The Sumac Centre has a completely vegan cafe and bar run by volunteers. As it is registered as a Social Club, you have to be a member to be there during licensed hours, though it is easy to get someone to sign you in as a guest. The opening hours are limited and subject to availability of volunteers, so check beforehand. Beer costs about £1.90 a pint.

Food service is currently limited due to a lack of volunteers (why not help?). On the second and fourth Friday each month there is the 'Small World Kitchen' - lots of delicious food made by volunteers from a local refugee group. £3 donation. There is a People's Kitchen meal served every Saturday from 6:30pm. £4 donation. Breakfasts are usually available on Sundays 11am - 3pm. They are really tasty and include the famous Sumac potato cakes.

Members' Bar open Thursdays 6:30pm—11:00pm; Fridays and Saturdays 7:30pm—11:00pm.

Directions: The Sumac Centre is based in the Forest Fields area of Nottingham - about 2 miles from the City Centre. It is easily reachable by bus and tram.

The Alley Café is a really groovy veggie café and bar, popular with many non-veggies too. They have a full menu of meals and snacks, decent beer, cocktails, delicious cakes and puddings. There is a daily special meal for less than £7, or I would recommend trying one of their pizzas. They also do a vegan/gluten-free roast dinner on Sundays. The café is quite small, so you may have trouble finding a seat at lunchtimes and weekend evenings. They serve food and drink until late most nights, with DJs on at the weekends. As well as art displays on the walls, The Alley Café is the venue for poetry nights and other events.

Open Monday & Tuesday 11am - 9pm (Food til 8pm); Wednesday & Thursday 11am - 11pm (Food til 9:30pm); Friday & Saturday 11am - 1am (Food til 9:30pm); Sunday 12pm - 5pm (Food til 4pm).

Cost: Main meals around £7; Alcoholic drinks about £3.

Directions: Funnily enough, the Alley Café is down an alley way, so can be difficult to find. Starting from the Old Market Square, go to the opposite end to the Council House. Leading away from the square is a road called Angel Row, with the Bell pub (very nice) on your left and Yates's Wine Lodge (minging) on your right. Go up this road and you should see the Central Library on your left. Opposite this, on your right, is an alley way (the second alley way on this road) called Cannon Court Yard - there should be a sign for Johnson Partnership Solicitors and the Alley Cafe. Once in the alley way, go through the door on the left and up the stairs.

Aubergine is the new name for Squeek which has recently been taken over by new owners. Many people will be lamenting the demise of Squeek but it's not all bad news. Aubergine is still a veggie restaurant offering an à la carte menu with two or three vegan choices for each course. They also offer gluten free options.

The new owners are still finding their feet so we will have to see how the restaurant develops. There are plans to open for more than three nights a week. Cost: A three-course meal is around £21.

Open Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm.

In the daytime, a vegetarian café with simple foods like soup, pitta with houmous etc.

In the evening (Tues-Sat 5.30pm-10pm), it becomes Café Roya, a licensed à la carte restaurant with superb food. There are around 3 vegan options for each course.

Crocus is a volunteer-run cafe and bakery which is vegetarian and uses local and fairly-traded produce. There are snacks, soup, main courses and desserts each day and breakfast on Sunday, with vegan options. They also cater for those with food intolerances. Thursdays 7-10pm is "Come Dine with Crocus", a three-course wait-staffed meal for £10 including vegan options. Bring your own bottle.

Combine a trip to the café with a visit to the Crocus Gallery which is next door.

Opening times: Tues - Fri 10am-5pm, plus evening meal Thurs 7-10pm; Sat & Sun 11am-4pm. Closed Mondays.

Café Nomad is a small veggie cafe/restaurant serving a range of food from takeaway snacks and burgers to full meals.

Since they opened, they have increased the number of dishes that can be vegan, so there is a choice of several starters and main courses. I can recommend the delicious Moroccan tajine. The soup of the day is often vegan. Apple tart and fruit salad are the only options for pudding.

A three course meal including a soft drinks costs about £10. They aren't licensed but you can take your own wine.

Nomad has great food and would be a wonderful place if it weren't for the fact that the staff are sometimes unhelpful and impolite.

