
Evergreen café has opened on a canal boat in Lymm and will serve plant-based versions of classical comfort foods.
Knutsford couple Kate and Ric Pakenham-Walsh bought a 55x10ft vessel named Grace from a boatyard in Northwich and built a warm and cosy joint called the EverGreen Cafe on the widebeam boat.
The cafe is situated on Boat Stage, off Bridgewater Street in Lymm town centre.

“She was a typical, run-down, old-fashioned style inside but we got on board and fell in love with her. I just got that vibe,” said Kate.
The couple ran a mobile catering business together and have opened this café in a bid to cater to people looking for plant-based options.
“There’s nothing really in Lymm that’s vegetarian or vegan-based and what’s the point in competing with things that are already there?” said Kate, who is a vegan herself.
“Nobody wanted me to do it, that the vegan thing was a bit too far-fetched being so far out of Manchester, but I said: ‘No, we have to bring it’.
“I’m doing it, I’m enjoying it, I just need everybody else to get on board – literally,” she added.
Adventure
The couple are excited with their new project and despite their age, were eager to take the plunge.


“Ric and I work well together and it’s nice for us to be doing this together,” said Kate.
“We’re no spring chickens anymore but it’s an adventure.”
Café menu
Kate said she asked the locals about the dishes they wanted to eat before curating her menu: “I asked local vegetarian and vegan groups what they wanted to see and they said they were sick to death of hummus and falafal, can they just have some food they were used to like lasagne and cottage pie – but make it vegan?”
“I thought: ‘Do you know what? That’s me.’ It was a lightbulb moment. I can do that, because that’s what I cook for myself at home, and the people who aren’t vegan or vegetarian can look at it and think: ‘I know that’,” she continued.
“There’s nothing unfamiliar.”
Evergreen café will sell vegan-friendly food including porridge, pancakes, homemade soup, wraps, burgers and specials such as lasagne, cottage pie, curries and risottos, including gluten-free options.
The owner said that she will also source vegan-friendly and gluten-free cakes from local bakeries.
However, the couple wants to be able to serve everyone and not remain exclusive, which is why they’ll also have cow’s milk and butter on offer for customers who don’t want plant-based alternatives.
I’m not here to preach or convert but it’s good to try something different, healthy and definitely tasty ,” writes Kate on her Facebook page.
The cafe is open from 10am to 3pm, Wednesday to Friday, and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Let us know what you think about this floating vegan cafe in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
What is a vegan shampoo? And 11 fantastic brands to try
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 27th January 2023
Do you know which ingredients make your shampoo non-vegan? The cosmetic industry has gone through a radical shift in the last few years as more consumers become aware of the impact their purchases make. As a result, the demand for vegan hair care products has soared. Consumers are becoming more conscious of the ingredients in …
Continue reading “What is a vegan shampoo? And 11 fantastic brands to try”
Dietitians claim plant-based diet can stunt growth of infants
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 18th January 2023
The NHS Start for Life website has added information about vegan and vegetarian babies. Nutritionists and dietitians have raised concerns about the health implications of vegan diets for babies following the publication of the NHS’s vegan infant nutrition guide. The NHS Start for Life website, which provides guidance for new parents, has added a new …
Continue reading “Dietitians claim plant-based diet can stunt growth of infants”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …