"Whole-grains, root vegetables, some pulses, tofu or Fish , greens (great for the liver!) a rich sauce or salsa, some pickles (or at least a slice of lemon) and loads of attention (love!) "

Read all about our love for whole-foods, local seasonal produce and our thoughts on organic and biodynamic produce.

The Star Anise Arts Café is all about providing delicious and nourishing seasonal food made on the premises, fresh each day.

It is vegetarian (also including fish) and wherever possible we use organic, locally sourced ingredients. No refined sugar is used in our cooking (apart from fructose in our croissant dough and some tarts) and we provide vegan and gluten-free dishes daily.

Our menu consists of a simple choice of regular dishes plus daily specials on the blackboard.

We offer an extensive range of hot and cold drinks, including organic/fair-trade coffee (available with a range of non-dairy alternatives to milk ), various teas and a selection of organic/biodynamic wines and beers including Stroud Brewery's award winning Organic 'Budding'.

Our cooks trained at the ‘Concord School of Culinary Arts’ in London, lead by French chef of 30 years experience Jean Torne, who specialises in natural foods cuisine. This school has its roots in Whole-foods and Macrobiotic cooking, going back to 1975.

We cook and bake all of our produce on the premises from raw ingredients. This includes our sourdough breads, croissants and Danish pastries, which are baked fresh every morning.

Our cakes and cookies are baked using vegetable oils, and sweetened with maple and grain syrups and are therefore vegan (unless otherwise specified) and free of added sugar.

Served by warm, welcoming and efficient staff in a child-friendly atmosphere.

Additionally, as an Arts café, we host exhibitions by local contemporary artists and have regular events inc. music, poetry, story-telling and theatre.

Star Anise As well as being one fifth of chinese five spice it is also one main component in garam masala widely used in Indian cuisine. This aromatic spice is also known for it's therapeutic properties and has been used as a remedy for rheumatism and if chewed an aid for digestion.

Recently it had been harvested for it's chemical properties used in anti-flu drugs which temporarily led to a shortage in star anise. Luckily it is no longer in short supply and we can keep adding it to many of our dishes here at Star Anise!

Here are some likeminded souls who we would like to offer our support to and share links with you also :)