Food refill van promises 'zero effort' shopping

From bbc.co.uk

Most people want to reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging they use, but some struggle to prioritise this while shopping, according to the co-founder of a Cambridgeshire zero waste company.

Alice Lightowlers, 33, said she and her partner set up VanJarred Refillery, a mobile shop selling food and toiletries without packaging, last year after "a lot of the more sustainable, zero waste shops in Cambridge closed down".

Their focus was on convenience, because "people tend to put their plastic waste to the back of their mind," Ms Lightowlers said.

                           Alice Lightowlers helped set up a food company she said aimed to be "zero waste, zero effort"                                                                                                                Tom Jackson/BBC

The van tours markets and business parks in and around Cambridge and delivers directly to people's homes.

Shoppers place their items into their own containers or use either donated containers kept at the van or compostable paper bags.

Most of the fare is bought in from Suma and Infinity, two British-owned wholefoods wholesalers which specialise in vegan, vegetarian and organic foods.

Other products are made by local suppliers, including Cambridge Honeybees, Hot Numbers Coffee and Peichin's Table, which produces Asian-inspired sauces and condiments.

Essentials such as pasta, olive oil and toilet roll sit next to vegan pick-n-mix sweets, natural deodorant and dog shampoo bars in the van.

                                                              The van mainly stocks vegan and vegetarian wholefoods                                                                                                                                                             Tom Jackson/BBC

Whether VanJarred's prices can compete with supermarkets "really depends on what you get", Ms Lightowlers said, with herbs, spices, fruit and nuts on the cheaper end and local produce often on the more expensive end.

"If you shop organic it's probably cheaper to go to a refill shop because there is a bit of a premium on it in the supermarkets," she said.

The prices for all their products are listed on the company's website, , external

with organic porridge oats at 35 pence per 100g and organic lentils at 60 pence per 100g, for example. 

Ms Lightowlers met her partner Cedric while working at a biotech start-up in Cambridge.

Their second-hand electric van now stops at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Wellcome Campus, Babraham Campus, Clay Farm and Burwash Larder every week.

It began trading in September last year, before beginning its "zero waste, zero effort" doorstep delivery service in March.

Customers choose their products online then leave out containers for VanJarred to fill on its routes, which begin in Cambridge and span out as far as Cottenham, Fulbourn, Harston and Cambourne.

Ms Lightowlers said recycling helps people push their plastic use to the back of their minds, but that it is "quite sad how little of the plastic we put into our recycling bins is actually recycled".

Government figures suggest the UK recycling rate for waste from households stands at about 45%. Globally, less than 10% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled.

Their venture is "getting more and more popular", Ms Lightowlers said.

"It's something that I think everyone is interested in, in the back of their minds, but often I think it's difficult to prioritise," she said.

"So it's about just getting out there and explaining to people how easy it is to make the switch."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62xzk45g96o

These Are The Best Vegan Cities In The UK

From plantbasednews.org

A study has ranked the top vegan-friendly cities in the UK based on the number of searchers, restaurants, and positive reviews 

A new market research study has ranked the best vegan cities in the UK.

SIXT, a mobility service provider, reviewed data on tourist search volume for vegan options and the number of vegetarian restaurants, the number with five-star reviews, and other criteria to determine which UK city is the best place for vegans.

According to SIXT, the top 20 vegan cities are London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bradford, Salford, Birmingham, Brighton, Wolverhampton, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield, Glasgow, Coventry, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Cambridge, Wakefield, Cardiff, and Sunderland. While London topped the list, SIXT noted that the UK’s vegan food scene is “flourishing far beyond the capital.”

Bristol was officially the best spot for vegans outside of London, with at least 50 restaurants scoring 4.5 stars or higher on Google. Edinburgh was found to be the best Scottish city for vegans, while Manchester was named the best northern city. SIXT also praised Salford, Cambridge, and Wakefield, all of which have a good ratio of vegan restaurants to residents and plenty of positive restaurant reviews.

“Wakefield, in North Yorkshire, just outside Leeds, may be a smaller city, but it has made a big impact on this list, ranking as the third best city for vegans per capita,” wrote SIXT. “With 127.88 vegan restaurants per capita, and half of those rated 5 stars or higher, Wakefield is a hidden treasure for plant-based travellers.”

The best vegan cities in the world

SIXT also looked at the best vegan cities in the world. London once again topped the list, followed by New York City in the US, Berlin in Germany, Singapore in Singapore, Vienna in Austria, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Paris in France, Seoul in South Korea, Zurich in Switzerland, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Barcelona, Spain, took 11th place, and is the home of Asanta, a cafe that Happy Cow crowned the single best vegan restaurant in the world for 2025.

