Hi all!

From May 21st to May 23rd, Francis and I stayed at The Beet Retreat (a 100% vegan & cruelty-free homestead) up in the Yarra Valley for our three year anniversary/my birthday! I took plenty of pictures so I could share with you just how wonderful the place was and all of its delicious plant based food!

The retreat was only an hour’s drive but the views and scenery along the way were breathtaking. We had really good weather the entire weekend, which was so lucky! When we arrived, we were shown to our Treetops Room, which was ultra modern and stunning. There were vegan dvd’s, vegan books, vegan mugs and even vegan cushions!

The room was stocked with soy milk, fruit, vegan butter, a giant loaf of sourdough bread and homemade muesli/granola. We admired the view of the vast hills from our window and all of the kangaroos grazing in the paddock before heading to Nillumbik Estate Winery for dinner. Make sure you arrive at 5, as the restaurant closes at 6. The sun was setting as we arrived – it was incredibly romantic. We sat outside and listened to jazz music as the sky changed colours. Nillumbik offer a wide range of vegan wines and pizzas, which were quite possibly the best we’ve ever tasted!

In the morning, we loaded our bowls and plates with healthy food and made plans for the day!

If you’re looking for a vegan friendly lunch place in the area, I would recommend driving 30 mins to Healesville, stopping at Mocha & Lime, which has plenty of plant based options. We both ordered the Lentil Dahl with sourdough bread. Delicious!

We then drove 40 minutes to Kinglake National Park and explored Mason Falls. It was beautiful but cold! 

In the evening, the owner Jan, cooked up a beautiful meal of pumpkin soup, quinoa with veggies & salad and for dessert, a raw chocolate & mint tart, which unfortunately I couldn’t eat due to my caffeine intolerance. However, the peppermint cream was incredible! It is really worth paying the extra $30 for Jan to cook you dinner & dessert. She is an incredibly skilled chef and even offers vegan cooking classes! 

Jan is also a vegan athlete, who is incredibly fit and healthy. She believes in whole food nutrition. All of her recipes are organic and sourced locally. It was fascinating listening to all of her stories as we sat and ate dinner with her. In the morning – it was my birthday! Francis and I enjoyed a relaxing spa before another communal, healthy breakfast!

Jan made us a sweet green smoothie with bananas, dates and plenty of greens, plus a hearty bowl of porridge with walnuts. She hugged us both goodbye as we set off for our journey home.

 I highly recommend staying here as the location is visually stunning, the room is comfortable and the food is superb. It was honestly the best birthday weekend! Check out The Beet Retreat here for more information!

Peace & Love xoxo