5 Vegan Restaurants in Bath (and Beyond) for Everyday Wellbeing
Looking for vegan restaurants in Bath or the South West? These independent plant-based spots offer more than just food — they serve up community, comfort and a little slice of wellbeing.
Once a niche diet, vegan food has grown into something else entirely. Across the UK — from tiny Bath alleyways to buzzy London neighbourhoods — vegan cafés and restaurants are redefining what it means to nourish ourselves, and each other.
But it’s not about labels anymore, it’s about how food makes us feel. About where it comes from, who grows it, and who gets to sit around the table. And in an age where so much of life feels out of our hands, making a choice that feels aligned — even once a week — is a small act of care.
These five places are part of that shift. They’re serving up good food, yes — but they’re also places to pause, to reconnect, and to feel well, together. Here’s where to begin.
1.Plant.Eat.Licious, Bath
Plant Eat Licious is a hidden gem in the heart of Bath, offering a colourful, creative menu that changes with the seasons. The food is freshly prepared each day, with an emphasis on whole ingredients, vibrant vegetables and balanced flavours. Expect nourishing bowls, flavour-rich wraps, hearty mains and a counter full of house-made cakes.
Whether you're sitting in for a relaxed lunch or grabbing something to go, it’s a place that makes eating plant-based feel simple, satisfying and genuinely enjoyable.
Find out more here
2. Rooted Cafe, Bath
Located on Newbridge Road, Rooted Cafe offers a largely plant-based, seasonally changing menu that places vegetables at the centre of the plate. While not fully vegan, it’s a favourite among plant-based eaters for its inventive small plates, hearty mains, and carefully balanced flavours.
With a relaxed setting and a kitchen that clearly cares about quality and provenance, Rooted serves food that feels both satisfying and considered. A good choice for brunch, lunch, or a slower supper with friends.
Find out more here
3. Cascara, Bath
This compact, independently owned café in the centre of Bath offers a thoughtful, fully vegan menu that’s rooted in fresh ingredients and bold flavour. It’s a place where every element — from the house-made cakes to the seasonal salads and rotating toastie specials — is crafted with intention.
Whether you’re sitting in with a matcha and a peanut butter blondie or grabbing lunch on the go, it’s a brilliant example of how vegan food can be fast, nourishing and joyful. It’s also the sister restaurant to Green Rocket.
Learn more here
4. The Green Rocket, Bath
The Green Rocket has been part of Bath’s food scene for over a decade, offering an entirely vegan and vegetarian menu that’s earned a loyal following. Dishes are built around fresh, whole ingredients, with a global influence and a focus on generous portions — from vibrant salads to breakfast plates.
With its central location and laid-back setting, it’s a go-to for both locals and visitors looking for reliably good plant-based food. The cakes and coffee are worth lingering over, and the menu has enough variety to suit both weekday lunches and slower weekend meals.
Learn more here
5. Unity Diner, London
Unity Diner is a not-for-profit, fully vegan restaurant in East London serving indulgent, plant-based takes on diner classics. The menu features stacked burgers, loaded fries, “fish” and chips, mac and cheese, and rotating desserts — all made to satisfy, without compromise.
Founded by animal rights advocates, Unity Diner donates its profits to animal welfare causes. But the focus here is firmly on flavour, and the food delivers — generous, familiar and crowd-pleasing, it’s a good option for a relaxed meal that also aligns with your values.
Find out more here
Thinking of Going Vegan? Start Small.
You don’t have to go all in. Maybe it’s one meal a week. Maybe it’s your new favourite sandwich. Maybe it’s just about paying more attention.
Vegan eating today is less about following rules and more about feeling into what aligns with your values, your health and your preferences. For many, it’s part of a larger wellbeing practice. For others, it’s about curiosity. Either way, there’s no one right way to begin.
Know a place that belongs in our Guide to Life?
We’re always looking to spotlight the independent spots that nourish our lives.
→ Nominate a vegan place that helps people feel better here
→ Run or own a vegan restaurant? Apply to join our Guide to Life
Help us grow this human-centred, heart-fuelled guidebook — one small good place at a time.
Want to hear about more places like this and more ways to well? Join our mailing list for thoughtful guides, small shifts, and creative inspiration on how to feel better in everyday life.
The Hidden Benefits of Small Acts of Kindness (Or: What to Do When You’re Feeling Lost, Lonely, or Disconnected)
Feeling lost, lonely, or disconnected? Discover the hidden benefits of small acts of kindness and how giving back—through simple, everyday actions—can improve your mental well-being. Learn easy ways to reconnect, build community, and find meaning through kindness.
Ever felt lost, lonely, or disconnected? Though we tend to hide it, many of us are there with you.
And here’s something else that might be unexpected—one of the best ways to feel more grounded, seen, and connected to the world around you isn’t to look inward but outward.
It starts with small acts of kindness.
Why Giving Back is a Secret Superpower
We often think of kindness as something we do for others, but the truth is, it shapes us just as much. Science backs this up—when we engage in acts of kindness, we release oxytocin (the ‘love’ hormone), dopamine (the ‘reward’ hormone), and serotonin (the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter). These brain chemicals lift our mood, reduce stress, and even improve physical health.
But beyond the science, there’s something deeply human about kindness. It pulls us out of our own heads, away from the endless loop of worries, and into something bigger than ourselves. It reminds us that we belong.
Here are five powerful mental health benefits of giving back:
It creates a foundation for better mental well-being.
Being part of something bigger than ourselves fosters a sense of purpose and belonging.
It helps build stronger communities.
Places that center kindness—whether a neighborhood café, a community garden, or a local bookshop—become spaces for gathering, learning, and play.
It provides balance.
When anxiety or stress overwhelms us, shifting our focus outward can restore our equilibrium.
It expands the impact of mental well-being.
Supporting initiatives that benefit others strengthens not just individuals, but entire communities.
It makes help more accessible.
Sharing knowledge, resources, and experiences creates pathways for collective well-being.
But if kindness is so powerful, why don’t we do more of it?
What Gets in the Way?
It’s easy to say “Just be kind,” but harder to act on when life is pulling you in different directions. Here are some common barriers:
Fear of being misinterpreted.
We sometimes hesitate, worrying about how our actions will be received.
Lack of time.
Giving back feels like a ‘nice-to-do’ rather than a ‘must-do’ in an already packed schedule.
Emotional exhaustion.
When we’ve spent all day taking care of others, it’s tempting to switch off and withdraw.
Self-protective instincts.
When we feel vulnerable, we may pull away instead of reaching out.
A disconnect from what we need most.
If we struggle to access connection, meaning, or community, it becomes harder to give back.
The good news? Kindness doesn’t have to be big, complicated, or time-consuming. Small, everyday actions can have a ripple effect—on others, and ourselves.
7 Small Ways to Give Back (Even When You Feel Stuck)
If you’re feeling lost, lonely, or disconnected, try one of these:
1. Share what you know.
Someone out there needs your knowledge, whether it’s advice on navigating a challenge or a simple book recommendation.
2. Support independent spaces.
Cafés, bookshops, and community centers create places where connection happens—helping them thrive helps everyone thrive.
3. Practice micro-kindness.
Compliment someone’s work, send a quick “thinking of you” message, or pay for a stranger’s coffee. Small acts add up.
4. Join a community gathering.
Whether it’s a book club, a workshop, or a volunteering opportunity, show up for something that fosters connection.
5. Create access.
Help someone else find the resources they need—whether that’s a job lead, a support group, or just a good therapist recommendation.
6. Tell your story.
Sharing your experiences (even the messy ones) helps others feel less alone.
7. Make space for care.
Whether it’s inviting a friend over for tea or checking in on a neighbor, creating spaces where people feel nurtured makes a real difference.
Even something as simple as keeping a kindness diary—where you note one small act of kindness each day—can shift your mindset toward connection.
Kindness as a Daily Practice
If you’re feeling disconnected, try this:
Pick one small act of kindness today. It doesn’t have to be grand. Just something that nudges you toward connection.
Notice how it makes you feel. Did it shift your mood? Your perspective? Your energy?
Repeat. Because the more we practice kindness, the more it becomes part of us.
And if you’re still feeling stuck?
Just start where you are. Small steps lead to big shifts.
Need a Well-Being Boost? Try a Personalised Well-Being Prescription
If you're feeling lost, disconnected, or overwhelmed, sometimes the smallest shifts can make the biggest difference. Our Well-Being Prescriptions are designed to help you find what works for you—whether that’s reconnecting with kindness, rediscovering joy, or creating space for yourself.
