Becca Perl meets the plant-based food businesses based at The Retreat, near Christchurch, who are helping to make this a top-notch wellness destination.
Although The Retreat New Forest sounds like it’s tucked away deep in this former royal hunting ground, it has a Christchurch postcode and is just a six-minute drive along the A35 from Highcliffe. Part of the Hinton Admiral Estate, the Retreat’s Georgian mansion has lush lawns, a secret walled garden and is surrounded by ancient beech woodland. The building houses three studios, five treatment rooms and 15 individually decorated ensuite bedrooms, plus Crow Spotter café, OFFBEET restaurant, and OFFBEET Academy – the recently opened cookery school.
The Retreat is the brainchild of Lady Candida Meyrick. The seed of an idea was formed following a serious health crisis seven years ago. She gathered a team of people at the top of their game to help her through a period of illness – yoga and reiki practitioners, therapists and nutritionists. ‘I realise I’m lucky to have the means to do this,’ she says, ‘and I wanted to enable other people to get onto a healthier path too.’
A Retreat for everyone
Another factor driving Lady Meyrick was to rebuild a sense of community and create a modern version of the village green. A novelist, painter and mother to three –she gets things done. Just two weeks after deciding to create The Retreat, the first Reiki Day took place in March 2019.
Since then, The Retreat has rapidly grown thanks to its faithful clientele who visit for the wood-fired sauna, holistic treatments, classes, retreats and special events. There are daily classes - 1,500 a year - ranging from yoga and Pilates to Reiki and meditation. And on the weekend, there’s a changing programme of events, from breathwork workshops and coaching sessions to gong baths and drumming circles.
The building may have grandeur, but as soon as you step inside, you’ll feel the most down-to-earth vibes. It’s a place for everyone. And there is no membership fee, and you don’t have to be an overnight guest or class attendee to visit the Crow Spotter Café or OFFBEET restaurant. Everyone is welcome – even well-behaved dogs!
More details at theretreatnewforest.co.uk
Cool café culture at the Crow Spotter
Lady Meyrick describes the Crow Spotter café as ‘the warm heart of the whole building.’ It was founded by brothers George and Will Firmin, who were later joined by best mate Mark Kilpatrick – all cheeky chaps from Stockport. Having worked in the hospitality industry since the age of 16, they’ve an impressive amount of experience between them.
Crow Spotter ticks all the boxes when it comes to a good café: plenty of books and plants, good music and a hygge vibe. In my opinion, they also make the best coffee in the area, using beans from Moon Roast Coffee in the New Forest and Wimborne Coffee Roasters. Though they are currently working on developing their own house espresso blend.
Although everything on the menu is plant-based, around 80%-90% of their customers are not vegan. Head chef Will’s menus, covering breakfast, brunch and lunch, brilliantly showcase local produce. The sourdough comes from BH24 bakery, microgreens from Lightfoot’s Farm, mushrooms from New Forest Exotic Mushrooms, and veg from Sopley Farm and Timber Organics, all just a stone’s throw from the café.
Will’s talent for cooking has not gone unnoticed and his Supper Clubs sell out as soon as tickets are released. After working in the OFFBEET kitchen in his spare time, head chef Peter Axworthy appointed Will director of OFFBEET Academy, his plant-based cookery school. ‘Pete has become my mentor,’ explains Will, who now splits his time between the cookery school and Crow Spotter. ‘He was running his first café when he was my age, and I hope to follow the same career trajectory. Like me, he’s ambitious and his goal is for The Retreat to be the absolute pinnacle of plant-based cookery.’
The Crow Spotter boys are dedicated to making their cafe work, even in these challenging times. ‘We’ve recently signed a new two-year lease on the café,’ Mark adds. ‘And we are doing more outside catering, mainly for retreats. I take a lot of peace from how much we’ve learnt and what we’ve achieved already.’
