The Salad Project in Powys

Visited while on holiday Wonderful service lovely food gf and vegan option mexican the day we went interesting selection of teas knowledgeable staff very helpful as not allowed caffeine medical reason suggested very low caffeine tea will be back and would certainly recommend

To help clear up the confusion The Salad Project is downstairs and Leaf is above it. Husband and wife team, he prepares the delicious food and she, I gather, serves specialist teas upstairs. It's difficult to know what goes on upstairs as there's very little info about it. The food though is wonderful and lovingly prepared in a tiny space right in front of you. As far as I know they're only open Thursday to Saturday till 3 pm. Friday is curry, Saturday is falafel with several salads and a wrap. Not sure about Thursday as I'm not local but many locals eat here, I guess because it's great food, freshly prepared and very affordable. There's space for 3 to eat inside or, for quite a premium, upstairs in Leaf. I had the vegan option of falafel with hummus, wrap and exquisitely fresh zingy salads and pickles. The veggie alternative substituted halloumi for the hummus. The only slight criticism is the wrap wasn't hot and didn't taste home made but don't let that put you off, everything else was absolutely 5*

Incredibly fast and friendly service and possibly the best meal I’ve had in a long time. So delicious, I’ll definitely be back

My absolute favourite take away treat as a local! Particularly the Mexican Wednesdays

Lovely fresh and super tasty food, cute area upstairs if you’re lucky enough to get a seat but plenty of places to perch for a take out. Lovely guy who obviously takes care and pride in what he produces.

Fantastic quality healthy food at a very reasonable price. Appreciated the owner's attention to detail when serving my salad, especially making sure the halloumi had that slightly golden appearance on the edges. Highly recommended for a quick lunch.

This place is amazing I recommend it for everyone. The food is great and to top it of the tea up stairs were you can pick from a variety of teas from different places all over the world . The owners are kind to it is the perfect place for lunch and a hot drink.

Best curry I've had in years - it sounds like they do a different meal each week - and upstairs discover the wonders of tea - hugely knowledgeable and fun.

Great value vegan and vegetarian lunch. Eat in or take away.

Just had the best vegan food, pakoras with papadom, curry, Devine chilli pickle and the best mango chutney, all for only £3, the best food in Hay easily, and as a vegan the only option, friendly staff and 100% recommended, the best, thank you.

Fantastic falafel great quesadillas and a wonderful curry on a Friday my husband's favourite and he can't get enough of Lucy's Himalayan blend tea. Love you both lots, keep it up we all love your food Tom and your tea Lucy is amazing xxx forgot to mention the pakoras Tom oh my god give me some more 😁😁

I can't get enough of this place! The Salad Project (downstairs) and Leaf (tearoom upstairs) together are truly the best hidden gems! The owners are the friendliest people and the food is served fresh and is absolutely delicious. Tom serves up the food downstairs and clearly loves what he does and puts all that love into his food. Upstairs, Lucy runs the tearoom which specialises in Gongfu cha style tea. She is a world of knowledge yet is very humble and welcoming. I've been to London Gongfu cha tea houses and Leaf surpasses them all! I go as often as I can. If there is a line outside, it is worth the wait!

Absolutely delicious lunch every mouthful was a flavour sensation! Love that there’s just 1 dish a day, and you could tell so much care and attention went in to the preparation and presentation.

Exquisite falafel and pickled goods, cool tunes and boss man behind the counter. X

Amazing food. Incredible halloumi, falafel and salad.

This quirky little place serves one Vegan or Vegetarian dish per day. It's very popular so there's always a line stretching down the road. But wow, it's so worth the wait. Absolutely delicious, freshly made and served by people who obviously care about what they serve. Fantastic, highly recommended.

100 per cent amazing !!! Food and service were first class. Fabulous range of fresh ingredients served with care.

I had a potato and chickpea curry from here. It was very good! Highly Recommend!

Absolutely wonderful experience Food was absolutely gorgeous, fresh, affordable and made with love. But the absolute highlight was the time and care Lucy gave in serving us her wonderful loose leaf tea upstairs. Highly recommend. Thank you Lucy x

So delicious we visited twice / fabulous fresh local food expertly cooked in a gorgeous environment- can’t fault it! We sampled a Mexican lunch and falafel takeaway on market day - both sublime!

