I spend a fair amount of time at The Retreat New Forest, between yoga with Melissa and my very favourite café, Crow Spotter. And as a food writer, I pride myself on trying out new and pioneering places (all paid for, not through PR agencies). So it was getting more and more embarrassing that I’d never been to OFFBEET, the on-site vegan restaurant that opened back in September 2021. I’m happy to say that last week I put that right.

The restaurant has a modern hotel vibe, with a smart bar area and comfy chairs by the fire. The dried flower arrangements on the tables and giant plants bring the outside in, and I love the vaulted ceiling with fairy lights twinkling around the beams. The setting made it easy to feel calm.

What the staff lacked in experience, they made up for in effort and friendliness. We were very well looked after. They have sourced a good (vegan) wine list, plenty of low and alcohol-free options, plus their noteworthy cocktails (which sadly I didn’t try on this occasion…next time)!

Founder and Head Chef Peter Axworthy clearly has incredibly high aspirations. He is pushing the boundaries of plant-based cuisine, mixing classic techniques with modern twists such as gels, foams and nitrogen. A lot of the produce comes from their kitchen garden or is grown in hydroponic systems. Every single one of the elements that goes into each dish is made in-house - and that’s no mean feat.

When creating a new dish we start with a basic concept and from here we add layers of flavours and textures. Some elements are classic, some modern, there are no rules that can’t be broken as far as we are concerned.

The current menu consisted of five starters, four mains and two desserts. Everything is plant-based and much of the menu is gluten-free too.

To begin, I chose the moussaka ravioli which was a work of art. A fresh raviolo sat atop a garlic and cream dauphinoise potato with a lemon zest velouté. The number of elements that made up the dish was quite mind-blowing - from the perfectly spiced aubergine filling, the zesty velouté and parsley oil to an olive crumb and the most delicate mint butterfly tuile. The fact that all these flavours and textures work individually and together is nothing short of magic.

For main, I chose the Thai ‘fish’ cake, made from potato, seaweed and chickpeas served with coconut rice in a red curry broth. The flavours were incredible, with little zings of freshness from the lemongrass, cucumber, coriander and ginger. The Thai spiced meringue and Sriracha tapioca cracker elevated the dish to taste sensation level. I actually uttered the words “this is the best Thai fish cake I’ve ever eaten” - and considering it didn’t even contain fish, that’s a pretty great endorsement!

For dessert I had ‘A Gift of Chocolate.’ It was served with a bubbling pot of chocolate and hazelnut table mist, for a full theatrical showstopper moment. The dish was made up of beetroot truffle brownie, chocolate ice-cream, tapioca fritter with orange blossom glaze, chocolate orange soil and a salted caramel powder. Although it was my least favourite of the three courses, my plate was pretty much licked clean. And perhaps my expectations were just too high by this point?!

I’m glad that OFFBEET lived up to all the hype. It really is a special place and was worth the wait. Get in quick, because I don’t think a Michelin star is far out of reach.

offbeetfood.com