Death of a 'Crank'

[Sacha]

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.

[Adrian Tupper]

Post by Sacha
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.

I remember Cranks in the early 70s. Cafeteria-style with fairly heavy
veggie food.

[congokid]

Post by Sacha
restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s

That's odd - I always thought it was in Marshall Street. Unless it
moved?

I was stood outside it yesterday - it's now Masala Zone.

[Sacha]

Post by congokid

Post by Sacha
restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s

That's odd - I always thought it was in Marshall Street. Unless it
moved?

Here's the whole obit. (They might be mistaken about it being Carnaby St.
to begin with because they say she died in Totnes and she was in a nursing
home in Paignton with very bad Alzheimers, I believe.)

LEGEND IN DIET HEALTH

11:00 - 20 April 2007
Kay canter, who has died in Totnes aged 85, was one of the founders of
Cranks restaurants in London, and later in Devon, that were a major factor
in the move towards vegetarianism.Vegetarians were not catered for in the
1950s and wholemeal foods were hard to get. Her husband David had been
working with his father in the family business, the Pen Shop in London, but
after becoming ill he rethought his life. He and Kay started eating whole
foods and, encouraged by the family, turned their attention to
vegetarianism.

With a friend called Daphne, they decided to open a restaurant. With a small
loan from David's father they took over small and shabby premises in Carnaby
Street, at that time an unheard-of little road with tailors' shops and a
newsagent.

There they opened the first Cranks Salad bar which was quickly followed by
the next door shop becoming a health food store and another nearby opening
as a juice bar. When it began Kay used to bake the famous Cranks loaf in the
Aga at her home at Cobham, in Surrey and carry the hot, steaming loaves on
the train to London.

Cranks became very trendy with actors, artists and musicians.

The Beatles and many other celebrities were patrons as Carnaby Street
gradually became the centre of pop and trendy clothes. Eventually Cranks
moved to larger premises just round the corner and expanded to other parts
of London.

Kay campaigned against factory farming and the conditions animals and
battery hens were kept in. She advocated that only free-range eggs should be
eaten and also for the use of compost grown vegetables (now known as
organic). These were all completely new concepts in the 1960s.

The crafts were David's great passion and he was part of a team that started
the Craftsmen Potters Association in the 1950s. Some years after Cranks
opened David, Kay and Daphne started their first craftwork shop which also
catered for jewellers, weavers and other craftsmen.

When daughter Vicky married and went to live in Devon the Canters decided to
turn their interests there. The Cranks shop in Dartmouth was followed by
another in Totnes. Cranks restaurant opened at the Cider Press in Dartington
in 1976.

In 1981, two years after David's death, Kay and Daphne sold Cranks to
Guinness and she moved to Devon. She founded the David Canter Memorial Fund
which gives grants to craftsmen and this is now administered by the Devon
Guild of Craftsmen.

Post by congokid
I was stood outside it yesterday - it's now Masala Zone.

Talk about a sign of the times..... ;-(

[congokid]

Post by Sacha

Post by congokid

Post by Sacha
restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s

That's odd - I always thought it was in Marshall Street. Unless it
moved?

Eventually Cranks
moved to larger premises just round the corner and expanded to other parts
of London.

That explains it - Marshall Street is two streets east of Carnaby
Street. I used to swim in the marble pool in the leisure centre next
door.

[graham]

Post by Sacha

Post by congokid

Post by Sacha
restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s

That's odd - I always thought it was in Marshall Street. Unless it
moved?

Eventually Cranks
moved to larger premises just round the corner and expanded to other parts
of London.

That explains it - Marshall Street is two streets east of Carnaby Street.
I used to swim in the marble pool in the leisure centre next door.
--

There's also a Craft Pottery shop on the corner. I wonder if that had
anything to do with Mr "Crank".
Graham

[Sacha]

Post by congokid

Post by Sacha

Post by congokid

Post by Sacha
restaurant Cranks in Carnaby Street in the 60s

That's odd - I always thought it was in Marshall Street. Unless it
moved?

Eventually Cranks
moved to larger premises just round the corner and expanded to other parts
of London.

That explains it - Marshall Street is two streets east of Carnaby
Street. I used to swim in the marble pool in the leisure centre next
door.

Huh! I remember the original Cranks. ;-) Creak 'n groan!