Welcome to Shoreditch, Plant Shack.
If the name sounds familiar, it might be because Plant Shack is already a bit of a thing in Spain. They’ve got approximately eight locations across that country and now they’re giving the UK a go, with their first outpost right here in London. The Shoreditch location is well-decorated and is quite an attractive cafe.
There’s coffee, tea, brunch options, pastries, sandwiches, and a whole lot of juice.
Read more below.
The business runs on a franchise model, which means if you’ve ever dreamt of owning your own vegan café empire (complete with biodegradable packaging), you might want to check out their website. They’ve got a section explaining how to get involved and join the Plant Shack family. It’s nice to see a business that wants to expand the vegan message and give people the tools to open their own location.
I haven’t tried the food as it felt a little bit out of my price range, as do most things in London these days. However, the sandwiches and bowls at Plant Shack were colourful and tempting.
But.
Did you know there was going to be a but?
Plant Shack is also promoting juice cleanses. You know the ones. Promises of detoxing your body and resetting your system in exchange for a serious chunk of your wages. I’m all for a juice if it makes your taste buds happy, but I start to worry when juice is dressed up as medicine. Juice is juice. It’s not a miracle. Your body already knows how to detox and it’s got organs for that. And it doesn’t need a three-day or week-long liquid diet to do it.
I get it. Wellness sells (see my previous post). But there’s a line between offering nutrient-dense options and feeding into a culture that suggests you’re broken and need fixing by purchasing something expensive in a bottle.
I’m excited to see more vegan options in London and I hope their expansion brings delicious plant-based food to more towns and cities. But let’s also keep our eyes open. Not everything in the wellness world is what it claims to be and not every cold-pressed juice is the path to salvation.
Go visit Plant Shack, grab a pastry, sip a latte, enjoy the vibes. Just don’t fall for the nonsense.
You can follow Plant Shack on Instagram.
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