WORDS Kelly Sanford Brown
PHOTOGRAPH Amy Sexson
Veg Out at V&M The first thing you notice once arriving at Winter Haven’s new eatery, V&M Bakery and Café, is the warm, cozy, good-vibes feeling that envelops you as you walk in the door. It could be the scents of decadent fresh-baked pastries and scrumptious savory meals that fill the air or the aweinspiring artwork adorning the walls. It could be the cool music exciting your eardrums or just the comforting thought that you have opted for a healthy vegan lunch today. The truth is, it’s the friendly smiles on the faces of the owners and staff that combine with each of these things to create a truly unique and welcoming atmosphere. Owners Mika Altidor and Victor Muñoz, partners in life and business, give new meaning to “feel-good food” and do so with a passion and generosity of spirit that will nourish your soul as well as your body.
Best Vegan Food by Haven Magazine readers in 2021. And in 2020, they published a vegan cookbook called “Chasing Vegan” (available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble) that features delicious vegan recipes and shares the inspirational story of Mika’s initial conversion to the vegan lifestyle. The journey began when Mika was diagnosed with some health issues while working as a successful and sought-after jewelry designer in South Florida. Although she was born in Michigan, she was raised in Central Florida and considers it home. She decided to leave the jet-set lifestyle, started researching the benefits of a plant-based diet, and moved back to her “roots” here in Winter Haven. Her mother introduced her to Victor, who had moved here from Chicago years before to help out with his family’s fruit stand, and the two eventually started running the fruit stand together. Mika attributes her recovery to her decision to go vegan, and once Victor followed suit, they began baking vegan goodies to share with their customers. The couple knew they wanted to “inspire communities to welcome the idea that healthy is tasty with plant-based foods,” and Victor and Mika’s Bakery was born.
V&M Bakery and Café, located at 371 3rd Street NW in Downtown Winter Haven, opened on October 1, 2021, and while it’s the couple’s first brick-and-mortar, Victor and Mika have been excelling in the vegan food world for years. They started selling their vegan treats at the Winter Haven Farmers Market, where they built a strong following. They’ve created media buzz with innovative recipes like vegan churros, croissants, and vegan cannoli. They won
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Maggie Thames and Mika Altidor havenmagazines.com
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