We stumbled upon this place during Hay Festival and it was perfect. One dish done superbly (with gluten free and vegan options). Generous falafel, halloumi, salad and bread.

My boyfriend and I were looking for some quick and tasty food whilst shopping in Hay on Wye and we came across the salad project, the halloumi and falafel wraps were amazing and my boyfriend is against salad and he loved it. We loved it so much we came back a couple of days later. You have to try the tea if you go- they have a variety of speciality teas! Recommend the white tea! Lovely, thanks again!

Delicious stuff made with love by Tom. Vegetarian with vegan options. Open for lunch Wednesday to Saturday, although not always. Not really salads, much more than that. Mexican on Wednesday, falafel and halloumi on Thursday, curry on Friday. And, I think, falafel and halloumi again on Saturday. The best place to eat in Hay, bar none. Takeaway, or you can eat on one of the casual benches downstairs if there is space. You can also eat in the delightful tea room upstairs run by Tom’s wife, which has a wide selection of unusual high quality teas, served with style. It is just Tom serving the food, so you might have to queue at busy times. It is well worth it.

Tom has knocked it out of the park yet again with his gorgeous Potato and chickpea curry. Served with rice, mango chutney, side salad, spicy pickle, chapatis and with added Pakoras this time (just sublime) Always delicious 'real' food no matter whats on here, curry, mexican or hummus, falafel & halloumi Tasty, full of flavour and such good value for money If you are in Hay and hungry at lunchtime - this is the place to go

On a boiling hot August day, with the thermometer in the high 30s, we sought out this place to eat lunch as it was called 'The Salad Project'. However, when we arrived it is actually called 'Leaf' and there wasn't a salad in sight. There was a big pan of delicious smelling homemade potato and chick pea curry so, despite the heat, we decided to go for the curry. It was a Friday and I think they do curries on a Friday and maybe salad other days. Good decision as it was the best curry we had in 2022. It was a very generous portion and came with rice, chapati and chutney - all for £6. The seating wasn't abundant and mostly full so we chose takeaway, We ended up sitting on a small bench right outside the cafe and the owner then came out and gave us a cold lager each - on the house! What a great place. Too bad we live three hours away or I'd be here on a regular basis.

Exceptional food, a lovely little spot to sit down, and friendly staff.

Love the set but flexible menu. Really great flavours and textures and lovely friendly atmosphere in a tiny space. Indoor space is tiny but we were lucky to get a table. Spotted as the Salad Project on Trip Advisor and whilst not a huge fan of salad was curious! Now seems to be called Leaf so walked past the small door before poking my head in! Will definitely go back.

Spur of the moment we dropped in looking for a bite to eat. Met with a very warm welcome from the Chef who whipped up a delicious fresh vegan falafel. Seating inside is limited but there are plenty of places to sit and eat in the town. The menu changes weekly so it’s worth checking their Facebook page for the falafel filling.

Quality Vegan food. Vegetarian option too.

Just what we needed, excellent quality, fast, brilliant price and healthy. Owner was lovely too.

Stopped in for lunch on a Saturday, waited a few minutes to be served and got chatting to the people running it. Felt very friendly and part of a community. The food was quick and delicious and has inspired me to get back into middle eastern cuisine. An excellent blend of tastes and a wrap to optionally use or not to contain it all. Very highly recommended for taste and value for money. Thanks guys!!

Tom and his wife started by running a market stall selling the foods about 10’years ago before progressing to a single room and now two rooms. The felafel are the best ever and his simple takeaway vegan foods with a great range of salads are...

Fantastic food. Perfect for this heat wave. Lovely staff. Busy but worth the wait. Single item on the menu. Veggie. Selection of salads, hummus, falafel etc. Tea room upstairs but we didn't partake.

Stumbled into this place when up at the weekend. Simple fixed one item menu with amazing quality and value plus very friendly. Also has really interesting teas. Its pretty small but highly recommended even if you cant eat in - get a take out.

Fully recommend. Delicious tasty food. A great spot for lunch if you're visiting Hay on Wye. A small spot owned by a friendly couple who are really passionate about food and tea! The ritual of chinese tea was really interesting and worth getting!