Giving back is one of the areas we explore in our prescriptions, helping you discover simple, meaningful ways to contribute that also nourish your well-being.
Get Your Personalised Well-Being Prescription
What I Learned This Week About Wellbeing, Connection, Purpose, Emotions, and Giving Back
Discover five key insights on wellbeing, emotional resilience, and meaningful connection from a leading conference on female empowerment. Learn how to navigate self-doubt, improve relationships, and find balance in everyday life.
Are you craving more balance, more meaningful connections, and a greater sense of emotional wellbeing in your everyday life?
Recently, I attended a conference packed with ideas about navigating life, relationships and self-care in a way that truly supports us—especially for those of us who often put others first.
Here’s what I learned, and how it might help you find more ease, clarity, and connection in your own life.
Wellbeing: Notice Instead of Avoid
How often do you push through stress, ignore exhaustion, or put off self-care because there’s too much to do?
One simple yet profound idea shared at the conference was this: Notice instead of avoid.
We’re taught to suppress discomfort and to keep going no matter what. But real wellbeing comes from paying attention—to our emotions, our energy, our stress levels—before they become overwhelming.
Try this: Before scrolling, reaching for caffeine, or brushing off your feelings, pause and ask yourself:
What am I feeling right now?
What is my body telling me?
What do I need at this moment?
Sometimes, noticing is the most powerful self-care practice of all.
Connection: The Conversation Is the Relationship
We all want deeper, more fulfilling relationships—with partners, friends, colleagues, or even ourselves.
But as Susan Scott says, “The conversation is the relationship.”
If we’re avoiding tough conversations, our relationships suffer.
If we silence ourselves to protect others’ feelings, we feel unseen.
If we struggle to express what we need, we stay disconnected.
At the conference, I heard from host Hannah Wilson about the idea of talk tokens—a concept where everyone in a meeting gets a set number of one-minute tokens to ensure equal voice time. It made me think:
What if we gave ourselves permission to take up more space in conversations? What if we listened more deeply, but also spoke with more confidence?
Try this: In your next conversation, ask yourself:
Am I truly listening?
Am I expressing what I really feel?
How would this conversation change if I gave myself full permission to show up as I am?
We co-create every relationship through our conversations. What kind of relationships do you want to create?
Purpose: Your Inner Mentor vs. Your Inner Critic
If you struggle with self-doubt, overthinking, or imposter syndrome, you’re not alone.
At the conference, Sadia Ghazanfar explored the difference between two voices inside us:
Your Inner Critic → Harsh, repetitive, and rooted in fear (“I’m not good enough. I’m failing. I should be better.”)
Your Inner Mentor → Wise, grounded, and connected to your values (“You are learning. You are enough. Keep going.”)
One insight that stood out: Your inner mentor doesn’t just think—it feels. It speaks in symbols, emotions, and quiet wisdom.
Try this: If you’re feeling lost or doubting yourself, close your eyes and picture yourself 20 years from now. What advice would that future version of you give you?
Maybe she’d tell you:
You already know more than you think.
You don’t have to have all the answers.
You are stronger than you realize.
What would shift if you started listening to her more than your inner critic?
Emotions: Owning How We Feel
One of the most powerful discussions at my table and throughout the day was about emotional validation.
Many of us, especially women, have been conditioned to believe:
Some emotions are acceptable, others are not.
We should “keep it together” for everyone else.
We must prioritize other people’s feelings over our own.
But your emotions deserve space.
Have you ever been shamed for your feelings?
Do you find yourself apologizing for emotions instead of expressing them?
Have you been taught how to regulate emotions—or just to hide them?
Hannah Wilson shared this powerful phrase from Susan Scott: “Take responsibility for your emotional wake.”
Just like a boat leaves ripples in the water, our emotions create ripples in the lives of those around us. This doesn’t mean suppressing feelings—it means owning them, processing them, and regulating them in ways that feel supportive.
Try this: The next time you feel overwhelmed, ask yourself:
Am I reacting from a place of emotional regulation?
How can I express this in a way that feels both true and safe?
What would happen if I validated my own emotions, instead of waiting for others to do it?
Owning your emotions is one of the most powerful forms of self-trust.
Giving Back: The Power of Small Actions
Women, especially, carry a huge emotional load—not just for our own wellbeing, but for our families, our workplaces, and our communities.
But one of the biggest shifts we can make is redefining impact.
Giving back doesn’t have to be big. Small actions matter.
Being an ally.
Mentoring someone who needs guidance.
Checking in on a friend.
Speaking up when something doesn’t feel right.
Renée Jacobs of The Belonging Network left us with this thought:
"What change do you want to make in yourself, in your relationships, and in the world?"
Try this: Instead of waiting for a big moment to make a difference, ask: What’s one small way I can create impact today?
Small actions create big ripples.
What This Means for You
What I took away from this conference is something I already believe deeply:
Wellbeing isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about reconnecting with yourself.
So, a few questions for you:
What’s one thing you need to notice instead of avoid?
How can you create more meaningful — even courageous — conversations this week?
What would your inner mentor say to you right now?
Where do you feel ownership over your emotions—and where don’t you?
What’s one small way you can make an impact today?
If you’re feeling lost, overwhelmed, or disconnected, these small shifts can help.
Here’s to small ripples, brave conversations, and the courage to feel what we feel.
Ready to Feel More Connected, Confident, and Supported?
If this piece resonated with you—if you’re craving more balance, clarity, and emotional wellbeing in your everyday life—our coaching sessions might be exactly what you need.
At If Lost Start Here, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. We believe in meeting you where you are—whether you’re navigating self-doubt, seeking deeper connections, or simply trying to find a way to feel more like yourself again.
Our ethical and certified coaching sessions are designed to help you:
Reconnect with yourself and what truly matters to you.
Navigate emotions and self-doubt with more ease.
Build healthier relationships—with yourself and others.
Create a life that feels more aligned, not just optimized.
You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Explore our coaching options here and take the first step toward a life that feels more connected, confident, and lighter.
42 Acres
Explore 42 Acres, a 173-acre regenerative estate and nature reserve in Somerset offering transformative retreats and nature-based experiences. Swim in the lake, meditate in the treehouse, or nourish yourself with farm-to-table food grown on-site.
Go here if: You’re looking to get into nature, reawaken your deep-rooted instincts and nourish yourself.
What is it: Set over 173 acres of wild land and ancient forest, 42 Acres is a regenerative estate and nature reserve where you can reconnect with nature, yourself and others.
Explore the self-guided and led retreats, often in partnership with world-renowned practitioners and aligned with nature, that encourage you to dream, grow, learn and rest. Stay in a restored 13th-century former hermitage, converted barge or under the stars in a luxury bell tent. Swim in the lake, meditate in the treehouse, sauna in the woods and nourish yourself with food grown on the land.
Why you need it: 42 Acres was first conceived in 2015 by siblings Lara and Seth Tabatznik as a home for personal, social and environmental change after having been deeply inspired by some powerful personal retreats and workshops in their own lives. Both Seth and Lara are strong advocates that outer change in the world starts with the self, or to quote Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
What they offer: At its core, 42 Acres invites people to reconnect with nature, self and others but has now grown to offer so much more including a range of wellbeing and nature-based experiences and events, a regenerative farm and an abundant nature reserve.
What makes it different: Living within an ancient forest, host to a variety of wild meadows and vast open fields and the source of four different rivers within a stone’s throw, this is a place for planting your dreams.
What you need to know: You can visit 42 Acres in several ways — as a guest on a day experience, workshop or energy exchange or by visiting them on retreat. All booked guests are free to roam the estate, swim in the lake and explore. Food, accommodation and experiences need to be pre-booked on their website.
In their own words:
“Our vision is to grow and consume in a way that serves the health of people and the planet. Our market gardens and regenerative farm use and permaculture and biodynamic-inspired principles. We grow, forage and wild-tend to create wholesome, nutrient-dense food. As we cultivate and restore health in our earth, we restore the worlds within ourselves.
We use our deepest intuition, ancient tools and shared knowledge to establish regenerative spaces, curate transformational experiences, and foster opportunities to learn, heal and grow.”
42 Acres is a 173 -acre retreat centre, regenerative estate and nature reserve in Witham Friary, just outside of Frome, Somerset
All images courtesy of 42 Acres.
Mood & Moves Dance Co.
Explore your mood through dance at Mood & Moves, a creative studio in San Francisco. Founded in 2020 by Marcella Palazzo, the studio promotes creativity, self-expression, and well-being through empowering and fun dance experiences.
Go here if: You’re curious about exploring your mood through dance and having fun as you do so.