Asanta is a fully vegan eatery located in the Sants-Montjuïc district. Its menu includes a range of classic dishes, such as an olive, truffle, shiitake, and mozzarella focaccia; a mozzarella, tomato, olive, and roasted red pepper focaccia; shakshouka, a tomato-poached egg dish from the Greater Maghreb; and the cafe’s “classic” eggs Benedict.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/travel/these-are-the-best-vegan-cities/

New Market Study Identifies the UK’s Leading and Emerging Vegan Cities

From vegconomist.com

Image: Victoria Shes via Unsplash

A recent study conducted by mobility service provider SIXT has revealed the best cities in the UK for vegan food, and the ones that are up and coming in the plant-based scene. With an estimated 2.5 million Brits now identifying as vegan (approximately 4.7% of the adult population) and a 71% year-on-year increase in search interest for “plant-based restaurants,” the data highlights how many consumers are seeking to discover new venues to expand their vegan dining experiences. 

Bristol is the best vegan food city outside of London

Unsurprisingly, London maintains its position as the primary hub for plant-based dining, boasting over 670 vegan-friendly establishments and six Michelin-starred restaurants with plant-based options. However, the study identifies Bristol as the leading city outside of the capital. Bristol combines high consumer demand, reflected in nearly 3,000 targeted searches, with high quality, featuring 50 vegan-friendly venues rated 4.5 stars or higher on Google.

In the North of England, Manchester is the regional leader. With 174 vegan-friendly restaurants and 5,800 searches over the past 12 months, the city represents the highest search volume outside London. Meanwhile, Edinburgh remains the dominant Scottish market, with the Leith and Stockbridge districts emerging as specific hotspots for plant-based innovation.

Emerging Growth Markets

To identify future opportunities, the study analysed the number of food establishments with the highest reviews, to the number of Michelin restaurants per capita, highlighting several “up-and-coming” locations:

Salford ranked as the most up-and-coming vegan city in the UK, and was found to have 195 restaurants with vegan options (the most in the UK), of which 59 had reviews with 4.5+.

Cambridge is the second- best plant-based city in the country, placing second overall from a capita perspective. The city may have a lower number of vegan offerings than the others in the top 5 (43.21), but in Cambridge, there is the highest demand, seeing a surge in demand for vegan food, with 1,970 searches in the past 12 months.

Located in North Yorkshire, Wakefield surprised analysts by ranking third in the “up-and-coming” category, driven by an exceptionally high ratio of 5-star ratings per capita.

The evaluation is based on an analysis of Google Trends data regarding search volumes for vegan dining, alongside aggregated metrics from HappyCow that account for minimum review counts and specific geographical radii. Additionally, Michelin-star recognitions were factored in to quantitatively rank cities based on consumer demand, density of offerings, and culinary quality.

https://vegconomist.com/studies-numbers/new-market-study-identifies-the-uks-leading-and-emerging-vegan-cities/

UK: A place to Thrive: Cambridge’s all-vegan café and community hub

From varsity.co.uk

Tara Buxton discusses everything from scepticism to scrambled tofu in a conversation with Thrive Café

We’re all familiar with the typical rebuttals to the vegan diet. ‘You won’t get enough protein’; ‘it doesn’t really do that much good for the environment,’ say many undeservedly authoritative middle-aged men; ‘I could never be vegan – I just love cheese too much! ’ This reasoning isn’t baseless: going vegan does require a level of effort and self-discipline. But, nestled away by the Grafton centre, Thrive is changing the game: their unique menu attests to how simple, nutritious, and exciting vegan food can be. I sat down with a staff member to discuss the inner workings of this hidden gem.

Nestled away by the Grafton centre, Thrive is changing the game: their unique menu attests to how simple, nutritious, and exciting vegan food can beRyan Teh for Varsity

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Jo, and I am one of the managing directors at Thrive.

Tell me the story of Thrive’s founding. How did it all begin?

Well, we got the lease in March 2020, which was a pretty hard time to open a café! We opened on July 5th, with a team of 5 founders. Karina, our head manager, was very involved with vegan activism beforehand, and Thrive was born out of a desire to have a welcoming place for vegans to come.

As a vegan café, do you find that you attract primarily vegan customers, or a more wide-ranging clientele?

We attract a lot of students, and people who, even if they’re not vegan, know about the movement and aren’t against it. Lots of people are willing to come in and say “yeah sure, I’ll have an oat latte this time!” We have a small customer base who come in because our café doesn’t scream that it’s vegan, but often they’re really receptive. A tiny amount of people are a little bit disrespectful sometimes, but it’s really nothing compared to the rest of our customers.

What sort of doubts do you encounter from that small subset of customers? What would you say to those who are unsure about vegan food?

Because the food is comfort food, like burgers, fries, and salads, we sell stuff that even non-vegans eat! So for the most part, it’s really not a big deal. The small amount of backlash we receive is mostly about the milk. People come in and ask for dairy, and some of the older audience can be sceptical. But usually when they try it, they change their minds!

