Eating at Norwich Market: my top vegan food picks

***Food porn alert, may make you hungry***

Oh hi hi, how are we all? Welcome to my first ever food post. Eating is a highlight of my day (I mean that seriously) so I can’t quite believe it’s taken me this long to do one. Anyway, we’re here now, so I’ll get on with it.

Over the last few weeks the boyf and I have developed a bit of a Saturday routine. It involves a morning workout, a shower – obviously – a bit of pottering around the flat and putting washing on and all that boring stuff, and then heading out to Norwich Market for lunch. (Sorry, if you hadn’t guessed from the title this is a Norwich focused blog post, but even if you live nowhere near here you’re very welcome to stay to look at photos of food. I love looking at foodie images and reading menus so I think that’s a very reasonable thing to do. Or if you’re planning to ever visit this corner of the UK you might spot something you fancy.)

In all honesty before we started incorporating this into our routine I wouldn’t have thought to eat at Norwich Market at all. Probably my only memories of doing so prior to this involve being 14, out shopping with friends and getting chips from the market with loads of salt and vinegar. And probably almost an entire bottle of ketchup. Hashtag living the dream.

However, it seems that I’ve been living under a rock for all these years because it turns out there are LOADS of food stalls on Norwich Market, and some of them are pretty damn delicious. Here are my top three at the moment:

Sweet Beet Burger with Caulifire Bites, Bia Kitchen

Bia Kitchen – Row B, Stall 54/55

Ohhh, Bia Kitchen, how I love thee. Bia is a vegan diner with the most excellent menu. I’m currently vegan (I’ve got a post coming up on that soon, so won’t go into it now) but even if I wasn’t I would eat here all the time because it is so damn delicious. In fact, I went here with my whole work team one lunchtime and everyone loved it, so it’s definitely not just for those eating a plant-based diet.

Their menu includes the Sweet Beet Burger (it’s great), the Pulled Jack Bap (BBQ pulled jackfruit with red cabbage slaw in a garlic bun…be still my beating heart) and the seriously delicious caulifire bites – battered cauliflower with hot sauce. They have a few items (a spicy bean burrito, the pulled jackfruit, and a couple of others) which are available every day and then a changing specials menu which usually includes two or three others. And guys, guys, they do a vegan mac and cheese! That is next on my list for sure, it’s just that it’s one of the specials and I haven’t been when it’s been on yet. When I get my hands on it, you’d better believe it’ll be all over Instagram quicker than you can say carbs.

Price wise, eating on the market is great because you get food of the same (or higher!) quality you would get elsewhere for a lot less. Expect to pay around £4-£6 at Bia depending on what you have , plus £2 if you add the caulifire bites as a side (ALWAYS add the caulifire bites as a side).

Vegan Hoagie, Bia Kitchen

Pulled Jack Bap, Bia Kitchen

Mushroom Toastie, Bia Kitchen

Falafel and Friends – Row B, Stall 40/41

Now I haven’t branched out too far here, because Falafel and Friends is actually just opposite Bia Kitchen. So close in fact that I could probably stand in the middle of that row and touch both of their counters at the same time, but I’d look a bit strange if I did that, so I haven’t tried.

Anyway, this place is (as the name suggests) a falafel lover’s dream. Their menu is made up of falafel wraps, each one with different fillings – there’s sweet potato, halloumi, rocket & chargrilled veg and a couple of others. A few weeks ago I had the best MARMITE tofu wrap there. Please don’t switch off at the mention of tofu, because honestly this was so tasty. If you like marmite, that is. If not, maybe go for something else; it’s all great so it won’t matter too much.

Marmite Tofu Wrap, Falafel and Friends

Not everything here is vegan – as I said, there’s a halloumi and falafel wrap that I would have gone nuts for before I stopped eating animal products, and there are items involving dairy – but nearly all of them can be made vegan if that’s what you need by simply omitting the mayo or cheese. Yesterday I had their new Buffalo Falafel Wrap (falafel, houmous, salad, and vegetarian chicken), they just used sweet chilli sauce instead of sweet chilli mayo and we were sorted. Would definitely recommend that one too by the way.

It’s good value here as well, £3.50 – £4.50 for a wrap and then additional sides of cajun spiced potatoes, spicy rice balls, flatbread or lotus chips for a couple of quid extra.

Buffalo Falafel Wrap, Falafel and Friends

Kind Food – Row F, Stall 124/125

Okay so we’ve done lunches, but I couldn’t very well not include some form of cake could I?! Kind Food specialises in gluten and dairy free food, most specifically/importantly – CAKE. And tarts (lol). And cookies. Baked goods, essentially, and man oh man are they delicious. Every time I walk past I have to have a good old gawk at the selection because there are so many incredible looking things.

Vegan treats, Kind Food

Although it’s dairy-free they use eggs in some things so it isn’t entirely vegan, but they do have a very very good selection of vegan items. Those are the ones at the side of the stall, rather than the ones at the front where you order, incase you happen to be vegan, reading this, and want to take a little trip there (what are the chances?!). In terms of price you’re looking at £1 – £4 depending on which treat you select, so again it’s great value for money.

Vegan Bakewell Tarts, Kind Food

I’ve had the vegan brownie (oh god so good), the vegan bakewell (I was really happy to find this) and the vegan chocolate orange brownie. I’ve actually been eating the chocolate orange brownie while writing this, although – who am I kidding – I finished it around the same time that I finished the third sentence. That’s both a reflection of how great it was and a reflection of how much of a little piggy I am.

Chocolate Orange Brownie, Kind Food

And there we have it – my current Norwich Market food recommendations, especially if you’re vegan/veggie/dairy-free, but good food is good food so these are really just for anyone. Any suggestions for where I should try next? General vegan-friendly suggestions in Norwich would also be splendid!

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