What is it: Mood & Moves is a dance studio and creative space in the heart of San Francisco founded in 2020 by Marcella Palazzo. They offer dance classes and host monthly workshops as well as pop-up classes in various styles of dance. They also provide 1:1 and group private lessons for a customized experience.
Why you need it: Mood & Moves inspires creativity and individuality. Classes are empowering and promote dancing as self-expression, passion, and self-enjoyment for better overall well-being
What else do they offer: Their studio is a blank canvas for creatives of all kinds to bring their vision to life. Whether you're a photographer, dancer, artist, or filmmaker, the studio is a big open space for you to turn your idea into reality. Studio rentals are available 7 days a week for all things creative! You can rent the space by the hour for rehearsals, photoshoots, video shoots, fitness, workshops, and more.
What makes it different: Whether you're renting the studio space or taking a class, you will feel like a star. The facilities are inviting, stylish, and clean. Need a costume change? Step into their Hollywood-themed dressing room. Hosting an event with refreshments? Take advantage of the kitchenette. Ready for your video? Take one in front of their marquee letters. Dancing for the first time ever? Their instructors are ready to take your hand!
How Mood and Moves Dance Co can inspire you, wherever you are: Founder Marcella Palazzo and her group of advanced dancers create concept videos in all styles of dance. The Mood & Moves signature style is featured in these videos, and can be enjoyed by people watching anywhere in the world! You’ll get to experience their passion for creating a performance that makes you feel something, and hopefully become inspired to dance/create as well wherever you may be!
Behind the space
We asked Founder Marcella Palazzo for the story behind Mood and Moves Dance Co.
“Before opening my studio, dance has always been my passion and form of self-expression. I always feel the most like myself when I'm dancing.
As I got older I developed an even greater passion for choreography and watching the ideas in my head come to life. It is my main goal to provide a space for other creatives to dance and bring their visions to life in a world that doesn't always prioritize the arts.
At the end of the day, I lead my art and business with my heart. Whether I'm creating choreography, teaching a class, or prepping for a rental, I give it my all.
If something doesn't feel authentic, I won't do it. I care about the quality of learning my students are receiving, choreography that reflects who I am, and a studio that is always ready to make other people's visions happen.
I hope that through my videos, classes, and studio people can feel my passion for the industry and the art!”
Where inspires you?
“When I'm not feeling like myself I take a break from creating and allow myself to just be.
I usually spend time in nature, read a fictional book, watch a new movie, or go see an artistic performance. I let my mind wander and become inspired by something I experienced doing these activities.”
Mood and Moves Dance Co.
264 Dore Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
USA
The monthly Heels/Burlesque Workshop takes place every second Sunday of the month.
Pop Up Classes with guest instructors are always updated/posted on the website, Instagram, & newsletter
The studio is available for rent 8 am-10 pm 7 days a week.
Shop Small Special: Find Ubiety
Discover a haven for your wellbeing in Bath that gives back to others too
Go here if: You’re looking for a high-street independent with a social mission, to take care of yourself while taking care of others too and to follow your curiosity through a wide range of vintage finds and locally sourced makers.
What is it: This is the first concept store from the people behind Dorothy House and Ubiety, a vegan body care and fragrance brand that gives 100% back to end-of-life care. Situated next to the charity’s furniture shop, you’ll find inside a serene space centered on nature where mindfulness meets curated selections, promoting mental well-being and holistic self-care.
Why you’ll love it: Find Ubiety carries a thoughtful and ever-changing range of products. From soothing scented candles to handmade dinnerware, every item lining the shelves is chosen with one singular goal: to nourish the mind, body, and soul.
In a world characterised by hustle and bustle, Find Ubiety offers a calming sanctuary — a place to pause, breathe, and prioritize our personal and collective mental wellness. The products offered here help support our self-care rituals — whether it's a calming bath soak or an aromatic essential oil — while reflecting the holistic care and nurturing surroundings of the hospice it supports.
How to bring this into your life: Visit the shop or try out one of their therapeutic sessions at another local favourite, SoulSpa (where you’ll also find our sessions to feel better). Not local to Bath, you can shop Ubiety products online as well.
In their own words: “Themed around nature, it stocks carefully curated second-hand curios and bric a brac, unique fashion, locally sourced products and eco finds. The shop is created to support personal wellbeing and help customers create their own calm, unique & definitive space at home.”
A Culture Therapy Prescription | March Edition by Beth Nasce
This month’s Culture Therapy Prescription will help you feel good this season. Discover the podcasts, books, websites, apps, events, and places that can connect you with more of what you need for better emotional and mental well-being.
This month’s Culture Therapy Prescription is written by Beth Nasce, a creative celebrant, writer and primary school teacher, whose passions are seasonal living and celebrating all of life's milestones (the big and small). Beth is constantly experimenting with poetry, non-fiction and short stories and helps other people explore their own creativity too.
Connection & Community
Podcasts: The Real Question, and Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, both by Not Sorry Productions.
TRQ is a place for people to explore deeper questions about life and think about how different texts can help us with those answers. The current edition of the podcast is called Should I Quit and its guests come on with a question about whether they should quit something and Vanessa the host does a sort of chaplaincy service for them.
HPST is treating the HP stories like a bible study. Each episode goes chapter by chapter reading it through a theme e.g. love or jealousy and then they use old religious practices to deepen their questioning.
This is the second read of the books (I think book 5 right now?) and they do an amazing job of holding this tension of the ultimate question about whether HP should or shouldn't be given airtime anymore given the author’s recent statements. The podcast has a large LGBTQ+ fanbase so it has been really helpful in understanding the difficulties with it.
Modern Life / Untethering
Book: The Power of Ritual by Casper Ter Keuile is a fantastic book that looks at rituals and spirituality from a secular lens.
Casper is not a Christian but has grown up sort of culturally that way, and while traditional Christianity feels inaccessible to him as a gay man at times he also sees the power and beauty of many ancient practices.
In this book, he explores the ways different religions and civilisations access rituals and explores how we can see them being used in secular contexts too e.g. Soul Cycle or CrossFit.
In the book, he talks about doing a tech sabbath every Friday night for 24 hours where he turns off his phone and all tech. He says the mantra "the work isn't done but it's still time to stop" and it's something I TRY to do. It always feels very enriching and expansive when I do it!
Nature
Podcast: As The Season Turns by Ffern and Lia Leendertz.
Lia Leendertz who writes The Almanac releases an enhanced audio version of the monthly entries of her book on the first of every month. The podcast version also includes a soundscape meditation, a herbal musing by Zoe Gilbert and a Welsh folk song.
In my newsletter Spark and Fable, each month I follow a weekly pattern - of things to look forward to this month (a combination of seasonal events and celebration days) - a seasonal recipe - field notes (where I simply write what is going on at this moment in time outside) - and a monthly roundup of favourite things (including tree, plant and flower of the month!)
Mind & Body
Book: The Self Care Year by Alison Davies is a lovely book that has different ways to care for yourself both physically and mentally in line with the seasons. There are meditations to do, pamper products to make yourself, yoga positions to try, etc.
Purpose
Podcasts: Quiet The Hive is a podcast where host Jane Galloway mixes solo musings with interviews of people in all different industries. Her linking thread is well-being and often the people in the interviews have a clear vision for their project/mission which is always very inspiring. Most people in it have simple ideas and not many resources but just go for it. Her solo episodes are also very inspiring and give lots of ideas for getting to know yourself better.
Squiggly Careers podcast. Hosts Helen and Sarah send out a weekly podcast about careers that are never really linear.
Spirituality & Meaning
Book: Your Spiritual Almanac by Joey Hulin is an evergreen almanac that can be used every year. Each month has a theme e.g. abundance, rest, and alignment, with affirmations, meditations, journal prompts, ways of paying it forward, yoga poses, fables and creative ideas.
Podcast: The RobCast by Rob Bell. Rob Bell is a spiritual writer/speaker who used to lead a megachurch back in the 90s and early 2000s until he wrote a book called Love Wins which basically said "there is no heaven and hell" or words to that effect, and he was very much ousted by the church. He is a beloved friend of Elizabeth Gilbert and Glennon Doyle (I think) and while he uses the Bible and what he called "Jesus stories" in a lot of his podcasts I do feel he comes at it from a totally different way and isn't really seen as a "Christian" podcast. This podcast is great for everyone but perhaps, especially for people who used to be Christians or who struggle with calling themselves that.
Mental Wellbeing
App: Finch is kind of like a Tamagotchi on your phone, only you're not feeding and watering it with food, etc but you're feeding it by doing little reflections or mini well-being activities.
