interview: The pack horse cafe at Grow slow

I’d never expected to eat an African curry under a disco ball with a sword-toting three-foot bear sat next to me and sequin-clad mannequins overseeing proceedings, but then I’d never been to Grow Slow before, either.

To appreciate Grow Slow, the alternative nursery, farm shop and café in Bridport, a little geographical context is probably helpful. Nestled in a corner of the world that boasts The Dorset Knob Throwing event (that’s the name of the small hard biscuits, before you ask, furthest hurtle wins) and an annual Hat Festival. To say you’re in quirky territory is an understatement. 

On initial impressions its unassuming, reaching my destination mere seconds after turning off the busy A35. A luminous vertical CAFÉ flag stands strained against the wind, which I later realised to be at odds with the rustic, vintage charm that percolates beyond the threshold. But it seems to do the trick with drawing in passing trade. 

I’d say it’s homely, but perhaps that’s more telling of my décor tastes than is broadly relatable. Think a Glastonbury festival wonderland and you’re probably closer. It may be done on a shoestring, but you can’t buy creativity – or a natural talent for cookery – and Grow Slow’s Rachel Fray has both in spades. 

The self-proclaimed quirky, creative sanctuary is the brainchild of Rachel and business partner Nikki Deverell. The two were introduced when Rachel moved to Bridport four years ago. They initially opened a vintage market stall together, until spotting their current site. “We had a vision for a plants-cum-vintage destination with a café.” Having opened in the cusp between lockdowns one and two, it was a fleeting window before having to close again, reopening for good in Spring 2021.

Rachel Fray

Rachel trained in Cordon Bleu cookery initially, before working in a bistro and care home kitchen, but until 2018 the majority of her career was as a family lawyer in Sussex. On moving to Dorset she left those stresses and pressures behind, though arguably swapping them for a new set of stresses, albeit far more enjoyable ones.

“Opening a farm shop and nursery was never the plan, but I wanted a complete change,” says Rachel. Her passion for food and cookery is evident in every dish, perhaps in part because she only puts food she loves on the menu.

Rachel's inspiration
“I find it hard to cook things I don’t like; I need to want to eat it and like it myself.” A lot of the dishes stem from her favourite foods. The tostada breakfast reminiscent of staying with her sister in Spain, while bubble and squeak is an ultimate all-round home comfort. And for the sandwiches? “They’re my takes on my favourite sandwiches ever. Rachel’s Belt & Braces (THIS bacon, peanut butter, cranberry, vegan mayo and heeps of microgreens) came from when I was very young and working in London. There was an amazing sandwich shop just off Regent Street, and it’s a take on a sandwich I used to get there.”

Rachel's homemade tofu mafe, an African peanut curry

Listening back on my interview recording I’d not realised quite how enamoured and animated I could sound about food, nor how long I was giving Rachel to fill the gaps while I devoured my tofu, sweet potato, carrot and pea Mafe with homemade rhubarb and orange chutney – the day’s special – before remembering to ask another question.

But I got there in the end, mainly when all our bacon chat had me double taking the menu. Full disclaimer, I tend to get overwhelmed by menus, usually due to sitting down to eat when I’m far too hungry to think. So, while the menu clearly states ‘Fresh Vegan & Vegetarian Food’ and is generously dotted with bracketed Vs and VGs after all the meaty sounding fare, I got stuck into reading and ignored them all. But it transpires that plant-based options aren’t just available – they’re all that’s available. Perhaps to make me feel a bit less stupid, Rachel said it’s quite common that people don’t realise. “Some turn their nose up, but most people are happy to give it a try. We now have regulars who are meat eaters that come back for our breakfasts.”

The slow movement
After this I couldn’t move on swiftly enough to chat about the ethos behind the whole venture: the Slow Movement. Focused on limiting the café’s carbon footprint as much as possible, everything that can be homemade is homemade right down to the chutneys, and all the quality ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible.

Rachel says she has a mushroom guy in Beaminster, and vegetables and salad come from just down the road at Tamarisk Farm when available. The eggs are from Fenton farm in Devon, and a local baker in town, Punch and Judy, makes the sourdough. Grow Slow’s dairy cheeses are from Ford Farm at Litton Cheney. On the wet offering side, Grow Slow’s coffee is ground and roasted in Exeter, and the café uses Dorset and West Country tea. Even the Kombucha is from Curious, a local company that won the Taste of the West Gold Award in 2020.

When looking for quality vegan substitutes, adhering to the Slow Movement is no mean feat, especially being based down in Dorset. “We’re fussy about the substitutes we use – they have to be good otherwise we don’t bother!” For stand-out vegan offerings, Rachel has to cast her net a little wider, but endeavours to stay at least within the UK, using THIS bacon and La Fauxmargerie for vegan cheeses, both London-based. 

Seasonality is an important part of the Slow Movement, and the menu evolves through the year as you’d expect. While breakfasts are the café’s mainstay, Rachel plans for seasonal salads to come off the menu, making way for heartier dishes featuring root vegetables, as well as more curries, which she particularly enjoys making. The Mafe (an African peanut curry) that I tucked into was particularly suited to the joyfully seasonal British weather.

It was a thunderous Autumnal Wednesday on my visit, yet there remained a constant flow of fellow diners and shoppers as I drank in the treasure trove that is Grow Slow. “It’s quieter now but we’ve had a steady morning,” says Rachel modestly, while I think that getting anyone out in this weather is testament to the fantastic food, and friendly atmosphere they’ve fostered. “We’ve been really well received by the local community, and have regulars and groups that come back.” Grow Slow is increasingly seeing vegans travelling from across the county to eat at The Horse Box Café.

Footpath and view on Dorset's Jurassic Coast

Being five minutes from a beautiful coast path Rachel says they get lots of walkers, too, as well as the fans of ITV’s Broadchurch who come to see where it was filmed. 

Grow Slow has also hosted several events and private functions, including a wedding reception, and a private viewing of a local artist in the pipeline. “By next year I’d like to be opening evenings, too, doing a few food pop up nights.” This December, Rachel plans do run a Christmas grotto, with (of course) a twist, cheekily adding “I think we might have a Mother Christmas rather than Father Christmas this year.” 

With the car noticeably swaying on the coast road as I drove to meet Rachel, this breeze was only slightly less evident at lunch. With the majority of the café setup to run al fresco, Rachel says they’re in talks about adding side panels to the currently open barn. If not, the winter may see a scaling down of operations, with the coffee machine and seating moved inside to the more intimate conservatory, equipped with a generously proportioned log burner.

As further testament to Rachel and Nikki’s commitment to the Slow Movement, the nursery itself is comprised exclusively of locally grown plants, with the furthest coming from Honiton – just 20miles away. Though tempted, I’m more of a spectator when it comes to greenery, so not willing to bring yet another healthy plant home only to curse it to my foliage graveyard, I casted a final longing look across the topiary before making my way into the vintage store. 

Intriguing items from shoe lasts made for giants and kings, to vintage pots, lamps and chinaware pepper the shop, and I couldn’t resist buying myself a small curiosity. I am now the proud owner of an Eastern European egg basket. Of course. 

Curiosities in Grow Slow's vintage emporium

Grow Slow is an oasis of vibrancy, and delicious food to boot. There’s enough bleakness in the world at the moment to make us serious and sombre, and The Horse Box Café is an antidote to this. Seeing the sizeable and tempting plates of other customers, and happy faces of both diners and staff, I’ll certainly be back. That Belt & Braces sandwich isn’t going to try itself!