New vegan café opens in former pet store on Telford town high street

A new café has officially opened in Telford after the owner outgrew working from her home kitchen.

Vegan café, Spice ’N’ Soul, has opened in the former home of Dawley Pet Supplies on Dawley High Street.

The pet store closed in July after 40 years as owners Mandy and Derek looked towards retirement.

Café owner, Katerina Vasakova, has successfully run her business from home for the past two years, but hopes the new location will become a hub for vegans in Telford.

Spice ’N’ Soul will serve a menu featuring natural, organic ingredients and dishes inspired by cultures from around the world, including Czech, English and Caribbean cuisine.

Katerina said: “As my business has developed, I’ve outgrown working from home and wanted to expand and create a hub for vegans in Telford.

“There is a huge demand for a café in this location which will cater strictly for vegans, and customers can rest assured no meat or animal products will be served from the premises.

“Spice ’N’ Soul will be the only kind to have an exclusive vegan tea room.

“I’m really excited to be here and hope that customers locally and those from far and wide will come and experience what we are offering.”

The move into a permanent premises has been helped along with a start-up grant from Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme.

Councillor Ollie Vickers, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for jobs, transport and digital connectivity, said the council was pleased to support the business through its funding programme.

He said: “We are thrilled to see Spice ’N’ Soul open in Dawley, which brings a unique café to the town’s high street and Telford.

“Katerina has a solid business model but had outgrown her home and needed to expand to a specialist café, so this unit fits the bill perfectly.

“We’re pleased to be supporting this business through our Pride in Our High Street programme and believe this business will be a fantastic addition to Dawley. We wish Katerina all the best with her business in her new base.”

The opening comes amid growing interest in plant-based diets across the UK. Figures cited in the original announcement suggest the number of vegans increased from around 150,000 in 2006 to 2.5 million in 2024, with further growth forecast.