The seeds of an idea

For the last four years, tucked away at Roots Allotments in Newbridge, there’s been a large allotment site quietly paid for and supported by The Grapes. Not because we particularly needed an allotment the size of a small village, but because during lockdown it became very obvious just how many people were lonely, struggling, burnt out, anxious, isolated or simply in need of somewhere to be.

We opened The Grapes three months before the first lockdown, which in hindsight was either spectacularly bad timing or deeply character-building depending on how charitable you’re feeling.

Oddly, though, lockdown itself became a strangely beautiful time. We were exhausted from opening the pub. Friends ended up staying with us, family gathered around, and the world slowed down a bit. But at the same time, it became impossible not to notice how many people were having a really hard time with their mental health.

Then Roots announced they were coming to Bath, and something clicked.

An allotment seemed like a good excuse to create somewhere people could turn up, drink tea, grow things, have a chat, disappear into weeding quietly for three hours if they wanted to, or just not feel quite so alone for an afternoon.

The original plan was that it would launch much sooner. Life, however, had other ideas.

In the weeds 

In late 2020, my dad moved to Bath after breaking his hip, and over the following eighteen months, we discovered he had Motor Neurone Disease. Suddenly life became hospitals, carers, ambulances, emergencies and trying to hold together work, family and exhaustion all at once.

Weirdly, the allotment became tangled up in that emotionally because twice, when I’d escaped there to switch off for a few hours, something went wrong with Dad and an ambulance got called. After that, I almost became nervous about leaving him at all.

So the allotment sat there slightly unfinished. Full of good intentions and weeds.

Pete

Then, a couple of years ago, Pete Hardy entered the chat.

Pete’s a friend from the pub, and somewhere between a conversation over a pint and mild collective delusion, he became my allotment buddy, and honestly, he’s been incredible.

Between us, but mostly Pete, if we’re being truthful, the site has slowly become something genuinely special. We’ve added a greenhouse, a shed, growing spaces and somewhere people can properly gather. And in the last few months, Pete has worked unbelievably hard getting everything ready because he’s ridiculously excited about finally opening this thing to other people.

Would a rose by any other name…

Which brings us to the name.

We spent ages trying to come up with something meaningful and thoughtful and community-minded and all the rest of it. Then we looked up the what3words locations for the allotment because people actually need to find the place.

The shortlisted locations were:

///shady.search.jokes

///broke.slows.happy

///rarely.locals.makes

And somehow from that came SHADY BROKEN LOCALS, which made us laugh so much we couldn’t not use it.

Is it slightly irreverent? Yes.

Does it also feel weirdly accurate? Also yes.

So here we are.

Turn Up, Dig In, Belong 

Shady Broken Locals officially launches during Mental Health Awareness Week, starting 11th March 2026, and we handed out flyers at an event addressing these concerns within the hospitality industry, organised by the Bath BID this May.

Anyone who is a regular at The Grapes can come along, and you do not need to arrive healed, successful, spiritual or aspirational. Just vaguely functional enough to hold a trowel. We would also like to encourage those in hospitality to come along and get involved. The industry gets tougher and tougher each year, and we know people working within it need more support than ever.

It takes place every Saturday between 10am and 5pm at Roots Allotments, Newbridge.

You do not need to arrive at 10am.

You do not need gardening experience.

You do not need to stay all day.

You do not need to be “good” at talking about mental health.

You do not even particularly need to garden.

You can just turn up, dig in belong.

If you want to know more, speak to Pete Hardy at The Grapes on Westgate Street.

And yes. There is tea… in thermos flasks, though limited in case you want to bring your own.