Set up initially as a lockdown project by owner and manager Durgesh Ravjani, Earthlings the Healing Cafe is committed to prioritising health and wellbeing over anything else, with a 100% vegan-friendly menu.
The project began with Ravjani touring music festivals, setting up small pop-up cafes to sell CBD (or Cannabidiol products, leading him to explore increasingly sustainable options that emphasise bodily nutrition. After meeting thousands of diverse people experiencing anxiety and trauma at these festivals, Ravjani decided to put health and wellbeing at the heart of the business.
Now, the cafe on Buckingham Street in the heart of Newcastle acts as a healing cafe, event space and juice bar.
CBD has sparked the mission of the business with it’s emphasis on health benefits and versatility.
Majority of the products produced and sold in Earthlings contain CBD in some form, such as CBD-infused green juice and smoothies.
CBD can be used as an anti-psychotic, epilepsy, improving mental health and, of course, the sustainable benefits carried from industrial hemp.
The cafe is so dedicated to sustainability, that even their menus, tables and chairs are created from sustainable materials.
Exterior of Earthlings the Healing Cafe in Newcastle. Image credits: Rosie Brennan
The cafe puts health and nutrition first, at an affordable price. Their ‘Bring Your Own’ campaign means that if customers bring their own container to takeout an order of nourishing food, they can get it at a discounted price- a perfect sustainable and healthy option for students and locals looking for soulful food at an acceptable price.
“We’re not a conventional cafe in the sense that for us it’s a healing cafe. It’s about what’s best for customers”
Durgesh Ravjani, Earthlings Owner
Many of the events hosted at Earthlings are designated to promote mental health and wellbeing by creating an open space for individuals to express themselves. A particularly inspiring example is their partnership with ‘The Dead Good Death Cafe’, an event popping up around the world to discuss death, dying and grief. The initiative intends to dispel common the taboo surrounding these subjects, as well as the overall anxiety humans have about them. Originating from spiritual and Buddhist concepts, Ravjani highlights that “the only fear human beings have is a fear of death” and that it can be overcome with help and support from others it acts as “an opportunity to to come, share, discuss and help to alleviate pain”.
The events hosted at Earthlings have a wide range of spiritual and cultural origins, with sound baths, drumming circles, meditation groups and independent music artists choosing to host their events in the space provided by the cafe. Ravjani explains that the cafe does not have specific ties to any religious, spiritual or cultural practice, but instead highlights being “open to everyone who puts an intention out there”. At least 15-20 wellbeing groups currently work with, and host events in, Earthlings the Healing Cafe.
“I think Activism is such a beautiful concept…A lot of activists work really hard for a cause and don’t get much in return for their hardship”
Durgesh Ravjani, Earthlings Owner
Earthlings also offers free food to activists, providing nutritious and healthy meals to those making a strong impact in society. The cafe is dedicated to sustainability and combating climate change, and is doing everything they can to support others dedicated to the cause. It serves as a hub for like-minded people to come together and discuss their ideas, particularly ideas around positive activism that makes change.
Earthlings aims to be a completely zero waste establishment, with reused materials used for almost the entirety of the interior as the owner explains that “I’m trying to express that we can do a lot of things without buying”.
The cafe is a unique hub full of warmth and light, emphasising health and nutrition in a way that is accessible to all.
The welcoming space invites anyone that aims to make a positive difference in society, however big it may be. From their partnership with the death cafe emphasising informal group support with grief and anxiety, to their dedication to improving mental wellbeing of customers through the promotion of nutrition, Earthlings the Healing Cafe is an inclusive, afforable, inspiring establishment making a difference to the heart of Newcastle and beyond.
Inside Earthlings Healing Cafe in Newcastle. Image credits: Rosie Brennan