This week, meet Lewis. He’s the brainchild behind two of our most frequented spots in the city: Grams and Plant Bae. Lewis is on a mission to help everyone introduce more plant-based foods into their diet—an ethos that we support and endorse.

Dressed head-to-toe in Wax London’s latest arrivals, we caught up with Lewis in Stockbridge (the neighbourhood we share) to discuss his mission in greater detail. Grams was born from the idea that it’s possible to eat better, not less. In 2015, they sold raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free cakes. In 2016, they opened their first café in Haymarket and expanded into healthy “fast food”. In 2020, Grams joined us in Stockbridge. Now known for their savoury options as well as their sweet, their first location (located in Leith) is now their sister brand. Plant Bae showcases their vegan and vegetarian options.

Lewis has kindly shared his recipe for vegan pesto pasta. With a bold, fresh basil pesto and greens, it's a guaranteed hit.

1. Put the spaghetti into a pot of boiling water and follow instructions on pack (roughly cook for 8-9 minutes)

2. Meanwhile, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon and salt to a food processor and blitz. Scape down the sides every now and then. As the mix churns, slowly add the oil and water. Don’t add it too fast or you’ll end up with lots of chunky basil. The consistency should be thick, but pourable.

3. Drain the spaghetti, keeping some of the water aside.

4. Place the carrot, pepper, asparagus and courgette in a pan with a small amount of oil and cook on a medium heat until they start to soften and get some colour.

5. Add the spaghetti to the pan and pour over your pesto (a few big tablespoons should do, but it’s up to you). Add a little splash of the reserved spaghetti water and stir. Add your cherry tomatoes and cook for one final minute.

6. Serve with pine nuts and some vegan parmesan.

Top tip: put any leftover pesto in the fridge or store in ice cube trays in the freezer.