Following on from my current Saying Goodbye to Single-use plastic series, I return once again to the straw issue. The No Straw Stand has been setup by Cardiff uni students Nia and Douglas who are trying to make Cardiff a straw-free city. They’ve an ever-growing list of businesses taking the no straw stand and have recently received support from Keep Wales Tidy – which just goes to show that small changes can lead to progress! There’s still a way to go sadly, but I thought I’d compile some of my favourite businesses already happily associated with the No Straw Stand, which I recommend trying if you haven’t already:

Blanche Bakery

I finally took myself to try out their offerings recently and was very pleasantly impressed; their donuts are their major selling point and I can 100% see why. They taste incredible, you’d never even know that they’re vegan, full of flavour and very satisfying. Much like The Moos on nearby Whitchurch Road, Blanche Bakery are totally vegan; so whether you’re after something a bit different, want to mix up your diet or try something new, or simply go somewhere you can indulge without having to check the ingredients, this is certainly somewhere to visit.

It’s small and cosy, but this also means it was lovely and warm on an otherwise very cold day. I opted for the French toast donut (definitely stole the show), the ‘chick’n mayo’ sandwich and a hot chocolate. The sandwich was tasty and filling but I’m not sure the texture was the one for me, still felt kind of meaty which I’m sure is fab if you are or were at one point a meat-eater but just not quite right for me. The hot chocolate was very well presented and tasted good, but to be honest I did miss the milk – which is something I thought I’d never say because I’m not even a big fan of milk. I couldn’t tell you which kind of vegan milk was used, however, so maybe it’s different with different types? I can’t be sure, but they also have a good tea selection so next time I’ll go for that. Either way, definitely try the donuts and go for the chill atmosphere of the place, I loved it and will be back again soon to try more.

 

 

The Grazing Shed have also taken to supplying biodegradable straws according to the No Straw Stand. I’ve written about them before in my Glastonbury highlights; often regarded as the best burgers in Cardiff it was nice to have a sense of ‘home from home’ whilst away festival-ing. Not so long ago I found myself there again and was particularly impressed with their efforts to cater to my awkward requests, it really made my evening! [The awkwardness was that their chips are all skin-on and I have the weirdest allergy in the world and can’t digest potato skin. Bummer, I know. Instead though, they were happy to substitute me another patty in my usual Naughty Shephard which was thoroughly enjoyed and very much appreciated.] If you haven’t tried The Grazing Shed yet, you really are missing out.

Pieminister is somewhere I’ve always been a big fan of – who doesn’t love pie & mash?! (Un)fortunately, we’re so spoilt for choice in Cardiff that I’m always keen to try new places so these guys have become rather a rare treat for me somehow. They’ve been phasing out their straw stocks for a while now, only supplying them on customer request, but since they officially went plastic straw free a month or so ago I decided it was high-time for another visit. In this case, they visited me via the magic of Deliveroo; I went for my usual Heidi pie but this time added cheesy mash (is there anything better than cheesy mash? Seriously?!), gravy and a side of mac ‘n’ cheese, just because. It was bloody delicious and all packaged in cardboard containers marked as recyclable (though they did appear to have a coating on the inside similar to coffee cups and ice cream pints…), which was a real bonus*. Great job team!

*This links in with an email I received from Deliveroo just a few nights ago, stating that they’re investing in the manufacture and production of more recyclable and/or biodegradable containers for transporting hot foods via their service, in order to reduce their environmental impact as much as possible. They’ve also supplied some of their businesses with trial biodegradable straws and are introducing an ‘opt-in cutlery’ scheme to encourage wider adoption of these eco-friendly alternatives. Brilliant news!

 

 

Juno Lounge, one of my long standing favourite places, have taken to only using compostable straws which I’m thrilled about! You can read my full review of Juno here, it’s one for a cosy comfort meal for sure.

