Bruntsfields beloved vegan eatery
Seeds For The Soul
167 Bruntsfield Place sits patiently waiting. As once twinkling string upon string of fairy lights hang over the uninhabited cake plates and vacant chairs and tables, the old school tattoo styled art adorned walls scream for sunlight. But the shutters remain firmly closed as they have been for the past month. This is one of thousands of
cafés which have had to close due to COVID-19. However, it is only one of eleven 100% vegan eateries in Scotland’s capital.
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Seeds for The Soul is the beloved ‘wee’ café of Roberta Norman and her husband. Born out of a passion for vegan cuisine, which began in 2017, when Roberta says her family went ‘cold-turkey’ on animal produce. One year later and after the birth of the couple’s son, Seeds for The Soul began to take shape, ‘My husband was working at a job that he did not like, and I was stay at home mum taking care of our baby boy. So, my husband quit his job, we put a business plan together and in one-year, February 2018, our wee café was born’.
The couple moved their business plan from paper into four walls situated in the heart of Edinburgh’s, Bruntsfield. Nestled in a bustling, student heavy city centre location, Seeds for the Soul soon found its place amongst the independent gift shops, gallery’s and restaurants of the area. ‘We were looking for a place in many different areas in Edinburgh when we came across this place. We liked the vibe of Bruntsfield and thought our wee place would fit here perfectly. You know when you have that feeling that it is the right thing to do? Well that was it. I am very glad; I could not imagine Seeds being anywhere else.
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Being one of the only fully vegan restaurants in Edinburgh, Roberta says that she does not ‘think there is much competition’ and that Seeds for The Soul is always ‘a busy vegan eatery’.
For Roberta, any competition is healthy and instead of pitting themselves against the other ten restaurants, the couple have been able to create a support network and community amongst them. ‘We only eat in 100% vegan places. We are friends with Holy Cow, they really helped us a lot with advice, such lovely girls. Also Grass Roots Health, but sadly they closed, they helped us a lot too. We visit Harmonium and Beetroot savage often too. To be honest I think we should support each other rather than compete.’.
Strings of fairylights cover the restaurant
Younger generations are more conscious
‘...the world is waking up from a long sleep...’
Despite the small numbers of existing vegan eateries in the city, eleven is the highest number there has been with the rise in veganism apparent in not only our high streets but also our supermarkets and social media feeds. For Seeds for The Soul owners, ‘the world is waking up from a long sleep’. Roberta believes it is the younger generation which will be the fuel that veganism needs to become even more prominent in society. ‘Younger generations are more conscious about what’s happening in the world regarding animal welfare and climate change. There is much more awareness of what is going
on thanks to the internet. People can share the truth. The other big issue todayis general health. Even though life expectation is much longer now, many people do not have a good life because of disease. Most of these are directly linked with diet.’
The Middle Eastern Soul Bowl
Although still a minority group, veganism in the UK has quadrupled since 2014 with now 600,000 vegans in the UK compared to only 150,000 six years ago. Veganism now accounts for 1.16% of the population’s diets. It is becoming easier to follow an animal free lifestyle too with more plant-based produce than ever available in our supermarkets and other high street shops opting for materials in products that are not from animals with traditionally leather reliant brands, like Dr Martin, starting to make vegan equivalents of their products. For those wishing to attempt to give up animals for good, Roberta says that everyone should give veganism a go and that education is key to success and understanding. ‘Watch some good documentaries, educate yourself about food, animal agriculture and what impact it has on our environment’. Roberta also encourages people to be adventurous with their food and believes ‘your options are only limited by your own imagination.’ She says its not all ‘cold shop bought falafel’ and ‘a bowl of salad’.
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The menu at Seeds for The Soul has been entirely devised by Roberta who confesses she rarely follows recipes always tweaking them to suit herself. ‘We make most of
'We make most of our food in the café like fresh falafels, hummus, chips, mayo, cakes, seitan bacon and more’
Seeds for The Soul has received a warm reception from both tourists and locals in Bruntsfield. Roberta says the café continues to receive ‘lovely reviews and compliments’ almost two years after first opening its doors. Luckily being able to retain all their staff, the couple remain hopeful that post lockdown will see customers return and help them get back onto their feet again with expansion hopefully in their future. Although the doors remain closed for just now, Seeds for The Soul still continue to share their message ‘Vegan for animals and environment first of all and vegan for humanity, health and spirit.’
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Follow Seeds For The Soul on Instagram HERE