Website: 750Words. If you've ever attempted morning pages (from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way) this is sort of a digital version of that (750 words is roughly 3 pages)
It's essentially a private place for you to write and store your words. The beauty of doing it on the website as opposed to handwriting is you get a sort of analysis afterward that details the themes you wrote about, and your predominant feelings and ways of writing (eg. introverted/extroverted). You also get badges for keeping streaks or doing certain things like writing early in the morning etc. (love a bit of gamification!)
It has become a daily practice for me in the same way handwriting them used to but I feel I access deeper thoughts and feelings, like lots of "gunk" coming out onto the screen. Perhaps it's because I find I type as fast as I think whereas my handwriting is always a little slower and I often trip over my own thoughts.
I'd recommend it to anyone who struggles with the handwriting element of morning pages but likes the idea of them! (oh and it's totally private too)
Awe & Wonder
Art: Nature Photographer of the Year Exhibition (starts in the Natural History Museum then tours the country). Just looking at how these photographers interpret a category but also the way they can capture nature in such awe-inspiring ways is enough to have you desperate to get outside!
Place: Cambo Gardens in Fife, Scotland is an absolutely stunning garden that has a "wow" moment at every turn! It's a walled garden that's lovingly looked after, which then turns into a woodland walk and before you know it you're on a beach. Oh, and it has a lovely cafe and shop.
Creativity & Culture
Book: Little Stories of Your Life by Laura Pashly is a fabulous book that looks at how we can use social media, storytelling and photography to tell more authentic and creative stories online. It feels like a perfect antidote to the showoffiness of social media (Instagram in particular) and gives a beautiful roadmap of how we could all show up online in a more positive, creative and authentic way.
Podcast: Sentimental Garbage by Caroline O'Donoghue, especially the latest season of this podcast. Caroline and a guest take a cultural phenomenon or work that society deems as "trashy" and looks at why it isn't and why it is in fact worthy of being treated like high culture. Particular highlights lately have been the movies, Chicago and Bring It On, and a discussion about weddings.
Doing Good
App: Seek (also nature really!) Seek by iNaturalist is a citizen science app that also helps you learn more about the flora and fauna around you. You begin by holding your phone on a plant/insect/bird/stone until the app identifies it, you then take a picture and save it to the app which then records where you spotted the thing you've just snapped. This then gives a clearer picture of what exists where and when. There are also monthly challenges like "butterflies" etc
In a similar vein: Joining in with RSPB's great garden birdwatch in January, and The Big Butterfly Count in the spring are great ways of helping scientists understand species numbers and placements, etc. I'm sure there are similar things with The Woodland Trust, The National Trust and there's a bluebell one too - all ways of helping people to track patterns, migrations, growth and decline etc
We’re currently reviewing submissions for April’s Culture Therapy Prescription.
Fill in yours here to be considered:
The Frome Kindness Festival
How a small town in Somerset is trying to be kinder
“Frome is already full of kindness, but there’s always scope for more – particularly towards the people that we don’t feel close to.
The scientific evidence is that simply watching someone else doing something kind can set a ripple of positive change in motion. As Aesop said: No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.”
Go here if: you would like to be a kinder person, you would like to have more kindness in your life, or you would like to make where you live and work a better place
What is it: Brought to you by The Good Heart, a local non-profit, this week-long festival aims to make Frome, a market town in Somerset, the kindest place on earth
Why you’ll love it: When else do you get to put kindness front and center in your life, and the lives of others? And how often is kindness even the aim that we have for the communities in which we live and work?
What you need to know: Now in its second year, The Frome Kindness Festival takes place from 5th to 11 March, 2023.
Each day of the Festival has a kindness-related theme, and events range from a Caravan of Kindness to a West Country afternoon tea with Radio 4 presenter Claudia Hammond.
There will be a debate about Kindness in Social Media, a film extravaganza, and clothes swaps for children and adults, including a catwalk where eco-conscious shoppers can be photographed in their new outfits.
On the streets, there will be live music, pop-ups and a flash mob featuring a specially commissioned Kindness Dance. The Boyle Cross in the centre of the town will be decorated with a super-sized hat that encourages passers-by to “put your kindness hat on.”
At heart: “the Festival aims to bring together young and old to celebrate, practice and explore the power of kindness to improve mental and physical health, transform relationships and strengthen communities.”
Something to do: Join the Kindness Challenge, where local individuals, groups, businesses and organizations have the opportunity to give back. You’re invited to do something kind, imaginative, special and down-to-earth.
Even if you can’t sign up for the Kindness Challenge, you could bring in acts of kindness wherever you are. See some ideas for how to do that here.
Read The Compassionate Project, a great book about how Frome turned to human kindness to solve the problem of loneliness.
Ways to Give Back
How can you access the well-being benefits of giving back?
You might already be acquainted with the feeling that you get when you’ve helped someone, done right by the planet, and contributed to your community. Or you might never look up from your life to realize there are ways that you could participate in the world around you that might help others as well as yourself.
Being of service, living a values-driven life, and working to end systemic inequalities might sound like things other people do, or these could be the core of your very being right now.
Wherever you are in relation to the idea of giving back, here we’ll be discovering more of the science behind it and its impact on our well-being, some ideas that might spark something in you and initiatives you might be drawn to support, as well as some questions to ask yourself to get started.
To ask:
How can you see yourself as part of the bigger picture – planet, society, neighborhood? This might be the corrective you need to work on bettering something in our world – environment, homelessness, food waste —, or your answer could help you deepen a life already dedicated to the practice of doing good.
Wherever you are on this, know that even small gestures are meaningful and that there are no comparisons to be had (you do not need to be Greta Thurnberg, Jameela Jamil, or Meghan Markle to be of value to our worlds). There is space for all of our actions, however big or small.
To read:
How to motivate people to do more good (hint: make observable, remove excuses)
How to be a Changemaker wherever you are and at whatever stage in life
To Do:
Become a new kind of philanthropist / participate in a Giving Circle
Lend your eyes, use your sight to help someone who is blind or has low vision
Support FoodCycle, working to end food poverty, loneliness and food waste through community dinners
Support (or start) an Honesty Box
Join a Good Gymn
Become a Book Fairy
To Discover:
One Love Community Fridge: working to end food insecurity and the stigma of hunger in Brooklyn (US)
Farming Hope: a San Francisco-based garden-to-table job training non-profit (US)
The London Community Kitchen: working towards zero-waste and zero-hunger in London (UK)
World Central Kitchen: providing meals in humanitarian, climate and community crises (worldwide)
The Bridge: a new kind of food market fighting hunger in Wigan (UK)
Change Please Foundation: changing the world one cup of coffee at a time (UK)
Give Your Best: providing clothes for refugees (UK)
How will you rethink what giving back means to you? How might the idea of the collective shift your own approach to mental well-being? What’s something you believe in, where you could be of service?
Let us know how you navigate this pathway. What’s something you’re discovering about yourself?
Tribe Porty
Tribe Porty makes good things happen for its community and beyond. Find out how this Edinburgh coworking space thinks differently about how we gather together to work.
Located in a neighborhood known for its community, Portobello’s Tribe Porty is all about how we come together and what we can achieve when we do. An old warehouse has been converted into a hub for coworking, events and collaboration. We talk to community manager Alice Hudson about what sets Tribe Party apart from other coworking spaces.
What is Tribe Porty? We are a community coworking and creative events space based in Edinburgh's well-loved seaside town, Portobello.
Why did you open your space? Tribe Porty started because we know the power of connection and social capital. When we asked our community what they wanted, they told us a place to work, be creative, be active and connected. Tribe Porty provides more than just a desk for people to work at. We strive to make good things happen by connecting our network of members and helping people to reimagine their working life. Tribe Porty is more important now than ever; due to the circumstances of the pandemic many professionals work remotely and are seeking social human contact. That's what we're about, growing a community that enables us all to thrive.
What do you offer? Our coworking space is specifically designed to encourage creativity – the random collision of people and ideas that spur innovation, exchange and connectivity. Tribe Porty suits the evolving working styles of freelancers, start-ups and people who require a flexible workspace and opportunities to share, collaborate and develop our work.
We offer a whole range of social events for our lovely members such as coffee mornings, social lunches and Tribe Talks. Our Tribe Talks are a monthly series of events where we invite a Tribe member, or friend of the tribe, to host a talk all about a project they're working on, an interest or a hobby. These evenings have ranged from astrophysics to brand identity. Tribe Talks are a fantastic way for our members to not only network but even learn something new. They are always free and open to the general public as well as members.