Absolutely fabulous falafel and halloumi salad. Great price as well!

Tom the owner is a charm. The food he produces is absolutely stunning. Colourful, vibrant and gets your taste buds screaming for more. It goes to show, simple food done well produces eagerly returning customers. It's a shame other food places in Hay, like the chippy, can't even cook a chip right. Tom puts other food outlets to shame. All hail Tom and his amazing food. VISIT THE SALAD PROJECT. Your in for a treat!

Absolutely delicious homemade refried beans, Mexican salads, tortilla chips, with generous filled cheese quesadillas, tasty flavours of lime dressing, jalapenos, pickles. We couldn't eat it all, so brought the quesadillas home for lunch tomorrow! It was so flavourful, with really friendly service and amazing value...

Totally delicious lunch, Mexican selection of salads and quesadilla, incredible value and generous portion. Thank you for the friendly service too!

Went to Hay on Wye with family for the Thursday market and we were uncertain about where to go to lunch, everywhere else looked underwhelming but the salad project was absolutely delicious, great value for money and super quick and friendly service! Perfect street food...

Friendly service and excellent food. A yummy selection of food was served with the falafel and halloumi today. Generous portion.

Bought lunch to take on a canoe trip later on that day. Was one of the nicest takeaway salads I’ve ever had! Wish I lived nearby as I’d be having this for lunch everyday!

Simply delicious and next level of salad/lunch. Decent passionate guy/owner too. Would eat here again when back in the area; do highly recommend.

Fabulous value halloumi and falafel salad boxes served by probably the nicest guy in Hay from a COVID secure doorway to the previously bustling shop. 5 stars!

Passed by on the ‘Mexican’ day and was hit by the smell as we went past. Superb food. Very happy to see locals in the queue in front of us, locals always know the best value. The photo doesn’t do it justice, really great flavours!

Absolutely beautiful food. Made with a great deal of love, more than reasonably priced and without doubt an ideal spot for lunch.

Looks as great as it tastes! I will be back 🙏🏼😋

Consistently delicious, good value, fresh and well worth the well-deserved queue. Calling it salad does it a disservice, though the salads are delicious.

My wife and I have eaten at The Salad Project for some time now, and we are never disappointed. Everyone we know is amazed by how delicious the salads are. They are the best salads you've ever had! And they are very well priced too!

My second visit - such good food! I had a falafel and hallumi salad box with all the trimmings and it was delicious.

Looking for good veggie food while wandering round Hay and found this place. Lovely Mexican salad and great friendly welcome.

Absolutely fantastic take away Mexican salad.. really good.. worth the queue.. very clean and safe feeling

Brilliant place, the food was delicious and the service was very friendly.

Highly recommend! Healthy, vegan and delicious food served by friendly gentleman. It's a proof it doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious.

Waited for a while which is reasonable given covid but very annoyed to have been told that they have no vegan food whatsoever despite it saying on the window in large letters that they are offering vegan food. Very disappointing and very hungry in this small town where only one place has had even one vegan option, which was a small pastry. Pack your own lunch, vegans!

Amazing veggie and vegan food in Hay, fantastic value for money. Love the Mexican special!

Popped in today to find a fantastic Mexican feast. Vegetarian and delicious! A good place for a chat and warming food before heading back out into the drizzle. Amazing.

Very simple food with a amazing taste a must if your in hay-on-wye if you can get in very popular with locals and visitors

The best £5 you will ever spend. The most delicious food served with a friendly smile. Cannot rate highly enough.

Simply the best food, served by the nicest most accommodating person (tom) who you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting. Food is simply stunning.

Pitta Bread various salads falafel and halloumi cheese never tasted so good. The relishes were as tasty. Was excellent value for 5.00 and will definitely return next time in Hay.

We stayed in Hay for 4 nights and went here twice. We wanted to take the salads to eat later and the nice man put the hot stuff in a separate box to heat/cook later (e.g. halloumi, falafels). Excellent quality and variety

Take away FRESH food. One choice. Fabulous. This guy knows about flavour.

