Sloth and Sparrow Plant-Based Kitchen opened up on Falmouth High Street around 2 years ago and has been growing in popularity ever since, offering delicious veggie and vegan options for their customers.

This week they announced on social media that they had picked up a TripAdvisor 2022 Travellers choice award as well as being in the top 10% of restaurants worldwide.

They posted the news along with this message: 'Despite the very real challenges that we have faced as a small independent business recently, receiving this award is a really nice reminder of why we show up every day!'

Speaking to the founder Andre Dublin, he talked me through some of the challenges the business has faced, "The catering industry has really struggled in the post-pandemic world; we like many others did our best to pivot and switch up our way of operating during the height of the pandemic to figure out how we could best serve the community, sustain our business and support our staff."

"Throughout this time there was a real exodus of skilled chefs, many people I have worked with over the years have taken alternative jobs away from the pressure cooker environment and long hours most kitchen jobs demand. A short walk down Falmouth high street shows a large number of 'chef wanted adverts that have been up for months and we are no different." Andre added.

It was clear how hard Andre and his team have been working to keep the business alive, "I find myself doing more and more hours in the kitchen instead of pushing and growing the business." Andre also explained that it's not just a lack of staff that's been a challenge but the price of materials they use at the restaurant on a daily basis has risen which has meant reassessing the menu and prices to remain accessible for customers, "It's been a few months of tough decisions, long working weeks and a lot of number crunching." he added.

After all the struggles they've faced Andre spoke about how nice of a surprise it was for the restaurant, "The award came totally out of the blue for us! We obviously really appreciate all the reviews we receive on TripAdvisor, Facebook, Google, or elsewhere but receiving a travellers choice award for consistent service is a great morale booster, reminding the entire team that the work we do is appreciated and valued!"

It seems there's no slowing down now for Sloth and Sparrow Plant-Based Kitchen as the team will use this award for extra motivation, "It's good to know people have really been enjoying the food and experience we create but if anything, it's a little extra fuel in the tank to keep getting better, keep creating more delicious dishes, and keep pushing ourselves to be better."Andre said.