Tucked away in the village of Thornton lies a thriving art centre, where the work of local and international artists come together.

The South Square Centre is a cluster of 200-year-old former stonecutters' cottages, developed into art galleries, craft shops, art studios and office space.

Beneath the main gallery lies the vegetarian caf, which I've heard great things about but, to my shame, have never actually visited.

Thornton may seem like a trek out of the city centre, but it's only ten minutes' drive away and well worth a visit for lunch and a look around the arts centre.

The caf is cosy, filled with the aroma of freshly-ground coffee and home-cooked food. There's an arty feel to it - on the walls hang a variety of striking paintings by local artists and you can walk through the caf to the centre's Unit 9 Gallery, or the galleries upstairs, showcasing the work of community artists.

The caf was very busy when I arrived at about 12.30pm and I thought I would be in for a long wait, but my food arrived within ten minutes of me ordering it. The waitress was friendly and efficient, managing to remain unharassed despite dealing with lots of people.

There are a range of dishes on the specials board including Spicy Mexican Lentil Soup, Spicy Bean Enchilladas and Broccoli, Courgette and Brie Flan. Desserts include Blueberry Cake, Lemon Cake and Carrot Cake and Apple and Raisin Slice. On the menu there are a range of veggie burgers, toasties, sandwiches, baked potatoes and potato wedges.

I ordered Roasted Vegetable Crumble which arrived in a dish accompanied by a wonderful salad which included pasta, coleslaw, cous cous, red onions and a slice of orange.

My order was delicious, a thin layer of crumble and cous cous topped with cheese on a bed of freshly cooked vegetables. It was just enough for lunch but leaving me wanting more. I washed it down with a glass of red grape juice, from the range of organic fruit juices on offer.

The caf has a lovely community feel. There were a couple of families dining plus friends meeting up for lunch.

The assorted tables are covered in pretty checked tableclothes, and cute little cottage windows overlook the cobbled courtyard outside which leads off to a row of art shops and galleries.

After dining I wandered through to the Unit 9 Gallery where a lovely exhibition called Advent is currently on display, featuring boxes of delightful objects such as masks and little toys made by children and artists using the centre.

Upstairs is an exhibition called Meditations by artist Bill Parker.

It's the first time that Bill has exhibited such a large display of his work, many paintings are big and bold, confident and colourful.

His work addresses the process of meditation, you're invited to muse on the images, with the titles often giving a clue as to the possible theme of the work.

I thoroughly enjoyed spending a lunch hour at the South Square Centre and will certainly return.

It's good to know that there is somewhere you can get reasonably-priced home-cooked vegetarian food and take in some art at the same time.

Nourishment for soul as well as the body.

WHAT I ATE Roasted Vegetable Crumble- £5.50 Drink Large glass of red grape juice - £1.20 Total cost £6.70

  • Our writers comment on what they find during a single visit. They accept standards vary from day to day. In the interest of fairness, they do not reveal their identities, and they pay for their meals in full. Each venue is judged against other restaurants of a similar type.