Click to view their site: Junk it Up
1. 73 Shields Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1DL
2. 37 Pink Ln, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 5DW (this is the one I went to!)
Now, I didn’t really peg Newcastle for being a place one could go to get some Vegan scran. Over my months back in my northern home, I was struggling meeting up with my old school friends because of the lack of options I had. Of course, I had the ol’ reliable Wagamamas and a few of the other places but there’s only so many times you can order the ‘spicy pasta dish’ or ‘vegatsu’ before you wanna find something new. And then? Boom. I was introduced to Junk it Up.
Funnily enough, you would have thought if I was desperate enough I would have found this lil’ gem a while ago, but alas, I had not. Now, i’ve been twice in the space of 2 weeks of finding it and I am forever grateful to my friend who introduced me to it. Now, it’s worth noting that the Junk it Up I went to, use to be somewhere The Bohemian, and has recently underwent a revamp into the establishment I am having withdrawal symptoms from.
Much like other vegan fast-food places I’ve been to, Junk it up has the same casual vibe as the others, along with lovely staff and delish food. The menu focuses on stuff such as burgers, hot dogs, loaded sides like nachos and fries. It even includes vegan kebabs- something I use to regrettably inhale after every night out, back in my meat-eating days.
Piri Piri Kebab- £6.95
Loaded Chili Fries- £5.50
9/10
This meal was definitely worth the price, for the portion size AND the quality of food you get, the team are small but they prepare this shit well. My mate Lewis can testify for his Kebab, as he inhaled it in about 5.7 seconds, it did smell divine. But my pizza was fantastic. I always have been iffy with vegan cheese, not being mad on dairy even before I went vegan, the texture and taste of both dairy and non-dairy cheese have been quite off-putting however this cheese, or ‘cheeze’, really did hit the spot for me and didn’t become claggy on my palette- which is a big no-no in my books. The unsung hero of the meal however, was the garlic mayo. Sweet baby jesus, I would have this stuff by the bucket load if I could, genuinely could not tell the difference between that stuff and the ‘real thing’ deffs something you should try if you’re heading in there!
I would definitely recommend this little place for your next cheat day in Newcastle, it is SO filling and SO yummy. But! if you’re a vegan who isn’t too keen on the fake-meat vibe? Maybe stick to the pizza and add a lil’ bit of their hot sauce or dips, as they pride themselves of their meat alternatives. But their fricken is fricken good so if you’re feeling adventurous, have a taste (please excuse the pun, it would have been a crime not to have used it).
Every bite I took, I had to remind myself that all of this was vegan- it really blew my mind how the chili fries could taste so similar to the meat version. In hindsight, this was a meal which reminded me of one of the many reason as to why I went Vegan… the reason being that we don’t need to consume animals anymore in order to eat the food that we love. We can still enjoy fantastic, delicious options without the exploitation of beautiful animals.
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