Tucked away on Buckingham Street behind Science City, overlooking the old Brewery Site, nestles a little piece of peace on earth. Earthlings The Healing Cafe is a vegan juice bar but it is so much more than that – it is a place for the community to heal – to eat well, to learn well, to share well and to live well. It is a community.
“The atmosphere is all important, getting it just right” says the owner, Durgesh, a Sikh who relocated from India over ten years ago. “I wanted to create gentle energy, a naturally relaxing calm. I’ve been especially lucky with the people who work here, that they bring that sense of calm too”.
Open since 2020, the space is filled with natural light and the furnishings are homemade from recycled wood, from the counter to the tables and even the light fittings. The chairs have recently been recovered in brightly coloured materials by local community artist Grace Gorman and greening galore, plants maintained by Erica, Durgesh’s partner, fill every sill and every shelf. This biosphere is alive with nature and connects its post-industrial home within our natural, living world.
Support for activists
On offer are a wide variety of cold pressed juices, smoothies, alternative milkshakes and healthy lattes complemented by a small, daily hot lunch menu. There is even a specially priced menu for activists. “Activists are people who give up their time to support causes. In giving them a discount, I am doing a little to say thank you and support them to support others,” says Durgesh.
Healing
This vegan juice bar is so much more besides. “I started Earthlings because I wanted to heal myself and others,” continues Durgesh “when I start to heal, others around me heal too. Wholesome food is a part of that but so is engaging with our community”.
Earthlings The Healing Cafe and the recently-opened studio room next door, Earthlings The Healing Space open by arrangement in the evenings for workshops, events and activity, from yoga and sound healing, to talks on natural history, regular community drumming sessions, to community meetings and more.
Joseph has been working in Earthlings for a year “Refuge – a refuge in the West End is the closest I can get to describing it here. A safe place for people to have dialogue with each other and allow themselves to be disarmed and open to exploring their own relationships with themselves, with each other – activities with intentions to move away from judgements in the world”.
Community and belonging is very much at the heart of this bijou community.
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Earthlings The Healing Cafe and its Healing Space is open 8-6 Monday to Saturday, Sundays and evenings by arrangements. Please find information – web www.earthlingsthc.co.uk email earthlingsthc@gmail.com or find them on Instagram and Facebook.
