Health Lounge

By Margaret Brecknell

Based in Blackpool, the Health Lounge has been run by Sam Haines for the past two years. Only a few months after having a kidney transplant, the inspirational 30-year-old decided to take on the business during the spring of 2020.

The Health Lounge’s menu offers a tempting range of dishes and snacks, which are designed to be nutritious without ever compromising on taste. “Eating well doesn’t mean you have to restrict yourself”, Sam explains. “Food is a huge part of our lives and should be enjoyable. At the Health Lounge we’re all about maintaining a good balance, meaning that our meals are packed with good nutrition but are also tasty.”

The dishes are freshly made on site so that Sam and his team know exactly what has gone into them, meaning there are no unhealthy additives or unwelcome hidden ingredients.

Prior to taking on the Health Lounge, Sam was very much a novice in the kitchen, but in the early days of the business had to learn the ropes quickly after being thrown in at the deep end because of staff shortages.

He now employs a full-time chef at the Health Lounge, but still likes to help when he can and enjoys pottering about in his own kitchen at home.

Sam has a longstanding interest in the health and fitness industry, having previously been involved in the management of a popular gym based at Poulton before being compelled to take an enforced break from work because of ill health. After battling with kidney failure for two years, he underwent a life-saving kidney transplant in January 2020. A friend offered him the chance to become involved with the Health Lounge a few months later and, despite opening at the height of the Covid-19 epidemic, the enterprising Sam has made a success of the business.

The Health Lounge is open daily from Monday to Saturday at 129a Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, offering either an eat in or takeaway service. Alternatively, try the Health Lounge’s delivery service, which covers a fourmile radius from the restaurant to include Poulton and St Annes as well as the Blackpool area. It is quick and easy to order online, with plenty of options available.

Whether eating in or taking out, the menu offers something for everyone.

For a breakfast or brunch treat, the Health Lounge Full English offers customers the chance to enjoy one of the nation’s favourite dishes, but in a way which steers clear of the traditional greasy fry-up. Its contents are sufficient to fulfil even the heartiest of appetites, consisting of two sausages, two lean bacon rashers, “clean” baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, scrambled or poached egg and toasted bloomer.

The Vegetarian alternative features two vegetarian sausages, two grilled halloumi, avocado, “clean” baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toasted bloomer

For lighter eaters, smaller versions of both these breakfasts are also available.

Other brunch options include homemade American Pancakes, topped with lean crispy bacon and lashings of maple or skinny syrup. As an alternative, try Eggs Benedict, an English muffin topped with lean crispy bacon, poached egg and homemade hollandaise sauce with cherry tomatoes, or the Health Lounge version of a Sausage and Egg Muffin, consisting of a sausage patty topped with egg, cheese and a touch of light mayonnaise.

The Health Lounge’s range of burrito dishes is perfect for anyone seeking a tasty, but nutritious, lunch. For those who like a bit of spice in their lives, the Pulled Beef Burrito consists of slow cooked pulled beef with chunky diced onions and peppers, garlic and spices, served along with Mexican rice, sour cream, cheese, kidney beans, salsa and jalapeños. In the case of the Cali-style Chicken Burrito, a skinless chicken thigh is served with Mexican rice, sour cream, fresh avocado, diced onion, tomato, coriander and cheese.

The Meaty Mushroom Burrito offers a delicious meat-free alternative and

is packed with goodness. The star ingredient is teamed with kidney beans, Mexican rice, guacamole, sauteed peppers and onions, sour cream, spinach and red cabbage.

For burger fans, options include the Calypso Chicken Burger (a jerkseasoned chicken thigh in a toasted brioche bun with shredded lettuce, mango, and BBQ jerk sauce), or the Smash Burger (two smashed beef patties, layered with cheese, pickles and topped with special sauce in a toasted brioche bun).

