So what is ‘Love Juice’?

Love Juice is situated in a quiet corner of South Manchester’s Chorlton. Packed to the brim with independent businesses and cute residential roads, Chorlton is renowned for it’s free-spirited artistic vibe. Love Juice takes this neighbourhood to a new level of quirky, and, if you know your crystals, possibly to a new dimension.

Love Juice might not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if your cup of tea is a syrup-laden chai latte with extra whip. But, if you like healthy vegetarian food in an imaginative environment, Love Juice may be one to check out.

Love Juice is a very small café. If you peer behind the counter of delicious raw treats and vegan bakes, you can look right through to the back of the kitchen.

I ordered the raw beetroot wrap. The wait for the food was long, but I entertained myself by reading the flyers that were perched around the café.

Where else in Manchester would you find an advert for a Shaman drumming course? In the time it took to make a beetroot wrap, I had already planned my future as a shamanistic healer.

When I asked for a glass of water I was guided toward a large glass keg, filled with filtered water and, surprisingly, large pieces of rose quartz. I poured myself a glass and sipped cautiously, looking out to see what effect the rose quartz might take.

Would my tongue start to tingle and sprout wings? Would my skin start to glow a luminous pink?

In reality it was tinged slightly blue—the café could do with some central heating.

Alas, I decided I wasn’t yet spiritually sophisticated enough to feel the effects of the quartz, and made a mental note to return after my Shaman class. Let the rose quartz do its worse then, I thought to myself.

Just as I was considering looking up the effects of rose quartz in the book of crystals lying on the table next to me, I was saved by the arrival of my beetroot wrap.

The wrap was one of their raw vegan options. It was presented on a long rectangular plate, which always adds anticipation to the dish.

Luckily my anticipation was well placed, the dish was a triumph of textures. Crisp, fresh cucumber mingled nicely with the grated carrot. The wrap oozed with a sweet nutty dressing. The dehydrated beetroot bread was unusual, but not unpleasant. It was slightly chewy, and had just a note of sweetness.

The salad served with the wrap might seem a little scary to some raw food novices. There really isn’t much to say about a raw, undressed, unseasoned vegetable salad. All I can say is that, after the water, I was just glad that it was sprinkled with sunflower seeds and not little chunks of haematite.

Love Juice is definitely an experience. It’s a chance to let out your inner hippy and get a pretty good meal as you do so. I left Love Juice in high spirits, and while I can’t say for sure if this was down to the rose quartz water, or the raw wrap, I can say I’ll be back soon to find out.

Love Juice
93 Beech Road
M21 9EQ