Hunter Valley Vegetarian options

Hi vegos, this is a very personal site and reflects my views. I may offend a few people. However, please press on and see what you think.

So, lets do a quick survey - on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is perfectly happy and 10 is seriously annoyed:

Okay - the results are in - a lot of 10s, some 9s, a few 8s. Much as I thought.

While there are some places out there that make a decent job of offering a choice and a range of vegetarian options, the majority still have the usual beef / chicken / fish options and a seemingly token vegetarian option. We can do better.

There are some stunning cuisines out there that don't rely on meat. This is where I need your help - I am busy compiling a list of places to eat out that do offer a worthwhile range of options. The Index page will lead to links to them. I am based in Port Stephens, but this website should cover Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, the Hunter Valley vineyards, Upper Hunter as well as Port Stephens. But I need some feedback from you.

Please email me with any suggestions: email is at the bottom of the page. There will also be some recipes: nothing that requires a chef, just good ingredients that are locally available. Plenty of these dishes will involve the use of an air-fryer. Absolutely wonderful appliance. Roasted vegetables made so easy just add a dip of your choice - sour cream / tahini / whatever takes your fancy. Flavour combinations that work ... please. Things to cook in summer and winter, light lunches and hearty dinners. Especially things with chickpeas, please ... yum. Favourite restaurants / cafes and their signature dish (for you anyway) to share and let others know what you have discovered. I've also added a section on gluten free, and expanded the idea to any form of allergen, If you know of somebody that is doing the right thing, please let me know.

No matter what your reason for not eating meat: be it cultural, religion, philosophical or health-related - there are some great cuisines out there that don't rely on dead animals. This is not a vegan site, so expect eggs, milk and cheese to crop up occasionally.