I’m sure you all feel the same way as me. When you are vegan, have a dairy allergy, wheat/gluten intolerant etc etc you hear from all your mates about the wonder of this delicious looking and smelling thing called Pizza. The thing you are not allowed to ingest for many reasons. And has got to be one of the worst things you crave when you have eating issues right? It certainly did for me when I found out I was allergic to dairy when I was 12. When you have something then it’s taken away from you. I would never have dairy now anyway, but that time, school dinners of Pizza and Chips looked so appealing.
So for many years after, I had to accept that I would never have Pizza again. And being Pizza free had become a way of life. I had never given this much thought until I went to New York for the first time, which was my goal after being Cancer free back in the summer of 2010.
In my research of places to eat, which is standard for anyone with dietary requirements, I found Vinnie’s Pizza in Brooklyn which did VEGAN PIZZA! This was my first time tasting such a thing and this is where my obsession and desire for Pizza began again after being deprived of it for so many years. I swear after that night I thought about the massive Pizza I shared with my friend there, every day! This Pizza was so huge, we couldn’t’ finish it between the two of us so took back to the apartment for breakfast the next day!
On my return from New York, and still thinking about Pizza, I was determined to find somewhere in England where I could taste something like I had that night in Brooklyn. And the on the 2nd September 2010 (I don’t know how I remember these things. But when food is involved you know….) I travelled up to Leeds to the Grove Café with one my best friends to try the Soya Delight, which was an absolute massive delight with some Garlic Supreme bread. It is well worth a visit if you are in Yorkshire, as not only to they do curries but a huge of range other Vegan Pizzas from the Soya Delight to the Ammazoni to the Foragers Favourite. The main draw, being vegan was certainly the Pizzas as they included Vegan Cheese so you don’t have to request a sub standard “Pizza without cheese” when you go to other outlets. I visited here about 3-4 times per year back then as the food was so delicious and the owners so hilarious.
When I was getting my head around that, BOOM Wheat Intolerance struck so had to step up the search further. And that’s where PIZZA GOALS has begun. Of course I have all the usual life goals like nice house, car, job yadayadayda… but now added to that list is to find THE BEST VEGAN AND WHEAT FREE IN THE WORLD! It’s going to happen. Right here on this blog!
Let’s get this party started with the first one..
Stingray Café
135 Fortress Road
Tufnell Park
London
http://www.stingraycafe.co.uk/
You want Gluten free Italian and Mediterranean in London? You got it all right here! They have a passion for this sort of thing and it’s evident all over the website and menu. Pizza, Pasta and even desserts! That Vegan Mango sorbet will be mine one day! I didn’t know that a traditional Pizza is 14 inches so when my Pizza arrived, I had a MASSIVE SHOCK. Vegetariana was crunchy, dense and fillings with my taste buds experiencing crazy things. Even with an added £2 for a gluten free base, I felt the total cost was a very reasonable price for a Pizza of this size. I really loved the friendly and relaxed nature of the staff at Stingray who were very accommodating to me. As it was cheeseless, they very kindly swapped the 2 cheeses for different toppings for no extra cost; Spinach and Mushrooms It was great to have soya milk for my brew even! Make sure you pick up a loyalty card when you visit and check out the vast number of special offers Stingray run during the week.
the saintly poppadom 