Anyone who thought they knew what Foodilic was all about from Peter Ilic’s first cafe in North Street is in for a surprise when they visit the new branch in Western Road.

The freshness and top-quality ingredients are still present and correct, but the “all you can eat” element has been replaced by counter service.

And a new emphasis is being placed on raw food – prepared between four and 45 degrees celsius using dehydrator ovens, rather than freezing, cooking or baking – producing dishes which are free from sugar, gluten and dairy.

“Raw food dishes are something going forward that smart businesses will get into,” says general manager Peter Blecha. “If you do it first, then you can find out all the catches.

“We would like to start a chain with this concept.”

Foodilic also has a new logo, of a giant vine tomato, representing the cafe’s dedication to freshness and nutrition.

“We buy the best quality produce,” says Blecha. “When you get a good vine tomato you can smell it – it’s not like a regular tomato from the supermarket.

“We will spend between £11 to £15 on five kilos of vine tomatoes because they are the best. We want customers to enjoy the food and come back.”

The dishes certainly take time and effort to prepare, with Blecha proudly stating his chefs also use rare and unusual ingredients he has never come across before in 12 years in the hospitality trade.

“Our mango and beetroot dishes take 12 hours to prepare,” he says. “Our chef has had experience of running raw food restaurants in South Africa.

“It is beautiful, there are so many different foods out there that people have no idea about. We are trying to bring it here and interest people in it.”

Another new addition to the menu is a range of breakfast feuillete – filo pastries made on the front counter in an impressive piece of food theatre and stuffed with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings, ranging from cottage cheese or mushrooms to apple or roasted pumpkin.

Accompanying the extensive menu is organic fairtrade coffee and a wide range of freshly-squeezed juices, from mango to cucumber.

Foodilic opened in the former Fashion Temple shop, on the corner of Dean Street, on Thursday, May 16, and launched its first day by giving away items from its menu.

“We opened at 7am and planned to stay open until 11pm,” says Blecha. “By 3pm we had to close because we had cooked so much food and it had all gone!

“It got unbelievably busy – people were so excited to see something new.”

That initial giveaway period has been extended into May, with a 50% off everything offer.

Blecha says the Western Road location was important for the new cafe.

“We are not talking about fine dining,” says Blecha. “We are a place you come to with your shopping, for people who live and work around here.

“You can have something new every day, it’s nutritious and delicious – it’s what I have been living off for the last few years.”

Customer service is also key to the experience, with lots of staff behind the counter ready to help anyone dropping into the cafe, drawn in by the sight of the desserts and mountains of salads on display in the window.

The cafe has a takeaway service, with piles of carry-out cartons behind the counter.

But there is seating in the back of the cafe for anyone who wants to eat in. Like the long wooden bar which dominates the front half of the cafe, all the stools and tables have been carved from natural tree trunks in Serbia.

Blecha is promising more treats to come – including homemade ice cream for the summer, when it finally arrives.

Like Lewes success story Bill’s, this could be a cafe soon to break out of Sussex.

  • Western Road, Brighton, 01273 760190. Open Monday to Saturday 7am to 11pm, Sunday 9am to 11pm. Visit www.foodilic.com