A plant-based bakery and coffee house has opened up in Ayr and hopes to change the way foodies view veggie and vegan dishes.
Former teacher Catherine Lawson, from Ayr, launched Barefaced Food in January last year, creating buddha bowls and grazing boxes to be delivered to customers during the pandemic.
Now she has opened up her own eatery at Ayr’s North Harbour Industrial Estate, at the old Bhaile Bakery unit near Aldi, with son Rory and his partner Denise Heron.
Catherine said: “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster starting up during Covid, but we’re just having the best time and we’re doing well.
“I think, like a lot of people who have got a food dream, it’s how do you go from leaving a full time secure job and taking that leap?
“However, I did leave teaching and started out doing the buddha bowls at home, and for a long time we didn’t really know what direction it was going to take because of Covid.
“We didn’t know if we’d have to start planning to be purely a delivery company or if a premises would come up.
“And then the old Bhaile Bakery unit came up and I’d always loved that; it’s such a quirky unit and it’s perfect."
All cakes served at Barefaced Food are plant-based, meaning they are all dairy-free.
The delicious meals, including hearty soups and gourmet sandwiches on sourdough bread, are a mix of vegetarian and plant-based.
“We agreed at the beginning that we wouldn’t bang the vegan drum, it wasn’t about that,” said Catherine.
“What we wanted to do was surprise people with plant-based food and show people really healthy, real food alternatives. It’s about giving people choices.
“We’re all about the colour, flavour, texture, fragrance, and making that whole food experience enjoyable for people.
“We try to keep it as natural, raw and healthy as possible."
Barefaced Food also have their Young Person’s Guarantee as an employer, something Catherine says the team are “really proud of”, and are keen to pave the way for youngsters to begin careers in hospitality.
Catherine said: “The longer term aim has always been to become a bit of a training base for young people who have fallen out of the school system.
“That’s my background, working with kids who have got challenging circumstances, and I’ve always wanted to have an alternative field where they can come in and get a trade.
“Just draw a line under school and say ‘okay that’s not worked’, but finding what could work; finding something a bit innovative and creative and getting them into hospitality.
“We want to bring them in and nurture talent and get them interested in food, health and wellbeing.”
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