Tibits and the Flexitarian Diet

Tibits and the Flexitarian Diet

26 August, 2009
by: Tom Jeffreys

I eat absolute rubbish. My idea of cooking generally extends as far as putting a pizza in an oven and then taking it out when it goes a sort of brown colour. But every now and again I feel a sense of remorse – surely a diet of Malboro Reds and fried chicken supplemented by free booze and canapés at art galleries will eventually take its toll?

So when I heard about the launch of a book called The Flexitarian Diet by glamorous Chicago nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner I thought I should investigate. The concept of Flexitarianism is basically that people should eat healthily but sensibly – that means firstly no silly faddy diets à la Emily from The Devil Wears Prada: 'I don't eat anything, and when I feel like I'm about to faint I eat a tiny cube of cheese. I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight!'

The diet places emphasis on the healthy and environmentally friendly aspect of eating vegetarian but it also – and this is key for me – allows the odd bit of meat when you fancy it. So there's no burden of guilt attached if every once in a while you fancy a bacon sandwich or something. Mmmm bacon.



The Flexitarian Diet is a fun, friendly and genuinely inspiring book, mainly because it makes the whole healthy-eating thing sound quite easy, and, more importantly, pleasurable. Almost all of the recipes sound great. How about a Florentine-Scramble Breakfast Sandwich, Artichoke and Tomato Panzella Salad or Fried Brown Rice with Asparagus and Almonds? Delicious, although a wee bit of bacon here and there might make 'em all even better...

Chatting to Dawn at the launch, it's clear that healthy eating need not be a drag. She is clearly a passionate believer in the concept and her bubbly energy is alone almost enough to persuade me to change my ways. I'm slightly disappointed that she turns her nose up at my description of black pudding. But then congealed pig's blood isn't for everyone.

Anyway, so if I am truly to eat well from now on, how am I to do it? Well, the launch was at a restaurant called tibits, on Heddon Street just off Regent Street, and it seems a pretty ideal place to start. My appetite is whet by the splendid canapés at the launch as well as some rather delightful Prosecco, and I decide to return to tibits to sample the full experience.

And experience is very much the word. Upon arrival we're greeted by the unfailingly helpful and friendly Anina Smith who explains how the whole thing works. You turn up and sit wherever you fancy, before going up to the food 'boat' and helping yourself to all manner of delicious vegetarian dishes on offer. You then take your plate up to the bar, where it's weighed, you order drinks, pay and then sit back down.



It's an odd process but a fun one, and the food really is lovely. Always seasonal and, where possible, organic and locally sourced, there's a massive range of different things on offer. I'm particularly enamoured with a wonderfully textured Moroccan bulgar wheat salad, a rich and hot tomato and courgette stew, and a lightly tangy dried bean and walnut salad. The latter looks (and sounds) a bit grim, but is honestly fantastic!

There's a short but neat wine list, some interesting beer selections, as well as a range of cocktails and desserts, but after two massive platefuls of veggie deliciousness, I'm really pretty full. In all, food for two plus beer and a couple of glasses of wine comes to just shy of £50. But most people are significantly less greedy than me so it would come out a lot less.

The place itself is fresh and fun, with (as you'd expect from a Swiss concept) a friendly and accessible atmosphere – there's pleasant outdoor seating and the interior decor is great. The emphasis is on flexibility and enjoyment, just like Dawn's book. My only gripe: a tiny rasher or two of bacon wouldn't have gone amiss...

Click here for things to do in London.

Tom Jeffreys