The plant-based pound is now so mighty a Plymouth vegan business has expanded – but not all its customers are meat and dairy free.
Power Plant Cafe has opened in the heart of Plymouth’s city centre, initially as a shop only but with plans to add a cafe as early as mid-October.
The family-run affair is a scale up from a small vegan food and household goods store, which launched in 2014, before the vegan bandwagon gathered its not inconsiderable momentum.
But gather momentum it certainly did and before long Ethica, as it was called, was besieged by the ethically minded.
So when the lease on its unit expired in May 2019, the family behind the venture - Elaine Edwards, her son Mike Genner and his partner Amelia Greenwood - decided it was time to move to larger premises and scale up operations.
They invested £55,000 into a former bakery unit in Plymouth city centre’s Cornwall Street and have now opened as a shop with the cafe, and three staff members, to follow.
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It’s all part of a move to plant-based living which has gripped the UK. In 2006 there were an estimated 150,00 vegans in the UK, with that number swelling to 542,000 by 2016.
Even mainstream companies jumped the vegan train, typified by Greggs’ success with the emblematic vegan sausage roll.
But it’s not just those on a vegan diet that are fuelling businesses such as Power Plant Cafe and Amelia said: “We didn’t know what to expect at first. We didn’t realise how many vegans there were in Plymouth and that we’d also get customers for organic products.
“But only about two thirds of our customers are vegan, we also get people with allergies, or lactose intolerance, dietary requirements, and parents wanting natural cleaning products, worried about bleach, and a lot of people want zero-waste and plastic-free, even people that just want to shop locally.”
She said vegans tend to be young, but there are represented across the age range, and said: “We even have some customers who recently converted and they are in their 70s. So there is a mix.
“People that describe it as a fad, they are seeing it as a diet. But it’s actually about ethics, and those people have a strong desire to carry on with it.
“And there are things like Extinction Rebellion and climate change and a lot of people are aware of that and want to do their bit.”
The family – all vegans, naturally – were hoping to open the store and cafe simultaneously, but their move was beset by delays, partly because the empty unit they shifted into had been inhabited by squatters.
After landlords successfully evicted the invaders, Elaine, Mike and Amelia found the building had been vandalised.
Windows had been smashed, holes punched in walls, cupboard doors wrenched from their hinges, graffiti everywhere, and even a sink torn from its mounting.
The family decided to repair the damage themselves, rather than waiting for the landlord to carry out repairs.
Putting everything right before being able to transfer all stock and shelving into the new base contributed to a lengthy hold up.
Plus, the business found the additional cost of moving meant it was £10,000 short of the funding needed to open its cafe.
A Crowdfunder appeal has been started and has already raised £2,500 for kitchen equipment and decorations.
The Power Plant Cafe team said eventually enough money will be generated from the store to pay for the cafe to be fully installed, but the Crowdfunder cash will bring that opening day closer, possibly to mid-October.
Then it will be serving non-meat and non-dairy meals, including vegan full English breakfasts, salads, pasta, subs, sandwiches and cakes, alongside drinks.
Until then, however, it will remain the go-to place for vegan food, treats, beauty products and household goods.
“We’ve already employed three staff ready for when the cafe is up and running,” said Elaine. “We really wanted to have a cafe rather than just a shop because we had been asked about it so often. We will put it in the front with the kitchen upstairs.”
