By Hilde Smeenk
It is week 13 and finals are approaching fast, so chances are you haven’t left your room in 3 days. Of course, this is problematic: how are you going to fill your Instagram feed to get those likes?
Since Valentine’s Day this year, Middelburg has another place that you and your followers are going to love. Located near the Abbey, Imagine is very Instagram-worthy vegetarian and vegan lunch cafe. That’s not even the best part though; the back of the cafe contains a packaging-free store, so you can completely let out the Greenleft-hippie inside that you have been hiding from your grandparents.
On a particularly gloomy day, your favorite managing editor and I went to Imagine to try some of their organic coffee and treat ourselves to a second lunch. It was difficult choosing something, as they have three kinds of toasties, soups, salads and nut bread, among other things. The deliciously breaded toastie comes with ketchup and some greens, and the nut bread was accompanied by a selection of goat cheese, hummus, and mixed nut butter.
But, as your fav managing editors’ shirt indicates, coffee should have been first, but we all suck at planning this time of the semester. In real life, the coffee did arrive first. The cups are very cute, with a smol golden bean on them. The coffee itself was wonderfully spicy and it was served with bonus chocolate, which make for a delightful combination. Both the coffee and the chocolates are also sold in the shop, so you can enjoy them at home as well.
If their eco-friendly food and coffee have not convinced you to go to Imagine yet, their tiny shop in the back should convince you to go. They have a ton of containers full of non-perishable foods such as pasta, rice, and quinoa. Are you not nuts about quinoa? Nuts are also sold, and your sweet tooth can be satisfied as they have cinnamon-covered almonds, and chocolates. Don’t forget to take your own bags though, as this part of the store is packaging-free.
Even if you do not believe in anything eco or you do not drink coffee: do not fear. They sell a wide range of herbal teas such as fennel, jasmine, and nettle, as well as black and green teas. If, for some reason, you are still not convinced you should just go there for their aesthetics. The turquoise chairs, lamps made of vinyl records, and mismatched blue plates will make a great addition to your Instagram feed, and ensure you get all those likes.
Imagine is located on the Nieuwe Burg 39 (opposite the suspiciously shaped memorial), and they are opened Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Hilde Smeenk, Class of 2017, is a cognitive science, life science, and biomedical science major from Wehl, The Netherlands.
