Kim Green and Kris Bousfield have swapped nursing for cooking - and they are loving every minute.

The friends, who met as mental health nurses at Airedale Hospital have opened a cafe that bears their names and reflects their values.

Green & Bousfield is an organic vegetarian cafe in Ilkley, selling fresh, healthy fare, from soup - including carrot and coriander, and pea and mint - to main courses featuring vegetable lasagne, moussaka, lentil chilli and omelette.

"All made from scratch," says Kim. "And please mention our salads, they are fabulous - lush, green and organic."

For Bradford-born Kim, and Kris who grew up in Cumbria, it is a dream come true. "We met on Ward 4 at Airedale Hospital and struck up a friendship. We have similar values and beliefs. We used to talk about what we would like to do and we both said we would love to own our own vegetarian cafe and bistro.

"We didn't think it would ever happen, but then we decided to write a business plan and look for premises. A couple of weeks later we spotted a sign in Ilkley and, after thinking about it over the weekend, took the plunge. We thought if we didn't do it, we might as well forget the whole thing."

Adds Kim: "We did some research, including a lot of leg work, and thought Ilkley would be right for the cafe. It all happened quite quickly."

After giving the premises a "country feel", with warm decor and reclaimed furniture, they opened on April 26 and have been busy ever since. "We have had a really good response, and got some fantastic feedback," says Kim. "People say it has a warm, friendly atmosphere."

The women, who live near each other in Thackley, are committed vegetarians. "I've been a vegetarian for about 11 years," says Kim. "Primarily because of animal welfare, but I also realise how important it is for my own health. I've been buying organic food for about four years, from the Cellar Project in Saltaire. Kris has been a vegetarian for about ten years."

Although she acknowledges it is hard work, setting up the business has not been as difficult as the pair imagined - because they love cooking. "It is not as hard as people think - we make everything that we would normally make for the family, and add some alternatives."

Helped by their staff - three during the week, with extra help on weekends - the women bake everything on the premises.

As far as possible, ingredients are locally grown, from Goosemoore Organic suppliers near Wetherby. "They are highly principled about where their produce comes from," says Kim.

The menu also has vegan option. "We do vegan chocolate cake, vegan flapjack, cheesecake and other choices," says Kim, who before training as a nurse worked as a hairdresser. "We believe in what we are doing and are as environmentally friendly as possible. We recycle as much as we can, including food waste."

At present, the women have very little spare time. "I take my lurcher out for walks, he's a rescue dog called Blue," says Kim, "And Kris goes to Pilates to relieve stress."

The friends are thrilled to have achieved their ambition. "It is wonderful. Neither of us had done anything like this before," says Kim. "It was strange thinking that we are now our own bosses, that we have to run decisions before each other, and don't have to ask anyone else."

  • Green & Bousfield, 32 Leeds Road, Ilkley. Tel: (01943) 600246.