Juicebaby

Juicebaby is a healthy eatery on the King’s Road which opened in October 2014. Its philosophy is “little by little” as ultimately, it’s the little changes and choices that we can make in our eating habits that can make a big difference. Perhaps it’s because my of own experiences and the game-changing role that diet has played that I’ve developed a more holistic approach to food. This is all the more so given my love of wholesome, unprocessed foods – one which Juice Baby caters to extremely well. Wholefoods are unprocessed, unrefined, and closest to their natural state before being consumed so we can enjoy food just as nature intended.

I’d been drawn to Juicebaby not only because it was close to the Frida Kahlo exhibition I was seeing that morning at the Michael Hoppen Gallery, but also by its vibrant Instagram. This features stunning images of their Acai berry bowls, Raw detox salads, Superfood cacao-coloured smoothies, as well as tempting Raw peanut butter florentines. Here, everything is presented beautifully. Inside, Juicebaby is a lovely place to hang out, with a grey interior (including a chalkboard!) creating a cosy vibe.

As I usually make my own smoothies, I didn’t order a juice, though they are cold pressed daily to preserve the ingredients’ nutritional vitality and flavour. In contrast to centrifugal juicers, which spin at an extremely high speed, shredding up produce and forcing the juice to quickly separate from the pulp, which in turn lessens the juice’s nutritional value, cold pressed juicing on a slow process. The juicers slowly “chew” the produce before the juice is extracted, minimising oxidation and extracting all the  natural vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other nutritional essentials. I was, however, impressed by their range of what, for me, were luxe smoothies! One such one is entitled “Nut Butter Fudge” (£5.95), composed of Peanut or almond butter, banana, raw cacao, dates and pink Himalayan salt. Also appealing was their “Banana protein” (£5.95), made up of banana, brazil nuts, chia seeds, vanilla and more of my beloved dates!  Best of all, one of their smoothies features chai powder! For me, the thick and creamy texture of a shake always feels like a treat. Healthy but indulgent – an ideal combination!

Although Juicebaby goes by the name of a beverage, it offers so much more, from snacks and deserts, to full-on breakfasts and lunches. Offering sustainable, healthy food that is accessible on the go, I opted for a “Kale Falafel Bowl” (£9.65), composed of rocket, cabbage slaw, herby kale falafel, hemp tabbouleh, roasted aubergine, toasted pine nuts, sesame seeds and a tahini parsley dressing. I had a craving for falafel and was keen to experiment away from my usual Pilpel. My raw salad was scrumptiously crunchy and packed with flavour.

Juicebaby are right about one thing: small changes in the foods we love can be revolutionary. For Deliciously Ella, for a sweet treat, we should head straight for Juicebaby’s Caramel bar (£4.75), made from dessicated coconut, cashews, macadamia nuts, maple syrup, coconut oil and raw chocolate. Raw chocolatey, caramel richness and a creamy crunchy nutty base. Need I say more? The Evening Standard even labels it as one of London’s Best Healthy Deserts – who would think it even didn’t contain a grain of refined sugar? In honour of my first-time visit and high expectations, I was given a box of their Peanut butter florentines (£4.75) to enjoy later though. Made up of peanuts, cacao butter, buckwheat seeds, coconut oil, cacao paste, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and himayalan salt, how much better can treats become?

Juice Baby, 398 King’s Road, London, SW10 0LJ

Website: www.juicebaby.co.uk

Rating: *****