No restaurant helps their local community like Loaded Burgers & Fries. Run by owners Lauren and Natalie they serve gorgeous gourmet burgers and loaded fries. They offer a range of options for vegetarians and vegans, and a number of amazing desserts such as Red Velvet Cheesecake and a Dessert Burger! Quality is incredibly important at Loaded Burgers & Fries, so you will only find locally sourced Welsh meats and cheeses, and ingredients of the highest quality with no nasty extras.
Lauren came up with the idea of doing a food delivery service back in November 2020. The couple weren’t happy with the standard of the takeaways available to them - often made from frozen or full of additives, Lauren and Natalie wanted fresh food made with quality ingredients - who said being locked in means you have to eat bad food? The two started off working in a pub kitchen that they rented out, but after trying to work through 60 power cuts in one night, it was time to find their own place. The only place available was the old post office in Gelli which they have been working from since January this year, and the two have built their successful business from there.
The restaurant has always been open about their support of the LGBTQ+ community, but this has led to some backlash in the local community as they have been labelled a LGBT restaurant. Talking to Natalie, she said that they are ‘not a gay bar, but a gourmet restaurant that just happens to be owned by LGBTQ+ people’ and that they have had to release a statement to tell people that their LGBT Burger (named so simply because 50p from every burger sold goes directly to supporting LGBT charities) will not turn anyone gay, and that eating at their restaurant will not give you HIV/AIDS. Their restaurant is simply a LGBT friendly community space that anyone of any sexuality is welcome to come to. Their space is very inclusive with gender neutral toilets and Lauren and Natalie have given jobs to those who may traditionally have struggled to get a job because of their sexuality or gender identity.
Along with their support of the LGBTQ+ community, Lauren and Natalie have supported the local community in numerous other ways. They have donated hot meals to vulnerable members of the community and they also support Friends of Gelli Park, which aims to restore Gelli Park to its former glory to make it a more inviting space, and donate 50p from their Lamb Bamb Thank You Mam Burger to them. Recently, they installed a cash machine on the outside of the restaurant which was previously there when the building was still a post office. Unfortunately, the ATM would not be provided without a charge for use but Loaded Burgers & Fries has you covered - every time you use the cash machine, just pop in and show them your receipt and they’ll take the charge off any food items you order in store!
So if you're in Gelli, why not pop in and show your support for this fantastic restaurant? Grab a burger or a drink (all drinks are from Welsh providers, and they’ve just released a Welsh cake stout that I’ve got my eye on trying) and celebrate the final days of Pride month with Loaded Burgers & Fries.
Order from Loaded Burgers and Fries at their website: http://www.loadedburgersandfries.com/ or give them a call on 07502 638118
