Just off Lord Street you will find a small cafe, with an abundance of fluroscent flowers and green leaves all year round - regardless what the forecast predicts.

VIBE Cafe stands for: Vibrant, Inspiring and Beautiful Eating.

Born from owner Laura Mowat’s journey with breast cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2015 and courageously battled for two years.

Her personal journey with illness led her to hone her focus in on turning to a holistic, plant-based diet.

Through making a conscious effort to prioritise wellness and health, she made the decision to open vibe in March 2022.

Behind the inviting doors lies a sanctuary of peace, positivity and good food - leaving no stone unturned when it comes to providing customers with thorough explanations of what they are eating and where it came from.

Many of Vibe’s dishes are foraged here in the island, with Laura regularly taking it upon herself to make the most of what the earth has to offer - whether it be nettles, flowers or garlic for their garlic mayo.

Previously winning last year’s Manx Menu, Vibe continue to come out on top and bagged themselves another win this year.

Throughout March, Vibe will be offering a range of locally focused dishes.

All of the dishes feature Manx produce from a variety of different sources, such as Allanson’s Farm, Laxey Flour Mill, Noa Bakehouse and lavender from Berrag Farm.

The lunch special is a beetroot and black bean burger in a house-baked beetroot brioche bun with pickled beetroot, cucumber, slow-cooked tomato, wild garlic mayo, and Manx potato herb wedges.

Evening small plates include dishes such as beetroot tartare with horseradish and gorse, potato pavé with wild garlic confit and house-made parmesan.

Laura said: ‘It's about consistency and constantly keeping up the high standards that we've set for ourselves, because we want to be strong contenders within the hospitality industry, we need to fight to be seen on the same level as everyone else at the food scene.

‘When we first opened, it was a bit unknown. People are very wary of the fact that we are a plant-based restaurant, and a lot of people have a lot of stereotypes around that.’

Vibe want to break the scepticism that surrounds plant-based eating, through carving out a unique experience for each customer - whether it be through positive affirmations left on tables or the food they are served that is guaranteed to give you energy and not make you want to fall asleep on the couch.

Kyle Shimmin work as the head chef at Vibe, alongside chef Shiho Celine and other members of staff, put in hours of preparation alongside preserving foraged products to provide the best service possible. On March 28, Vibe will be hosting a Manx Menu tasting evening where people can try the dishes they put forward.

Kyle added: ‘I think it's really approachable, this allows you to try a lot of different things and find the vegetables you like and be a little bit experimental with how you eat.’

Vibe is open Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11am to 2pm and again from 5.30pm to 8pm.

More information online at https://www.vibeplantbasedcafe.com/