HYPER’s the word for the Manc foodie rumour mill. Not a day goes by without some opportunist London brand sniffing around, putting our media on heat. LEON for Piccadilly still sounds a good bet. A fellow worthwhile chain, Shoryu Ramen, is making a good fist of that less than lovely patch.
But the only confirmation from Henry Dimbleby’s ‘Naturally Fast Food’ empire is, via their website, that that they have earmarked the Trafford Centre for this year. Their outlet will be based on Regent Crescent, in the former Castle Galleries unit near to Debenhams, on the ground floor.
Hopefully it will be with us in time for a slice of ‘Almond Butter Jelly Time”. Yes, the first thing that hit us in the spiralizer when we checked their website was a puff for their new Ruby Berry Porridge – “Dairy-free porridge made with cashew milk and organic oats. Topped with almond butter and a 'wonky fruit' compote of strawberries, blackcurrants and raspberries, helping to save over 400kg of berries from becoming food waste every month.
Not quite the Real Junk Food Project, but the heart of the enterprise is in the right place, not that ToM is ever going to order a 381 calorie Vegan SuperClean Quinoa Salad. If you wish to try this sort of thing at home pick up their latest cookbook, Leon Fast and Free, hot from the press this month at £25.
It’s well over a decade since Henry Dimbleby (son of David and food writer Jocelyn Dimbleby), along with John Vincent and chef Allegra McEvedy, launched their first Leon in Carnaby Street; now the chain has 40 branches with plans for a further 50.
The menu focuses on nutrition, careful sourcing and sustainability. All their meat is British – apart from Spanish chorizo, while eggs are free range and milk is organic. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, high protein or low fat, all diets are catered for.