THE owner of a new vegan café set to open in the Lake District is hoping to change the mentalities of non-vegans with her establishment. 

Debbie Scott owns The Botanical Kitchen, a new eatery set to open in Windermere on the first day of May. The café will be opening on the premises of the recently closed Ubuntu on St Martins Parade.

Offering a fully vegan and plant-based menu, Debbie explained most of the products, including vegan meat, cheese, pates and dips, are produced in-house.

Their ethos is to give back to people who help protect animals from animal cruelty so 10 per cent of their profit will be donated to them. 

The owner explained that with this café, she would like to 'change the opinions of non-vegans.'

"I have had some very odd comments from non-vegans about rabbit food and eating grass, and it is all very derogatory," she said.

"You don't have to be a vegan to come into my cafe and enjoy the food.

"I'd like non-vegans to come into the café and eat some of my meat, for example my plant-based bacon and leave enjoying it and thinking that even vegan food is not that bad."

The Westmorland Gazette: Vegan tandoori chicken drumstick.Vegan tandoori chicken drumstick. (Image: Debbie Scott)

Debbie first considered setting up a café in Northumberland but she didn't think it would work as well as in Windermere, mainly because of the tourism, she explained.

She said: "I hope I can attract locals and they enjoy eating there but I think my customer base is probably going to be tourists who want to try something new."

The Botanical Kitchen will have breakfast, daytime and blackboard specials in the menu, with options raging from breakfast burrito, charcuterie board, pizzas and burgers. 

A full refurbishment is currently being undertaken. On the opening day visitors can expect a Parisian style cafe with a warm botanical twist to it, explained the owner. 

Reservations are already open for those wanting to book a table in the restaurant. To make a reservation visit the website here.