TWELVE EATERY arrived on Bournemouth’s dining scene in November 2018 and has been busy making headlines ever since.

The organic plant-based restaurant and the UK’s first 100 percent organic bar to make cocktails with fresh cold-pressed juice is the creation of co-founders Dalton Mello and Greg Rush. 

Located in The Triangle, an area known for its independent businesses and vibrant nightlife: “Think Shoreditch 10 years ago,” says Mello. TWELVE EATERY is the first vegan restaurant to claim the number one spot for restaurants in Bournemouth on TripAdvisor.

Innovative food 

TWELVE shouts organic and sustainability with pride. The moment you step over the threshold, you enter a magical and colourful world filled with delicious, innovative food and cocktails.

What was once a chicken shop has been completely transformed into a stylish haven offer plant-based meals for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, flexitarians, omnivores and meat eaters alike.

Mello and Rush ditched their London lives and invested two years producing this completely vegan and cruelty-free project. From the Farrow & Ball eco-friendly paint to the luxury vegan leather seating, the gold cutlery and the compostable serviettes, no detail has been overlooked.

The original Victorian brick wall adds character to the dining area while a modern edge is delivered by London architect Massimo Buster Minale with pendant lighting and ironmongery.

The reclaimed Victorian parquet is highlighted by the natural lights in the ceiling of the dining area, ideal for those who enjoy having lunch in the sun.

Single-use plastics 

The dynamic duo spent years at the height of London’s hospitality scene working for Caprice Holdings (AKA Balthazar, The Ivy, Sexy Fish), Gaucho Restaurants, and Burger & Lobster Group among others. Turning vegan four years ago, the pair now have ambitions for TWELVE to become the UK’s first plant-based restaurant group.

They said: “Ditching meat and dairy from our lives and careers was the best single choice we ever made.” 

Proving already to be a breath of fresh air in the hospitality world, Mello and Rush have ensured that TWELVE is a single-use plastic free establishment with a goal to become an entirely zero-waste restaurant in the coming years.

The eatery is also in the process of setting up an allotment where they will grow produce from their own food compost.

Locally sourced

The TWELVE EATERY menu is based on classic dishes from around the world made only with the finest and freshest ingredients. Head Chef, Vitaly Zhukovsky, has a strong passion for nutritious plant-based food.

Zhukovsky’s previous career in London saw him working alongside top chefs such as Dominic Teague and Gordon Ramsay: “We are passionately committed to offering British produce, no frozen food or microwaves; just fresh organic food sourced as locally as possible.”

“Every dish at TWELVE is nutritionally developed and created to include the average daily recommended amount of B12 – hence ‘TWELVE’ – as this is the vitamin that vegans are most likely to be deficient in. Our organic B-TWELVE Burger is a prime example of that.”

Since working at TWELVE, Zhukovsky has discovered the best organic fruit and vegetable producers and farmers in the region. Products such as Isle of Wight Tomatoes, Dorset Sea Salt Company, and Sopley asparagus are some of seasonal regulars on TWELVE’s menu. 

Careful planning 

But TWELVE isn’t just an eatery, it’s also a bar. All the cocktails are 100 percent organic, made with fresh cold-pressed juice and fair-trade blue agave.

TWELVE’s organic wine list offers a range of biodynamic and low sulphur wines and champagnes as well as raw wines and wines with no added sulphur.

The selection of organic beers and ales includes gluten free beers made with quinoa. The bar is also stocked with a full range of organic spirits and liqueurs along with premium strength CBD oil which is used in TWELVE’s signature creations; the CBD Espresso Martini and the CDP Pear Aquafaba Sour.

Also open for breakfast and lunch, Mello and Rush have catered for every meal and carefully sourced an organic coffee specially roasted to achieve the perfect balance required for plant-based milks: “The incredible coffee plantation in Indonesia overlooks the shores of Lake Toba which is the largest volcanic lake in the world.

“The rich and fertile volcanic soil combined with the tropical climate gives the most amazing notes of tamarind and fudge with a silky spice finish.”

The years of careful planning, diligent research and tireless sourcing have paid off. Mello and Rush have created something very special which is evident from the moment you enter; their enthusiasm is infectious and vegan or not, TWELVE’s stylish ethos is undeniable.

This Article 

This article is based on copy provided by TWELVE eatery.