Our final message !! This web site will be taken down in the near future.
September 2018 Newsletter
It is almost 10 years since I wrote a short piece in Female Focus aimed at uniting local vegetarians and we held the first meeting at Los Limoneres in Moraira. We had met more than just a handful of people who didn’t eat meat and who were experiencing the same difficulties trying to find good, varied and creative vegetarian food. The markets and shops were full of vegetables but the Spanish cuisine was limited to a few repetitive choices. We wanted to find out if there would be any interest in starting a vegetarian group in this area.
The meeting was well attended and Montgó Vegetarians was started. Our remit was to try to raise the profile of vegetarians in the area. We began at a time when the recession was biting hard into the local community; businesses and restaurants were struggling or closing. Soon after our first few events the pound reached an all time low, reducing the income for many Brits. In this economic climate, many restauranteurs and chefs welcomed us, creating delicious, interesting vegetarian food; giving us choices and delighting us with the variety and imaginativeness of their dishes.
Once I was asked by a confused restauranteur to define ‘vegetarian’. “Some eat fish, some don’t eat cheese or eggs” she complained. For as many reasons that individuals define or expand their own branch of not eating meat, people came to our events in the same fashion. Some were strict, or not so strict, long standing vegetarians, some were just curious meat eaters, some simply enjoyed vegetarian food, others wanted to be able to eat with those who were like minded. Many were, or became friends, friends of friends, relatives and guests of friends.
It has been an incredible journey for us and we have met the most amazing people and have gained some very close friends as a result. We’ve had lots of fun and some eventful lunches and evenings with you all. We always say that we learned something new each time we organised an event. I’m sure you know by now that the point I’m coming to is this - that we feel that Montgó Vegetarians has run its course, that the time is right to hand over the baton to others.
It is now very easy to eat good, varied, creative vegetarian food in the Marina Alta. Valencia has a wealth of amazing places and even IKEA has a well established vegan option on its menu. Plant-based, raw, vegan, are all terms that are frequently used and catered for without so much as a blink. In Javea, V-Thos is routinely packed with enthusiastic diners and its popularity is growing, becoming busier and busier. La Cocina, always one of our favourite places has an awesome plant-based menu running alongside their regular menu. Besides the wealth of Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants here and in the surrounding towns, restaurants in general are more experienced in catering for ‘vegetarians’ of all types.
We are grateful for the unfailing support of many of you and for those of you who would encourage us, for the chefs who regularly devised new menus and managed our groups with ease when the numbers climbed. A special mention and thanks to Maya for her invaluable help in promoting the group, for the creation of the website and her support in the early years. We thank you all and hope that you will take away some good memories of our sociable gatherings.
Having reached this decision we have been debating whether or not to have one last bash. We propose an early November evening at La Cocina. We would like you to decide. RSVP,
Many thanks
Cindy & Brian
September 2018 Newsletter
It is almost 10 years since I wrote a short piece in Female Focus aimed at uniting local vegetarians and we held the first meeting at Los Limoneres in Moraira. We had met more than just a handful of people who didn’t eat meat and who were experiencing the same difficulties trying to find good, varied and creative vegetarian food. The markets and shops were full of vegetables but the Spanish cuisine was limited to a few repetitive choices. We wanted to find out if there would be any interest in starting a vegetarian group in this area.
The meeting was well attended and Montgó Vegetarians was started. Our remit was to try to raise the profile of vegetarians in the area. We began at a time when the recession was biting hard into the local community; businesses and restaurants were struggling or closing. Soon after our first few events the pound reached an all time low, reducing the income for many Brits. In this economic climate, many restauranteurs and chefs welcomed us, creating delicious, interesting vegetarian food; giving us choices and delighting us with the variety and imaginativeness of their dishes.
Once I was asked by a confused restauranteur to define ‘vegetarian’. “Some eat fish, some don’t eat cheese or eggs” she complained. For as many reasons that individuals define or expand their own branch of not eating meat, people came to our events in the same fashion. Some were strict, or not so strict, long standing vegetarians, some were just curious meat eaters, some simply enjoyed vegetarian food, others wanted to be able to eat with those who were like minded. Many were, or became friends, friends of friends, relatives and guests of friends.
It has been an incredible journey for us and we have met the most amazing people and have gained some very close friends as a result. We’ve had lots of fun and some eventful lunches and evenings with you all. We always say that we learned something new each time we organised an event. I’m sure you know by now that the point I’m coming to is this - that we feel that Montgó Vegetarians has run its course, that the time is right to hand over the baton to others.
It is now very easy to eat good, varied, creative vegetarian food in the Marina Alta. Valencia has a wealth of amazing places and even IKEA has a well established vegan option on its menu. Plant-based, raw, vegan, are all terms that are frequently used and catered for without so much as a blink. In Javea, V-Thos is routinely packed with enthusiastic diners and its popularity is growing, becoming busier and busier. La Cocina, always one of our favourite places has an awesome plant-based menu running alongside their regular menu. Besides the wealth of Indian, Chinese and Thai restaurants here and in the surrounding towns, restaurants in general are more experienced in catering for ‘vegetarians’ of all types.
We are grateful for the unfailing support of many of you and for those of you who would encourage us, for the chefs who regularly devised new menus and managed our groups with ease when the numbers climbed. A special mention and thanks to Maya for her invaluable help in promoting the group, for the creation of the website and her support in the early years. We thank you all and hope that you will take away some good memories of our sociable gatherings.
Having reached this decision we have been debating whether or not to have one last bash. We propose an early November evening at La Cocina. We would like you to decide. RSVP,
Many thanks
Cindy & Brian