In addition to our coworking members, Tribe Porty is home to an assortment of businesses such as The Pilates Studio Edinburgh, Portobello Natural Health, Glocast, Sodak and more. Velow Bikeworks rebuilds custom bikes to reduce bikes in landfills. Fellow social enterprises include The Edinburgh Tool Library, which promotes the circular economy by lending tools and providing workshops for woodworking skills, and Oi Musica, which works with young people through brass instruments. We often use our social media platforms to promote and share their projects. It’s important to us to support each other and coexist together.
What makes Tribe Porty different? The biggest thing that separates us from other coworking spaces is our true focus on community. We are committed to generosity and kindness and actions rooted in those qualities are contagious. We promote a culture of building community and believe that a nurturing environment that sparks creativity and collaboration is good for business, individuals and communities.
We want people to feel at home, or even better, feel Tribe is a more creative home away from home. We want our members to leave their egos at the door and form genuine and important connections. We also look out into the wider community and are always looking for ways to connect and support.
When people come into Tribe for a tour, a day pass or an event the general feedback is that they were pleasantly surprised and slightly taken back by how chatty and genuine people are. It's a beautiful thing to hear and always brings people back.
What do our readers need to know? We are open Monday-Friday, 8.30-17.30. You can book free tours on our website as well as day passes and monthly packages. You can keep up to date with what’s going on inside Tribe Porty by signing up for our newsletter and by following us on social media @tribeporty.
Tell us a little about your story: Founder, Dani Trudeau, believes that we want our work to contribute to our lives, not take away joy or valuable time from what we really want to do. Having started her first enterprise at the age of 14 and her first company at 25, Dani is infinitely curious about what makes a good business — and businesses for good. Dani’s working experience is in education, health and social care and she has worked throughout the UK and America in the field of behavioural science.
Dani founded Tribe Porty in 2015 and more recently in 2018, founded Tribe Women, now Keystone Women, a community for enterprising women who want to reimagine their working lives. More recent times have been challenging but the pandemic has really exemplified how strong our community really is. Members have supported Tribe and have also checked in on one another – a commitment that has genuinely demonstrated unconditional kindness by supporting the constant growth and improvement of ourselves, each other, and our wider environment. This level of showing up for one another is what it is all about and also drives the team and I to work hard for Tribe.
How can people be inspired by your space wherever they are? Our social media platforms open a window to our world and also offer an insight into Portobello living. You can follow our newsletter to keep up with our blog posts. Our Keystone Women programme is open to enterprising women from around the world.
Where inspires you? We’re always inspired by our Tribe members and the wider community. We love not only finding out what other members are up to but celebrating and supporting their accomplishments. We have had members start all kinds of communities — from men's groups to writing, sewing, art, walking, cycling groups and more. They are a continued lifeline for many. Outside of Tribe, the great outdoors; we’re spoiled for choice here in Scotland.
Anything we're missing? No matter where you are, it is important to feel connected and pursue something that feels meaningful to you. Take time to cultivate your connections and be thoughtful about who you spend time to invest in your future wellbeing. Read our full blog about Finding Purpose which Promotes Wellbeing.
Hoxton Street Monster Supplies
Now allowing in humans, this store has everything the monster in you needs (and a not-so-secret cause behind it all).
For: monsters of every kind struggling to find the supplies they need to get through their ghoulish days and humans of all ages looking to restore make-believe in their lives.
What is it: One to enter at your own risk, this quirky store on an ordinary-looking street in Hackney is maybe the only one in the world (that we know of) that stocks “Bespoke and Everyday Items for the Living, Dead and Undead’.
What you need to know: Escape into your imagination with a store that is really one of its kind: since its murky start by newly exiled Igor the 1st in 1818 and its tentative steps into the human world in 2010, it has been serving everyone and everything with the kind of canned and boxed delights that any self-respecting creature needs, the fang floss, breath remedies, and dragon treats on our shopping list.
How to bring this into your undead life: Wherever you are, your way into this world is definitely via witty and fantastic products like their Salt Made from the Tears Shed while Home Schooling, Mummy’s Sewing Kit and packets of powdery pink brain food. If you live locally, volunteer to help brave visitors survive the store or become a writing mentor in the Ministry of Stories.
Why we think it’s different: Beyond its license to sell ‘items including, but not limited to: Malodulous Gases, Children’s Ears, Gore, Fear (tinned only)”, behind a secret password guarded door is The Ministry of Stories , a creative and mentoring charity for mini-humans aged 8 to 18.
The not-for-profit was started by About a Boy / Fever Pitch / High Fidelity writer Nick Hornby with Lucy Macnab and Ben Payne and was modeled on Dave Egger’s 826 Valencia. The aim of the classes here is to make writing fun and accessible across all genres from gaming to screenwriting, cookbook contributions, and graphic novels, and to build the confidence that comes with creative adventures on the page experienced in a supportive community.
It’s now been widely published that there’s a curse in the store – that makes all profits go to the Ministry of Stories. As Minister of Fluency, the beloved by us and many a monster, Colin Firth declares “you know your helping to support the business of the imagination with the next generation”, so maybe this is one hex that we humans won’t venture to break.
In their own words: “We pride ourselves on being London’s, and quite possibly the world’s, only purveyor of quality goods for monsters of every kind. Many of our customers have been coming to us for centuries. Indeed, some have been coming for considerably longer. Whether you’re a Vampire, Werewolf, Sasquatch or something else entirely, we have everything you need.”
Something to inspire: Short of attempting to rebrand everything in our homes – will our kids go with water if it’s the elixir of life – look to ways to bring in the make-believe. In a year, when we’re been abruptly pulled up by reality, there are ways of escape that might be nearer than the dream destinations we’re been longing for – retreats made in our minds, and played out in worlds of our own making. Even travel bans can't go there. But monsters can.
Cafes for Life
Which cafes do more than get you started in the morning? Here we’re featuring a handful of cafes that go beyond coffee to our communities, our planet, even our minds.
Although our equivalent of lockdown bread baking was making a half-decent latte, we’ve been missing cafes. Today we’re looking at a handful that give us a place to think about the world differently, whether that’s giving back to our communities, raising money for charities that matter, working to save our planet, or even redefining their role in mental wellness. As we’ve come to realize as we steam oat milk in our kitchens, there is more to cafes than the drinks they serve; they are the hubs that bring a neighborhood together and offer a framework in which to explore what matters in life.
Pink Owl Coffee, Marin, CA
Before the pandemic, this was our place to head for early morning work meetings, chosen because of its friendly owners, great coffee, and cozy lounge. But the reason we’re including it here is the café’s mission to support breast cancer charities, with 10% of profits going to research and awareness initiatives. Founded by breast cancer survivor Saandra Bowlus and her partner Joe Carlo, the café puts its support front and center, from the name (the Owls are just because they like them), the pink inflected décor, and the savvy branding — as their new retail coffee bags say “Because breast cancer sucks”. When you buy their vanilla lavender oat milk latte made with the on-site roasted blend, or a mochi donut from Third Culture Bakery, or even a puppucino, you get to support a great cause too. Once the space reopens for inside coffee drinking, we recommend you seek out a spot by the fireplace or a window seat, grab a board game or a book on coffee, and settle down with a friend or listen to one of the live music sessions. A local with heart.
Back of the Yards Coffeehouse, Chicago
A womyn and Latinx-owned community-focused coffee company established in 2016 based in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. In one of the city’s most historic districts – many European immigrants came to work on the stockyards, which has most recently seen an influx of Mexican migrants – that has become associated in the news with gun violence, Marya Hernandez and Jesse Iniguez, who grew up in the neighborhood, wanted to establish a different narrative and new opportunities for locals. Working against a belief that “Mexicans don’t drink coffee” and in a place where independent coffee shops weren’t going, Back of the Yards Coffeehouse has become a popular spot – awarded the 2018 Time Out Chicago Love Award for Most Loved Coffee Place. Its drinks menu includes Cafe de olla (with cinnamon and spices), Ojo Rojo (a shot of espresso added to drip), and Café Con Leche. But it is how the cafe supports ethical coffee production and the neighborhood that makes it stand out: The café sources its beans directly from farmers including those in the Chiapas region paying a fair price, directs 95% of waste to compost, everything from coffee cups to used beans, and hires locally, training up interns to be fully qualified baristas. For each purchase of a bag of their 47th Street blend, Back in the Yards Coffeehouse gives $1 to a Social Impact Fund that works to support programs for peace and education in the neighborhood. And those red mugs on the wall, represent all the people who pulled together to make this cafe happen for the community.
