• Completely vegetarian.
• Vegans will be better catered with notice.
• Restaurant.
• Good for kids.
• Food rating 5.0/5 (2 votes)
• Service rating 4.0/5 (2 votes)
• Atmosphere rating 4.0/5 (2 votes)
• Overall rating 4.3/5 (6 votes)

Jan Wise, an experienced chef who has run restaurants and pubs for years, hopes the move to a completely vegetarian menu will attract people from far afield to the Red Lion, in Great Bricett near Needham Market.

It is thought to be the first exclusively vegetarian pub in the county and Mrs Wise, who took over last month, said the idea was proving popular at the tavern which dates back several hundred years.

She is offering starters including sweet potato soup, roasted figs, mushroom, chestnut and Roquefort pate and nachos layered with tomato salsa and melted mozzarella and topped with guacamole and sour cream.

Main meals include roasted aubergines, celeriac, leek and chestnut pie, spinach, chick pea and mushroom korma curry and roasted butternut squash, spinach and pine nut pancakes; and deserts feature raspberry cheesecake, chocolate brownies and blackberry and apple crumble.

Mrs Wise, who is striving to source food locally wherever possible, said: “We offer no meat at all. We did think about it, but wanted to be a vegetarian pub.

“We have had a lot of support from people, most have been positive, although I am not sure if they are being polite.

“I gave up meat 20 years ago and never went back, it is a passion of mine. It's getting easier and easier to be vegetarian these days, more people, are aware and are cooking no meat. This is now a meat free place.”

Families are welcome and this pub has a large garden and play area. It has Wheelchair Access and Facilities for the Disabled.

Thanks to Robert Edwards for sharing the photo and to EADT for sharing the news in the first place.

Reviews

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Alex 2008-06-24 09:17:58

• Food 5/5
• Atmosphere 4/5
• Service 5/5

Fantastic choice, excellently presented and clearly properly home-made (rather than home-heated-up!!!). Porcini risotto cakes were perfectly cooked with runny cheese in the centre. Tempura vegetables had a lovely light batter unlike so many other pub tempura. There was a good choice for my vegan wife too. IPA on tap seemed to be well kept. Lovely service – somehow the one person serving drinks and food managed to keep up with a restaurant that was well over half full! We'll be back whenever we can.

Charmaine Simpson 2008-05-09 10:45:39

• Food 5/5
• Atmosphere 4/5
• Service 3/5

The best vegetarian food I have ever had. The menu was so varied I had a job to choose and the dessert menu was equally as good. Will definitely pay a return visit soon.

Sylvana Zammit 2008-03-06 22:48:31

I went to eat at The Red Lion when I was on holiday in Ipswich last November. I am not vegetarian (actually they're not my favourite either) but I wouldn't trade the food I ate at the Red Lion with anything else. It was really the best ever..especially the butternut squash lasagna. In fact during my 4 days in Ipswich I went there twice. Keep it up!

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