer garden, and lounging in the park. I went on a picnic, and bought new sunglasses. I’ve even picked up a bit of colour! Only on one or two body parts, but still. We’ve stocked the freezer at work with ice lollies, and had some work done on the office so the windows NOW OPEN – hallelujah!

How about you, readers? Have you been making the most of the wonderful weather? Barbecuing, maybe, or taking a trip to the seaside? Re-familiarising yourself with your ice cream van’s selection and its route around the neighbourhood! Whatever you’ve got up to, readers, I hope the sunny weather’s cheered you up nicely. And let’s hope we get some more of it – eh! TOUCH WOOD… a sunny summer would be cracking.

I was reading an article on Medium just now – ‘35 Things You Need to Give Up to be Successful’, by Benjamin P. Hardy (which you can find here). Having failed my driving test this week, readers, I lingered over the ‘Pursuing “Happiness”’ section of this article. It’s not that I’m an unhappy person, generally. But failing my driving test hasn’t exactly brought great joy to my week. It was a stand out unhappy incident. It sucked. But here’s what the article says…

So, naturally, I read and related this logic with my mission to pass the driving test. It’s so easy when you first look at this to think – and here’s exactly what I did think – yes, but I need to HAVE a driving license in order to DO what I want which is drive to work and BE a driver who doesn’t waste hours commuting, on foot and on bloody public transport. And, indeed, that is true.

But, on the flip hand. If I just could BE a good listener then what I could DO is listen out for great driving tips from friends, family and colleagues, and before I know it I’ll HAVE a driving license on the back of all their good advice. That’s better than letting everyone’s well-meaning advice irritate me and fielding off their tips ninja-style like they’re bullets.

If I could try and BE cool as a cucumber then what I could DO is manoeuvre well on the day, staying calm under pressure and getting it right first time, and then it’s certain I’ll HAVE a driving license as – fact – I can drive fine when I’m not battling nerves. That’s better than letting my failure the first time put added pressure on my second attempt. And, thus, fucking up another manoeuvre.

If I could suck it up and BE confident then what I could DO is take my friend up on her offer to take me out in her car and practice the dreaded bay park, and then I’ll HAVE a driving license as I won’t fail on a bodged attempt at parking in the last minute of the test this time. That’s better than turning down her offer as I’m too worried I might bump her car. Even though I might.

If I could endeavour to BE enquiring and interested in other people, then what I could DO is ask friends/family member/colleague all about their car and its pros and cons, grill them for info on everything they’ve discovered while driving it, and then if I do this loads I’ll HAVE an arsenal of car knowledge ready to go once there’s a driving license in my hand. That’s better than passing and realising I know nothing about getting set up with a car. Zilch. Nada.

Plus, if I could bear down, brave it and BE a responsible credit card user then what I could DO is build a solid credit rating, and then I’ll HAVE a decent credit score and I’ll be able to get a car, as people will trust that I’m able to pay it back. That’s better than steering clear of credit cards or getting one and going on a spree setting up a fabulous summer wardrobe. Then, languishing in bad credit or just none at all. Can’t be doing with that.

Fear not – I’ll stop now – but isn’t all of that clearly way more useful than wanting to be a person that has a driving license? I’m getting bored of being a person that wants to have a driving license, jealously watching people hop in their cars and speed away. Is BORING. There’s nothing I can do to get a driving license for another four weeks, until test number two, and so it’s a waste of time obsessively wanting one. Until mid-July, it isn’t achievable and isn’t a good use of my time.

What I CAN do in the next few weeks is work towards being a good listener, cool as a cucumber, confident and brave, enquiring and interested. A far better use of my time, no? And achievable. I’m thinking that I’ll be a far happier person over the next four weeks, for sure, if I focus my energies away from wanting to HAVE a driving license. The article has it right.

Give this logic a think, readers. I’m sure it applies to you, one way or another. Can you see how? Can you see how you’re applying a very definite have-do-be logic in one area of your life? Waiting until you have new clothes to be well dressed? Waiting until you have a promotion to be more professional? Waiting until you have a ring on your finger, to be with someone for better or for worse?

What about what you could have, what is within your grasp, if you were just to be and do? So much, I’m sure. So so much. Things are there for the taking! If you can just make it happen. And it won’t, it will not happen, readers, if you use all your time up wanting to have these things. Tis a poor use of your time and a poor use of mine, too. So.. let’s not! Let’s cut that out, RIGHT NOW.

