one thing i always drool over when i go to the UK are the piping hot pasties being sold on every street corner. have you ever had a pasty before? it’s like a savory pie and a burrito got together and had a little flaky baby that you eat with your hands. they are super popular in england and usually consist of a stuff like meat, cheese, potatoes and vegetables all wrapped up in a pastry shell.
i’ve always wanted to try a real traditional english pasty, but unfortunately they aren’t very vegan-friendly. i resorted to making my own at home once, and i thought that’s the closest i would ever get to the real thing…until i found out about our cornish pasty shop in brighton. the traditional eatery sells pasties handmade in cornwall, and baked fresh throughout the day….plus, they have a huge vegan selection!!!
when we visited them recently, we ordered a vegan wholemeal pasty as well as a vegan sausage roll. both of them were awesome.
Vegan wholemeal: vegetables, pulses and lentils in a mild tomato and herb sauce, in a wholemeal vegan pastry. £3.15
the wholemeal pasty was huge, (that’s it at the very top of the post as well) enough to share between two people. it was a WHOLE MEAL. har har. it was filled up with scrumptious garden vegetables such as carrots, peas, corn and broccoli, and it was rounded out with some nice hearty lentils. the pastry case was flaky and delicious, not “vegan” tasting at all.
Vegan sausage roll: sage and onion stuffing with sundried tomato in a crispy vegan pastry. £2
the sausage roll was delicious as well, although it was a little dry because it had been sitting out for a while. the filling was absolutely perfect though, salty fake meat with sweet caramelized onion. after a few bites, i completely forgot about the dry crust.
it was great to eat this VEGAN meal sitting in a real, traditional pasty shop, looking out on a dreary england street scene. i never thought i’d see the day! i can’t wait to go back.
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10:18 am on November 14th, 2009
did you see the happy hour at 5pm? buy a pasty, get a pasty free?
12:10 pm on November 14th, 2009
this is sooo making me miss the Cornish Pasty Co in Phoenix. i can’t wait to get a Veggie Oggie when i go home…
7:59 pm on November 14th, 2009
OMG!!!
I have been without pasty for too long now. Growing up in Michigan they were pretty easy to find, but in LA it’s impossible. Although I did find a place in Los AL called the Pasty Kitchen.
Probably not vegan, but they do have vegetarian options! Sounds like a worthwhile trek…
12:17 pm on November 15th, 2009
Ah you all went to the one by the train station, there is another location on that fun vegan street with all the shops near Vegetarian Shoe Co.
11:26 pm on November 15th, 2009
Oooh, I’m trying to go to Brighton in March. I think I need a Pasty & a Sos Roll!
5:32 am on November 16th, 2009
The crust looks like shit. I would have been disappointed. The filling looks good,though.
9:13 am on November 16th, 2009
Drool.
This reminds me, I have two frozen curry pies in my freezer! Score!
I lived in the UK for four years, plus went there for study abroad, and I’ve *never* been to Brighton. For shame. (Do they have vegan sausage rolls???)
7:16 am on January 27th, 2010
I’m sorry Holly but the pastry is delicious, although i am not vegan i eat their vegan stuff as often as possible, and the deciding factor is the pastry, far superior to their carniverous counterparts.
The vegan stuff is actually made on the premises, so you can speak to the chef, who also serves when she isn’t baking.