The Health Lounge also offers an interesting selection of daily specials from which to choose. These include Jerk Chicken, a delicious combination of succulent boneless chicken thighs in homemade jerk seasoning, together with jerk sauce and served with either traditional rice and peas, or the Health Lounge’s own salt and chilli wedges. Peri Peri Chicken, a boneless chicken leg marinated in a Peri Peri sauce and served with Portuguese rice, root vegetables and Peri Peri mayonnaise, is another customer favourite.

The Italian or Mediterranean Salads provide a tasty and colourful accompaniment to any meal. As Sam remarks on one of his social media posts, “A colourful dish is a good indication that you’re getting everything you need to power up!”

For the perfect balanced meal, add one of the Health Lounge’s proteinrich dishes to an Italian Salad of crisp lettuce, baby tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and pesto pasta, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and topped with olives, feta cheese and coleslaw. Alternatively, opt for the Mediterranean Salad, which is sure to provoke happy memories of a long hot summer even on the greyest of Lancashire days. Its tantalising combination of ingredients include crisp lettuce, cucumber, avocado, sundried tomatoes and red grapes, served with a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and topped with couscous, egg and feta.

The Health Lounge’s “Build A Box” option is a big hit with customers. It is easy to do and gives customers the opportunity to customise their own menu from the range of dishes on offer. Start with a dish rich in protein, such as chicken or fish, add a carbohydrate like potatoes or rice for a good source of energy and then choose one or more of the Health Lounge’s tempting

selection of vegetables and salads to contribute towards that all-important “five a day”.

For those looking for an indulgent, but healthy, sweet treat, the Health Lounge’s dark chocolate orange flapjacks fit the bill perfectly. They are freshly made on site, using only about half a dozen ingredients, and are reassuringly free of hidden unwanted additives.

The Health Lounge is constantly looking to add new and exciting products to its menu. Sam is about to launch a new range of cold-pressed juices, made entirely from fruit and vegetables with no additives. The exciting selection of flavours will include celery and lemon juice.

He was particularly keen to include celery juice in the range, as he himself has benefited from this product. Believed to promote good gut health and aid the function of the digestive system, Sam was first recommended celery juice when he was undergoing treatment for his kidney condition. “Celery juice helped ease the effects on my digestive system when going through chemotherapy and having large amounts of antibiotics”, he recalls. “It helped me bounce back and I continue to drink a glass on an empty stomach every morning to this day”.

Sam is clearly not a man to rest on his laurels and is already considering ways of building on the Health Lounge’s success. If he can use even half the amount of grit and determination which he has shown in overcoming his own personal health problems, the Health Lounge will surely continue to thrive in the future. M The Health Lounge 129a Bloomfield Road

Blackpool

FY1 6YN

N 01253 835057

Check website or social media for current opening times:

D myhealthlounge.co.uk

F @healthloungeblackpool

I @healthloungeblackpool

Aiming Higher

YOU CAN DONATE TO AIMING HIGHER USING THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

WEBSITE | www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk/donate JUST GIVING | www.justgiving/aiminghigher/donate/ PAYPAL | Found on Aiming Higher website or call to make donations by phone POST | Aiming Higher, 231 – 233 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 3PB. To see more of what we do please visit our website www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk or follow us on facebook @aiminghighercharity, Instagram @aiming_higher_charity or twitter @ahcharity.

Please ring us on 01253 206447/8 for further information.

Aiming Higher Chair of Trustees Steps Down

Aiming Higher for Disabled Children & their Families is the Blackpool based charity that supports hundreds of local children and their families. The charity has been bringing the families of children with disabilities together for 10 years.

As with any charity, the board of trustees are a vital element to their success and John Child has been on the board at Aiming Higher since 2014, stepping down as chair earlier this year. Charity Manager, Latoya Sykes says “John has had a huge impact on Aiming Higher, bringing his business experience and contacts, but, more importantly, his desire to improve the lives of those who are vulnerable and his belief that everyone deserves the best from life. We would not be where we are today without his support and commitment throughout the many years that he has been a part of the charity.”

Working alongside many local charities and community groups, including here at Aiming Higher, John has contributed so much to improve access for disabled people across the whole of Blackpool and The Fylde Coast.

