I tried The Earth Burger at The Farmhouse and couldn't believe it wasn't meat

When I made the decision recently that I was going to eat less meat, I knew it would be challenging - but I felt a whole lot better about it as soon as I tried the veggie burger option at a popular New Waltham pub.

Being a massive meat lover, the decision to eat more plant-based foods instead of meat was not an easy one to make, but because of a long-term health condition I have that is largely impacted by my diet, I thought I'd at least give it a try.

Don't get me wrong - I'm still planning on eating meat a couple of times a week. I don't think I'm strong enough (yet) to cut it out entirely. But, a couple of weeks in, and incorporating more vegetables into my diet seems to be doing me some good.

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So, when the three of us went for tea at The Farmhouse on Station Road recently, I know I'd more than likely be going for the veggie option.

The Earth Burger - priced at £13 - is described on the menu as 'crispy coated buttermilk-style burger layered with Violife, Asian style slaw and a Sriracha glazed mushroom, served with a side salad instead of fries'.

However, diners have the option to switch the vegan cheese to Monterey Jack cheese and the side salad to fries, which I did.

I love buttermilk chicken, so I figured that I'd probably still enjoy it, even if it's not actually meat. And I wasn't wrong - I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.

The food was served within about 15 minutes or so - my partner went for the Spicy Chicken Burger (£14.50) and my daughter chose the grilled beef burger with chunky chips and peas from the Pick 'n Mix Kids' Menu, with the Luxury Biscuit Sundae for dessert - that came to £5.50 altogether.

It sounds so cheesy to say, but as soon as I tried the Earth Burger I was in absolute heaven. I had to look at the buttermilk "patty" a few times just to double-check that it definitely wasn't meat, because I really couldn't tell the difference - to me it just tasted like buttermilk chicken.

I loved the flavour combinations, too - the fieriness of the Sriracha sauce combined with the creaminess of the slaw and cheese slice was just delicious.

I don't think I stopped going on about how lovely it was and that I couldn't believe it wasn't meat throughout the whole meal. I even made my partner try it just to see if he felt the same - he said he'd be ordering it next time. And I think I will be, too.

The Earth Burger at The Farmhouse is well worth a try, whether you're a proud meat-eater, a vegetarian or vegan. In case you missed it (!), I honestly couldn't believe it wasn't meat, because I couldn't tell the difference.

The whole experience just showed me that vegan/veggie food can be just as delicious, if not more so, than dishes with meat in them, and it made me feel so much more willing to go for the meat-free option on the menu at other restaurants in future.