'A Netflix show led us to Smithdown Road and changed our lives'

Smithdown Road is known for being a lively street which has boasted independent shops for decades.

Purple Carrot is one of the many shops, restaurants, cafes and bars making the South Liverpool street so unique and this year it celebrates its 10 year anniversary. It's hard to imagine a time when the colourful vegan shop wasn't a much-loved staple on the road.

But owners Danielle Kid and Chris Long know all too well how hard it was to establish the first fully vegan shop in Liverpool, back in 2014. Purple Carrot had a "humble" beginning but the husband and wife team said they put "everything" they had into the business to make it work.

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Speaking about their origin story, 43-year-old Danielle, who is originally from London, said that it all started when they watched a Netflix documentary called Forks Over Knives. She said: "It opened our eyes to the notion that what we choose to eat affects everything, our health, our wellbeing, the environment and the way we treat animals.

"From there events snowballed, within weeks we attended Vegfest in Bristol and were excited and inspired by the vast array of amazing vegan products on the market. It was literally like a whole new world had opened up to us and the friendly inclusive atmosphere of the festival meant we left Bristol buzzing and with food for thought."

Danielle and Chris, originally from the Lake District, packed up their old lives, took out a bank loan and started a new life and business in Liverpool. The shop wasn't an overnight success and Danielle said it hit "crisis" point when they took £90 all day.

She added: "We knew we had to create a