The Mae Deli. Eagerly anticipated by deliciously Ella fans everywhere, and it does not disappoint.

I went to the deli on a weekday for some lunch with my mother, it was busy, but plenty of places to sit and there was a good steady flow of customers finishing and new customers coming in. Of course you don’t have to eat in, they do takeaway !

The service was second to none, with all three ladies working being very helpful, explaining how it works, the choices, the best dishes to complement the ones chosen and offering a lovely smile and atmosphere.

Now lets get to the food. I chose the Mix Mae Bowl allowing me to choose 4 dishes from either the hot or cold selection. My mum also had other dishes so I got to try even more. Dishes sampled:

• Sun dried tomato falafel
• Sweet potato falafel
• Kale and broccoli salad
• Roasted red veg with paprika & black beans
• Fennel & aubergine stew
• Courgette & sweet potato curry

One of the best things about this healthy eating hotspot is that the ingredients of all the dishes are displayed on the counter, no nasty’s here, just simple whole ingredients. The falafel balls were lovely, moist and packed full of flavor. Who knew that broccoli could taste so good? Beautifully dressed salad that was simple and delicious.  The other cold dish which was the roasted veg was my favorite, it had so much flavor, so many different textures and really enticed your taste buds. The hot dishes were lovingly warming’ the sweet potato curry had a coconut element to it giving it a Thai twist.

Of course, to embrace the full experience I had a dessert which was one of their all day breakfast options.

• Chia Seed pudding with my choice of 3 toppings > almond butter, coconut chips and granola.

This was a tasty pot and a perfect size, not too small to leave you wanting more, not too large to make you full to the brim, therefore it left me fully satisfied. I love Chia seed pudding and the thicker the better, the Mae deli’s delivered, with a thick and creamy base and a great dollop of almond butter. Ella is famous for her granola, which I have to say was a real highlight, it was crunchy and soft and paired perfectly with the pudding.

Followed by a Peanut butter protein smoothie for the road. Rude not to really; and a treat it was, a rich, creamy texture due to the banana and a subtle peanut butter flavor. The only thing I think was missing was possibly a thicker texture, it was a little runny for my personal preference as I like them a bit thicker just by using a frozen banana and some ice.

I have to say I was thoroughly impressed, and enjoyed my visit immensely. I will be back for sure.

For more information about the Mae deli you can find them here: http://themaedeli.com