Honest, fresh and healthy food in a friendly and comfortable environment. That was the promise. I wasn't disappointed. 




I stumbled upon KIN in Fitzrovia in a bid to both explore a new area of London and find a place for a lunch date. I loved this place so much that I really wanted to share it with you. Initially, I didn’t plan to blog this, so the photos (taken on my iPhone) really don’t do this place justice.

I believe that KIN is relatively new. It offers a changing daily menu including vegetarian and vegan dishes with a gluten-free offering. There are also fresh juices, coffee, teas and sweet treats.

I’d describe the environment as fairly minimalist, but still relaxing with utility/ rustic décor. Reminiscent of my beloved kiwi cafes coupled with background dub, the chilled atmosphere really made for a lovely relaxed lunch experience. It started to get quite busy when we arrived, so I suggest getting there early to ensure you get a table (although takeaway is an option).

As I didn’t plan on reviewing this café, we both chose the same delicious dish of savoury baklava made with warming beets, root vegetables and brazil nuts with a crispy almond topping (one with salad too) and we both chose the #1 blackboard juice made from kale, apple, celery and broccoli. I loved that the juices are served in cute glass milk bottles as food presentation is key for me and it made all the difference.

Daily Salads

#1 Kale, Broccoli, Celery and Apple

Savoury Baklava

Sweet Treats

There was definitely a service with a smile and they were also keen for feedback. We felt really welcome, and they took the time to provide an overview of each dish and gave us recommendations when we asked. It was just a shame that we were not there long enough to try some of the other options and give more of a comprehensive review, but I’ll definitely be going back.

Coffee is a major passion of mine, but after having just had my second double espresso of the day, I didn’t try the coffee (this month from Notes).  Check out their coffee blog here though. They rotate the coffee monthly, so let’s hope they get AllPress (not biased at all) on their list soon.

In my opinion, another big plus is that their business is fuelled by their environmental and social sustainability beliefs and they actively support other start-ups and small businesses too.

Vegetarian food isn’t for everyone, but since my meat-loving kiwi husband both survived a completely meatless meal, enjoyed it and even raved about the kale juice, this place can’t be bad. Brunchcrush gives KIN a thumbs up and I strongly recommend you check this place out today.

Coconut oil is hotly debated in many a food forum. A large majority argue that coconut oil delivers plenty of health, beauty and medicinal benefits. In this mini series, I’m exploring the topic further and sharing a snapshot of the many ways that I've started to include coconut oil in my everyday life, starting with beauty.
I love my beauty products, but sometimes natural products do the job just as well, and in many cases better. The skin is our largest organ and it absorbs most of a product through the skin layers first and eventually into our bloodstream, so its just as important to consider what we put onto our skin as it is what we put into our body. It therefore makes sense to consider natural and non-toxic beauty alternatives. Coconut oil contains no nasty chemicals and is gentle on the skin. It contains vitamins and other micronutrients, is antibacterial and antifungal and can boost skin collagen. 

Here are some of my tried and tested, affordable ways you can incorporate coconut oil into your everyday beauty routine.

An intense moisture boost
Coconut oil contains naturally anti-aging properties and may soften fine lines, sun damage and age spots. The oil can be used straight from the jar to soften and nourish dry skin from babies to adults. It can be used on elbows, as a lip salve or a rich (very rich) moisturiser. Although solid at room temperature, the oil turns to a liquid texture with heat which makes it easy to absorb if you simply add it to your bath. For a post-exercise and detoxifying treatment, I like to add Epsom salts to the oil bath to sooth muscles.

Nourish your hair

For a tropical scented hair conditioner, rub the ends of dry hair (not the roots) with coconut oil and wrap the hair up in a towel for your desired length of time and rinse out. You may need to double cleanse your hair afterwards, but the silky and smooth results will be worth it.

Remove stubborn eye make up 

Coconut oil really gives any eye make-up remover a run for its money. You add a little to a cue tip and gently buff away stubborn mascara or eyeliner, or do what I do and massage it across all across the eye with a cotton pad. This really works well with waterproof products and doubles up as an eye cream. Although it felt a bit strange at first, I was shocked by how great the results are.

Reduce marks and banish blemishes

The coconut contains antibacterial properties, and the oil can be used on its own, or mixed with tea tree oil to help heal wounds and small blemishes. Some of my friends swear by coconut oil as a natural and effective way to prevent stretch marks in pregnancy and to soften existing marks and scars.

