Jozi's The Grind Greenery challenges the idea that vegans only eat salads

The Grind Greenery is the brother company of Honest Food in Hyde Park, o­ffering diners delicious plant-based options in a casual, classy cafe setting.

We chatted to co-owner Claire du Preez about their recent opening in Melrose Arch, just above The Grind Co­ffee Company.

Veganism is growing in popularity worldwide – how do you see South Africans reacting to this way of life?

SA is still quite far behind with regards to veganism. The majority of our clientele are not actually vegan, but are inquisitive – for example we have loads of people who come to try The Beyond Meat burger, even though they still eat beef. They’re always pleasantly surprised and I can confidently say that I think we’ve given them something to think about.

Our goal is to move away from the idea that vegans eat salads only! We don’t actually even have a salad on the plant-based menu – instead, an array of delicious and moreish plant-based options.

We’re not so big on sugar either, 99.99 % of our dishes are sugar free and there’s a large variety of gluten-free options too.

Being a vegan myself pushes me to constantly evolve the menu to include the latest and greatest.

What are some of your more popular menu items?

Our plant-based bowls are a massive hit (e.g. Black Rice & Tofu, with broccoli, cocktail tomatoes, edamame beans, avo and a hoisin dressing), as well as our sugar and gluten free baked goods.

The Grind has boardrooms for rent and you can also host weddings or functions there. How has that part of your offering been received?

We have three private boardrooms available for hire per hour and each boardroom is kitted out with a smart TV, so they’re ideally suited to presentations.

We’re targeting business people who’d like to escape their office environment and meet over a healthy and delicious lunch.

So far the boardrooms have been very well received by our regular clientele, a lot of whom don’t have permanent office space but rather utilise our 18 hot desks.

Any other exciting plans for the future?

We’ll be available on Uber Eats from the end of this month and we’re also in the process of working on some take-home/convenience meals for those who’d prefer not to cook for themselves in the evenings.

• You'll find The Grind Greenery at the corner of Whiteley Road and High St, Melrose Arch. See thegrindgreenery.co.za

This article was originally published in the Sunday Times Neighbourhood: Property and Lifestyle guide. Visit Yourneighbourhood.co.za