Just as they had established their reputation as one of West End’s popular new vegan restaurants, Cinnamon and Co on Hardgrave Road took a huge blow when a fire brought the business to a sudden close in August 2022.
“An electrical fire that started inside of the floor between levels. The fire itself didn’t spread too far (thank god for hardwood) but smoked away for hours in the night before it was discovered by a delivery driver. The main damage came from all the heat and smoke damage,” said Tasia Amber, the owner and chef at Vegan Restaurant in West End called Cinnamon and Co.
The team has put in a tremendous effort to get up and running again.
“It has been huge! We never thought it would take so long…”
The insurance covered most of the work, but the team has taken the time to work on their new bar and courtyard.
“Last year we ran a fundraiser to help cover and support anything not covered by the insurance. We are so lucky the building owner has been wonderfully supportive and our customers are messaging us every week asking when we are back!”
Tasia said they are a tight-knit crew that has been working together for years.
“We started working together in my food truck, Wild Spice Kitchen, and when we opened Cinnamon, they all came with me.
“We are a motley hospo crew that has all been working in the industry for 10 -20 years.”
Tasia has worked in commercial kitchens for over 20 years, turning her talents to fine dining, cafes and bistros. Aden, referred to by Tasia as “the front-of-house alchemist”, is in charge of coffee, homemade chai, and Cinnamon’s brand-new cocktail list.
“We also have seasoned servers Ebony and Nikita looking after front of house and chef’s Topher and Tumii in the kitchen. We aim to create a welcoming space that feels like visiting a friend – you know that one friend that makes really good food,” Tasia said.
The restaurant focuses on vegan food that celebrates fresh produce, nuts, grains and herbs. Tasia thinks the demand for vegan food is growing globally.
“A few years ago vegan food consumption in the UK increased by 200%. I think the change is driven by a combination of things, from health, to environmental reasons. Also, the increase in tasty vegan places to eat sure helps.”
The Brunch menu includes the ‘Bilbo’ tofu scramble, hash browns, sourdough toast, mushrooms, roast tomato, aioli, hummus, with avocado, and the ‘Julius Burger’, a house-made chickpea schnitzel, Calabrian chilli aioli, cheese, tomato, cos lettuce on a sesame bun. And the dinner menu has a range of vegan takes on traditional Italian fare.
Cinnamon and Co will hold a re-opening event on the evening of Friday, 31 March.
“We only have four tickets left, and then we will be open for regular service from Saturday 1 April.”
You can see the menus on Instragram
All images supplied.
