Before heading back home from a lovely week in a rural farmhouse in Somerset, a quick pit-stop at nearby Minehead uncovered this 
gem – The Toucan Cafe, the perfect place for a healthy and hearty brunch.
Located on the main high street and upstairs from the accompanying Toucan Wholefoods health store, The Toucan Cafe serves an entirely vegetarian menu. The bright, colourful (handpainted bird murals are everywhere) cafe is spread over three small, but very light and airy, rooms so you should be able to grab a seat (if not, they are good at takeaways). When Goodtrippers visited on a Friday morning, the place was buzzing with locals, many of whom appeared to be regulars.
Organic and healthy food
We ate a delicious (and incredibly filling!) falafel sandwich with hummous and chilli sauce, served with a much more interesting salad than your average obligatory garnish (mixed leaves and homemade dressing came to life with the addition of sprouting seeds and pumpkin seeds). Also on the table, a ‘full English’ breakfast vegetarian style served with wholesome chunks of their lovely granary bread. This is filling stuff (in a good way!) which rather put paid to our plans to buy lots of foodie goodies from the nearby farmers’ market to eat on the way home (we did that anyway, just not eating it until the next day!).
The rest of the lengthy menu includes a range of organic veggie snacks and treats – homemade soup of the day, gluten-free savoury muffins, mezze plates, superfood salads, toasted paninis and sandwiches called things like ‘The Bugs Bunny’ (grated carrot, alfalfa sprouts and more if you’re wondering), and their own McToucan Burger (vegetarian, of course). Drinks include a good range of coffees (including flat whites), herbal teas, fresh smoothies and other soft drinks. There is also an extensive range of homemade cakes and other sweet treats – it would make a lovely afternoon tea spot.
If you’ve already stocked up on health foods and natural skin care products downstairs in the shop, there’s always the Toucan therapy rooms on the second floor ready to take your bookings for massage, Reiki and reflexology (although perhaps not immediately after brunch….!).
The Toucan Cafe is open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Tel: 01643 706101, E: enquiries@toucanwholefoods.co.uk
‘Good’ credentials:
- 100% vegetarian menu
- Organic, wholefoods
- Fairtrade coffee
- Health food shop downstairs
- Complementary therapy rooms upstairs
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