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Vegan Prestwich

Vegan Prestwich is a website, Instagram page and Facebook group I've been running with my wife since 2018.

Back then, Prestwich's vegan scene was already good, but hard to discover - we started the site because I'd built directory sites before (like bouncycastlehire.co.uk) and knew they could help businesses rank better and drive traffic.

The Facebook group has since grown to 800+ members and our Instagram has 500+ followers. Group activity fluctuates, but 2025's been surprisingly busy - hopefully because more people are going vegan. My wife usually handles Instagram while I sort the Facebook and website.

The Vegan Prestwich website homepage, listing business names and links to subcategories 'Delivery/Takeaways', 'Restaurants', 'Shops', 'Tags'

My solution

I maintain a directory of local businesses and their vegan offerings. It's completely manual work - I keep an eye on the Facebook group and update the website when people post about the scran or supermarket products they've found. Each business listing includes:

  • Quotes from social media and customer reviews
  • Photos of meals and menus
  • Links to websites and social media
  • Address and phone details
  • Opening times

The community side is more important than the directory, really. The Facebook group creates a feedback loop where business owners often post to share their vegan updates and members comment on how well they're catering to vegans. It's a welcoming space for people at all stages of their vegan journey - from curious newcomers to long-term veegs.

We've had some brilliant wins over the years. One highlight was emailing Joseph Holts (who own most of Prestwich's pubs) to ask about their beers going vegan - and they actually updated their recipes to make most of their beers vegan! We've also organised real-life meetups and members have hired each other for catering and events.

Technical Details

  • Static website built with Eleventy
  • Hosted on the Chobble.com server
  • Perfect Lighthouse performance scores
  • No JavaScript
  • Fully responsive design
  • Regular content updates
  • Privacy-protecting stats

Results

The site and community have had a real impact on Prestwich's vegan scene:

  • Community Growth: Facebook group grown to 800+ members, Instagram to 500+ followers
  • Business Impact: Several businesses have introduced or expanded their vegan menus, with owners actively engaging in the group for feedback
  • Local Recognition: Businesses often mention they know about the website, showing it's become a recognised resource in the area
  • Real Connections: The group has led to real life meetups and friendships
  • Technical Performance: Consistent high performance scores and strong Google rankings for vegan-related searches in Prestwich

The project shows how a local directory can become a thriving community hub, while encouraging businesses to improve their vegan offerings and helping vegans discover great food in their area.

Source Code

The complete source code for this project is available on my Git forge, so others can learn from it.

Want your own directory?

I can help you build and manage an online directory of businesses, or locations, or anything else - get in touch to discuss your ideas.