A husband-and-wife team serving affordable vegetarian and vegan food on Bangor High Street have been shortlisted for a national food award.
Domu has been named among ten finalists in the Best Vegetarian / Vegan Restaurant category at the Food Awards Wales 2026.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Delta Hotels by Marriott Swansea on 30 November. Organised by Oceanic Awards, the event is celebrating its tenth year, recognising businesses and individuals across Wales’ food and hospitality sector.
For owners Dale and Sveta Hibbert, the nomination recognises a small, independent café built around freshly prepared food, affordable prices and a welcoming atmosphere.
The couple opened Domu in 2018, transforming a derelict pub into a vegetarian coffee house. They live above the café and describe the customer space as their “front room”.
Dale, an early member of The Smiths, opened his first vegetarian restaurant in 1994, catering primarily for students in south Manchester.
His aim was to provide affordable, high-quality vegetarian and vegan food at a time when it was still a niche market. More than three decades later, that approach continues in Bangor, where the owners say no meal costs more than £7.50.
A modest menu changes daily, with food prepared each morning and a simple principle: “when it’s gone, it’s gone”.
The couple say this helps keep food fresh while supporting their zero-waste approach. Domu also serves Dale’s own blend of three single-estate coffee beans.
Sveta, who worked as a classical violinist in Kyiv for many years, brings Ukrainian influences to the café through her bread and pastries, alongside a warm welcome for customers.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she also provided translation support for displaced Ukrainians relocating to Bangor.
The couple run Domu largely without additional staff, doing the cooking, baking and serving themselves.
Their place on the shortlist puts the Bangor café alongside businesses from across Wales, including The Eating Gorilla in Penrhyndeudraeth, The Queen Inn in Cwmbran, Vegetarian Food Studio in Cardiff and Tŷ Medi in Machynlleth.
In its announcement, Oceanic Awards congratulated the finalists and praised the passion, talent and commitment demonstrated across the Welsh food industry.
For Domu, the nomination shines a national spotlight on a café where the owners’ original aim remains at the heart of the business: serving honest, affordable vegetarian and vegan food.