Trouble Coffee, San Francisco
We’ve written about how cafes have helped our own emotional wellbeing, but this Outer Sunset coffee shop was started 13 years ago to help the owner, Giulietta Carrelli, manage her own mental health. Many first came to Carrelli’s story on This American Life which relays how she founded the business to give her the order and routine she needed to manage her schizophrenia. Trouble Coffee reads like an autobiography, a stand-in for Carrelli herself, particularly its idiosyncratic menu which features cinnamon toast (for comfort and which is also attributed with starting San Francisco’s high-end toast craze), coconuts (for survival, containing everything needed for nourishment), and coffee (representing speed and communication). This tiny outpost by the ocean — which was created out of the driftwood found on the beach — also gave Carrelli the loose connections she needed to feel safe, to know that as people began to recognize her, she’d be known and understood within this community. Opening a coffee business is not a natural remedy for a mental health condition, but Trouble Coffee allowed Carrelli to make space for herself in ways she hadn’t been able to before and that saved her. As Carrelli/ Trouble says, “trouble is not only a coffee co it is a community of people and power that kept me alive.”
IXV, Brooklyn
In a city where, pre-pandemic, New Yorkers were going through 100,000 disposable coffee cups every half hour, IXV is the sustainably-minded coffee shop and brand that’s needed. It was founded by Jenny Cooper, former J.Crew/ crewcuts designer (the company is named after her grandfather) in the garage of her Boerum Hill, Brooklyn home, to make “life less trashy”. When she started just over a year ago, Cooper had a simple idea to bring sustainability and community together — making coffee for people in the neighborhood who could bring a mug to be filled and drop it off to be cleaned, with the cycle beginning again the next morning. Aiming for zero-waste, IXV encourages customers to bring their own cups (there’s a .25 cent charge for paper cups to cover composting and recycling charges), reduce waste and compost where possible (it’s all the detail here: cold drinks are served in algae lined paper cups which compost better than PLA compostable plastics). IXV also serves as a store with plastic-free household goods, ceramic espresso cups, and refillable hand sanitizer available, a vintage clothing upcyler aiming to counter the environmental impacts of fast fashion through reworking preloved pieces, and a location for a CSA food box that supports local growers and makers, in this instance New York’s Norwich Meadows and givebacks via donations to a local shelter and soup kitchen ChiPS. IXV is giving locals a better way of getting their caffeine and a different model for how our neighborhood coffeeshops might operate. More widely it can inspire us all to carry our keep cups while adjusting daily habits that trash the environment.
Tell us which cafes matter to you and could matter to other people too? Which cafes are helping our minds, our bodies, our communities and our planets function better? You can nominate them for our guide here.
Refettorio Felix
The magic that can happen when a Michelin-starred chef takes on food insecurity, food waste and social isolation.
What is it: The community magic that can happen when a three-star Michelin chef solves for issues of food waste, food insecurity, and social isolation through great food, compassionate design, and human dignity. Refettorio Felix takes London’s food surplus and turns it into meals for the vulnerable prepared by local chefs, bringing people together in community over a shared meal served in comfortable surroundings.
What you need to know: In 2017, renowned chef Massimo Bottura – his Moderna restaurant Osteria Francescana was named the world’s best – brought his innovative non-profit Food for Soul to St Cuthberts Centre, a 30-year old charity serving those experiencing mental health issues and homelessness, aging populations and the vulnerable in the community. Building on the impacts of Refettorio Paris and Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, in London Bottura teamed up with The Felix Project, a charity that saves food that can’t be sold — in date, good quality ingredients from national supermarkets — and delivers it to those in need.
As with his other projects, Bottura realized that the context mattered too. For Refettorio Felix he commissioned Ilse Crawford, a designer sensitive to the wellbeing impacts of the environments that she creates, to transform St Cuthbert’s space. Her brief: “to make it beautiful, a universal pleasure that is often missing from social projects”. The resulting dining area facilitates connection and closeness, with reading areas, low hanging light fixtures, and darker toned walls. Swiss furniture company Vitra donated the chairs.
How to bring this into your life: Refettorio Felix is very much active through the pandemic, serving meals and hot drinks. If you are local you can volunteer to support their ongoing work.
Why we think it matters: There are an estimated 8.4 million (12%) adults living in households with insufficient access to food. And yet, in the UK annually 10,000 tonnes of food is wasted (that figure is closer to 1.6 billion tons worldwide). These figures are pre-covid and have only gotten worse. Before the virus, the project served 75-80 people a day, in the early days of the pandemic that went up to 300 meals.
Refettorio Felix steps right into the gap between food insecurity and food waste, but it does so in ways that treat people with care and dignity. The conversations made over meals, the feeling of support of a safe environment, become as important as the social inequalities it hopes to alleviate. After a meal, people can stay – for therapeutic counseling, creative workshops, and even laundry services.
In their own words: “We sustain and support vulnerable people with positive and warm therapeutic services to accomplish our charity’s objectives of relieving poverty, hardship, sickness and distress. Our impact is grounded in the power of a shared meal of outstanding quality made with 100% surplus food.”
Something to do: If you are able, start to help alleviate food insecurity from your home – from reducing the meat you consume and the food you waste to supporting your local food bank and supporting school meal programs.
Additionally, support: Emma’s Torch | Social Bite | Brigade Bar + Kitchen | Luminary Bakery
Emma's Torch
A beacon of light for refugees in Brooklyn is forging a way forwards through culinary education.
What is it: A not-for-profit Brooklyn restaurant and culinary school offering paid training and job placement for refugees, people granted asylum, and survivors of human trafficking.
What you need to know: Founded by Kerry Brodie in 2016 after she completely shifted her career focus from public policy — she previously worked at the Human Rights Campaign and has a Masters degree in government from John Hopkins University — to the restaurant industry, completing her studies at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.
The impetus for this shift and the inspiration for Emma’s Torch: the possibility of food to do more than nourish, an idea that came to Brodie while she was volunteering in a Washington homeless shelter. Food can connect disparate people, bringing them together around the table, while the cultures that shape our understanding of food remain foundational no matter where people find themselves. But Brodie also saw a way to solve the difficulty that restaurants had of hiring line cooks in New York and the struggles of people newly arrived in the US to find employment.
Brodie now works with refugee resettlement agencies, homeless shelters, and social service providers to identify candidates for Emma’s Torch’s signature 10-week training program for refugees that covers everything from knife skills to job readiness. After graduation, Emma’s Torch has placed 97% of job-seeking graduates and as many as 100 trainees have secured permanent employment in the restaurant industry since it was founded.
With the COVID pandemic and the devastating impacts on the hospitality industry, Brodie has pivoted to a new partnership, becoming a Rethink Food certified organization with the aim of reducing food insecurity by donating 600 meals a week to the Nutrition Kitchen Food Pantry.
What they offer online and off: During pandemic closures, take a virtual cooking class, buy pantry provisions made by students and partners – there’s also own-brand goods such as Hawij Hot Cocoa Mix – or order pick-up and delivery. Donate to secure the future of this organization, if you are able.
Why we think it matters: Emma’s Torch has at its heart a belief that refugees can be welcomed into their new home country. Its name is taken from the poet Emma Lazurus, whose famous line is etched into the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. But this historical precedent stands in contrast with present-day experiences of xenophobia and prejudice around refugees, the difficulties displaced people have of finding employment or housing, and the fatigue and barriers that come with negotiating an ever-evolving political context that often characterizes them as a burden. But Emma’s Torch builds on the positive impacts of NYC’s large population of refugees, their contribution to the local economy, particularly in the borough of Brooklyn where it is located. As Brodie has said: "We engage in this work not simply because our students are people less advantaged than ourselves; we do this because, as Americans, we believe that when we are at our best, this is how we behave, simply because it’s the right thing to do. There is no ‘us’ and ‘them’, but if there was, I would argue that ‘they’ make ‘us’ stronger and better. What our students bring to the table has value, and we are fortunate to be able to work with them to ensure that they are welcomed by their new community."
In their own words: “We find comfort in the diversity in our classrooms and kitchens. Refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking from over 35 countries have passed through our kitchen. Not only has this pushed us to be more sensitive and aware of culinary traditions from across the world, but it also reaffirms that there is so much binding us all together. Our menu reminds us of this common ground, and draws from both our students’ cultures and our team’s culinary upbringing. As we grow, we hope our menu continues to not only be a learning tool for our students, but also a unique conversation between the almost 100 students and graduates who now have a home at Emma’s Torch.”
We’re inspired to: As the hospitality industry is severely impacted by the consequences of the pandemic, support your local restaurants if you are able and you’ll be supporting the jobs that they provide. Whether that’s a burger night that your local café has pivoted to, a finish-at-home delivery box, or eating in the cold outside, find ways to support the independents so they, and the people they in turn support, can get through this time. As Emma’s Torch can attest, what you eat goes beyond food.
