When you think of a carvery, you don't think vegan, right? At least I don't. This is why I was sceptical to try out Toby Carvery but I was invited and thought why not. Let's see this what this is all about. I'll be honest with you guys, I've never been to a Toby Carvery before but would I go back? Read on to find out.
My mum and I ventured to the Hall Green branch in Birmingham. They have free parking, there's a Premier Inn next to it and considering it was midday on a Sunday, it was rammed. Probably peak time. But as soon as we arrived, the service was lovely and friendly, at this point no one was aware I was doing a review and I saw that the service was the same for everyone, so I knew it was genuine.
On the main menu is a selection of vegan options that have been grouped together in its own section of the menu, in celebration of Veganuary. The selection isn't extensive but you do have a number of options, which used to be quite rare but it's now becoming the norm for a number of major chains. I went for the Grilled Aubergine Stack and ensured my veggies were without glaze, as suggested by the disclaimer at the bottom of the menu.
15 minutes or so after we ordered, we were told that our order was ready and we could go collect it at the counter. At this counter there was a selection of meats on the right and on the left was the self-service vegetables (shown in the image above). There were no labels but luckily the waitress had told us what was suitable. I had a selection of the vegetables, which were green beans, peas, carrots, cabbage with a little vegan gravy alongside the grilled aubergine stack.
The vegetables were good but not seasoned at all, the Grilled Aubergine Stack was a great idea in theory but in practise it was quite bland, the aubergine was quite mushy but the oat layer and tomato sauce was nice. With a little spices, it could be quite nice. If only they had had sriracha sauce, that would have changed everything!
Overall, I left Toby Carvery with a full belly of vegan food. It wasn't the best but it also wasn't the worst. It's good to know that if I did go back with a bunch of friends that I would have options to try and the vegan dessert did look quite good too. More labelling is needed in the vegetable section but I couldn't fault the friendly, knowledgeable and quick service we received from Alice at Toby Carvery Hall Green.
Would I go back? Maybe
Why? For the service and the options I wasn't able to try out this time
How was the service? It couldn't be faulted
How did they cope with the vegan dietary requirement? Quite well with the options on the menu but labelling needed on the self-service vegetables
What are the prices like? Okay for what you get but you will get more for your money if you're a meat eater.
Have you been? What did you think?
**Many thanks to Tony Carvery for the £20 voucher to try out the vegan menu and for the great service**
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