Do you want mylk with that? The team behind the latest entrant into Hitchin’s crowded cafe scene is confident that they’ve got that something extra – because Churchyard’s Chia Cafe is the first in town to cater for vegans.

The cafe, which opens on Saturday, is only a few doors away from the recently-opened Dr Hadwen Trust shop – billed by the Hitchin-based charity which runs it as the first vegan charity shop in the country.

The driving force behind the venture is Lucy Fisher. After a soft launch event on Saturday evening she’s raring to go and said: “Response on social media has been overwhelming, so we are expecting a very busy first few days.”

Mylk is the term given to non-dairy alternatives to the familiar white stuff that most people put in their hot drinks. Almond, soya or oat mylk will be available for coffees, while smoothies will feature coconut or almond variants.

Lucy said: “Not only are we meat, dairy and egg free, we are also refined sugar free and offering gluten free options as well, such as gluten-free porridge.

“Power balls will be popular – a simple raw snack made from dates, nuts, seeds and superfood powders such as maca and raw cacao perfect for that instant energy kick, the natural way.

“Our juices will all be 100 per cent pure juice made on the spot. Our signature dish will probably be a huge platter offering amazingly fresh fruits, including exotic fruits, served on a large wooden platter.

“We named the cafe after the ultra-healthy Mexican chia seed, which is packed with protein.

“We have tried to use this seed in as many of our food offerings as possible, including the chia pudding, the chia porridge and the superfood salad.”

It will also feature in ‘bun in the oven’ smoothies for mums to be, because of its high folic acid content.