To find out more: Website / Instagram / Facebook
Additionally, try: Social Bite / Brigade Bar + Kitchen / Luminary Bakery
Something Good
A Newcastle store making it easier to live the zero-waste lifestyle.
What is it: A sustainable living store with a plastic-free pantry and a refillery, Something Good is bringing the zero-waste lifestyle to Newcastle (and possibly beyond if its popular online service is extended).
Why you’ll love it: Founder Lauren Wedderburn, an architect by training, has applied an ethos of great design to create a minimalist, light-filled space that makes supporting a more ethical lifestyle much easier for all of us. Confused by the implications of the choices that you make in a regular supermarket run, Lauren has chosen a selection of products that not only fit the store’s carefully curated aesthetic but also the rigorous set of values (biodegradable, plastic-free, and not tested on animals) on which it is founded.
What you need to know: Here you’ll find the everyday items that you use in your life and in your home – the porridge you make for breakfast, the coffee that wakes you, the oat milk you’ve now switched to, the body wash you apply in the shower — but without the environmental devastation. Gone are single-use plastics and none-reusable packaging: Dried goods, like cereals and spices, nuts and pasta, are dispensed into compostable bags or long-use containers; bath, kitchen, and cleaning products distributed in refillable bottles so you buy only what you need.
Where possible Lauren sources locally, supporting the independents in her community similarly striving for a better way of living, like handmade chocolate from Tynemouth, natural deodorant produced a walk away, and coffee beans ground and roasted in North Shields.
Purchases also support one of the shop’s two charity partners: tree planting with the Tree Sisters — whereby money for a tree is donated with each delivery or each birthday of loyalty club members, and The Hygiene Bank, alleviating hygiene poverty through a buy one / donate one scheme.
How to bring this into your life: The pandemic has driven more of us online for our food shopping. Replace an Ocado order if you can with click and collect from a zero-waste store. Something Good even offers local delivery by electric cargo bikes or a zero transmission van.
Why we think it matters: When we read that microplastics have now entered our water supply and that traces have been found in our bodies, there’s no hiding the devastating impact of our consumer choices anymore. From killing seabirds and marine life to accelerating climate change, that throwaway water bottle lasts longer than the thirst you had when you bought it. Similarly, we’re overbuying when we shop, with an estimated 33 to 50% of all food grown globally never eaten. By buying less and buying what you need, you can reduce the amount of food that goes moldy in your fridge or is forgotten at the back of a cupboard. Stores like Something Good present an alternative way of purchasing our food and products for our home in a way that not only feels good but does our planet good too.
In their own words: "Our little shop brings together all of the products we use ourselves to make our everyday routine a little less wasteful, and a little more sustainable! Everything we sell is tried, tested, tasted and loved by us, so we can make it simple and affordable for you to make some small changes, too.
We make sure each product is thoughtfully designed, well crafted, and sourced from only the best growers, makers and creators. And we make sure to champion local small businesses at every opportunity."
Something to do: Many more of us are turning to plant-based eating as a form of environmental protection, but many of our cosmetic products also use animal derivatives in their ingredients. If you are making the switch to vegan, look on your bathroom shelf as much as your kitchen fridge. Lauren recommends Pamoja skincare, as a planet-friendly go-to.
To find out more: Website / Instagram / Facebook
Additionally, try The Good Life for more on pursuing a zero-waste lifestyle.
Social Bite
A cafe with a cause in Edinburgh that became a movement to end homelessness.
What is it: A sandwich shop in Edinburgh that became a movement to end homelessness in Scotland (and has also captured the attention of Meghan Markle, George Clooney, and Helen Mirren)
What you need to know: The first café was opened in 2012 on Edinburgh’s Rose Street – amongst the Subways and Prets — by co-founders Josh Littlejohn MBE and Alice Thompson (who recently left to join motivational speaker agency Speaker Buzz). From the outset, Social Bite donated its profits to homeless causes and a pay-it-forward jar sat on the counter so that customers could donate a meal to people experiencing homelessness. Now Social Bite has grown into an award-winning social enterprise with five of its mission-driven cafes across three cities (now including Glasgow and Aberdeen), and one central kitchen.
But there’s also now this – a housing development Social Bite Village, the now international Sleep Out campaign, and an annual fundraising campaign to provide Christmas meals to the homeless (the cafés in Glasgow and Edinburgh this year opened to homeless people in Edinburgh and Glasgow and served 155,000 meals).
How to bring this into your life: One small ask: Buy a box of brownies. Each ethically sourced and handmade brownie box helps to fund jobs, housing, and support for people experiencing homelessness. Need more ideas? Social Bite has a ton of them for wherever you are, like using Amazon Smile, Sustainably, and Give as You Live.
Why we think it matters: At a moment when homelessness and food insecurity are becoming dire consequences of the Coronavirus epidemic, Social Bite's mission of tackling homelessness with compassion, support, and love is needed more than ever. One-third of the cafes’ workforce are people who have struggled with homelessness. Their high-end restaurant Vesta Bar + Kitchen sets aside Monday afternoons to feed people experiencing homelessness for free and with humanity – with a two-course menu of dishes typically offered to paying patrons during the week. And the business did a very quick pivot when the COVID crisis hit. They shifted their operations to feeding the hungry — still including the homeless, but also now those experiencing food poverty and vulnerable children and adults — with a weekly target of providing 5000 emergency food packs to partners in communities in Scotland, and 160 free meals distributed each day in the cafes in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
In their own words: “We believe that now more than ever, there is a need to put aside our differences and come together to ensure that everyone has a safe space to call home.”
Inspired to: Volunteer to help the homeless and feed the hungry in your community. Pack food parcels at your local food bank (and donate items), support campaigns for free school lunches, and share food going to waste on the Olio app.
To find out more: Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter
Try also: London’s Luminary Bakery and Brigade Bar + Kitchen
Little Free Diverse Libraries
A movement born on social media changing the narratives that make up our neighborhoods.
What is it: A movement born only six months ago on social media that is having real-world impacts, Little Free Diverse Libraries aim to amplify and share stories of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour.
What you need to know: You may have seen Little Free Libraries in your community: those cute wooden boxes around since 2009 where you are invited to take a book and leave a book. But have you thought about the books that make-up those libraries? Do they represent the community, country, or context in which you live? Do they represent you, your voice, and your life? Do they include a breadth of voices, diverse backgrounds, and inclusive stories?
On a walk, through her home neighborhood of Arlington, Massachusetts where she was sitting out the pandemic, New York School Counsellor Sarah Kamya noticed that those in her own neighborhood didn’t do any of those things. As a daughter of a black father and a white mother, they didn’t reflect her. Neither did they speak to the Black Lives Matter Movement that was taking hold across the county.
With $150 donated from her family, Kamya brought books from black authors and began placing them in the Little Free Libraries in her neighborhood. This tiny gesture grew and grew: boxes of books by BIPOC authors began arriving at her home, as did donations from people to buy more books from diverse authors, all of which were to be distributed in other Free Libraries. Kamya bought directly from black-owned bookstores and opened her own Little Free Diverse Library.
Over 2,200 books have now been distributed to Little Free Libraries across 50 states, over 15 Little Free Diverse Libraries have been installed, $16,000 of books have purchased from Black-Owned bookstores, and the movement has inspired 20 LFDL Instagram accounts.
Why we think it matters: The stories that we are exposed to shape our understanding of the world and our place in it, not just in terms of whose lives we get to see represented but in terms of who gets to even tell those stories. Growing up, Kamya didn’t see herself in the characters or the narratives of the books she loved to read. Little Free Diverse Libraries aims to change that by widening the books that we are all exposed to so that we can increase our empathy, understanding, and kindness towards others, and think differently about issues such as social justice, systemic racism, and gender inequality.
As Kamya says: “I find books to be such an important place where one can build their self-confidence and self-worth, start conversations, and create change. I believe that Black and brown children deserve to see themselves represented in books and that if you cannot see it, you cannot be it. Some of my favorite books have been discovered in Little Free Libraries, and I am so excited for others to discover books they may have never seen, books they wish they had seen, and books that create conversations and change for years to come.”
The project has since expanded to include books about LGBT+ issues, people with disabilities, and who have different religious beliefs.
How to bring this into your life: Read widely, from diverse authors. Kamya is generous with her knowledge of books, and you can find recommendations for both adults and children on the Little Free Diverse Libraries Instagram. Among her recommendations are: Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison; Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama, illustrated by Loren Long; Talullah the Tooth Fairy CEO by Tamara Pizzoli, illustrated by Federico Fabiani; and Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch.
