The raw food revolution

As more and more raw food restaurants open their doors, we look at how ‘living’ food has gone luxe and started the raw food revolution

There’s always been a bit of nose-wrinkling when it comes to raw foods. When the concept exploded in the late 90s, thanks in part to Gwynnie and co, it was met with disdain by die-hard carnivores. And with good reason. The notion of sandal-wearing bearded types chewing through stringy strands of seaweed in the flickering light of a patchouli candle all too often rang true. Vegan restaurants were simple affairs, with sharing benches and counters where you queued with your tray for some ladled-out lukewarm stew.

Fast forward 20 years. Health food is having another moment, and this time it’s the glossy posse that want a slice of the action. Raw food restaurants are slicker, the portions smaller and prettier and… well, let’s be honest, the food is far tastier. Pop-ups, supperclubs and cafes are springing up everywhere. In London, luxury hotels like myhotel in Chelsea and La Suite West in Marylebone have even taken their restaurants raw.

Before you think that these places are full of people with more money than sense shelling out on a few chopped-up carrots, raw food is a little bit more complicated than that. It only contains food that hasn’t been cooked, treated or processed in any way above temperatures of 42 degrees C, in an effort to preserve its nutritional value and to keep important enzymes intact. To aid digestion, legumes and grains are often ‘activated’ or sprouted.

Tanya Alekseeva began exploring more holistic ways of eating while recovering from a debilitating car accident in the late 90s. Her journey led her to becoming a raw food advocate, running retreats in Ecuador, and now opening a cafe in the heart of hip Chelsea. Tanya’s Cafe, in the eco-friendly myhotel, is bright, funky, and filled with well-heeled green-juice-chuggers. The menu, which also boasts a range of superfood cocktails, is tantalising. Think lasagnes, noodles, a filling onion bread (gluten-free, of course), and a decadent granola. And all raw. And not one person wearing hemp.

A stone’s throw from Portobello Road, the Notting Hill set can all be found crammed into Nama, tucking in to pizza with a difference (among other tempting treats). The portions look small, but are dense and flavour-packed, and good enough to satisfy even the most staunch Domino’s supporter. Nama runs workshops and courses on raw food, too, and even organises a delivery service cleanse if you want to go the whole hog (excuse the non-vegan analogy).

“We started in a very small venue in a residential-only area and we had a very reasonable amount of customers there that were as enthusiastic as ourselves,” says Nama co-owner Irene Arango. “That’s what encouraged us to move to Notting Hill in April to be able to cater for more people and offer a bigger variety of drinks and foods. Even carnivores love it and are always pleasantly surprised at how flavourful and filling veggies can be. And they usually come back for more!”

Raw-food chef Lia Aquila puts the popularity of raw food today down to a reaction to the increasing amount of processed food on the market. “The food we now consume is at its worst and declining even more, with over-farming, pesticides and GMOs. As a population we’re getting sick, fat and burning our bodies out. People are on the hunt for natural alternatives.

“With dehydrators, super-blenders, fancy cutting equipment and lots of new and exciting foods from around the world, raw food is way more than just salad.

The ‘gourmet’ raw scene has really taken off so now you get virtually any ‘normal’  dish made raw, such as cheesecake, ice cream and even cheese to pizza, burritos and pad thai. I really love how exciting it can be; one of the biggest things when eating healthily is you want to still enjoy the amazing flavours and cuisines that are on offer.”

Raw food is also becoming a staple on supermarket shelves, from sweet treats to breads and breakfast items. Primrose’s Kitchen has a range of raw vegetable mueslis and nut butters. The breakfast cereal aisle may already be overcrowded, but these mueslis – in raw carrot, apple and cinnamon, or raw beetroot and ginger flavours – differ from most, being gluten-free, low-GI and boasting a heap of nutritious dehydrated oats and seeds. And, thanks in part to pretty packaging, they’ve made the jump from hippy essentials to high-end.

Primrose Matheson studied naturopathic health after suffering ill-health as a child, and wanted to create a range that was accessible. “Going natural can seem scary for some, which is why my mueslis were created to bridge the gap between normal food and health food. Adding more nutritious, but novel, raw ingredients and unusual flavour profiles to an old favourite like muesli, along with therapeutic doses of spices, seemed to me to be a great way to encourage others like me to support their bodies but with food that tastes delicious.

“Raw foods have gained interest more recently as people have begun thinking more about how to get the most nutrition out of the food that they eat. For example, raw food has a higher enzyme content so supports good digestion. As long as food is natural and organic where possible it will have a beneficial effect on your body. I don’t advocate eating raw to everyone, as everyone is different, but I try to offer ways to encourage more people to eat more raw foods and understand the benefits from doing so.”