FOOD REVIEW: Ginger and Peach Supper Club

Ginger and Peach has been holding supper clubs at Southsea Coffee Co since the summer – and tickets sell out fast.

We managed to secure the last two for the comfort food night, a little dubious of how comfort and raw could work.

But Ginger and Peach push the boundaries of what can be achieved with raw, natural plant-based food.

Walking in, you are encouraged to sit with strangers rather than in your own little group. In any other environment it would be nerve-wracking, but the place is so warm and welcoming, you instantly feel at ease.

We sat on a table of six and within minutes we were chatting like old friends, excited about how on earth they were going to create coconut bacon (with tamari and then dehydrated, we discovered).

The twice-fermented green tea, kombucha, was delicious and there was such anticipation for the nacho salad with chimichurri. It was worth the wait.

They had managed to create a dish that was decidedly meaty, without having ever been near an animal – made from mushrooms, walnuts and guacamole, with cashew sour cream, chimichurri and dehydrated corn chips. For the first time that evening no-one muttered a word. The flavours were intense and it was really filling.

Having taken a first mouthful of the beautifully-presented main course, carbonara, the young chap on our table exclaimed ‘Wow, this is insane!’ Which pretty much sums up this extraordinary dish – courgette noodles, cashew carbonara sauce, coconut bacon and Brazil nut Parmesan.

It was rich, creamy, and, yes, bacony.

Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, out came the dessert of chilli chocolate truffles, chocolate ice cream and chocolate cheesecake. It was heavenly, but so rich I couldn’t finish mine. The others dived in. There were three ‘cheeses’ made from almond feta, Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts, served with chilli jam and dehydrated winter kraut - a revelation.

Tickets were £28 each, including non-alcoholic drinks. The Dish Detective arrived sceptical and left with a comfortingly-full belly. It was a wonderful experience.