2023 nd-glory p>
I went here to celebrate a friend’s new job. I hand’t really researched the place too much beforehand, but it was interesting because although it fits quite well in the Cambridge scene, this was the first ‘carbon neutral’ restaurant I’d seen.
The environment was relaxed and minimal. They have a nice mediterannean-style outdoor seating area, which is unfortunately let down by the fact that the road and surrounding area don’t seem to be buying into the same aesthetic. Even on a hot Cambridge summer day I still felt I’d rather sit inside than out. Unlike some restaurants Stem and Glory seemed to understand that really they’re selling their food not their furniture. The interior was reminiscent of a Scandinavian canteen crossed with a hotel lounge, soft but not dim lighting and good acoustics considering the kitchen is open to the dining area.
Having gone in blind I was surprised to find that most of the items were not only vegan, but also gluten free. My partner being gluten intolerant, this was extremely liberating, as prior to this the only place around that goes to these lengths is the Vietnamese restaurant Pho.
Each menu item has the amount of CO2 taken to produce the meal, as well as an A-F rating of the CO2-per-kg rating. It was a nice touch to add to the general signalling of environmentally awareness, although I must admit it didn’t really affect my choice, since all items outside the desert menu are rated A or B anyway.
I found it a little odd that none of the meals except the Katsu Curry seemed to actually resemble their namesake. The The Fruits Del Mer appeared more like a Ragu than any seafood dish.
Since our office did some research on carbon offsetting methods, I have a thing against throwing money at “Donate £X, plant a tree” statements, so we didn’t decide to donate but I appreciated the efforts they have gone to with the business.