Instead, let’s apply some of Benjamin P. Hardy’s wonderful logic to turn things on their head, readers. And also… let’s cook some great food! Whooo! We love the great food, don’t we! That’s for sure. And, even though we’ve technically sizzled into Summer this week, they’re still selling asparagus at the shops and I think this calls for one last asparagus-inspired Spring recipe.

My recipe of the week, this week, is one for Pasta Primavera – ‘primavera’ meaning Spring! The recipe comes from the BBC Good Food website (you can read the original here) and is a created by celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, from Sunday Brunch. One of my favourite stars of Sunday morning television, there’s nothing Simon Rimmer can’t knock together live on TV in about five minutes flat, to the delight of his guest celebrities. 

He really IS cool as a cucumber, this guy, and here's the recipe in just 15 simple steps…

Recipe: Pasta Primavera

1.     Pour yourself a chilled drink, throw the windows open, and set some summery music playing.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: This week I’ve been tapping my toe to ‘HAIM – Want You Back’. It’s a real summery song, great for singing along.

2.     Fill the kettle and set the oven heating to 180C. Tip your pasta into a small saucepan.

3.     Chop your hazelnuts up into pieces and pop onto a baking tray or in a small ovenproof dish.

4.     Once the kettle boils, fill your pasta pan with water and set boiling for ten minutes. Safely transport your hazelnuts into the oven to toast for ten minutes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: For my pasta, I used an organic spinach trottole that I found in Aldi. Most tasty. You can sub this for any pasta you like, though, anything your heart desires!

5.     While you have ten minutes to kill, you can get some prep done! Use this time to: chop your fresh herbs, defrost your soya beans (if using) in the microwave, drain your tinned peas (and butterbeans, if using), crush your clove of garlic, grate the zest of your half lemon into a bowl, and then squeeze the lemon juice into a second bowl.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Keep an eye on your nuts to make sure they don’t burn in the oven!

6.     Once your ten minutes are up, remove your toasted nuts from the oven and turn this off. Set the nuts aside to cool. Remove your pasta from the heat and turn this off. Reserve a few tablespoons of the cooking water in a mug and then drain your cooked pasta.

7.     Now it’s time to prepare the asparagus. Get the kettle boiling again and rinse out your saucepan. Cut your asparagus into bite-sized pieces and add to the saucepan, along with a teaspoon of salt.

8.     Once the kettle boils, fill your pan with water and set boiling for 3 minutes.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: You have 3 minutes to whizz around setting the table and topping up your drink… go go go!

9.     Test an asparagus spear for doneness - it should still be crispy, not limp. If this is the case, drain your pan and refill with cold water. Chuck in a handful of ice cubes – this is a cooking technique called blanching and it’s designed to shock your asparagus! Why?

10.  As your asparagus cools, heat the butter in a frying pan or wok. Add the garlic and fry for one minute.

11.  Drain your asparagus and add to the pan, along with the peas, soya/butter beans and spinach leaves. Stir fry for a couple of minutes, until the spinach has wilted slightly.

ChefBeHere Top Tip: Now would be a good time to stick a plate in the microwave to warm for a couple of minutes.

12.  Add the cooked pasta and a little of the cooking water to the pan and stir to combine.

13.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest and the fresh herbs and season, to taste, with salt and ground black pepper.

14.  Once heated through and well mixed, remove from the heat and plate up your pasta.

15.  Sprinkle over the hazelnuts and parmesan, and drizzle with olive oil. You can tuck in!

What a plateful!

And that’s all there is to it, readers! What do you make of this recipe? And of pasta primevara?? I thought this was a really tasty tea! I know this is something I say ALL THE TIME but when you make the effort to properly use herbs and seasoning and whatnot, instead of reaching for a shop bought sauce, food does taste loads better.

This recipe required more effort than I’d normally put in on a weekday night – grating and crushing and blanching – but it was all worth it when I sat down with a big plateful of tasty, green goodness. Can I tempt you, readers? Might you give this past a try? If you do – please let me know how you get on! IS the recipe easy to follow? Does everything go to plan in the kitchen? Do you like the food? Let me know! As ever, readers, all feedback is WELCOMED.

Take care of yourselves on these bright summer nights, readers, and remember… do-be-have.  Not 'do behave'. Never behave, readers. But do-be-have.

Blanch safely,

Hayley