In her own words: “Having conversations regarding race with children and youth is extremely important to me. I truly believe that we have to teach about race and differences and a lot of that starts at home, and through books. I also find it important for books to represent diverse characters because if you can’t see it, you can’t be it. This project has allowed me to show Black and brown children that they deserve to have themselves represented, celebrated, and portrayed in literature. For Black authors, this project has allowed me to bring their work to the forefront. For so long Black authors have not had the recognition they deserve and this project has allowed me to highlight their work, as well as the Black-owned bookstores who have made it their mission to amplify Black voices.”
To find out more (or even start your own): Instagram
Outlet PDX
An intimate maker space in Portland printing above its weight.
What is it: Artist Kate Bingaman-Burt opened Outlet PDX in April 2017 as an experiment in making, community, and retail. It’s a combination studio space (Bingaman-Burt works from the semi-open mezzanine level) and public education, retail, library, and event space (accessible on the lower level).
Why you’ll love it: During normal times (we can discuss what that means another time), Bingaman-Burt extends her love of print across the space hosting small-scale workshops and pop-up projects. In-house Risographs Baraba, Janet, Lill’Tina, and Corita are available to experiment with posters and zine formats. During the closed times, you can still remotely print posters, flyers, and zines and attend workshops virtually, on zine-making, the basics of riso printing, and working with watercolors amongst others.
Why we think it’s kind of special: Though a pop of color, a spirit of play, and walls heaving with handdrawn creative expression, Outlet has also made a serious commitment as a white-owned business to support Black, trans, queer, Latinx, Indigenous, and disabled communities with action. Over 2020, Bingaman-Burt has pushed Outlet PDX to respond to the wider public conversation, around Black Lives Matter, gender expression, our current reckoning with our colonial past, and political divisiveness, including that stoked by the recent election. Words, and the dissemination of the messages they carry, matter here; Outlet PDX has created protest posters, de-escalation zines, and its 2021 calendar is aimed at creating more just and equitable futures.
This space has supported the work of local community organizations such as People’s Crisis Line PDX, and Agencies of Change, raised $10k for local BIPOC artists and community organizations through the exhibition 5x5, and donates what they can to local BIPOC organizers and mutual aid projects in the printing and distribution of flyers and zines. That’s no small feat at a time when independent and community spaces such as Outlet PDX are themselves struggling to survive.
In their own words: “We believe print is power and an important medium for elevating marginalized voices and disseminating information, which is vital to any kind of resistance. We want to do our part to work to create equity in printmaking and will be offering workshop scholarships for marginalized and disenfranchised folx wanting to take our workshops, as well as discounted print services and assistance.
Something to do from wherever you are: Consider which words you’d want to disseminate into the world. Which messages of support would you want to create for those within your community? Learn the skill of printing and give form to these words. You don’t need to be an artist, just a thoughtful person in the world hoping to counter messages of hate, division, and isolation that we’re now bombarded with. Or if that makes you tired, learn to draw your coffee mug.
Herbivore Clothing Co.
A cruelty-free clothing store that proves that shopping small and shopping ethically can make you feel good too.
What it is: Cruelty-free clothing store (but really so much more) located in Portland's Vegan Mini Mall (yes, this is real).
What sets them apart: Herbivore Clothing Co has always been more than just a shop. Founded in 2002 by Michelle Schwegmann and her partner, Josh, Herbivore got its start as a modest operation with a simple purpose: "We wanted good looking clothes, ethically made, that would show the world we believed animals deserved respect, love, and to be free from harm. We wanted to spread the word about living cruelty-free." With designs featuring phrases like "Eat Like You Give A Damn", "I'm Vegan and I Love You" and "Humane Meat Is Yuppie Bullshit" their messages act as catalysts for reflection and, in our experience, are great conversation starters, as well!
Why we think it matters: From hosting events, speaking at veg-fests, donating time to sanctuaries, and co-founding an animal rights conference, Herbivore has made a name as a company with a conscience. In addition to the work they've done to further the animal rights movement, they've also donated time and funds to human rights and social justice movements, believing that dismantling oppression, at every level, is the only way forward. "Our approach has always been to show veganism as a positive choice that gives you back so much more than you give up. Compassion Is Invincible!"
Why you’ll love it: We know from research (and being people in the world) that aligning our lives with our values is one of the quickest ways to feel good. The choices we make have an impact, not just on the world, but on ourselves. Whether it’s for shopping small, shopping ethically, shopping cruelty-free, or simply for supporting some amazing people who work every day fighting the good fight, choosing Herbivore, and all of their amazing offerings, is a choice that makes us feel good. That, and, they have some incredible designs. Whether you’re shopping for graphic tees, books, shoes, wallets, purses, buttons, or snacks, Herbivore has got you covered.
In their own words: (in reference to their Vegans Are Radical tee, but we feel like the sentiment carries) “Vegans. Are. Radical. Living with the intention to cause the least harm is radical. Though Veganism has become more popular, real change for animals is a challenge that requires work from the ground up, systemic change. Yes, let’s all eat plants, not animals. And let’s talk about radicalizing our food system to be more compassionate, to animals & people & the planet.”
How to bring this into your life wherever you are: In addition to their incredible online store (re: high-quality vegan versions of everything you’ve ever wanted), you can also follow @Herbivoreclothingco on Instagram (where you’ll see their kindness, activism, and lockdown cooking skills shine through in every post). When the world is not in lockdown, you can also meet Michelle and Josh at veg fest across the US!
Miyoko's Creamery
Miyoko’s Creamer is making “doing good” feel very easy for the rest of us.
Doing Good From Home with Miyoko’s Creamery
What is it: Founded by celebrity chef Miyoko Shinner, Miyoko’s is a California-based vegan cheese company whose mission is to shift the dairy industry from animal to plant-based. They call this the Evolution of Dairy and it is all very exciting!
Why you’ll love it: More than being one of the most delicious dairy replacement items we’ve ever had (and, truly, we’ve tried it all) we love Miyokos because it stands for something. While their mission is partially to help you make an out-of-this-world mac n cheese that will blow the minds of your very non-vegan friends, it is, equally, to shift our world completely, by inspiring more people to go vegan. (They even run a farm animal sanctuary!)
What you need to know: If the world stopped consuming meat and dairy, global farmland use would be reduced by over 75 percent. That’s the equivalent of the United States, China, the European Union, and Australia combined reverting their farmland back to a natural environment. Buying an electric car, lowering your thermostat, and taking quick showers all pale in comparison to simply eating less meat and dairy. The way we produce, consume, and waste food is unsustainable. Every person has the power to effect change just by their daily food choices. (Source: The Guardian)
What they offer: Literally: Vegan cheeses, butter and spreads made by skilled cheesemakers, using traditional cheesemaking cultures and processes resulting in a line of products so good that we actually can’t even understand how it is possible. (It also makes all the dishes we bring to Thanksgiving instant hits with our otherwise skeptical families). Figuratively: hope for a sustainable world that does not depend on the exploitation of animals.
Why we think it’s different: If you were vegan over a decade ago, you might remember the floppy American-cheese-esque slices that once sat on the outskirts of the produce section, near the tofu. They were, putting it lightly, a travesty. (Though we thank them for a stepping stone in the dairy-free evolution.) Miyokos is different because its products are aged and processed in a way that mimics the dairy industry processes. In short: we’re able to make mac and cheese and lasagna and brown butter sauce without feeling like we’ve sacrificed anything in regard to flavor or texture. More than that, we feel GOOD about ourselves when we make this switch. This. . .is a game-changer.
In their own words: “Our mission is: Phenomenally Vegan. What do we mean by that? It’s the new gold standard for the future of food that emphasizes artistry, integrity, ethics and conviviality. It's the credo that drives everything we do from the creation of our products to inspiring others to try this phenomenal lifestyle. Phenomenally Vegan is how we change the world. Together.”
Why we love them: In addition to their wonderful products, lovely founder, and ambitious mission, we love Miyokos because of their dedication, honesty, and adherence to their values. In 2015, Miyoko founded Rancho Compassion, a farmed-animal sanctuary based in west Marin County. Here, over 70 (otherwise slaughter-bound) animals have the chance to live out their days in peace and comfort. Visitors are encouraged to come and interact with the animals, receive education into humane living and maybe even cuddle a cow. (All offerings are virtual for now, but the sanctuary is still very much in operation!) We love Miyokos because they’ve found a way to take their passion for all living beings and put it into products that are actually capable of freeing those same beings. They make “doing good” feel very easy for the rest of us.
