EATING OUT: Is this the best vegetarian and vegan cafe in Sheffield?

The common misconception is that meals that contain no meat, fish, or dairy produce is boring and bland.It is a misconception that is being challenged by Sheffield entrepreneur Zora Hamaidia with her latest venture, Pom Kitchen.“I had a little interior design shop in Sharrow Vale and I realised there was nowhere to find vegetarian and vegan food,” says Zora.“I just wanted to open somewhere that creates nice, healthy food.”And the name Pom Kitchen?Zora explains.“The ethos is inspired by Australian cafe culture. “That means things like all day breakfasts and lots of colours on the plate. “This goes against the perception that vegetarian and vegan food is boring.”The cafe opened in April last year and since then Zora has been constantly tinkering with the menu. “In terms of the menu I just make things that I like myself. “There is always at least one hot dish on the menu and that is always vegan. “The toasted sandwiches are also really popular. It’s food I love making and I have lots of fun doing it. “I think vegetarian and vegan food is definitely losing its stigma. “More and more people are switching to that sort of diet and lifestyle.”Having been open for nearly a year now Zora says Pom Kitchen is building a loyal customer base.“We are busy a lot of the time and that really is a great compliment. “We have really loyal customers who come once or twice a day and we also get a lot of people who didn’t realise we were here and stumble upon us.”In recent weeks the cafe has started to open on Sundays and Zora says this is already starting to prove popular.“Sheffield has a growing Sunday brunch culture which is a really nice thing. “I have big ambitions for the future but at the moment I just want to focus on the Sharrow Vale cafe. “We have had some bistro nights which have sold out straight away and the plan is to do some more of these.”January, for many of us, often means detox from all the excesses of the festive period.This means less food, less alcohol and a generally healthier diet.But what if you want to eat out? How can you guarantee a meal out wont sabotage your health kick?This is the quandry myself and my partner were faced with earlier this month.Our solution? To look for a vegetarian/vegan eatery.A quick Google search later (other search engines are available) and we stumbled upon Sharrow Vale Road’s Pom Kitchen.It was a Sunday lunchtime and we arrived at the cafe bang on 12 noon.Interestingly, Pom Kitchen – which is situated amongst a long line of shops – was one of the only businesses open.We had expected that at that time on a Sunday just a week into the New Year that the cafe would be relatively quiet, maybe even too quiet.However, we were pleased to walk in to discover a number of other diners and thankfully an unoccupied table for two.Our first impressions of Pom Kitchen were that it was light, bright and thoughtfully laid out. Despite being quite a small space the tables and chairs were arranged in a way that it can accomodate around 20 people at a time but without it feeling too cramped.The cafe also has a number of plants dotted about which is a pleasant little touch.It has to be said that the menu at Pom isn’t large by any means but this isn’t unusual for a cafe of its size.There is however enough variety on offer with a mix of all day breakfasts, toasties and hot and cold dishes.Breakfasts start from simple eats such as granola (£6), Greek yoghurt with fruit (£5), vegan gluten free banana break (£4.50) and eggs and soldiers (£4.75) to more substantial eats such as the breakfast board (£8) and jaffles – an Australian take on the toasted sandwich – (priced from £6).I went for the hot vegan dish of the day – a Turkish bridal soup with spices, bulghur wheat and lentils (£7).The dish came with soudough toast and I added a small side fatoush salad (for an extra £1.50).The soup really did hit the spot. It was a fantastic, warming bowl of loveliness perfect for a cold winter’s day.I am a self-confessed carnivore but I must admit I was bowled over by this vegan delight.Tracy went for the breakfast bowl (£8) which comprised of avocado, chery tomatoes, grain, spinach, sourdough soldiers and poached egg.It was swiftly polished off and got Tracy’s seal of approval.We finished our meal with some great coffee and the whole lot came in for less than £20.By the time we’d finished Pom Kitchen was full but throughout the service was first rate, friendly efficent and the atmosphere relaxed and ambient.

* Pom Kitchen, 388 Sharrow Vale Road.