As someone who recently tackled Veganuary, and rather enjoyed it, I was well up for giving a vegan and vegetarian cafe smack-bang in the middle of a nature reserve a go.

PurePlanet Cafe in Cliffe is not only meat-free, but there’s no microwaves or GMOs allowed either, and everything they serve is ethically sourced and organic.

It sounds more like a Shoreditch hipster hub rather than a Medway cafe but, considering it sits tucked away in one of the area's most remote corners, the environmentally-friendly ethos makes sense.

When we arrived at Eternal Lake Nature Reserve, we walked over to what looked like a large shed that we soon discovered was the cafe itself.

It was an absolutely freezing cold day and the entrance hadn’t been gritted at all, so we didn’t so much walk but slide into the building, desperately trying not to fall through the doorway. It did, however, make us all that much keener to get inside and warm up.

We were told to find a seat by the friendly waitress who greeted us, and chose a booth by the window.

It was sunny, despite the cold temperature, and our booth overlooked the lake so we could take in the view as we sat down for lunch - although we did have to pull the blinds down a little so we could actually see the menu, and each other, without squinting.

We perused the menu, which had everything from all-day brunch and breakfast options to raw vegan meals, comfort food and fruit smoothies, and were told to order at the counter when we were ready.

I took a peek into the open kitchen as I placed our order and tried my best to spot a microwave but, despite my best sleuthing, I couldn’t see one from where I was standing.

We didn’t hear a telling ‘ding’ at any point during our visit either, so I think the cafe is true to its word and takes the old-fashioned, nuke-free approach to cooking.

It took a while for our order to arrive - the downside of no quick fixes - so we spent a while admiring the view and taking in the colour decor.

It did mean that our stomachs were suitably rumbling by the time the same waitress from before set our plates and drinks down in front of us.

My partner had the vegan all-day breakfast, which was piled high with sausages, hash browns, homemade baked beans, mushrooms, roasted vegetables and sourdough toast, with an oat milk latte to wash it down.

It was a decent meal, but my dish was the one we both couldn’t wait to try.

I went for the Healthy Mediterranean Plate - a large (and I really do mean large), fluffy flatbread smothered generously with hummus and topped with perfectly cooked and seasoned vegetables and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

The only downside is that it came with olives, which weren’t listed on the menu. I, personally, can’t stand olives and, had I known they were part of the plate, I would’ve asked for it without. Instead I had to spend an extra few minutes picking them all off before I could begin tucking in.

Still, the (finally olive-less) meal was utterly delicious and filling so, for under a tenner, I didn’t really have any complaints.

My strawberry and banana smoothie was also refreshing and tasty.

It was far too cold to explore the reserve, sadly, so we missed out on spotting any of the wildlife listed on the handy fact sheet pinned on the wall.

We did, however, stop to make a fuss of a very friendly cat on the way back to our car, so I’d say that counts.

I don’t know if it was the GMO-free meal or the four weeks of Veganuary beforehand, but I certainly left feeling healthier, happier and full of nourishment - and flatbread.

Ratings out of five:

Food: The menu was large and varied, and we thoroughly enjoyed both the taste and quantity of each of our meals ****

Staff: It was a long wait for our food, but the waitress was friendly and chatty, and also happy to tell the table behind us all about the reserve when they asked ***

Drink: It’s the usual you’d expect from a cafe - hot drinks, juices, etc. - but I enjoyed my fruit smoothie, it was fresh with just the right amount of sweetness ****

Decor: The decor is colourful and quirky, and the booths looking out over the lake are a nice touch. There’s also a corner table with games and books, and an indoor play area for kids ***

Price: My meal was great quality and more than enough for lunch, so for less than £10 I was happy. The vegan breakfast was £12, the smoothie was £4.50 and the latte was £3 - with no extra cost for oat milk ****