Vidushi Binani is the founder of Cafe Volonté, London’s expert-led wellness space, Volonté, and YOMU was thrilled to speak with her about her work creating a professionally approved menu that helps make smart choices easy. Vidushi takes healthy eating to a new level with a feel-great menu that people can enjoy, and ultimately trust and that has got to be a good thing.

With a collective spotlight on inclusive wellbeing, Vidushi’s nutrition-first menu is transforming London’s healthy food scene. Built upon the principles of her expertise, each carefully considered dish features high-quality nutritional profiles with macro and micro-nutrients, that celebrate all food groups.

A judge for the Great Taste Awards, and the Great British Food Awards, and with a qualification from London’s world-famous Le Cordon Bleu, Vidushi creates her dishes using sustainable, seasonal, and ethically sourced produce. This includes wholesome ingredients from post-workout protein shakes, barista-style coffees and fulfilling bowls that embody her ethos of sustainable wellbeing. Best-selling dishes include her Whipped Egg Omelettes, Chunky Breakfast Fritters, and Greek-inspired Avocado on Toast, whilst at lunchtime choose from dishes such as the Salmon Sake Bowl or Thai Bangkok Bowl.

Translating as the French feminine noun for ‘willpower’, Volonté is a place built upon feminine strength and a core belief that optimum wellbeing is achieved through a life of abundance rather than restriction. Opening its doors to her flagship space in April 2022 on Brompton Road - and with plans for a central London opening imminently, each person who steps through her doors can learn about her passion surrounding the benefits of balance.

Previously navigating an unhealthy relationship with food which inspired her to professionally train as a nutritionist, today Vidushi is passionate about how people can fuel their love for food in a sustainable, balanced way, without having to remove what they love the most. This is why high-quality chocolate, wine and prosecco can also be enjoyed as part of a healthy lifestyle at Volonté.

Can you share a pivotal moment or experience that inspired you to start your journey in the health and wellbeing industry?
Growing up, I wasn’t a very active person. I am a big foodie, and my love for food started at a young age. But like most children, I too was a fan of junk food. When I went to boarding school, I didn’t quite have the luxuries of eating my choice of food at all times and physical activity was a must. Around my 15th birthday, I decided that I would start to be more active and eat “healthier”, and attempt to lose some kilos. I did so with a lack of patience and no proper research or guidance. Very soon, it went from being a healthier lifestyle to an extremely unhealthy obsession. It wasn’t until I developed a lot of severe hormonal problems and drove myself to worsen my condition that I realised that I’d been doing this the wrong way.

When I was on the journey of understanding my body and learning what works for me and what doesn’t, I started to improve my relationship with food once again. I used to enjoy myself and indulge whenever I wanted to, I just made sure that I would do so in moderation instead of restricting myself completely. This is when I started to experiment with healthier cooking methods as I realised that most things that I enjoy eating can probably be made less indulgently without sacrificing flavour too much. This is what inspired me to learn more about it professionally and enrol into Le Cordon Bleu.

Can you tell us a little bit about your business/product/service?
Volonté focuses on providing a pathway for people to make better choices, promoting balance and sharing energy in an inclusive social environment. We want people to have the best possible relationship with food and themselves. We believe one can and should maximise without sacrifice, hence, we curate flavourful dishes while maintaining a balanced nutritional profile, and encourage a full spectrum workout which takes you from sweating to recovery, in a short period of time.

How do you prioritise your  wellbeing while running a business? What strategies or rituals do you follow for work life balance?
I won't lie, it is very difficult. I used to be an “exercise first thing in the morning person” but now I just try and do even a little bit at any point in the day when I can. My partner got me an Oura ring to help me understand my poor sleep habits (which were not poor at all before Volonté) and high-stress levels throughout the day. I am usually not a fan of tracking as it can lead to an obsessive nature, but I have learned to look at it with a positive outlook and use the data it gives me to understand my body better and make little changes in my routine that might help. Honestly - even though I work in wellness, it's not easy at all to manage stress levels sometimes, but I am learning. I listen to my body more now, attempting to rest when it asks for it. Our bodies give us signals, we just need to watch for them. I adore coffee, but I limit myself to two cups of coffee a day, as no matter what we make ourselves believe, caffeine has an impact on cortisol levels in the body and definitely messes with our recovery sleep cycle. 

How has your own health and wellbeing philosophy influenced the products or services you offer in your business? 
Learning to accept that a sustainable transformation requires patience and gives slow results is probably the best method if you’re looking for a drastic transformation. To achieve a drastic difference in a short period of time led me to being extreme about my choices, not being able to sustain those choices or giving myself ill health. I think the most important thing I follow and tell people to do as well - is listen to my body. Our bodies are very efficient at giving us signals and symptoms when something is not right. Our minds will try and fight these symptoms and signals if we are dead set on achieving a goal, but doing this will lead to more negative effects in the long run. At Volonté, we want people to have the best possible relationship with food and themselves. No extreme behaviour - enjoy all food groups and types of exercise in balance and in the right portion size. Maximise benefits without sacrificing too much. 

The health and wellbeing industry is dynamic and ever-evolving. How do you stay updated on the latest trends and ensure your business aligns with current wellness practices?
I try to read the research behind many of the trends out there before I align myself or Volonté with a new trend. As much as I believe that we need to keep evolving and updating, we can't do so without proper research and understanding of all the effects of a practice. Social media makes me aware of new trends out there - and I try to find academic papers, or opinions of trusted professionals in the industry to understand as much as I can, before I try the new trend. I also make sure that Volonté is as inclusive as possible, so we also listen to our customers, and take their feedback and trend requests into account when launching new dishes and classes.

Have there been moments where you had to make choices that challenged your personal values for the sake of business growth? How did you navigate those situations?
This is definitely a struggle I face ever so often. I approach these situations having given myself enough time to think about them, and allowing myself to be flexible with my approach too. I have some core values that I would not go back on just for the sake of the business, but on many occasions I have had to go back and forth with myself. I have also found that talking to my partner, co-founder, and family about these situations helps a lot, and I take their opinions on board as well, taking help to reach a decision when you can’t make it on your own is always a good idea, one should not be shy or embarrassed to ask for help. 

Looking back at your journey, is there a particular mistake or setback that taught you valuable lessons about the importance of wellbeing in both personal and professional life?
I learn from my mistakes everyday, and I still make many. The first lesson I learned was to be okay with making mistakes, and instead of stressing about the mistake that has already been made, I need to calmly think about the solution. All problems and mistakes have a solution and can be fixed, so even though you might make a few losses on the journey, always remember to learn from them instead of cursing yourself constantly. 

As you plan for the future of your business, do you have any projects you are currently working on, and how does your own journey influence that vision?
We are currently in the process of launching our third site in spring 2024, and also working on a small line of retail products (our homemade granola being the first), and will hopefully grow the line over the next few months and be able to get our ethos around food and wellbeing more well-known. I am getting married this year so will try to document moments where I learn how to prioritise my personal health and wellbeing while trying to juggle a growing Volonté, wedding planning and the start of a new chapter in my life. 

We wish Vidushi all the luck with work and the wedding and do check out the website for more details, I am definitely checking out Cafe Volonté the next time I am in London.

Natalie