I HAD my second vegan birthday on Friday – and celebrated with a camping trip to Rhossili Bay on the Gower peninsula, ignoring the dire weather warnings in favour of birthday adventure.

As it turned out, Friday itself was cool and breezy, but the rain held off and after a night in the tent, we were able to spend the day walking on hill and moor, on rock and shore and island.

I was not well prepared enough to cook vegan campsite food on this last-minute mini-adventure so I was curious to see how easy (or not) it would be to find some nourishing plant food in the area. It was all a bit of a gamble.

Birthday morning, we stomped to Eddy’s café-bar at Hill End. Although there is a caravan park next door, it’s a very relaxed campsite, a few small fields without marked pitches tucked behind the sand dunes, very popular with surfers. Vegan breakfast was easy enough – I asked for porridge with soya milk, and a soya cappuccino. No problem.

Scanning the café menu, I spotted four tasty-looking lunch options marked as vegan too. It’s a sign of just how mainstream the eating trend has become. They pride themselves on serving home made dishes, using locally sourced produce and, if you are a meat-eater, Celtic Pride meats.

At the other end of Rhossili Bay, having worked up an appetite by walking over the downs, we stopped for coffee and cake. Could I find vegan cake? What kind of birthday would it be without cake?

We came across the Bay Bistro, perched at the top of Rhossili cliffs, overlooking the steep rise of downs, and that glorious sweep of the bay, miles of sand and Atlantic sea. The cafe is relaxed and charming, with wooden tables, painted chairs, comfy sofas perfect for collapsing on after a walk, and attractive beachy decor. More importantly for me, they serve vegan food.

I had a tasty salad with an interesting mix of what were described as heritage tomatoes, salad leaves, grapefruit pieces and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, served with sourdough bread.

But what about cake?

On a covered plate, beside the other delicious-looking confections of sponge and chocolate, there it was: parsnip, lime and ginger vegan cake. I could almost hear the Alleluia chorus. Slathered with a cool vegan cream, bursting with flavour, and not tasting of parsnip at all (thank goodness) I had some vegan cake for my birthday. Perfect.