THE FOUNDER

Ophelia Froud


 

Following a busy couple of decades as a BBC TV producer, features journalist and mother of four, Glowcation founder Ophelia Froud had a wellness epiphany. This was her lightbulb moment:

“Five years ago, at the start of the UK plant-based boom, I found myself interviewing nutritionists and foodies who all talked in a completely new way about the concept of a healthy diet – and they all had a beautiful radiance and energy. Looking at my own pescetarian diet, which I’d always considered balanced, I realised that it didn’t include the broad range of plants and pulses that they all enthused about and used in creative and exciting ways: cauliflower pizzas, breakfast smoothies with hidden spinach, nut butters. I had become stuck in a diet rut and wanted some of the bounce and glow that they all seemed to have.

“The first thing I did, was to switch my morning porridge or granola for a plant-based start to the day with avocado, flaxseed and nut mylk smoothies.  Then in came fresh ginger and turmeric tea daily made in an Ikea glass infuser teapot and handfuls of nuts throughout the day.

“Wellness became a passion and to deepen my knowledge I qualified as a Health Coach with Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York.

Then in 2016, on a three-week family road trip in California, I found myself spending hours on the internet every evening researching where we could find our next rainbow-coloured meal. Finding the best neighbourhood cafés that sold açai bowls, juices and vegan food was a challenge even with my BBC research skills.

“I was on the healthy food coast of the world, but as a newcomer, I found it almost impossible to find great recommendations of where to eat. Scrolling through the Instagram feed of someone who lived locally, I stumbled upon the Malibu Farm Café, a beautifully designed, open-air eatery right on the Pacific Ocean at the end of Malibu Pier, serving turmeric shots, cauliflower pizzas and a wealth of local organic produce. It was a magical eating experience overlooking the surf. We’d so nearly missed out on this beautiful gem of a healthy café on the edge of the ocean that was a highlight of our trip. Where was the app or review site that reviewed and recommended trusted plant-based cafés and markets using wellness locals as guides?

“It was then that I had my lightbulb moment of creating a platform and a community that allowed people to share and find trusted healthy food wherever they travelled in the world, with recommendations from a wellness community and reviews by health bloggers. And so, with the help of the accelerator scheme at Google Campus London, Glowcation was born.”

Find Ophelia on Linkedin