Vegan Comfort Food at The Ship Inn, Ouseburn

The number one thing I find the hardest about eating plant based is finding varied places to go to eat out. After all, a girl can only eat so many veggie burgers. I mentioned in my review of Grumpy Panda that while more and more franchises are adopting vegan options on their menus, independent restaurants often still have the edge.

From what I’ve heard when discussing it, I think a lot of people might have the idea that Newcastle isn’t a particularly vegan-friendly city but this couldn’t be more wrong.

It might not be Brighton standard yet but it’s trying its best and there are so many places that are listening to their vegan and veggie customers and realising that there’s a whole market out there that a lot of people continue not to cater for.

I pass by a food truck that offered veggie and vegan breakfasts alongside its full English  on my way to work and there’s even a small, family-run restaurant in my seaside town that offers vegan options throughout the week and a vegan nut roast on a Sunday, complete with Yorkshire puddings. It’s definitely getting better.

One of the first places I visited in Newcastle with a full vegan menu is The Ship Inn at Ouseburn. It’s a completely vegan pub and they had a completely new kitchen fitted when the new owners took over, so no animal products have ever been in the same space your food is being prepared.  

I think the only exception is that not all of their alcohol is vegan but I'm sure the staff would be more than happy to help you out and point you in the direction of a vegan brand if you ask them.

I’ve been to The Ship Inn a few different times now and I’m guilty of ordering the same thing every time – the pie. Since giving up dairy, pastry is one of the things I’ve missed the most so anytime I see any vegan pastry option I find it really difficult not to get it. 

Luckily, their menu changes with the seasons and I think they often change their ingredients from week to week so even though every time I’ve been there I’ve ordered the pie, I’ve never had the same one twice. It's served with seasonal veg, crushed potatoes and gravy and really, you can’t go wrong with that.

On this occasion the friend I was with got the tofu fish and chips which I believe are always on the menu and the tofu is wrapped in seaweed before it is battered. He was kind enough to let me try some of it and although he wasn't a massive fan of the seaweed, personally I think it adds to the taste. 

I’m not sure I’d be convinced enough to order it next time I went because, as I've already mentioned, I really love the pie and I have a horrible habit of finding one thing I like at a restaurant and then never ordering anything else. They also usually have a range of vegan sweets but the food is so filling that I haven’t managed to order a dessert anytime that I’ve been yet.

The fact that The Ship Inn is in Ouseburn is just an added bonus. It’s a gorgeous area and such a nice place to have a wander round after you’ve eaten. We ended up going to the Tyne Bar for a few drinks afterwards and even with the cold weather, the heaters mean it’s still a lovely place to sit outside and catch up with friends at.

I’ve been to The Ship Inn with people who eat meat and people who don’t eat meat and no one has ever had any complaints. Quite like Grumpy Panda, it’s the perfect place to go if you’re looking for somewhere that will suit everyone – there’s a variety of options for the people who eat plant based and there’s enough familiar foods on the menu so that meat eaters won’t feel like they’re out of their comfort zone.

My only recommendation would be that if you’re planning on going on a Sunday or a time you think it might be busy then either arrive early or ring up to book in advance. The place gets so crowded and deservedly so and with the weather getting colder and more miserable, you don’t want sitting outside to be your only option.

Would you go to an all vegan pub?