Getting back to macaroni and jam, that isn't really that different to the rice pudding/tapioca/semolina and jam puds I was served in my school (then Kidbrooke Comprehensive) in the 70s. I admit however that macaroni pudding was more common: pasta boiled in milk, to which you could add jam if you fancied it.
Haha, yes, Stanley Green. I wonder if there's a thread to be traced from the Alpha and other first-wave veggie restaurants to his own campaign. Then again, he advocated 'no beans' as well as 'no meat', so he'd be poorly served at the Alpha (had it still been open).
Very interesting article - who knew there were factories in central London (not me, obvs!) I, too, am intrigued by the macaroni tomato omelette. The interlude made me laugh out loud. Luckily I was not in a public place making a hash of patisserie when I read this article hahaha.
The central area around Oxford Street was surprisingly industrial. Close by, where the Dominion Theatre now stands, was the Horseshoe Brewery, which was huge. Glad you liked the interlude... I almost deleted it as a bit too off-topic.
Really fascinating article, thank you! The history of how movements begin is always more complex and further back than first appears. Love the idea of the side door being numbered ‘One-alpha’
Thank you very much for this article about the Alpha Restaurant. I am researching someone called Adela Curtis who advocated the Haig Diet in her School of Silence in Kensington and Cold Ash, Berkshire around 1910-1919. I have been trying to find out more about vegetarian restaurants etc in London without much success so really appreciate your post, thank you!
You turned your nose up at Macaroni and Jam but, when I was young, my Mum often made macaroni pudding for “afters”. It was along the same lines as rice pudding but with pasta substituted for the rice. We never had macaroni in a cheese sauce. I’m 67 and from East London.
I'm 47 and my mum used to make us macaroni pudding too - often served with a big dollop of jam. She lived in Canada as a child but her parents were from East London too. Perhaps a Hoxton delicacy?!
That was interesting to read. Most of those dishes sound acceptable to me. And as the place was popular it sounds like they were well cooked. I sometimes bake a Lentil roast from a recipe I got in the 1970s and it is delicious. And I'm not vegetarian. Does anyone remember a vegetarian place in the Kings Road Chelsea circa 1968-70 called Asterisk,I think. My friend tells me she used to get her lunch there many days as she worked in that area then and she says they were the first veg diner (well first she knew of I guess). My friend 3 years older than me really lived that life I only ever saw on tv. Working in the Kings Rd when it was alternative and cool,jumping in boyfriends sports car on Friday after work for weekends in Chichester and she remembers a young Freddie Mercury selling hats at his market stall.
Good to know the history. Although more ppl r choosing the veg diet, now we all need to be concerned about the GMO veg and fruits as we hear that animal genes are used in some produces
Not sure that'd bother me (as a vegetarian), to be honest as it would be a one-off isolation of the DNA rather than an ongoing cull of animals. I'd be more concerned about whether the effects of the genetic modification had been properly scrutinised.
Wonderful, thanks.
Getting back to macaroni and jam, that isn't really that different to the rice pudding/tapioca/semolina and jam puds I was served in my school (then Kidbrooke Comprehensive) in the 70s. I admit however that macaroni pudding was more common: pasta boiled in milk, to which you could add jam if you fancied it.
Such an interesting piece.The slogan reminds me of the intrepid character who used to patrol Oxford Street, intoning "Less passion, less protein".
Yes! I thought of him as I read it too.
Haha, yes, Stanley Green. I wonder if there's a thread to be traced from the Alpha and other first-wave veggie restaurants to his own campaign. Then again, he advocated 'no beans' as well as 'no meat', so he'd be poorly served at the Alpha (had it still been open).
Very interesting article - who knew there were factories in central London (not me, obvs!) I, too, am intrigued by the macaroni tomato omelette. The interlude made me laugh out loud. Luckily I was not in a public place making a hash of patisserie when I read this article hahaha.
The central area around Oxford Street was surprisingly industrial. Close by, where the Dominion Theatre now stands, was the Horseshoe Brewery, which was huge. Glad you liked the interlude... I almost deleted it as a bit too off-topic.
Really fascinating article, thank you! The history of how movements begin is always more complex and further back than first appears. Love the idea of the side door being numbered ‘One-alpha’
Thanks Bridget. There's a much wider story to be told about the vegetarian movement in the 19th century, which I hope to return to in a later article.
Thank you very much for this article about the Alpha Restaurant. I am researching someone called Adela Curtis who advocated the Haig Diet in her School of Silence in Kensington and Cold Ash, Berkshire around 1910-1919. I have been trying to find out more about vegetarian restaurants etc in London without much success so really appreciate your post, thank you!
No problem, Liz. There's much more about the restaurants in news reports of the time (all searchable online via British Newspaper Archive, although it's a paid subscription). The map I included can be found in 50 Years of Food Reform, which is helpfully online for free via Google Books. Lots more info about the late 19th century vegetarian restaurants in there https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Fifty_Years_of_Food_Reform/gYRIAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=alpha+vegetarian+oxford&pg=PA101&printsec=frontcover
Thank you for the additional info.
You turned your nose up at Macaroni and Jam but, when I was young, my Mum often made macaroni pudding for “afters”. It was along the same lines as rice pudding but with pasta substituted for the rice. We never had macaroni in a cheese sauce. I’m 67 and from East London.
I'm 47 and my mum used to make us macaroni pudding too - often served with a big dollop of jam. She lived in Canada as a child but her parents were from East London too. Perhaps a Hoxton delicacy?!
Thank you for the article about the Alpha. I wouldn't mind eating vegetarian meals more often.
Enjoyed this! Especially reading the menu! The fact that pasta gies with everything is proof enough. Might cold rice be some type of rice pudding?
Yes, I think almost certainly it's rice pudding. Not sure that's for me.
You never know!
Very interesting. I remember Govinda's near Tottenham Court Road and another in an alley off Tottenham Court Road opp Dominion Cinema
That was interesting to read. Most of those dishes sound acceptable to me. And as the place was popular it sounds like they were well cooked. I sometimes bake a Lentil roast from a recipe I got in the 1970s and it is delicious. And I'm not vegetarian. Does anyone remember a vegetarian place in the Kings Road Chelsea circa 1968-70 called Asterisk,I think. My friend tells me she used to get her lunch there many days as she worked in that area then and she says they were the first veg diner (well first she knew of I guess). My friend 3 years older than me really lived that life I only ever saw on tv. Working in the Kings Rd when it was alternative and cool,jumping in boyfriends sports car on Friday after work for weekends in Chichester and she remembers a young Freddie Mercury selling hats at his market stall.
I've tried googling for this place but no result.
Would love to tell my friend I found it!
Good to know the history. Although more ppl r choosing the veg diet, now we all need to be concerned about the GMO veg and fruits as we hear that animal genes are used in some produces
Not sure that'd bother me (as a vegetarian), to be honest as it would be a one-off isolation of the DNA rather than an ongoing cull of animals. I'd be more concerned about whether the effects of the genetic modification had been properly scrutinised.