Maple & Fitz healthy takeaway and cold-press juice bar to open in London
A new cold-pressed juice bar and healthy takeaway named Maple & Fitz is to open in London's Fitzrovia in March.
From Canadian chef Adria Wu, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, the site will focus on takeaway dishes based on salads and "grain bowls". It replaces a former sandwich bar called Johns.
Set to serve breakfast and lunch, the new menu will include fresh takes on Caesar and Waldorf salads, including the Julius Caesar, with shredded kale and cabbage, gluten-free buckwheat croutons, Pecorino cheese and a Dijon-lemon yoghurt dressing, and the Lady Pom salad with wholegrains, pomegranate, walnuts, cucumber and apple, plus a tahini pomegranate dressing.
Other dishes will include the "Mexican standoff", containing bulgur wheat, black beans, grape tomatoes, cheddar cheese and jalapenos with coriander lime pesto dressing, alongside dishes that reference Wu's Asian heritage, such as the "samurai slaw" which includes soba noodles, shredded cabbage and carrots, mint, coriander, and a miso sesame soy dressing.
The café will offer one portion of food at £6.50, and there will also be the option to mix up to three salads or grain bowls. Customers will then have the choice to add protein from a choice of free-range chicken, salmon, tofu, tempeh, or avocado and poached or hard-boiled egg.
The drinks menu will focus on freshly-made, cold-pressed juices, including the "Little Miss Sunshine", which has been designed to "energise", including grapefruit, orange, lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper, or the "bitter queen", designed to help digestion, which mixes spinach, kale, lemon, cucumber, celery and grapefruit.
Desserts will aim to offer sweet-but-healthy options, including the "one-bite everything cookies" with coconut, hazelnuts, pecans, oats and dark chocolate, the gluten-free salted caramel brownies, and the "raw power balls", which are made of Medjool dates, almonds, raw cocoa powder and chia seeds.
Although focused on takeaway options, the two-storey venue will also seat 12-15 people, and have outdoor seating areas in the summer months. Its décor is inspired by the maple tree, and will aim to be creative and artistic using natural materials and local photography.
Commenting on the new opening, Wu said: "Since training at Le Cordon Bleu and subsequently studying nutrition I have fallen in love with combining simple wholesome ingredients to create delicious food that your body craves. I want to make honest great tasting food that leaves you feeling energised and which is accessible to busy Londoners who don't always have the time to make meals from scratch."
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