The Whole Vegetable Supper Club - review

Sophie Gordon’s food is plant-based and sustainable, and anchored by the primacy of environmental protection and wellness.

But don’t let all that decency make you think you’re not in for treat.

She recently published her debut cookbook The Whole Vegetable, has settled in Brighton and brought her successful supper club from south-east London to BN2.

The Whole Vegetable Supper Club is now hosted monthly at Cafe Rust in Kemptown, an unpretentious and quietly stylish venue which is perfect for an evening of fab creative food without too much fuss or fancy processes.

Singer and guitarist Chelsey and Chris are as local as the food (the former from Brighton and the latter from a farm in Lewes) and provided a cheery musical introduction to the six-course event.

Your reviewer is an unreconstructed and rapidly crumbling carnivore with a near-neanderthal diet (but with far fewer berries) and at every turn found the food to be inventive, impressive. and, whisper it, fairly inspirational. A sour-bread bruschetta with broad bean and courgette pesto was sparked into action with a flavour-bomb of a warming spice dukka and lemon zest.

We mixed a course of seasonal leaves and rhubarb vinaigrette, with charred leeks, a surprisingly strong honey mustard sauce and a nice bit of crunchy pistachio crumb.

There was more spice in the standout a dish of perfectly roasted harissa cauliflower on a thick layer of rich, nicely garlicky vegan alioli.

The creamy celery, chickpeas, garlic and parsley was the least moreish of the savoury dishes but still managed the distinction of making celery enjoyable.

A final sweet and slightly tart pudding of rhubarb and plums was crowned with a rather extraordinary whipped cashew cream, the umpteenth flavour/ingredient combination which gave food for thought in the best possible way.

After only five meetings in Sussex, Sophie’s supper club already has a growing following of Brighton and Hove acolytes, enjoying indulgent vegan food on a fuss-free Friday night.

For the latest breaking news where you live in Sussex, follow us on Twitter @Sussex_World and like us on Facebook @SussexWorldUK

SEE ALSO: Michelin award for Brighton restaurant Burnt Orange

Have you read?: Soho House to open a new private members’ club on Brighton seafront