Scrub away dead cells

This is a winner. You simply add sugar to the oil and buff those dead cells away. This is great as a step in a pedicure routine! The sugar will wash away and the fatty acids in the oil lock moisture in. As you massage it in to the feet (or hands), as the oil acts as an emollient and it will absorb into the nail bed quickly and help your pedicure or manicure look better for longer.

Support beauty sleep
Bonus tip! Everyone knows that one of the best ways to ensure fresh skin is by getting a good night’s sleep. Some research suggests that as coconut oil can help regulate the body, so adding this to a hot drink before bed, may help relieve some insomnia.

I must admit, I’m not sold on the deodorant just yet, but for now, coconut oil is definitely a staple product in my bathroom cabinet.

As with anything quality is key and all coconut products are definitely not created equal. This post isn't sponsored, but my favourite coconut oil at the moment is from Lucy Bee. It is made from organic raw coconut oil and is fair trade, and for me that's a pretty good start.

My father was recently diagnosed (after a very long process and misdiagnosis) with coeliac disease and although I’m not coeliac, I also tend to feel much better by avoiding gluten where possible.

For those of you who don’t know, coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten, causing a wide range of symptoms from bloating through to weight loss, osteoporosis and skin rashes. Dermatitis herpetiformis can also occur, which is the skin manifestation of coeliac disease. Once diagnosed, you treat it by following a completely gluten-free diet.

I’ve made a huge effort to cook without the grain, and I’ve discovered some amazing alternative foods devoid of the added fat that free-from foods sometimes use to bind the ingredients together.

It’s so easy these days to prepare dishes that are free-from gluten and there are really no excuses, in my opinion, for not providing an alternative gluten-free option in all eateries. However, many places still don’t offer this and equally don’t know what's in their dishes if you ask them.

I LOVE eating out, but I find that it’s just as easy to prepare delicious alternatives to all your meals yourself. In addition to some of my own recipes, I often turn to the many food bloggers out there who prefer the gluten-free lifestyle and whom I find are excellent and inspirational starting points for anyone who is starting the gluten-free lifestyle, or who has a gluten-intolerant family member. Here is my edit of my top 4.

Gluten Free Goddess

Featuring great photography and delicious baking, Karina’s blog is a great starting point for any gluten-free novice. My favourite (watch the waistline) recipe is Karina’s Wildly Rich Chocolate Cake.

Wuthering Bites

This is a blog for “experimental cooks”. With a fantastic name and equally great content, Sarah’s blog is well worth a read, especially for those based in Bristol. My favourite recipe is Gluten-Free Strawberry Sangria Ice Lollies.

Celiac Chicks

This US-based blog provides a good combination of facts, chat and gluten-free meals. Check out this new (to me) Banana Flour.

Gluten Free Mommy

What’s for dinner this week? This blog shares simple stand-by dishes and hosts a menu swap initiative for busy families. Check out the simple, yet delicious Thai Chicken Wraps.

To find out more about this really quite debilitating disease, the symptoms, diagnosis and the treatment and support available, check out www.csaceliacs.org (US) and www.coeliac.org.uk.

I love a good food story, and these Instagram accounts provide beautiful photographs and deliciously inspiring meals and really encouraging quotes. It was really hard to narrow these accounts down to just five. True Foodspiration.

@deliciouslyella

This is the account of Ella Woodward. Her diet is free from gluten, dairy, meat and added sugars and is the creator of deliciouslyella.com. Everything on her page looks delicious.

@iquitsugar

The IQS programme is a relatively new (for me) concept that makes total sense. The realisation that even basic tomato soup contains about 16 grams of sugar (4 teaspoons) is a real eye opener. This account follows Sarah’s journey and provides some good programme tips.

@hemsleyhemsley

Sister duo Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley show us the Art of Living Well through their nourishing recipe ideas and tips.  Their sound advice and basic guidelines for good health are easy to follow and nutritious. Their bone broth is a winner.

@Madeleine_Shaw_

Madeleine’s a holistic health coach, yoga expert and a chef. Madeleine always shares such beautifully composed images of her meals and drinks. I love the styling of her dishes. I don’t know how she manages to make cauliflower pizza look so good.

@honestlyhealthy

A firm favourite, Honestly Healthy follows the alkaline principles. HH is both a healthy food and juice delivery service and a recipe book.  Check out their raw chocolate mousse make with their secret ingredient avocado! I’ve tried it, you’d never know.

I’m now off to do some cooking.