Teenager Opens Vegan Café in England

Vegan eatery Purity Petal Café recently opened in England—the first of its kind in the Barnstaple region on North Devon. The café is the brainchild of 19-year-old Maria Rose—who adopted a vegan lifestyle three years ago and has overcome anorexia, agoraphobia, and depression to start her own business. “I’ve invested all of my savings into this business, and I feel like I have finally found a happy place,” Rose told local media outlet North Devon Gazette. “I’m not doing this to make money. I feel like I am living the dream, especially when people come through the door and they are excited to have found us.” At the eatery, Rose serves tea, 11 different vegan milk options, baked goods (including creatively decorated cakes), and lunch options such as vegan cheese fries, wraps, and fishless finger sandwiches. Current market research shows that younger generations—particularly Generation X and millennials—are becoming more aware about the plight of animals in agriculture (many through social media outlets) and choosing to adopt vegan lifestyles at a faster rate than their older counterparts. Rose hosts vegan meetups at her new café and hopes that the eatery becomes a community space for mental-health discussions and educational lectures on veganism.