Opening times (subject to change) : Weds & Thurs 4-10pm, Fri & Sat 10am-10pm; Sun 12-3pm. Booking recommended in the evening and essential on Sundays.

This is a volunteer-run veggie café and shop which is part of the Akshobya Buddhist Centre. They serve soup and hot paninis with a choice of fillings, cakes and drinks

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 12–3.30pm.

The mm...deli can be found in the lovely Sherwood area - about 2 miles from the city centre, close to the Roots health food shop. The deli is "99% vegetarian" with lots of vegan choices.

They serve sandwiches, paninis, cakes etc. which can be eaten there or taken away. They can also deliver buffet lunches and have a catering trailer for events.

They have a wide variety of unusual foods on the shelves so it's worth going in for a browse.

More info on their website.

Kayal serves delicious South Indian food, which is quite different to the Bangladeshi-derived food of normal Indian restaurants.

Main meals come with a dosa - a thin pancake which can be dipped into various chutneys.

The staff at Kayal understand the needs of vegans and are helpful and friendly.

As well as evening meals, they also serve a "business man's lunch" for £6 consisting of dosa, chutneys, rice and three curries, which has a vegan option.

The Broadway is a very popular arts cinema in the trendy Hockley area, adjacent to the city centre. The bar is even more popular than the films, particularly with pretentious arty people. The café-bar usually has one or two vegan soup and main meal options which are clearly marked on the blackboard. However, sometimes the vegan options run out. From the regular menu, you can get a Turkish mezze (houmous, olives etc.) with salad.

If you are seeing a film, there are often dishes that can be served with a few minutes of ordering and you can get a discount by buying your film ticket and meal at the same time. There is also a decent range of beer, spirits and fruit juices available.

You can sit in the (much nicer) Mezz Bar upstairs where you can order food from downstairs (but check the specials board downstairs before you go up).

Café-bar open Mon - Fri 9am - 11pm; Sat 11am - 11pm; Sun 12noon - 10.30pm.

Annie's Burger Shack is based in the kitchen of The Navigation Inn, a pub and small music venue. You can find The Navigation opposite the Evening Post building, next to The Irish Centre. Don't confuse it with the Trent Navigation pub which is on Meadow Lane.

You might remember that Annie's Burger Shack used to be in The Old Angel. The food is provided by American Anmarie Spaziano, serving dozens of varieties of burger which can all be made vegan. There is a huge variety and a lot of imaginative recipes. For example, the Sunday Dinner burger has mock chicken, roast pudding, roast potatoes and stuffing all in a bun. All burgers come with wedges or fries. Cost from £6.50 for a basic burger to around £9 for a huge Navigation Blues burger - patty, sausages, mock chicken, veggie bacon, tomatoes and lettuce!

There is also a specials board which may include desserts (e.g. a vegan chocolate cake with chocolate sauce when I was there).

This place is very highly recommended as it one of the most accommodating for vegan diners. It's also in a handy location for the railway station and Broadmarsh bus station.

Open Mon - Sat 12pm - 8pm; Sun 12pm - 6pm.

A very simple and cheap Chinese restaurant with friendly staff and several delicious vegan dishes. The portions are huge. They don't serve alcohol but you can bring your own - there are many off-licences near-by. A very good place to go after visiting one of the many excellent pubs along this road (I recommend the Golden Fleece, Forest Tavern and Lincolnshire Poacher).

I must admit I've never been to Encounters despite going past it every day, but I know they have a special vegetarian and vegan menu on Tuesday nights, and some vegan options the rest of the time. A good place to go if you are with an uncompromising meat-eater and somewhere you can ask for vegan food and get something other than a blank stare. Based close to the centre of town, opposite the Victoria Shopping Centre.

Wagamama has a few (very nice) vegan options which you can read about on their website. Apparently they are cooked to order on separate grills to the meat dishes. I've found the staff to be understanding and knowledgeable about the vegan options.

Wagamama isn't the place if you want to relax and chat with your friends. They rush you through in double time, but that's great if you are after a quick meal.

Remember there is no booking here - turn up and, if necessary, wait for a place at one of the long tables (which is hard if you're in a large group).

