Why I LOVED being at VegfestUK
Mixed emotions about booking a ticket to attend VegfestUK 2014
I hadn't been to a Vegfest event before and I wasn't too sure what to expect.
You see, a few months ago, I'd attended the Vdelicious (now called Just V Show) exhibition. I was there for two reasons. One reason was to, try out and buy, some new products, and the other, was to support the Good Health Box team.
When I walked around as a customer, I was gutted! The stalls were placed on different coloured strips of carpet to show whether the goods were vegetarian, vegan or contained meat. Why was this a problem?
- I didn't expect there to be any meat items there at all.
- At each stall, I had to ask if the items were vegan before I tasted them.
- Some companies weren't happy about being placed near those that sold meat products because they exclusively made or sold vegan items.
- It wasn't easy to find a way to manoeuvre so that I could avoid the meat section and visit all the vegan stalls.
- Some vegan companies were placed in the free-from section, but others weren't.
All in all, I think quite a few people found it confusing.
The biggest assumption I made was that, the 'V' in Vdelicious meant vegetarian and/or vegan but this wasn't the case!
Vdelicious vs. VegfestUK
Being at Vegfest was such a treat!
At Vegfest the only things on display, available to taste, or, for sale, were vegan!
It was great!
I could buy or taste anything I wanted without having to ask any questions!
Some information about Vegfest.
How being at Vegfest resulted in creating or strengthening relationships
In the past, I have been lucky enough to feature interview posts with some of the companies who were part of this exhibition. So one of the positives of being there, was to meet these entrepreneurs and have a chat in person. These include:-
I also found out about new businesses and if there was time, we talked about what they were passionate about. It was great!
Vegan businesses that I met at Vegfest and haven't featured on PlantShift before
Teen VGN provides a social network for young vegetarians and vegans
3 Omega make an alternative to dairy milk using flaxseed oil
Badger's Dairy and Egg free sell chilled products that are ready to eat
Cacao Crudo sell handmade chocolates
COCO Face sell fresh coconut water
Soap Deli have a natural skincare range for all skin types
Cocoafeliz sells a range of handmade chocolates
Super Roots provide drinks that are not processed and full of sugar
Conscious Food make digestive aids, a superfood sweetener ayurvedic teas & more
Consider it... makes vegan and gluten free chocolates
Vega provides plant-based nutrition
Vegan Faces make natural face paints and cosmetics
Yaoh provides hemp body care and food products
Dr. Hadewn Trust funds and promotes non-animal medical research
Essential Vegan are makers of compassionate food
The Goody Good Stuff provides alternatives to traditional gummy gelatine based sweets
Great food provides a range of baked food which is vegan and gluten free
Harper's Bizarre sell hand-made candles
Hopps and Woolf create machines to make fresh alternatives to dairy milk
Rawwwsome makes raw brownies and other treats
Isola Bio make vegan and gluten free milks
Jolly Yum make vegan ice cream
Ombar Chocolates make raw chocolate with coconut sugar and freeze-dried fruit
Vegan Hair Salon provides vegan hair colours and hair care products
Vegan Life aims to bring vegan into vogue
Raw Ecstasy creates raw foods with nuts
Science Kitchen makes free from whole foods
Sheese make a range of alternatives to dairy cheese
Living Naturally makes detergents, shampoos and skin care from soapnut shells
Vegan Tuck Box delivers boxes of vegan treats and snacks
The Primal Kitchen makes grain-free (Paleo) energy bars
It's only been a day since I was at Vegfest and I'm already looking forward to the next one. A plus point is that, Vegfest are changing their logo to make it clear that it's a vegan event.
Is it really hard to find ethical, healthy, environmentally friendly vegan products?
Most of the stock that was shown at Vegfest is available in health food shops, mainstream supermarkets and/or online.
Also, you can influence where it's sourced by asking your local supermarket or health store if they would consider stocking it. Stranger things have happened!
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"God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest."
- J.G. Holland