Swansea has been given a new flavour after the doors of a 100% plant-based coffee shop were thrown open.
Helen Wilson has celebrated her 40th birthday by opening Ground Plant Based Coffee in Francis Street in Brynmill.
The mum-of-two said people had been hugely positive about the venture.
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She said: “We opened a week today, it’s been incredible, we have had such an amazing reception. What’s been the most surprising reaction is that people know our default is oat milk and we have not had anyone question why we don’t have cow’s milk. Everyone has been open-minded.
“I come at it from several angles, I became a vegetarian at 10 and a vegan at 27 - I have seen people’s attitudes shift.”
She added: “With people’s concerns over the state of the climate, people have an awareness that reducing meat and dairy products is the best thing they can do to reduce their carbon footprint."
The cakes she sells are made at home in her kitchen, which she said was registered by the council.
“We have had a fantastic welcome from the local community and businesses and have been delighted at people’s reception to a coffee bar that serves only plant milks.”
Helen, who is the founder of Womankind Yoga, and runs Europe’s largest Beach Yoga Class on Swansea Bay, has joined forces with three times national Stand-Up-Paddleboard Champion, Matt Barker-Smith, to launch the business, one of a number that have opened in Swansea in the past year. Both share a passion for paddle boarding, the environment, better health and plant-based food.
Helen, who is based in Craig Cefn Parc, near Clydach, said she had worked in the vegan industry for 14 years as a professional animal rights campaigner, educator, consultant and chef.
She said she was determined to put the environment first in the venture, leading the firm to commit to not selling any products in plastic, and serving drinks using 100% biodegradable cups and lids.
Helen said: “We are plastic-free, we have tried to source products that are as ethical as possible. We are trying to give an overall ethos to help the environment.”
She added: “I ran the first vegan cafe in Swansea - Urban Zen - for someone else as a chef and a manager. That generated a lot of interest five years ago. Veganism is gaining momentum.”
Helen, who is also a former journalist and press officer, who is a self-taught cook, also specialises in cookery lessons and yoga retreats.
“I have been teaching paddleboard yoga for four years,” she said.
The takeaway-only coffee bar is based within The Sup Hut in Francis Street.
Matt said: “We wanted to open a business that represented all the things that are important to us, protecting the planet and encouraging people to lower their carbon footprint through food and drink choices. We have strived to do this with great barista coffee and sweet and savoury bites to eat, made only from plants.
“The popularity of people taking up SUP has led to a greater understanding of how important our oceans are and our responsibility to the ecosystem that we take so much for granted – which goes hand in hand with an increasing awareness of the impact our diet plays on our personal carbon emissions and the future of our marine life and environment.”