 

 

Wahaca has always been one of my favourite places to eat in Cardiff because I love their policy on sustainability, food waste and the fact that their fish is clearly stated as MSC certified. These guys have always been against straws (but recently made it official) for any of their soft drinks or delicious cocktails and I’ve been too many times to list, however the things I always go from their street food menu are the plantain tacos (I almost always have plantain on a menu if it’s available) and the cod tacos. Bloody lovely. Their sweet potato & feta taquitos go down a real treat too – I’m hungry just thinking about it. If you like Mexican, give Wahaca a go.

Penylan Pantry – you may have seen these guys before on my list of Top 5 Cardiff Breakfast spots and I still stand by that. I love everything about the inside of the Pantry and intend to visit again very soon, but as well as their delicious & freshly made food, their sustainability and environmental awareness is a big bonus factor for me [see Hungry City Hippy’s post for more] and I really do hope more businesses take these things on board. Go, see for yourself; you won’t regret it.

Milk & Sugar/Llaeth & Siwgr I’ve also mentioned before in my Top 5 Cardiff breakfasts and they remain very much one of my favourite go-to places in town. I’ve not yet had a disappointing meal from them in the Old Library and I happily go there time and time again. It’s great for people watching if you get a window spot, it’s a lovely big space (also available for functions, parties and sometimes kitchen takeovers) and there’s something on the food or drinks menu to suit everyone. They have also taken the No Straw Stand so next time you’re in town, stop by and give Milk & Sugar a try – trust me.

 

Lastly, Lilo’s Pasta is relatively new to the Cardiff scene but started off in nearby Pencoed where owners Liam and Chloe spotted a gap in the market and, after Chloe living on pasta for most of her second year of university and playing around with tasty variations, dived in full-force after graduating. They now have two trucks for festivals and weddings (you may have seen them at Cowbridge Food Festival last year or Depot from time to time), two successful cafes and have been really focusing on moving towards a plastic-free environment. As a new business, Chloe has taken the opportunity to make ‘sustainable swaps’ wherever possible, such as storing their ingredients in big glass jars and ordering their signature coffee in brown paper packaging, whilst ensuring that whatever packaging they do use is either fully recyclable or compostable such as the takeaway boxes. Straws are a work-in-progress but their plastic ones are only available on request currently and a more eco-friendly option available as soon as possible.

Their pasta itself is proper, convenient comfort food for a very reasonable price and with plenty of options to choose from (including vegan & veggie options), as well as regularly changing specials – like this one pictured which was their duck special not so long ago [source: instagram]. Your waistline needn’t take a hit either, swapping regular pasta for courgetti if you wish or even adding protein to any smoothie or milkshake. They’ve also begun offering Oatly as a vegan milk replacement in their hot drinks at no extra cost and if you take your own coffee cup or food container you’ll get 20p off your order. Great job guys!

One interesting thing that came up in conversation was that in their store it may seem like recycling isn’t been followed through as there aren’t separate bins, however when the waste collector was asked about this it was assured that the recycling is separated at the plant later on. I really hope this is the case for many other businesses because I’ve definitely been guilty in the past of assuming that no separate bins meant no recycling! Moreover, Chloe told me that she’s even been asking their supplier to cut down on packaging when goods are delivered where possible, such as not double-wrapping salami etc. This, my friends, demonstrates that if we, the consumer, put the pressure on the businesses to adapt and change, then businesses apply this same pressure to their suppliers, meaningful change can begin to happen and across a wider board. Fingers crossed, eh? It’s all about spreading the word!

 

 

So, if you haven’t taken the No Straw Stand yet, why not check out some articles online or refer back to part 1 of my plastic series. If you have, but your favourite restaurant or pub hasn’t, why not ask them about it? I’ve been surprised to have received some bemused looks when requesting no straw in my milkshake or cocktail recently, which just goes to show that the message still needs to be spread further and wider to get everyone on board. So grab your bamboo straw (or metal, but bamboo is more sustainable & eco-friendly truth be told) and get the message out there!

You can get bamboo straws from Save Some Green or Tabitha Eve Co when she’s next at Cardiff Market.

Diolch i chi a hwyl am nawr,

Charles xx