A relative newcomer to Beeston High St, this place is offering an alternative to greasy bacon cobs for breakfast as well as that which makes the most dullest of lunches for office workers - the jacket potato.
All the ingredients they use are super fresh and they make the lot from scratch using local producers and suppliers. Joe (founder) and Dave (Head Chef) have got a simple objective: to make affordable and healthy meals accessible to everyone.
Each lunch option is available in two sizes, £3.50 for small, £5.50 for large. I went for chilli with wholegrain rice and homemade tortillas. A good chilli needs to have a decent kick - it’s evident by the name of the dish - but too often the fear that it might be too hot for some customers overrides tradition and you’re left disappointed. Not at The Food Bar though, their chilli is nice and hot and the whole grain rice is nutty with so much more flavour than basmati and other white rice varieties.
There are plenty of interesting combos to be had but the halloumi and mango salad caught my friend’s eye. A bed of fresh leaves topped with charred and salty cheese and soft, sweet slices of mango. A fine choice and we both regretted opting for small portions.
The drinks have got a conscience too – I tried the Ubunto Fairtrade Cola which tasted pretty similar to Coke but is a concoction of fair-trade ingredients with the added bonus of 15% of the profits being donated to development projects in Malawi. Their take on a green juice sounded pretty damn good too, ‘The Green Monster Smoothie’ packs in spinach, avocado, cucumber and mint. My buddy fancied something a bit more fruity though so went for the combination of strawberries, mint, banana, almond milk and frozen yoghurt.
All the packaging and cutlery is biodegradable, and I guess that even Joe and Dave will be biodegradable… eventually. So if you catch yourself wandering around Beeston discontented by your options, then stay strong, don’t falter and keep walking a little further down the high street until you hit The Food Bar. The guys there will sort you right out. Ash Dilks
98 High Road, Beeston, NG9 2LF 0115 925 5520
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