Starting out with the Blackpool Tiggers sessions, he then worked closely with the government funded initiative, Aiming High for Disabled Children, hosting exclusive sessions for Blackpool Families, particularly talking with families caring for disabled loved ones, to ensure that The Sandcastle was accessible for all, including those with a hidden disability. His emphasis has always been on guest service and he brought parents of disabled children in to play an integral role in staff training, giving an in-depth understanding of the problems facing these ones by presenting disability awareness training. When the Aiming High funding came to an end, John became involved with the formation of Aiming Higher, the charity the families involved went on to create.

John has also facilitated after hours Water Therapy sessions for children with disabilities and accessible nights for Blackpool families. These have now expanded into monthly, national accessible nights, at a greatly reduced rate, and families travel from all over the United Kingdom for the opportunity to experience these events. We have watched while John talks to all the families individually, whilst they are waiting to enter the Waterpark and he is always a visible presence on these nights. Many of these families have now got to know who he is and recognize that nothing is too much trouble.

The Sandcastle now boasts a state of the art Changing Places “Wet Room” Facility, a “Quiet Room”, for those with Autism, to escape the busy environment, alongside the many other considerations that are in place, and a staff team that are second to none in their kindness, understanding and acknowledgment of guests’ needs. This can all be attributed to John’s determination and desire to create the best experience for all disabled visitors and their carers. This has been recognised by the numerous awards the Sandcastle has won including the Lancashire Tourism Accessibility Award, Visit England Access for All and many others.

If you would like more information regarding the support offered by Aiming Higher and would like to join our email mailing list please give us a call on 01253-206447 or email info@aiminghighercharity.org.uk You can also view our new newsletter by visiting bit.ly/AHnewsspring2022

Latoya Sykes (Aiming Higher Charity Manager), Mark Wilkins (Marketing & Events Manager at Sandcastle Waterpark) Acer & Hilary Ainge (Trustee at Aiming Higher) and John Child at his recent farewell reception at the Sandcastle

However, John’s commitment to accessibility goes beyond the Sandcastle. Locally, he gives so much of his personal time and energy to supporting local charities and organisations that assist disabled people. Raising awareness with local businesses of the support needed, John has, not only provided charities like ours with much needed support and services from these businesses, but has also shown, by example, the difference that can be made, by those who are in the fortunate position to be able to do so.

John has played an active role in Access Fylde Coast, promoting disability access amongst businesses also promoting accessibility, whilst attending many local business and community events and forums.

Going beyond the local area, John works with national organisations involved with improving accessibility, from all over the United Kingdom. In addition to this he takes his message globally, to many different conferences and events all over the world. A quote from John whilst delivering an international presentation on Accessible Tourism in Sweden:

Chair of Trustees, John Child addresses the attendees at the Aiming Higher Fundraising ball  “Listening to real life stories and the barriers that have to be overcome, (many needless ones), has certainly enriched our business and inspired us to do more and to spread the word.”

Fellow Aiming Higher trustee Hilary Ainge states “From a more personal point of view, throughout the years we have known and worked alongside John, we have been privileged to witness the passion and determination that John displays with respect to improving accessibility for people, no matter what their age or disability. The personal attention he gives to individuals, listening to their experiences and their variety of needs is evident and his reputation with disabled people, families and carers speaks for itself.

The endless time he devotes, outside his working hours, has a massive positive impact on the disabled community and their access needs. Anyone that has worked alongside him, whether it be in a business capacity or on a voluntary level, would bear witness to his commitment, passion and genuine desire to make a difference.”

There was an article in The Blackpool Gazette a while ago about John’s role at The Sandcastle headed, “King of the Castle”. One of the definitions of the word King from The Collins English Dictionary is: If you describe a man as “the king of” something, you mean that he is the most important person doing that thing or he is best at doing it.

Yes, he is certainly best at doing what he does, but the most important? He plays an important role, definitely, but he certainly would not agree that he is “most important”

Despite all he achieves, despite the admiration and reputation he holds, despite this, John is one of the most humble, unassuming people you could meet. His achievements speak for themselves.