Former Lancaster vegan eatery reopens with new name as ‘wellness’ pantry and café

Monday, 22 September 2025 08:18

By Beyond Radio News

A Lancaster vegan café that closed down earlier this month has reopened its doors under a different direction and name.

The former Herbarium on Great John Street ceased trading a few weeks ago, but reopened over the weekend as a ‘wellness’ pantry and café called The Old Gun Shop.

The building used to be ‘an old gun shop’ before becoming The Herbarium, and now offers an expanded menu which includes vegetarian options as well as vegan.

After a busy opening day on Saturday, a spokesperson for the business said: ‘’ We’re tired but so happy. It was such a joy to see so many smiling faces. Thank you to everyone who popped by to say hello, it really does mean the world to us to be back open.

‘’A huge thank you to our brilliant team too. They worked so hard today and brought such great energy with them. We couldn’t have asked for a better start.’’

Explaining why the business had changed name, they added: ‘’For 42 years the building sold rifles, boots and fishing tackle, and to many Lancastrians, it’s still known as the old gun shop.

"Today, it offers warm drinks, slow food, and jars of the good stuff.

“We kept the name not because we’re nostalgic for the past, but because we believe in reviving spaces and rewriting stories.

"What was once a shop for countryside traditions is now a place to slow down, gather, and nourish.

“Another empty building in the centre is not what Lancaster needs.

‘’The community environment we’ve built here matters too much to let go; and just as pubs once served as the heartbeat of a community, we believe cafés like ours are the next generation of that tradition — a new kind of community space: quieter, softer, and rooted in care.’’

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