Rejoice leaf-eaters, for National Vegetarian Week began on May 22. To celebrate this monumentus occasion, legendary purveyors of all things non-meat, The Gate, are offering 20 per cent off their express lunch menu to entice the veg-curious.

And what better way to test their fare than for a dedicated carnivore, specifically me, to indulge in some of their herbivore offerings?

So with an open mind I headed into their airy Finsbury dining room and tried out one of their savoury cocktails (an eye-watering horseradish and cress concoction) while I considered my options.

About five or six alternatives presented themselves for each course, all of which looked pretty good.

We had the elegant courgette flower, rich with goats cheese, basil and sun dried tomatoes and given a bit if zip by the salsa and fantastic aioli.

Then a tart, which was a more relaxed affair; spinach, feta and artichoke providing a mild concoction of flavours, but still very tasty.

For the mains, the butternut squash and goat cheese rotolo was small, but hearty, and full of creamy thyme goodness, while the chipotle mushrooms were distinctly meaty, delicious and just the right side of spicy.

The portions are on the small side, and I certainly wasn’t stuffed, but The Gate have managed to whip different combinations of veg, cheese and pulses into some devilishly satisfying combinations.

I hardly noticed the lack of meat at all.