Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021

6 | Scottish Enterprise Awards 2021 Oct21327 Best Local Café & Plant- Based Eatery - Dundee Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe is a Scottish brand that believes great tasting, nutritious food should be available to everyone – no matter what their dietary requirements are. Operating out of the centre of Dundee, its café is a hit amongst locals, supplying a delicious range of plant-based dishes. Furthermore, its online store makes food alternatives accessible, pricing its products at competitive rates. It is notoriously difficult to find accessible cafes and restaurants – many only have a couple of vegetarian items on the menu and neglect entirely to supply vegan or gluten-free options. Often times, even if such dishes are included, they are limited and bland, as many places are reluctant to experiment with or simply cannot afford alternatives. Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe was founded to disrupt the status quo. Providing an immersive, allergy friendly dining and shopping experience, the company caters to a wide variety of customers. Indeed, both in-store and online Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe specialises in gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan goods, offering a wide and delicious supply of options including chocolates, cereals, organic fruit and vegetables, and much more. Based in the heart of Dundee, the company’s plant-based, inclusive café caters to all dietary requirements. Created to cultivate creativity and inspire the community, the café was an instant hit, becoming the main attraction on the Dundee high street. Serving an all-day menu of vegan, vegetarian and NGCI (non-gluten containing ingredients) options, the café is renowned for its delicious selections of homemade cakes, artisan pastries, and healthy treats. Moreover, the majority of the menu is available for takeaway and delivery. Starting the day off with a nutritious and filling meal is important. Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe sees this as a priority; therefore, its energising breakfast menu is served between 9:00 and 11:30am and consists of a range of classic breakfast items – some of which having a vegan twist. For example, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe offers both a vegan and non-vegan full English breakfast that consists of scrabbled eggs or tofu, sausages, bacon, black pudding, and roasted cherry tomatoes. There is also the option to add two slices of sourdough toast at an extra cost. However, for customers that prefer a lighter option, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe offers porridge, breakfast rolls, and a range of classic cereals. Lunch is available between 12:00 and 3:30pm and is filled with a mouth-watering array of appetizing meals. From its Homemade Soup of the Moment to its freshly made salads, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe provides nothing short of quality, fulfilling dishes. In addition, throughout the day, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe serves snacks and light bites – including marinated olives, lentil chips and a superfood crispbread. Its inventory of cakes varies daily, as they are freshly prepared, and there’s a great range of traybakes to choose from. Similarly, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe’s online store is home to a plethora of groceries and home goods. From beans to home baking, and cheese to shampoo, there is an endless stream of organic, gluten-free, and vegan items in stock. Its products, whilst slightly more expensive than the average supermarket stock, is competitive with other organic and vegan suppliers. Through taking popular alternative brands and stocking them in one place, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe makes the search for food alternatives accessible. A popular range of products sold through the online store are its Birchwood Boxes. Sold as both a one-time-purchase and a subscription item, the options include organic fruit and veg, organic food, winter essentials, and a gift box. Reasonably priced between £25-£40, the boxes are large enough to substitute the average weekly grocery shop. What’s more, each box is sustainably produced and filled with seasonal produce, meaning that no two boxes are the same. The Big Birchwood Organic Food Box, for example, contains all the essentials – organic fruit and vegetables, an artisan loaf, organic dry goods, and much more. It is, after all, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe’s mission to create a world where everyone has access to delectable food that meets their requirements. Indeed, it believes that no one should be left behind in the drive towards healthier food options. It is with this goal firmly in mind that Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe conducts business, and each decision that it makes is centred around accessibility. Additionally, Birchwood Food Emporium & Cafe endeavours to be an ethical and sustainable business and strives towards using eco-friendly alternatives in each sector of the business – for example, its local deliveries are fulfilled by a zero emissions provider. Birchwood Food Emporium & Café consistently receives positive reviews for both its in-store and online services. The focal point of customer’s praise is the friendly and helpful nature of its staff, as one satisfied customer stated that “the waitress is [their] new best friend.” In equal