After hearing about it for many months, I finally made my way down to Grow Kitchen in Morecambe, found nestled just off the Central Marine Way and behind the old Queen’s Head pub (which is now up for auction, by the way). Grow Kitchen styles itself as “Morecambe’s newest brunch spot,” and also using local producers and suppliers wherever possible.

So, as I am always interested in places that are committed to sustainability and promoting the local economy, I headed down with my mum to try it out. I was interested to see their speciality “hash brown” dishes on the menu, all with different ingredients and flavours. I decided to try the traditional hash brown dish, and was surprised to see that it wasn’t like what I usually understand as hash browns – they weren’t chopped up bits of potato and onion, and then fried in oil (or cooked from frozen!). It was more like roast potatoes “hashed” with other ingredients. The one I had was loaded with leeks, egg, homemade salsa, spices and herbs. There were others that also included bacon, halloumi, or tofu. I thought the new take on the dish was very interesting, and tasty to boot!

One thing I was glad to see as well, on the reverse side of the menu, was some insight into the local suppliers that Grow Kitchen uses for their ingredients. Whilst it wasn’t all that detailed, it was clear that they make an effort, wherever possible, to source from businesses local to the area. It’s one of the things I think is really important, and try to support wherever possible. As a bookworm, I was also happy to see that there was a book drop-and-swap on the window, allowing people to pick up books for free, and exchange them for others that they no longer need. Definitely a spot to try out and with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options, there is something for everyone to try!