Food for Thought (restaurant)

Category:Defunct vegetarian restaurants

{{Infobox restaurant

| name = Food For Thought

| image = Food for Thought exterior.JPG

| image_width =

| image_alt =

| image_caption =

| pushpin_map = United Kingdom Central London

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| established = 1971

| current-owner = Vanessa Garrett

| previous-owner = Margot Boyce-White

| chef =

| head-chef =

| food-type = vegetarian

| seating-capacity = 40

| dress-code =

| rating =

| street-address = 31 Neal Street

| city = London

| country =

| postcode = WC2H 9PR

| coordinates = {{coord|51.5142473|-0.1255163|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| website = {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205135017/http://foodforthought-london.co.uk:80/ |date=5 February 2020}}

}}

Food for Thought was a vegetarian restaurant in the Seven Dials district of London's Covent Garden.{{citation |url=http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2015/03/25/food-for-thought-in-covent-garden-to-close-after-40-years/ |title=Food for Thought in Covent Garden to close after 40 years |author=Sonya Barber |date=25 March 2015 |journal=Time Out}} Founded in 1971 in a former banana warehouse, it later closed in 2015 due to rising rents.{{Cite web|date=2015-03-28|title=Food For Thought, London's iconic vegetarian restaurant, set for closure|url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/mar/28/food-for-thought-londons-iconic-vegetarian-restaurant-set-for-closure|access-date=2021-11-15|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

History

The restaurant was founded by Margot Boyce-White in 1971 when the relocation of London's fruit and vegetable market to New Covent Garden caused the area to be redeveloped. The premises in Neal Street had formerly been used as a banana warehouse. The business changed hands in 1977 and was owned by Vanessa Garrett, daughter of the couple John and Jane Damant, who bought it. Rising rents caused the restaurant to close on 21 June 2015.{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/mar/30/food-for-thought-vegetarian-restaurant-covent-garden-closure |title=Food for Thought: the last vegetarian gasp of alternative Covent Garden |newspaper=The Guardian |author=Peter Watts |date=30 March 2015}}

The counter-culture activist Sue Miles worked at Food for Thought, so starting a career as a restaurateur.{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/13/sue-miles-obituary |title=Sue Miles obituary |author=Jonathan Green |date=13 October 2010 |newspaper=The Guardian}}

The restaurant was patronised by workers in the nearby businesses of the Covent Garden district, which included the numerous theatres. Acts which ate there included the Red Hot Chili Peppers.{{citation |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/rent-increases-force-closure-of-one-of-london-s-first-vegetarian-restaurants-food-for-thought-in-covent-garden-10143242.html |title=Favourite among vegetarians, Food For Thought in Covent Garden, 'forced to close due to rent hike' |newspaper=Evening Standard |date=30 March 2015 |author=Alexandra Rucki}}

A former stable and forge in Denmark Street was used by the proprietors of the restaurant as a storage area and sleeping quarters. This was then used by Andy's Guitars as an amplifier workshop and the testing there then developed into the famous 12 Bar Club.{{citation |last=Carrier |first=Dan |page=44 |title=Untold London: Stories from Time-Trodden Streets |date=2022-11-17 |publisher=History Press |isbn=978-1-80399-225-9 |language=en}}

Cuisine

The food at the restaurant was vegetarian and some of it was vegan. Fresh vegetables were used but, to keep the cost down, these were not normally organic, The preparation avoided peeling to preserve the nutrients in the skin of the vegetables.{{citation |publisher=Andre Deutsch |isbn=978-0233050713 |title=New Food for Thought |author=Jane Noraika |date=2002 |chapter=Introduction}}

Reception

Russell Rose, reviewing the place for Veggie & Organic London, rated it five stars for vegetarian choice and three stars for taste.{{citation |page=24 |title=Veggie & Organic London |chapter=Food For Thought |author=Russell Rose |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-902910-32-1 |publisher=Metro}}{{blockquote|This is a remarkable bargain basement vegetarian eaterie on one of Covent Garden's busiest thoroughfares. ... Food For Thought is a bit rushed but for a really cheap bite, in the middle of London's theatreland, it's tough to beat.}}