Crow Spotter is open daily 9am-3pm (food served until 2pm) crowspotter.co.uk
Crow Spotter at Highcliffe Food & Arts Festival: Will Firmin’s cookery demo was such a hit at last year’s event that he’s returning this year with his mentor Peter Axworthy to showcase plant-based recipes from The Retreat. June 10 –11 highcliffefoodandartsfestival.co.uk
OFFBEET: Showcasing vegan fine dining
OFFBEET started life in 2014 at Chesapeake Mill in Wickham, Hampshire where chef Peter Axworthy and his mother opened one of the country’s first gluten-free and vegan cafés. Peter later opened a larger restaurant and cookery school on Sunnyfields Farm in the New Forest. After having to relocate, OFFBEET found its new home within The Retreat in September 2021; the cookery school followed in February 2023.
If Crow Spotter café is the cosy heart of The Retreat, then OFFBEET is its sophisticated and stylish older brother. A restaurant with a vaulted ceiling, smart bar area and a mind-blowing plant-inspired menu.
What’s on the menu?
Peter and his chefs adapt each dish several times before it appears on the menu, adding layers of flavour and texture. They are pushing the boundaries of plant-based cuisine, mixing classic techniques with modern twists such as gels, foams and nitrogen. A lot of the produce comes from the nearby forest, their kitchen garden or its grown in hydroponic systems. Every single one of the elements that goes into each dish is made in-house – and that’s no mean feat.
Dining at OFFBEET is an extraordinary experience, whether you are vegan or not, and Peter is clearly a chef on a mission. Not only is the food insanely creative and tasty, but it is also the theatrical touches which ensure a truly memorable meal. The bold flavours and satisfying textures dispel most people’s preconceptions about vegan food – so much so that non-vegans flock here. Who wouldn’t want to try New Forest asparagus charred on their Japanese grill, served with ‘Parmesan’ pine nut crème, lemon curd, garlic butter bean purée, spiced panisse and tarragon powder? Or how about tucking into Korean new season carrots sous vide with gochujang marinade, served with carrot top coriander pesto, garlic butter bean purée, crispy bulgogi ‘beef’ and Korean pickles? Surely, it’s only a matter of time before OFFBEET is awarded a Michelin star or two.
You will need to book for the restaurant, but you can just turn up to have a drink and some nibbles in the Lounge. The bar serves (vegan) wines, spirits and cocktails and you can order nibbles such as ‘Cheddar’ kale crisps, glazed ‘bacon’ roasted nuts or tear and share basil pesto focaccia. For something more substantial, opt for the tapas dishes such as cheezy corn fritters or sweet ‘n’ spicy Korean cauliflower bao buns.
OFFBEET is open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday (12-4pm) and for dinner Wednesday to Saturday (6-10pm) offbeetfood.com
Plant-based cookery at the OFFBEET Academy
This entirely plant-based cookery school is the newest addition to The Retreat. Although more and more cookery schools are offering plant-based courses as part of their wider programme, there are very few devoted exclusively to vegan cookery. Perhaps the best known – Demuth’s in Bath – is closing its doors in July after 22 years (and not due to lack of success).
As OFFBEET Academy is an extension of OFFBEET restaurant, students know they will be getting something very special. The classes and recipes have been designed by chefs who live and breathe veganism. There is a keen focus on practical learning for all levels, and the recipes have been developed to restaurant standards. The academy kitchen itself is very much a continuation of the restaurant. A light, bright space with well-equipped workstations each with their own cooker and fridge.
You can do a day course in different cuisines such as Thai, Chinese or Italian; learn to bake vegan cakes and biscuits; or study chef skills at beginner and intermediate levels. There is also a programme of half day and evening courses, including learning to make OFFBEET’s legendary vegan doughnuts (during lockdown, the restaurant stayed afloat by selling takeaway artisan vegan doughnuts, they were selling out 300 a day!) Or how about their Date Night option where you take the three courses you created in the afternoon home to share with a loved one that evening!
The ever-ambitious Peter sees the Academy as a great foundation for an even bigger school. His long-term goal is to train plant-based chefs to a professional level, but he is also passionate about kids’ food education. ‘I want to get kids away from beige food and teach them the joy that comes from preparing and eating fresh fruit and vegetables,’ he declares.
Day courses start from £189, half day from £89 Visit offbeetacademy.com to browse the courses on offer
