Fi Real, a Bristol restaurant run by mother and daughter Jeanette and Jaida, recently came out tops on Come Dine With Me.

Come Dine With Me: The Professionals sees a twist on the classic elements of the Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me. Instead of individuals taking part to win the coveted £1000 cash prize, restaurants are now entering teams of two to take on the challenge. This episode aired on Tuesday 28th June and saw the focus on Bristol, with three local venues taking part in the dining challenge.

Mother and daughter duo Jeanette and Jaida from Fi Real, a vegan Caribbean restaurant located in Old Market, delivered servings of flavour to the unsuspected surprise of their competition. We all know you can find some of the best vegan restaurants in Bristol, but the competition weren’t quite ready to admit this.

The two rival restaurants were Bamabalan, a Mediterranean venue in central Bristol, and Dalia Cocina, a Mexican restaurant in Keynsham. During the pre-meal interview, both teams were expressing some doubts about the Fi Real menu, with some declaring their distaste for tofu, and one chef joking about ‘sneaking in some steak.’ However, they were soon eating their words.

A spicy lentil soup had both teams raving about the abundance of flavour. Members from both teams praised the taste, saying it was the best starter of the week. Next, a signature main dish of spicy jerk fried tofu converted some into tofu fans. Opponent Kirsty from Dalia Cocina said, ‘I absolutely loved it and it was nowhere near the texture I thought it was going to be.’ A sweet and light banana cake served with vegan cream followed, which was a memorable way to round off a hearty and flavourful meal.

An energetic dance and singalong got everyone on their feet before the final scores, revealing that Fi Real had indeed won with 34 points out of a possible 40.

“Very proud. We had a dream and we stuck with it. We won Come Dine With Me in Bristol!” said the mother Jeanette.

Veganism on mainstream TV

The representation of veganism is becoming more frequent on mainstream TV. Another vegan contestant also recently won Come Dine With Me, receiving a great reception from their meat-eating opponents.

The BOSH! duo star in the ITV show Living on the Veg, a cooking show dedicated to delicious vegan recipes. Dirty Vegan is another show on the BBC following Matt Pritchard (the former Dirty Sanchez frontman) as he takes on the challenge to spread healthy vegan food.

As veganism makes a more mainstream appearance misconceptions can be amended and its influence can continue to inspire others into making healthier and kinder choices, for both themselves and the planet.

And as Fi Real has proved, flavourful food can change perceptions.

Original source: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com