Thrive is also striking because of its collaboration with other local businesses like Mill & Mouse Stationery and Bimble Books. Why is sourcing local products and exhibiting the work of local artists so important for your café?

We use local suppliers for sustainability reasons. But also, we want to give back to the local economy as much as we can. Often your local companies also sell great quality items, so it’s like, why not? In terms of artwork, our café is really big, so we thought that it would be easy to exhibit local artists’ work. We have had a lot of uptake! The local community as a whole is really important to us. There’s a room upstairs for meet-ups: everything from mothers’ meetings to trans liberation group gatherings take place here!

The events you host are really wide-ranging, from yoga classes, to songwriting circles, to basement music events. Which do you find the most exciting?

We host afternoon teas regularly. We have a vegan chef who is French, like me! I love those, because afternoon teas were something that, coming from France, I thought were really cool. It’s fully vegan and she does amazing stuff.

If you could only eat one food item and one drink on Thrive’s menu, what would you choose?

For a drink, my regular order is a coconut flat white. However, in summer, the berry matcha is also really nice! One food item, ooh, there’s no impact on my health or anything? No? Then I’d have the tempeh bacon and tomato toastie with fries. And don’t forget the garlic mayo.

What’s in store for Thrive’s future?

We have recently sent an application to become a community interest company. That would make it official that we don’t make any profit, and if we do, it will be put back into the business to run more events or given to our benefactors. This change would allow us to host more community events, like an open kitchen where we will offer free plant-based food to anyone who can’t afford to eat. I know it sounds like marketing, but it’s really true – the reason we’re still here is because of our community base. We got broken into a few months ago and the community was so generous. It really saved us. So even though the rents, the bills, all the costs keep rising, we really want to stay afloat and give back to the community.

https://www.varsity.co.uk/interviews/30017 

UK: 'I tried the Cambridge restaurant previously crowned the best vegan restaurant in the UK'

From cambridge-news.co.uk

I couldn't believe how many things there were on the menu to choose from 

Finding tasty vegan food that isn’t just a side of chips or a leafy green salad can be a tricky task, so I set out to Stem & Glory in Cambridge, intrigued to find a plant-based paradise worth raving about.

The popular restaurant is 100 per cent vegan and sustainability underpins all its choices, but it doesn’t sacrifice its rich flavours in the process. Located on Station Road, the venue is just a two-minute walk from Cambridge train station and is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

                                   I visited stem & glory on Station Road, Cambridge. (Image: Nadia Lincoln/CambridgeshireLive)

The inside of the restaurant was small but hummed with chatter from its patrons stewing over the menu. The dark green walls that hugged the interior had a relaxing feeling, decorated with twinkling fairy lights and potted plants in every corner.

The kitchen is also in the same room as the dining tables so the mouth-watering smells hit you as soon as you step inside. Plus, if you’re nosy like me, you can keep an eye out for your food (which by the way came very quickly), or survey the plethora of choices you’ll want to try on your next visit!

Used to ordering from a maximum of three or four vegan options on a mixed menu, I was slightly overwhelmed by the breadth of choice and just how much Stem & Glory had to offer.

‘Gloriously plant-based’ doesn’t cover the half of it- the menu encompasses almost any cuisine you could be craving, from sourdough pizza, to spiced tacos, stacked burgers and fresh salad. Many of the items are also gluten-free.

It offers a great mixture of veggie-based dishes as well as innovative meat alternatives, depending on your preference. You could try Jamaican jerk jackfruit, similar to the texture of shredded meats, thai ‘crab’ cakes with artichokes and oyster mushrooms or a tofu ‘sea bass fillet’.

                                                                  Szechuan aubergine. (Image: Nadia Lincoln/ CambridgeshireLive)

After mulling over the menu and slowly but surely narrowing down my choices I landed on the Szechuan aubergine dish served with kimchi fried rice. The portion size did not disappoint and my plate arrived with a small mountain of the flavourful fried rice, perfectly roasted aubergine coated in an intensely sweet and spicy sauce and adorned with a bed of fresh salad to accompany the unique flavours.

Deciding I needed to try one of the varied options for pudding- if you eat plant-based you will know most places offer some sort of sorbet and call it a day- I just about found room for dessert. Taking the waiter’s recommendation, I picked the raw raspberry cheesecake and could not have been happier.

The lilac-coloured dessert came with fresh fruit and a tart berry compote that cut through the sweetness of the vanilla and raspberry cheesecake perfectly. It was beautifully presented and tasted even better- definitely the best vegan cheesecake I have ever had.

If you’re looking for a vegan spot where you can try something new and can take back power over the menu, Stem & Glory is the perfect restaurant for you.

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/i-tried-cambridge-restaurant-previously-29738285