Raw & Roxy
‘The concept is to make eating raw vegan easy, accessible and approachable.’
Raw & Roxy is a new little hole-in-the-wall vegan eatery tucked away in Woodies, run by the fabulous Beatrice. Blink and you’ll miss it though, it’s in a walk through of little stores and eateries in the Woodstock co-op, just before the Biscuit Mill – and the only hint of its existence is a little chalkboard sign on the road outside.
The simple interior with wooden tables and a mix of dark grey walls, distressed painted brick and hand-written chalkboards is far from what you would expect a vegan establishment to look like. A wooden bar that seats four or so people runs along the food prep area and there are three beautiful tables offering communal seating for diners wishing to eat-in. It looks slick, chic and what is lacking in major décor, is made up for by Beatrice’s dazzling personality. You feel as though you have stepped right into her home kitchen, and that’s what she wanted. The concept is to make eating vegan easy, accessible and approachable.
There are a variety of items on offer, all freshly prepared right in front of your eyes. From juices and smoothies to hot tonics, Thai curry, lasagne, vegan ‘pasta’ and sweet treats that will convince you that ordinary desserts will just never cut it again.
Beatrice wowed us with her amazing ‘tonic’ and told us “It’s so full of superfoods, you’ll fly out there for the rest of the day”. And let me tell you, after avoiding sugar and sweets for months, this cup of warm, chocolatey, spicy love was too good to be true. We followed that with the ‘lemon ginger blast’, a fresh juice with ginger, celery, cucumber, lemon, spinach, kale & apple, while we waited for our tasting plates to be made up. If you are undecided, try the tasting plate, it’s a small portion of everything on the menu – because trust me, you don’t want to miss a thing. The raw lasagne was truly something to write about. Layers of green pesto, tomato and a magical macadamia nut butter that is better than any béchamel I have ever tasted, laced with raw zucchini strips. The flavours that are packed into such simple ingredients are something to be in awe of; simple cooking with a gourmet twist that takes a lot of effort and love to prepare.
To end off our meal we sampled the sweet goodies that were available on that day. A ‘powerball’ made with spirulina, hemp and dates, a peppermint ‘oreo’ and an avocado chocolate ganache slice that was my own personal heaven – smooth, creamy and chocolatey, with a nutty crunch. These treats are so decadent that it is hard to believe that you aren’t eating anything you should feel guilty about. I don’t think I will ever be able to look at an ordinary dessert in the same way again – Raw & Roxy has officially spoiled me.
Beatrice’s ultimate goal is to break the stigma attached to vegan eating. She wants to prove that not only can it be incredibly tasty, but that it also doesn’t need to look like a place run by hippies. Raw & Roxy now has a stand at the Biscuit Mill on a Saturday, so if you can’t make it during the week, get down there and sample the kale chips or a sweet treat. You won’t be sorry.
This kind of fresh fare does take time to prepare, so if you’re in a hurry she recommends that you call ahead and place your order. It will be ready for you by the time you arrive. If you have a little time to spare, pop in and have a chat. Beatrice is a wealth of knowledge, advice and stories. She loves to share and exchange ideas about the journey that she has embarked on to health and happiness, and it’s inspiring to listen.
Raw vegan food fare like you have never seen before!
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