My favourite place to grab a quick lunch. Tom prepares one dish each day, there is no choice you just go in and order. It usually Falafels, Curry or Mexican all of which come served with loads of fresh salads, salsas and sauces. It’s always vegetarian (often vegan) and he’s excellent at catering for other dietary requirements too - so if you can’t eat gluten, dairy or nuts just let him know and he’ll be able to advise whats suitable. There are only 4 seats inside but everything is served in a compostable takeaway box so if it’s busy you can find a picnic spot in town to enjoy your lunch. He doesn’t open every day, and he’s so popular with locals that there is often a long queue, but it’s worth the wait for excellent value, healthy grub.

Needed to eat before a long trip home to surrey. As vegetarians this was great . We had chickpea & spinach curry with Paratha bread, salad, rice, yoghurt,and two chutneys. At £5 a portion. If I lived in the area by myself I would probably buy this as a main meal rather then cook.

Been trying to visit this place for ages! Certainly worth the wait. The meal on offer was curry (Chick pea and potato) with paratha , pickles, garnish, salad and lovely sticky rice. All for £5 and in a carton which is not plasic and is biodegradable. Its a one man operation and he does a sterling job. Lovely ethical food, will certainly return.

Today was chickpea and potato curry with rice, salad and the trimmings. What an absolute joy for the taste buds. All clearly home made and a bargain of a price too at £5. I can't recommend highly enough

OK, we know falafel. The fried chickpea balls with salad varieties and spicy sauces.But the Salad Project is the utter perfection if this idea. Delicious combinations of fresh ingredients, like pomegranade, fava beans, cucumber, peas, carrot, humus, etc. Topped with halloumi cheese, tahin and falafel balls, accompanied by toasted brown pita bread. A great healthy vegetarian meal. For five pounds. And (admirable detail) no plastic packaging! Paper boxes for which McDonalds and Burger King should be ashamed not having them introduced long ago. And you can get a wooden fork if needed. There is not much space in the room. Two or three people can sit and have their meal here, the rest prefers the take away option. More people are queuing outside than can be served inside, but there is only a narrow timeframe during lunchtime to obtain this treat, for which we would give a sixth star if it were possible. So, be glad you made it on the right time and place: the Salad Project in Hay on Wye.

One of the best vegan eateries I have been to in a long while. Great food and great service.

The place to go to for a healthy, tasty lunch! I eat here most days when I'm working in hay and I'm yet to have a bad meal. Would highly recommend!

I've already done a great review for Tom's brilliant Halloumi and Falafel salad box, but as it was his great veggy Potato & Chickpea curry today I thought it worth a second review. A lush curry that comes with mini poppadoms, a lime and pickle spicy relish, salad, rice, raita and a Paratha usually (had pittas instead today) all for the bargainous amount of £5. comes with a recyclable box and wooden cutlery and recycled napkin too, so eco all the way too. Top nosh. He rotates the menu so different options on different days, if its curry day you're in for a treat

We stumbled across this place and it looked interesting so decided to give it a go for a late lunch. The owner was polite, welcoming and so precise in his production of the box it was almost a show in itself. The haloumi and falafel were lovely and the various elements of the salad were delicious with only the infused lemon polarising opinion as he suggested it may. At £5 it was good value including a warm pitta, all with cardboard box and cardvoard fork it ticked the environmentally friendly box too. Delicious, friendly and would thorougjly recommend.

I had a delicious Mexican quesadilla- lots of cheese and nacho crisps. It's tucked into a little alley in the city center. It was very busy however food was served quickly. The menu changes daily so it is well worth a visit!

Amazing food at a reasonable price, my favourite lunch.

Great lunch option, one thing on the menu - take it or leave it but I've never been disappointed. Top food, great service, good price and local favourite of our work staff.

Not sure how long this place has been open as I ve visited Hay loads of times and I always feel that all the other venues are overpriced for whats on offer. So it was nice to come across this little eatery slightly hidden away. The people serving (owners I m assuming), were very welcoming. Food was delicious. A kind of mix of morrocan salad with halloumi and falafel. All at an acceptable price. Lady.made a japanese tea for us which was very refreshing. Definately will be popping in here next time I'm in Hay.

