GrassRoots healthy food tops HappyCow’s charts

GrassRoots, 100 per cent vergan lifestyle store, Lochrin Buildings, Edinburgh

But reviews from the local and international vegan community have seen GrassRoots, Lochrin Buildings, win global acclaim for its commitment to the plant-based cause.

Opened almost two years ago by husband and wife Dean and Joanne Tillbrook, the establishment is regularly ranked No1 vegan restaurant in the world – not to mention Edinburgh – by popular online healthy eating guide HappyCow.

It was their own conversion to a meat and dairy free diet that led the couple to launch the business as a 100 per cent plant-based lifestyle store and coffee bar.

The shop specialises in reusable cups and toothbrushes made from bamboo; handbags, wallets and laptop cases made from cork; natural unscented soaps and shampoos and its own range of food-form health supplements. On the food side, it sells soups, beans and other staples – all GM-free and primarily organic and unprocessed – along with hard-to-find vegan ingredients and products, such as liquid smoke seasoning.

The success of the shop has seen the expansion of the eatery, with a high-nutrient menu offering raw wholefood mains and desserts.

Dean is justifiably proud of the reviews they receive from local regulars and visitors to nearby B&Bs. “Our rating on HappyCow is obviously a reflection of the clientele we get. They tend to be mature, long-term vegans or vegetarians who are well-informed about the ecological aspects and impact of the products they buy and the food they eat,” he says.

“They are looking for quality, healthy options, rather than a vegan version of burger and chips.”

GrassRoots, 20 Lochrin Buildings, Gilmore Place, www.grassrootshealth.co.uk