Meet the owners

Meet Rosheen

Crowned the UK’s ‘best vegan-friendly restaurant’ and proudly net zero, Stem & Glory is a trailblazer for plant based, sustainable eating. Velvet talks innovative dishes and green ambition with Business Development & Sustainability Officer Rosheen Toner.

Congratulations on winning Best Vegan Friendly Restaurant in the UK!

Thank you! We felt honoured just to be nominated, so when we won, it was a really amazing shock. It felt like a pat on the back for all our hard work.

For those that haven’t visited, what does Stem & Glory offer?

Our menu offers whole foods, clean eating, and sustainable dishes, full of vibrant colours, and packed with flavours, so they look beautiful as well as being healthy and protein-rich. Unlike a few other vegan
restaurants, we don’t rely on faux meat, so a lot of work goes into creating the flavours. We bring in seasonal specials too, so for autumn we make delicious soups from pumpkin and squashes with a
nice hunk of bread.

What are some of your bestselling dishes?

Definitely our golden hummus, made from locally sourced golden peas, which is infused with turmeric and served with house made pickles and crudities. It comes with a mint dressing and our legendary multiseed crackers, which everyone loves! The swede gnocchi, with roasted chestnut mushrooms and spinach, served in ‘gorgonzola cream’ is incredibly popular. It comes with spiced walnuts, for crunch,
and a really beautiful glazed balsamic dressing, topped with spiralised carrot curls and our own micro sage which we grow in the restaurant. We tried to take it off the menu, to switch things up, but the customers were upset so we brought it back!

What’s the bestselling dessert?

That’s got to be the chocolate torte which is made with avocado, hazelnut and raw cacao, and comes with
a delicious orange coulis. We’ve also got an amazing raspberry cheesecake which is raw rather than baked. It has a crunchy base made with dates and nuts, is covered in fresh berries and has a really beautiful sweet coulis on it. It’s the perfect palate cleanser!

Can you explain how you’ve achieved carbon neutral status?

We achieved carbon neutral status in February this year. We worked with the Sustainable Restaurant Association, and had to input details of every single item we’d ever bought, from loo roll to pencils, plus all the staff travel. That data went to Net Zero Now who analysed it, then we went to Climate Partner to purchase our carbon offsets. With the offsets we currently support a project in Uruguay called Biochar, which supports farmers in third world countries to make their processes more sustainable. We also use 100 per cent renewable electricity, and don’t use gas in any of our restaurants, plus we take part in reusable cup and lunch box schemes, and work with suppliers on re-useable containers.

Do you have a Christmas menu?

Yes, it’s going to be delicious! We’ve got a lovely starter of sourdough topped with horseradish cream, and hot beetroot smoked ‘Zalmon’. Our Christmas dinner is a rosemary and orange ‘Tofurkey’, stuffed with yellow pea, chestnuts and cranberries, and served alongside wild thyme roast potatoes, maple smoked carrots and parsnips, greens and a rich smoked red wine gravy. There’ll also be our homemade
mince pies, which taste amazing.

What’s next for Stem & Glory?

We’re looking at the next few premises we’d like to open, and our catering offering is growing fast. We offer various menu options including canapes, street food, buffet and a la carte, and have had over 20 wedding enquiries for next year already from all over the UK. We are also looking into getting an all electric vegan food van too. Early next year, our DIY meal kits, which really took off in lockdown, will be launched into supermarkets, which is very exciting!

MEET THE OWNER

Just crowned Hospitality Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2022 Food Drink & Heroes Awards, Louise Palmer-Masterton has been flying the flag for plant-based eating since launching Stem & Glory in 2016, within Camyoga. The business had a rapid growth trajectory, in line with an exponential shift towards ethical living, opening a second premises in King Street, followed by a restaurant in London’s Bart’s Square in 2019. Stem & Glory’s flagship premises in CB1 opened in summer 2021, and the team has just launched a second London premises in Broadgate Circle this November.

Stem & Glory is at 50-60 Station Road, Cambridge. Visit stemandglory.uk

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