Death of a 'Crank'
Kay Canter who, with her husband David, started the vegetarian restaurant
ball rolling with their restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s, has died in Totnes, Devon at the age of 85. Her obituary in one of our local papers says that she used to make wholemeal bread in her kitchen in the country and then travel up to London, clutching the loaves destined for their restaurant. Cranks in Carnaby Street started before that road achieved its famous heights and their restaurant was patronised by pop stars, including the Beatles. When her husband died, she moved to Devon where her daughter lives and there is a Cranks restaurant at Dartington Cider Press. She used to come here from time to time and lived in this village before she moved to Totnes and she was always unfailingly charming and a delight to talk to. When my husband first met her, the person introducing them said "this is Mr Hubbard who raises pinks" (as he did then) and she thought she'd heard "pigs". Ray says there was a bit of a stormy interlude until they sorted that one out! It's amazing to think that their food philosophy was considered to be so 'strange' that the restaurant was called Cranks, whereas now, so many people embrace the vegetarian and organic beliefs they pioneered in their own way. -- Sacha http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/ (remove weeds from address) |
Death of a 'Crank'
On 20 Apr, 22:46, Sacha wrote:
Kay Canter who, with her husband David, started the vegetarian restaurant ball rolling with their restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s, has died in Totnes, Devon at the age of 85. (snip) How truly amazing. The first cook book I have ever bought in England was the Cranks Recipe Book 26 years ago. I think I got it in a second hand book shop and I was astonished to discover that there was books about vegetarian cooking. That's why I bought it. Over the years it stood there on my kitchen shelves and the only thing I now have left of it is one page, from the savouries section, page 133/134 with Buckweat pancakes, stir fried leeks and mushrooms and Cauliflower cheese. I kept this page in a plastic portfolio where all my recipes are filled, because I had stuck a sticker on this page with the recipe for pumpkin soup - the best I've ever made and tasted. I didn't know I had in my possession such an interesting part of English cooking history. Thank you. |
Death of a 'Crank'
In message , Sacha
writes Kay Canter who, with her husband David, started the vegetarian restaurant ball rolling with their restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s, has died in Totnes, Devon at the age of 85. Her obituary in one of our local papers says that she used to make wholemeal bread in her kitchen in the country and then travel up to London, clutching the loaves destined for their restaurant. Cranks in Carnaby Street started before that road achieved its famous heights and their restaurant was patronised by pop stars, including the Beatles. We were newly married and working in London then, and Cranks is the only place I can still clearly remember going to lunch at (except the Italian restaurant where I got the worst food poisoning of my life from prawns that had gone off; this was two weeks before my poor daughter was born, she had hiccups for two whole weeks inside me, right up until the birth - and with somewhat disastrous consequences for her digestion even today!). But as for Cranks, it's just as clear as if it had been yesterday: the ambience, the food ... -- Klara, Gatwick basin |
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