This is a posh, beautifully decorated, Thai restaurant in the trendy Hockley area on the site of the old Siam Thani restaurant. They have lovely food with several vegan options. I recommend the Maa Kheua Sam Rod (Deep fried battered aubergine with tamarind sauce).

They also have sister restaurants in Matlock and Lincoln.

Opening Times: Open 7 days. Lunch 12pm-2:30pm (3pm Sunday); Dinner 6pm-11pm (10:30pm Sunday).

Directions: Facing the Council House in the Market Square, walk along the street to the right of the Council House. Thailand No.1 is a few hundred yards up on your right, opposite George Street.

Tarn Thai is beautiful inside, very posh but not too expensive. The menu is extensive and interesting with lots of vegan options and the staff are very helpful in choosing the right stuff. I can recommend the vegetarian set meal (£18 per person) which can easily be adapted to be vegan.

Open every day; Lunch 12pm-3pm; Dinner 6pm-11pm (11:30pm Fri-Sat)

Jam Café is a European-style café in the Hockley area. The staff are friendly and serve you at your table. There are a few vegan options on the current menu which are clearly marked. These are: Lentil and Mushroom Parcels (puy lentils wrapped in cabbage leaves with root vegetables in a sauce), Bean Burger in Pitta, Beans on Toast.

Opening times are Mon:11am-7pm; Tues:Closed; Weds:11am-12am; Thurs:11am-12am; Fri:11am-12am; Sat:10am-12am; Sun:11am-6pm

The New Art Exchange is Black contemporary art museum which lives in a striking building in the diverse Hyson Green area. The café serves snacks and light meals. I believe one of the staff members is vegan so there are a few vegan options on the menu including a daily special. Very tasty food at a low price. Very close to The Forest Park & Ride tram stop.

Opening times are Mon-Sat 10am-5pm.

A really nice Cantonese restaurant in West Bridgford. The friendly staff will help you order vegan options.

Opening Times: Weds-Thurs 12pm-12am, Fri-Sat 12pm-1am.

Pizza Express are happy to make pizzas without cheese and their bases are vegan. Make sure you tell the staff you are vegan and they can tell you which sauces are suitable.

There is more information about their vegan items on the Vegan London website. They say that you should stress "how strict your diet is to the manager on duty, so as the chef can implement all necessary procedures to avoid cross contamination."

A chain of Mexican restaurants. Their new menu has several options that are vegan including Veggie Jambalaya (Spiced fried rice with mixed bean chilli, tomato sauce, roasted vegetables, spinach & sweetcorn) and Fajitas with roast vegetables (order it without the cheese or cream). Also some side dishes and fantastic cocktails.

An 'urban Indian canteen' - essentially an Indian version of Wagamama. The food is very tasty and they have several vegan options, including a thali (for £11) that can be made vegan. The staff are helpful.

They also offer a take-away service: phone in your order and pick it up.

You can get a discount of 20% off your food from Sunday to Thursday with a Nottingham CityCard.

Well-regarded Indian restaurant with separate veggie menu and lots of vegan options

Open: Monday-Thursday 5.30pm-12.00am, Friday-Saturday 5:30pm-1:00am; Sunday (Buffet) 1pm - 6pm

Café with a few vegan options. Willing to adapt dishes for dietary requirements.

Open: Monday-Tuesday 8.30am-4.30pm, Wednesday 8.30am-6pm, Thursday-Friday 8.30am-5.30pm, Saturday 9am-5.30pm, Sunday 10am-4pm

A milkshake café that is happy to make soya milk alternatives, which are fantastic. They blend various things into their milkshakes like tic tacs, Fry's Peppermint Cream, ginger nut biscuits, fresh fruit etc. See their website for the vegan options, or ask the staff. If you are going regularly, get a saver card - you get a free shake with every ten purchases.

Tucked away near to the railway station, The Palm Tree is a well-kept secret. The restaurant is beautiful inside and the staff very helpful and friendly. The owner in particular seems to understand the needs of vegans - booking ahead and saying you are vegan is advisable. Lebanese food is simple and much of it vegan - they don't seem to use many dairy products so vegetarian options tend to be suitable. However, there is only one main meal that is vegan here - a delicious combination of rice, lentils and tomatoes, but you could happily dine on the starters of pitta, houmous, salads etc.

