Visit Bournemouth’s top vegan restaurant

The seaside town of Bournemouth is well-known for its fun amusements, picturesque beaches and string of quaint boutique stores – but it’s also recently welcomed the UK’s first 100 per cent organic, plant-based restaurant and cocktail bar, Twelve Eatery – affectionately known as Twelve. Owners Dalton Mello and Greg Rush are well versed in the hospitality industry, yet the pair were inspired to give fine dining an ethical twist by creating Twelve – which only serves the highest quality vegan food and drink. We spoke to Dalton, to find out where their inspiration came from, what a visit to Twelve includes, and what the future looks like for the team.

“We started the journey towards Twelve Eatery about three years ago. Both me and my business partner, Greg, have previously managed a number of restaurants in London, including Goodman Group and Gaucho – both of which are very meat-focused eateries. However, after experiencing the journey from farm to table, we came to realise that there is a lot more to dining than just meat – our eyes were opened to the plant-based lifestyle. I never thought that I would become a vegan in a million years, but both myself and Greg have followed a plant-based diet for four years. It has definitely been the best decision I have ever made, not just because it has improved my health, but because it also opened up a new business concept, which is Twelve. “Twelve is the brainchild of me and Greg. We both wanted to bring plant-based food to a traditional dining experience level, meaning wine lists and cocktails! But we wanted to go an extra step by ensuring everything is organic, while really focusing on the quality of the local produce we use. Also, back in the day, our main concerns about following a vegan diet were whether we were getting enough vitamin B12 and protein – a common misconception many people have. We therefore wanted to create a menu which offers dishes that naturally contain your daily recommended allowance of B12, while also being high in protein, nutritious and tasty.