We ate at The Salad Project twice after being so impressed with the first meal. Everything I had was fresh and well seasoned and the service is extremely fast. I also think the food is a good value. I especially liked the Indian themed meal we had which included rice, a curry, soy raita, some chutney and flat bread. Everything was piping hot which was especially nice on a cool, rainy day.

Tiny place with fantastic, fresh food. Great lunch!

Great food!only one choice but tge food was amazing and well worth the visit. i would definately go again.

Absolutely fresh, imaginative, healthy ingredients combine to make this a lunch stop to go out of your way for. We had the salad with halloumi box option and took it off for a picnic. Not only a superb lunch but the lovely man serving it also told us (we are not local) a superb idyllic and deserted spot by the River Wye in which to enjoy it. What more can you ask!

Fabulous vegan food with a fantastic owner called Tom. Food is fresh, tasty and excellent, I can not recommend highly enough. Thank you as usual.

Came here a couple of years ago and had falafal salad which was wonderful. This time it was gyoza and even better. Forget the other traditional places and just come here. It is great food

SittIng in eating a Falafel and Halloumi Salad and needing to write the review ASAP! Worth coming to Hay just for the Salad Project. Best Vegan / Veggie salad I have had. I love food and this is some of the best I have had.

Forget the books, forget the festival, just remember to visit this place for one of the best lunchtime experience ever! I am not vegetarian, but this was one of the most tasty £5 meals I have had in a very long time. The guy who runs it deserves an award for creating a best seller that everyone can enjoy, thank you!

What a tasty salad box for lunch. Freshly made and just perfect for a light lunch on a hot day. Thank you very much.

We were on a day course in Hay with just an hour for lunch.We had a very fresh and good box of salad with falafel and or halloumi and pitta for £5. Choice of drinks was very poor, nothing but ginger beer - and the glass of tap water we were offered never materialised. We would have given a higher mark if it had done so but the food side of things was great.

We carried our lunches, in fully recyclable packaging, down to a bench on the Hay Bridge. When we opened up our boxes, even though we had watched them being packed with imaginative colourful salads, halloumi and falafel, we were knocked out by the flavours and the delicious smells. To whet your appetite, and you do have to go, we particularly enjoyed the coriander sauce and the preserved garlic. An inspired idea in what was previously a beauty salon and a carpet shop. Carry on doing what you’re doing, it’s great.

Ate here two days running, different salads everyday and what a selection! Falafels bursting with flavour and fluffy pittas to accompany. All very good.

Amazing, wholesome food. Took away a box and eat it with some warm pitta bread. Excellent dressings.

We were passing through Hay today and stopped by to grab lunch to take away, everything was delicious! Not your average salad with lots of different flavoursome elements and the falafel and sweet potato pakoras were light and crispy. Everything except the optional halloumi was vegan friendly.

Tasty salad with warm toasted pitta bread; great lunch

Fresh delicious salads, crisp falafel, friendly service, can’t go wrong. Good use of flavours and textures.

We had a delicious vegetarian lunch, consisting of falafel, halloumi cheese, lots of different type of salads, all very tasty.

So fresh and tasty! Definitely recommend!

Stumbled upon this great cafe that only sold one dish a day! It had to be good- & it was! Delicious veggie curry and BRILLIANT value for money for quality ingredients! Lovely people too-thanks.

Delicious food, with a great choice to choose from.

Thank god for this place. Delicious, super fresh, super healthy, super tasty - real good smart food. Feels like you up-graded your day after eating here. Your body will thank you for lunch at the salad project.

Delicious 😋 healthy, filling and vegan!

I almost walked past the Salad Project, why would I be interested in salad whilst it was so obviously a hot food day. By chance another customer opened the door and the most enticing curry aroma wafted towards me. I went in and said I would like what she is having. It looked delicious, questions about dietary needs and ingredients were answered graciously. I had the chick pea and potato curry with fluffy rice, layered with chutney, coriander and a flatbread hot off the griddle. A visual feast! Biodegradeable food container and wooden fork were a nice touch. The food tasted just as good as it looked. I cant wait to go back on a salad day.

Here you will find a fantastic range of freshly prepared inviting salads served with a choice of falafel, pakoras, or other hot delight. The menu changes continually, yesterday I had delicious quesadillas(?). Portions are generous , highly recommended