Vegetarian Restaurant Review – Terre a Terre, Brighton UK
For me this is the one vegetarian restaurant that all others are compared to. This is one of the best restaurant’s in the south east of England, even when judged on the quality of food alone and not in comparison with only other vegetarian restaurants. A Brighton staple for more than ten years now and the place that broke the old template of scruffy fair-trade veggie restaurants, Terre a Terre is an elegant, exciting (and expensive) veggie restaurant that puts the others to shame. For special occasions in Brighton there is nowhere else to go.
The food is imaginative and creative and the dishes have names that you will never have heard anywhere else. There are a few staples – the rosti is one that they wouldn’t dare remove, so beloved is it by the regulars, but on the whole they change the menus regularly to keep things fresh and surprising. In addition there is a well thought out wine list of vegetarian wines and local wines that complement the food very well. Last time I was there I kept away from my beloved rosti and tried a starter of liquorice and fennel soup, followed by a port pie with cranberry cabbage and chargrilled mushrooms. Unbelievable taste sensations! My companion tried the grilled hallumi tandoori kebabs and was equally effusive and delighted.
If you want to try a few of the dishes you can share the terre a tapas with your fellow diners – a great way to sample some of the incredible variety that is on offer. But whatever you do, save room for the legendary deserts. My personal favourite was the doughnuts served with chocolate dipping sauce and some vodka soaked cherries. Also recommended are the sweet boiled egg and chunky pineapple soldiers.
You’ll need to book ahead in the evenings and a long way ahead for weekends. Save some room for their chocolate truffles when you leave. Not to be missed.
Alex is a financial blogger and writer and a vegetarian. He loves writing about vegetarian food and green issues although he spends most of his time writing about finance and business from mortgages to taxes to payday loans .
Ways to Green Your Office
Our world is slowly turning green, eco “green” that is. Many companies and consumers are learning that we need to protect our world in order to preserve it. Enjoying an eco-friendly lifestyle should reflect in all areas of your life, including your workspace. If you are interested in making the world more eco-friendly then you have probably already taken specific measures at home, but have you taken these precautions at work as well? On average, people spend around 90% of their lives indoors, and most of this is spent at a desk or in a workplace.
There are several ways to turn your business or office “green”. You may not be aware that there are very easy ways to start right now, without much preparation. If there is a computer where you work, then you know how valuable it can be. However, it has been estimated that people spend over $1 billion in electricity each year on the computer. To help conserve the computer energy, try investing in an energy saving computer, printer, and monitor.
You can also switch your computer settings so that they are more energy efficient. Many people have the habit of leaving their computer on when they leave the room. Instead of doing this, put your computer in “sleep mode”. Be aware though, that even if your computer switches to sleep mode, you are still running power to the unit. If you are leaving for the day, power-down your computer and monitor completely, and unplug them. Printers and other electronics should be unplugged at the end of the day as well (and unplug those cell phone chargers when they arent in use.)
Try using less paper while you are in the office. It is not always necessary to print out every email or memo. Instead, keep the files on your computer so that you will have a reference. Also, avoid having catalogues or magazines sent to the office. This will cut down on paper waste. Instead, make your office supply orders online. Having a paycheck in your hand can be nice, but you will save more paper by having it directly deposited into your account. Most everyone has email these days, so email your colleagues or employees instead of sending out newsletters on paper.
Of course, you can’t cut out all paper usage, so buy recycled paper and paper that is chlorine-free. You can also buy organic products that are made of bamboo, cotton, and hemp. The other side of the piece of paper rarely gets used. Why waste it when you can simply print on that side as well? If your business relies on packing and shipping, then shred all of your old paper and use it as packing material. Also, any paper that you have not used both sides of, you can cut it up in note card size sheets and use it for note taking.
If your office has a coffee station, eliminate paper cups and invest in some ceramic mugs that are reusable. Or require that everyone supply their own mug. Paper cups should be on hand only for visitors or clients. Similarly, supply real spoons instead of plastic spoons and stirrers. Another quick change for the breakroom is to install water filters on the taps and encourage your office staff to drink tap water, rather than bottled water.
Recycling is the most obvious way of going “green” in the office. Set up a recycle bin in the office for copy paper, envelopes, and magazines. Encourage all of your employees to place everything in the correct bin. Save all cardboard boxes that come in the mail, and then reuse them for outbound shipments. Ink cartridges are also a great item to recycle. You can either send it off to a recycling company or you can take it to a specialty shop where they will refill the cartridge for you. It is also very costly to buy a new cartridge, so having it refilled will save you money and help the environment.
