Case study: Peasholm Park Vegan B&B
Why they are remarkable: they created a vegan experience that you struggle to get elsewhere.
Helen and Karl launched one of the first vegan B&Bs in the UK – in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. At the time it was a bold move, but now (with every chain hotel saying they cater for vegans), just running a vegan hotel is no longer enough to guarantee attracting vegan customers.
Instead, what Helen and Karl provide is a vegan experience that you won’t get elsewhere. You don’t have to worry about any of the amazing food which is laid out for breakfast not being vegan. Everything you can see you can eat! Also, it’s not just a standard ‘full-English’ with some Linda McCartney’s sausages thrown in; a lot of thought and creativity has been put into the food because the owners know what vegans like to eat. There will be some of Helen’s amazing overnight oats or chia seed puddings available, which transforms walking into the dining room sleepy-eyed into a wonderful morning delight. Knowing that a lot of their guests will be mixed groups who won’t all be vegan, there’s always something familiar-looking (but still vegan) for them too.
This intimate knowledge of what causes vegan problems when travelling goes beyond just the food. Peasholm Park provide ‘vegan-only’ guest fridges, which are clearly marked with what can’t be put in them. This means that non-vegan guests know to put any dairy products they might want to keep cold overnight in a different place. The owners are also completely embedded in the local vegan community and will be your vegan guides to the town, telling you the best places to get a vegan meal (from pub-grub to fine dining) and which local vegan businesses you might want to drop in and support. They also know that they get a lot of new vegan converts staying with them; in fact, Lisa and I first spent a weekend at Peasholm Park towards the beginning of our own vegan journey. Karl especially dedicates a lot of his time to engaging with guests to answer questions. That might be scurrying away into the kitchen to show what ingredient they use as an alternative to egg, or even just sitting down with guests for 30 minutes after breakfast to talk about compassion and his fascinating and long history of activism.
What makes them remarkable is not that they run a vegan B&B, but that they really understand their customer – creating a vegan experience that you won’t find elsewhere. Everyone who stays with them tells at least five of their other vegan friends about them, just like I’m telling you about them now. Customers become part of their community and help spread the word on Helen and Karl’s behalf.
