The Coven Chronicles
Recently, Bethan & I went for my first meal out in recovery at our local vegan spot … The Coven in Wigan! Now nestled in the fabulous Old Courts, The Coven is a wonderful little hideaway serving comforting 100% plantbased plates, wholesome smoothies, nourishing cakes & all with a lovely bar – perfect for their later weekend opening times!
eating out in recovery
It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten at a restaurant & I was so nervous! With eating disorders often comes perfectionism ~ obsessive tendencies ~ rigidity & intense distress when something out of our control occurs. Mine & Bethan's plans changed last minute meaning where I thought I was going & what I thought I was going to be eating was no longer & I couldn’t control my expectations. But then I thought… exposure & coping with distress is all part of recovery! I can’t plan every last second of my day. Or Bethan's.
So with this opportunity for learning new coping skills ... I embraced fear, didn’t look at the menu in advance, followed my meal plan beforehand, didn’t compensate, told myself I would order off the menu without altering any bit of the meal & blocked out EDna’s screaming voice.
Trust me, leafing through a menu & deciding what to scoff not based on what EDna thinks I should have (i.e. the lowest calorie option with bits taken out & sauce on the side) is bizarre! I was overwhelmed – like when I go shopping for my meal plan, how do you choose foods if not by staring at the nutritional information & comparing them for years on end? Not only have I forgotten tastes but I’ve also completely forgotten my preferences! For instance, EDna told me I hated vegan cheese because it's not 'natural' ... but it's delicious! I suppose this can be added to my list of reasons to recover ~ being excited to try flavours & textures I’ve not eaten in so long, like a child first trying food!
the nosh...
The Coven’s menu is comfort food heaven! & at such fab prices! We’re talking buddha bowls ~ Spanish potatoes ~ burgers~ tabbouleh ~ mezze & a big fat all-day-brunch menu including BLAT ~ fully loaded chickpea omelette ~ PB banana toast! I love how everything celebrates veggies. As I step into recovery, I’m enjoying trying mock meat but personally, I’m vegan for the love of our wonderful earth & joyful bliss of her simplicity … veggies!
What did I go for? Well, I only went & did a double recovery win! Leaving EDna right outside, I gazed at the specials (written beautifully on a wooden board) ~ saw pesto pasta ~ heard my mind, bod & soul cheer ~ transferred Edna’s tunnel vision to a tunnel vision of spaghetti ~ ordered it! My first bowl of pasta in YEARS! Plus, Bethan & I also got cashew cheese garlic bread to share … pasta & GB! Double carbs … double scrumminess!
My first mouthful of spaghetti after SO long was true bliss! Gently tossed in gorgeous creamy sauce which wasn’t too sickly or rich & didn’t soak the pasta ~ just the right amount. There was only a handful of veggies in there too which I was pleased by. Obviously I can’t get enough of my veg but sometimes pasta with lots of chunky add-ins (squash, carrot) can be overwhelming & steal the attention. I love oily sauces like The Coven’s pesto or aglio e olio ... fresh ingredients & simplicity are unbeatable!
What’s living in my bowl?
This comfort food heaven was...
pesto ~ using seeds instead of pine nuts with Oatly cream (Oatly … my all time favourite!) & nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan
fried red onions
spinach & herbies
roasted toms
I loved the deep bowl ~ I could really hug it & the shape made the spaghetti so much easier to get my fork & spoon around. The sauce wasn’t as pesto-y as I’d expected but the seeds instead of pine nuts was a delish allergen-friendly idea ~ perhaps a little too oily for me.
cashew nut nirvana
I think what really stole the show though was the cashew nut cheese garlic bread. Wow. I’ve never tasted vegan cheese like it … so nutty & creamy drizzled over garlicy focaccia & dunked in pasta. Not artificial at all! I loved how the toasted bread was crunchy but so doughy inside! Mmm homemade nosh is just the best.
Bethan (the non-vegan!) loved the GB too as well as her soul-warming bowl of 5-bean-chilli, salsa, cheese & guac topped corn nachos. So much so that she got the nachos to takeaway the other evening with The Coven’s falafel burger on a beetroot bun & mezze to share with our mum (cast your peepers below!)
Truthfully, with my bod being in the state it’s in at the moment, I was so full after a couple of spoonfuls. But I’m only going to recover & relearn satiety signals if I finish all my meals. My bods needs nosh to repair internally, for my metabolism to stop going nuts & for my organs to trust this meal isn’t my last before returning to starvation. Then I can embrace balanced, regular & intuitive eating. It doesn’t matter that Bethan didn’t finish her's ~ she’s in the position to trust her mind & bod but I’m not while EDna is around! Plus, it’d be a crime to leave such yummy vegan foodies…
Coven comforts...
Lots of people feel anxious about eating out … ED or not! Atmosphere ~ expectations ~ being waited on ~ money ~ other diners ~ making conversation ~ pressure to be present. All while you’re trying to enjoy the food ~ it’s a big mouthful! Every body at The Coven made me feel so at ease & free to spend as long as I liked taking everything in, ordering, scoffing & relaxing. They offer to put any leftovers in a compostable box too (look right)!
Moving just around the corner, The Coven have settled into their new home as part of the The Old Courts. In such an old building, the layout for a café~restaurant is slightly challenging with walls splitting rooms but I find it adds to character! I couldn’t get a snap but there’s a little snug with floor cushions & low Indian wood style coffee tables ~ perfect for groups & sharing lots of little vegan dishes! I think I might try & nab a spot in there next time... One of my favourite things though is that they’re now attached to Static Records so I was humming along to fab music while scoffing spaghetti!
It’s wonderful that The Coven have teamed up with the Old Courts – our new-ish culture & arts centre. I’m really excited to get involved with what they’ve got going on once I'm back home … from film screenings to art groups & exhibitions. You can fill your belly with vegan goodies at The Coven, buy a record or two at Static, have a drink at the Balliff Bar, enjoy some local art, go to a gig, have a laugh at a comedy night … the list is goes on!
the low-down
I’m so grateful for having wholesome, plant powered nosh mixed up by vegan lovers & served by calming, friendly souls on my doorstep!
It’s a wonderful time to get yourselves down there too… not only are the Old Courts bustling but The Coven are also launching their new menu on the 30th July with a trail run of delivery through Just Eat! Plus, every third Thursday is their themed cuisine 3 course dinner for just £25 each … I’m definitely booking mine, Bethan’s & my mum’s place as soon as I’m on the mend!
A truly humble spot for plant eaters like me who enjoy the simplicity of nature’s bliss!
in a nutshell...
↠ spot: The Coven
↠ dosh: nice & humble ~ £6.90 spaghetti ~ £7.50 nachos & £1.50 for guac ~ £4.90 GB
↠ vibe: a laid-back, wholesome cafe with wonderful tunes
↠ vegan options: 4/5 ~ perhaps some mock meat options (maybe this is coming with the new menu!)
↠ planet friendly: 3/5 ~ the lovely staff ask if you'd like to take home any leftovers, biodegradable takeaway boxes, recycled paper menus & wooden specials board, being 100% vegan!
↠ scores on the doors: 8/10 ~ like a big, comforting & cruelty-free hug around my soul
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