This week we hosted a Fundamentals of Raw Vegan Cuisine workshop and dinner with Richard Havardi. Richard Havardi is the founder and former head chef of Nama Foods which was based in Notting Hill and one of the pioneering restaurants in the raw food movement. We welcomed a wonderful mix of guests—some long-time raw food enthusiasts who have followed a strict raw diet for years, and others who were completely new to this style of cuisine. The term “living foods” or “raw vegan cuisine” refers to the mindful consumption of plant-based ingredients that have not been heated, processed, or cooked above 40–48°C (104–118°F). Keeping foods below these heat-sensitive thresholds helps preserve delicate enzymes and micronutrients, which may support more efficient digestion, enhanced cellular energy production, a balanced inflammatory response, and improved immune function. With Richard’s guidance, we prepared a wide selection of dishes, including Raw Vegan Pad Thai with tamarind and tomato sauce, raw vegan sushi with mooli rice and ponzu dipping sauce, lettuce tacos, and for dessert, cacao tipped tahini and help truffles. There were plenty of new discoveries throughout the evening, such as learning how to make “rice” from mooli. We then sat down together to enjoy the dishes we had created—everything tasted incredible, and many of us said how good we felt afterwards.
Here is some feedback from some of our participants:‘
A fabulous experience, the most amazing food. I learnt so much from Richard and met so many people with similar and very different views’.
‘Amazing food, such as privilege to learn from Richard’
‘Yum yum, I wouldn’t have believed that I both enjoy and feel satisfied on raw delicacies’.
‘An eye opening experience’.‘Everything was so delicious. I learned a few tricks that I will use in the future’
‘Richard is an amazing chef, the flavours, the ingredients were superb’.
‘I’ve been on a raw food diet for 18 years and this class expanded my repertoire’