MORE people than ever now follow a vegan diet and a new restaurant in Bradford city centre is catering to the growing market.

Falafel n’ Juice has opened its doors on Kirkgate, opposite Barclays, serving up falafel with hummus and fresh salad, plus fresh juice.

Typically made from ground chickpeas or broad beans, falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern favourite and a common street food. 

While it’s a dish often enjoyed by those with a vegan diet, those behind the new dining spot say you don’t have to be a vegan to love the food.

A spokesperson said: “Our concept is something different from the burgers, currys, fried chicken and kebabs you see everywhere in Bradford. We offer something crispy, flavourful and tasty you can grab with you on the go - but at the same time healthy and 100 per cent vegan.”

The opening of the Bradford spot follows the “massive success” of one in Oslo, Norway. 

The hunt had been on in Bradford for an empty unit to transform into Falafel n’ Juice and there was excitement when the Kirkgate unit became available due to its “perfect” location, which is close to The Broadway and a short walk from other city centre areas.

Falafel n' Juice said the response and support so far has been "amazing" and added: "We’ve had many costumers coming in talking about how they decided to start eat healthier.

"We’re just so pleased to be offering delicious food that’s also actually good for you.

"We also see at lot of people with origin from the Middle East coming in, delighted to see a new place serving a 'comfort food' many of them are very much familiar with."

The new restaurant appears to be going down well in Bradford according to comments left on its social media pages. 

One person said: “Amazing food. The falafel were made fresh. Crispy and light and complimented well with the tangy hummus you have.”

Another person said: “Great vegan food.”

The restaurant added: "We are so happy to see that after only one and a half weeks we already have regular costumers coming back - again and again."

A vegan lifestyle is one that avoids all animal foods such as meat, dairy, eggs and honey; animal derived products like leather; and, as far as possible, products tested on animals.

A recent study found 37 per cent of Brits had actively reduced or removed animal products from their diet in the last five years.

Veganism has seen a boom in recent years, with supermarkets and major food outlets increasing - or introducing for the first time- meat and dairy-free alternatives.
Louisianna Waring, Senior Insight and Policy Officer at The Vegan Society, said: “It isn’t at all surprising to see so many people are leaving meat off their plates and ditching dairy.”

She added: “We know that interest in veganism is at an all-time high – particularly amongst young people who are genuinely concerned about environmental issues and the future. Perhaps the most promising finding from this survey is that older people are actually leading the way when it comes to reducing their meat intake, which is fantastic news.”