A NEW healthy fast food restaurant and take away has opened its doors in Heswall.

Tel Island Food Bar, based at 23 Milner Road, offers healthy takeaways, self-serve salad bar and meal prep - not to mention 'cheat day' cake, protein shakes, smoothies and tea and coffee to eat in or take-away.

Brainchild of Tel Earthey, the healthy food bar opened on June 17 and even boasts a spacious garden area.

Wirral Globe:

Inside Tel Island Food Bar (Picture: Chris ‘Tiffer’ Berry)

Tel, a trained chef, told the Globe: “After a lot of drink and drug abuse, I was on track to lose everything I cared about - my fiancé, family, house and job.

"I had no choice but to turn myself around. I needed to have a quiet word with myself and give my head a wobble then started trying to make the biggest change of my life.

"So I took on a whole new focus, fitness was my new high. Running, exercising, training in the gym seven days a week and eating healthy.

"Trading in beer for protein shakes and drugs for healthy food.

Wirral Globe:

“It all started when a friend popped up on Facebook asking for a trade, tattoos for meal prep. At the time I didn’t know what meal prep was, so I checked it out using trusty google. After a fair amount of research into meal preparation, food, measurements and dietary requirements, I dived right in and started to supply meals for tattooist Tom tat B of Twisted Fairy Tales, Wallasey - 15 meals a week for tattoo time.

"A little while after that more and more people were asking me to make meals for them.

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“At home I began preparing all my own meals and I learnt how much protein, carbs, veg and fats I should be having in each meal. Friends were coming to me for nutrition advice - I'm not a nutritionist by any means!

"This opened up an opportunity to ultimately start my own business doing something that I love and become my own boss."

After creating meals for different people, Tel decided it was time to open a base for him to grow his business and after two years of starting this side project he opened Tel Island Food Bar in the space of a former tea rooms.

It took both Tel, fiancé Lauren Thomas and friends three weeks to transform the space including building the food bar interior and pallet furniture for the rear garden area.

Wirral Globe:

The garden area of Tel Island Food Bar

Tel said: "So far the reception has been fantastic, we have had great feedback from everyone who has been in, had repeat custom and we are loving meeting the new people who come in. It's been insane!

"I think there has been a little buzz surrounding us as we offer the healthy fast food, but we are also a coffee shop too - we sell cakes, sandwiches and soups. We have a large garden area, so we can still cater for those who used to come to the tea rooms, and they can enjoy this cosy environment.

"A lot of people have said we've needed something like this for a long time in Heswall.”

Wirral Globe:

The restaurant/take away boasts a breakfast menu until 12pm daily when it then moves onto the fixed lunch and drinks menu - catering for all dietary requirements.

Tel added: “We offer a create your own meal prep board and a self-serve salad bar.

"We want people to try something new and although we're healthy fast food, there is something for everyone here.

"So, with the create your own meal prep, you come in, pick a protein, carb, veg and sauce and you make the meal you want. The possibilities are endless.

Wirral Globe:

Wirral Globe:

Tel Island Food Bar's meal prep boxes

"With our menu people know exactly what is in their food, it's cooked fresh every day and if they need to know their calories we can tell them. We weigh meals out so you can even tell us how many grams of something you want.

"People can have a coffee and a cake or can get their weekly meal preps. You can order from one meal a day for five days up to five meals a day for seven days and pick them up when it suits you. The more you order the cheaper it gets.

“The meal prep boxes can be put in the freezer for up to three months and fresh meals can be heated up microwave in as little as three and a half minutes and then they're done. We cater for everyone.

"This is my little baby, my hub and it's all about getting the word out right now."

For more information about Tel Island Food Bar, visit https://www.facebook.com/telislandfoodbar/ and follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/telislandfoodbar/