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It’s one thing turning vegan, quite another living the dream.

Now there’s a major city centre destination where vegans can share their passion for a meat, sugar, dairy and gluten free organic life.

And enjoy every minute of socialising while dining out worry free.

Natural Healthy Foods has expanded from its shop on Allison Street in Digbeth to a prime city location.

At first glance, the address at the foot of the Orion Building seems to be out of the way.

Why else has the unit been mothballed ever since the tower was built almost a decade ago?

But Natural Healthy Food’s owner Simon McCarroll spotted its potential and decided to invest £250,000 in order to turn a shell into a high quality store and eaterie.

(Image: Graham Young)

He prefers not to use the term ‘cafe’ in order to distinguish it from the Starbucks of this world.

The result of his planning is that you walk into a shop and then progress down into the main serving area.

You can then walk further along to more places where you can sit down to eat.

(Image: Graham Young)

Just like Wagamama on the corner of New Street and Ethel Street in the city centre, the view is remarkably better from the inside looking out.

Here, the entire unit is light and airy.

And, would you believe it, there is a surprisingly exciting view of the traffic and the Mailbox outside.

(Image: Graham Young)

The interior isn’t quite finished yet.

A Wi-Fi system hadn’t been delivered in time for this weekend’s soft opening.

Nor all of the furniture, which will see more tables and chairs and bar stools arriving soon to take the number of covers beyond 50.

(Image: Graham Young)

But everyone who visited the first lunchtime seemed to be happy with what they found.

After dining with lawyer friend Asma Majid, registered nutritionist Colleen Campbell @NutriShion_UK tweeted afterwards: “Delicious lunch @NHfoodsUK this afternoon. Congratulations on the opening of your new Birmingham-based eatery – great venue too.”

How does it work?

(Image: Graham Young)

If you want to shop, you just visit the shelves of produce and pay at the first till without even going into the eaterie area.

To dine, go down the ramp and admire the range of foods.

There’s a series of hot plates where a typical range of ten hot dishes will be kept.

(Image: Graham Young)

Next to that, a table service area where you can also self-serve salads, nuts, sauces and pasta dishes.

If you are taking food away, the prices is £7.95 for a large box, or £5.95 for a small box.

Anyone dining in should put their food on a plate.

(Image: Graham Young)

This is weighed at the service point and charged accordingly, though it might be more than you imagine.

The first customer in line was charged £12.30 for her well-stocked plate and luckily she didn’t flinch given that she might have had twice as much for half the price at a Toby Carvery.

Simon says: “I got the idea from some places in London where there is a wellness centre on every corner. Customers seem to be very happy with it.”

Food choices

(Image: Graham Young)

The hot menu on the first day included bean and butternut curry, smokey bean chilli, shepherd’s pie, Sri Lankan dhal curry, brown basmati rice, south Indian tomator rice, lemon millet, Ethiopian wat, rosemary and garlic roast potaoes, garlie can chilli sauted kale and broccoli.

Cold dished included pasta salad, armatic falafel, sushi rolls, house houmous, superfood salad and house potato salad.

The raw menu included onion bread, kaleslaw, Thai mushroom salad and raw house houmous.

Options for drinks

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Simon thinks Natural Healthy Foods is the first eaterie in Birmingham to have a ‘kombucha’ bar.

This means it sells blends of fermented green teas – made by Happy Gut But, a small business based in Kings Heath which uses Malvern spring water.

Flavours include The Turmeric, made with cayenne pepper, and Rootalicious, which includes beetroot.

(Image: Graham Young)

A Pro Fusion label drink includes baobab, mint and pomegranate.

Natural Healthy Foods filters all of its own water on site to remove all impurities, including fluoride.

Herbal teas including Pukka and Yogi are £1.95 each.

(Image: Graham Young)

Loose leaf teas range from £2.75 for Assam, Darjeeling and Earl Grey to £2.95 for Japanese Sencha, Rosebud and Gunpowder Supreme to £3.20 for Iron Buddah and Phoenix Orchid.

An Espress coffee is £1.95 and an Americano £2.50.

Lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites – for which oat milk is recommended over soya – are £2.95 per cup.

(Image: Graham Young)

What does Simon say?

“We think we’ve probably got the best range of superfoods in Birmingham – and all the ingredients you could ever want to make your own raw chocolate," he says.

“We wanted to bring organic plant-based living to Birmingham which was kind of lacking in the city.

(Image: Graham Young)

“If you travel around London or Europe you can get organic food, home-prepared vegan and plant-based food.

“It was really, really difficult for me as a vegan to do that.

“I think there’s enough people in the area to cope with the demand.

(Image: Graham Young)

“So we’re really proud to have the only kombucha bar in Birmingham, made with protobiotics.

“It’s a great, all-round health tonic.

“We will always have ten hot foods and ten to 15 raw and salad-based foods – everything you want for a healthy lifestyle.

It’s not all just food and drink

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Natural Healthy Foods also sells a range of cleaning and other domestic produces to make your home greener.

They include Dishmate washing up liquid (£3.49) and Bio multi-surface sanitiser (£2.70), while a box of 48 Paper Snack & Sandwich Bags is £3.99 (that’s 8.3p each).

Simon says: “We believe that healthy living starts with everything in your life so we have a full range of chemical-free cleaners, washing powders, washing up liquids.

“Everything to keep all of the bad stuff off your skin and out of your environment."

When are they open?

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Seven days a week, to begin with from 10am-7pm or 9pm.

In six weeks’ time for breakfast from 7.30am till 7pm or 9pm.

That should mean around the end of April.

What is the address?

(Image: Graham Young)

Natural Healthy Foods, Unit 1 Sirius, Orion Building, Birmingham, B1 1LT

Tel 0121 633 5539 or visit the website here or follow on Twitter @NHfoodsUK

Is the original store staying open?

Yes – it stocks almost 2,000 products and is five minutes' walk from the Selfridges end of The Bullring.

Natural Healthy Foods, 54-57 Allison St, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 5TH from Monday to Saturday 10am-7pm and from 11am-5pm on Sunday.