Directions: If you are at the railway station entrance, turn left out of the front of the station, cross Queens Road and the Palm Tree is about 50 yards ahead of you, on the left.

A proper old-fashioned 'greasy spoon' café. They offer an all-day vegan fried breakfast - white toast, nice sausages, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, tea or coffee (no soya milk). It's huge but low quality.

See Kayal, Tamatanga and the Balti House above.

Nottingham has many excellent Indian restaurants. Traditionally, Mansfield Road has been the place for cheap, decent curries, though there is not so much choice there now. In recent years, Maid Marian Way has seen several new, fashionable Indian restaurants opening. My favourite is out of the town centre - the Jewel In The Crown in West Bridgford (near to the Co-op and the excellent Stratford Haven pub). I haven't been there for years but it used to be superb. Also, the Rajah on Mansfield Road in Sherwood has cheap and very tasty food.

For lunch, you could also try the Indian Community Centre at 99 Hucknall Road. They serve a veggie/vegan meal Monday to Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 for a few pounds.

Screaming Carrot is a vegan bakery selling a delicious selection of cakes, pasties, etc. They also have a small selection of dry and frozen wholefoods, including fair-trade and organic, and offer an organic vegetable box scheme. They take orders for special occasion cakes (which are delicious and excellent value for money).

Opening hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 7.30 - 5.30; Weds: 8 - 6; Sat: 10 - 4; Closed Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.

Screaming Carrot is in the Forest Fields area of Nottingham, fairly close to the Sumac Centre.

See the inside of the shop here.

Good selection of dry, frozen and ready-to-eat foods. The shop also a herbal dispensary.

Roots is a short bus ride from town (millions of buses go along Mansfield Road) and there is a free car park behind the shop

Opening hours (Not checked): Mon-Fri 9 - 6 except Weds 9 - 6:45; Sat 9 - 5

Small, but well stocked wholefood shop. They have the best range of frozen and ready-to-eat foods including pasties, cakes, pizzas etc. Often lots of things on offer. They always have something different you haven't tried before.

Directions: Opposite the Mansfield Road entrance to the Victoria Centre / Victoria Bus Station.

A combined greengrocer and wholefood shop - so you can get all your food in one place. Reasonable selection of wholefoods - not much ready-to-eat stuff, though.

Directions: Close to Tudor Square at the centre of West Bridgford.

Situated opposite Sainsbury's car-park, an organic shop which isn't specifically vegetarian (it sells lots of organic meat) but which has a decent range of wholefood and vegan items.

As you probably know, Holland & Barrett are a big national chain of health food stores. Larger stores have wholefoods, frozen products and ready-to-eat foods. Smaller stores tend to have a very limited range.

Subways are everywhere and I hate them! But, they might be more your sort of thing. This is the information on their website on vegan options:
"The menu items that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients are the Veggie Delite on Italian bread and the Veggie Delite salad. Also these individual items also do not contain animal-derived ingredients: all vegetables, oil, vinegar, mustard, sweet onion sauce and Fruizle. The wheat bread and deli roll contain honey but no other animal-derived ingredients."
If you want to find a Subway in Nottingham, just turn any corner. If there isn't one there already, just wait a while.

A completely vegan shop in the centre of Derby. Situated in the centre of town, near the bus station, Eagle Centre and the Assembly Rooms. Ready-to-eat foods. Lots of organic and wholefoods, including an organic veg and fruit box scheme. Probably the best shop in the region. Well done, Derby.

Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 9.30am - 6pm.

A friendly veggie café inside an amazing second hand bookshop. Mostly home-cooked, seasonal produce with soups and cakes. Vegan and gluten-free options available.

A vegetarian café with vegan and gluten-free options.

Open Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm; Also Weds 6pm-10pm (booking essential). Closed Sundays and bank holidays.

Vegetarian café. The food is delicious, especially the puddings. Vegan options are limited but if you phone ahead they will ensure there is something for you.

The decor is 'homely' - rather a contrast to the Alley Café! The café is hard to find as it is in a side street and up some stairs so take a map with you.

Sandwich shop with sandwiches, quiche, cakes and other snacks. Also a wholefood shop.