food – Vegans.UK

Vegfest Scotland 2016 – Glasgow SECC

January 7, 2017 by Tofu Temptress 1 Comment

Upcyled netting & possibly pun of the day

I’ve been to vegan festivals all over the UK, from Brighton to Bristol, Newcastle to Edinburgh. They become more numerous every year and it would certainly be a challenge to attend them all. Being a Scot, there was something really heartening to see how much Vegfest Scotland, held in Glasgow’s SECC, has grown and developed since its first event last year. Aberdeen and Dundee now have their own vegan festivals and with each event doing so much to spread awareness of veganism, I can only predict that this wonderful trend of expansion will continue.

It’s not every day I have dumplings for breakfast, but to be honest, many exceptions are made for Vegfest. I simply couldn’t resist the Holy Cow stand, with its massively elaborate-looking burgers, fabulously attractive cake selection and the aforementioned dumplings. I knew I had to pace myself, so settled on just the Italian style dumplings. (I had Polish style ones the next day, which were equally nice. This dumplings-for-breakfast thing could become a habit…) Holy Cow is a brand new Edinburgh based fully vegan cafe. You can find them near the bus station in Elder Street. I cannot wait to go there for a meal. It’s great to have another one hundred percent vegan place in Edinburgh!

My first day at Vegfest was mainly taken up with buying things. Yes, I could use the excuse that, being December, I was doing some Christmas shopping, but that would (mostly) be a lie. I mean, I did get a few gifts for loved ones, but mainly I was on a totally selfish vegan shopping binge. I bought a fair amount of food of course – that goes without saying really – but there was so much to purchase besides grub.

I didn't know you could if I'm honest — I didn’t know you could if I’m honest

Firstly I have to admit that I caved and bought a tofu press. It shouldn’t really be a guilty admission, but until now I’ve been pressing tofu punk-style by wrapping it in tea towels and shoving a bunch of heavy cookbooks on top of it, so it seems like a bit of a sell out. However, the handy device I purchased not only acts as a neat press, but also doubles as a perfectly sized marinating tray. See, I’ve always struggled with getting a bowl big enough but shallow enough to marinate tofu efficiently and effectively, so I think this is where it may come into its own. I look forward to using it.

So many charities made an appearance this year, including many smaller causes that I hadn’t heard of before. I’d met the folk from The Scottish Animal Behaviour and Rescue Centre at Edinburgh’s Vegan Festival in August (they do amazing work) but new to me were the Underheugh Ark, an adoption and fostering organisation that aims to save dogs from England’s cruel ‘seven day rule’ which sees them put to sleep after that time if not claimed. Another that caught my eye was the Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice who provides care for terminally ill abandoned animals. Could there be any more touching charity? There was also an organisation called Give a Dog a Bone, who assist older dog rescuers meet the costs of having a canine companion.

I was lucky enough to have a chat with one of the members of Save Movement Scotland at their stall and attend one of their talks later. She showed me video footage of animals that they’d filmed here in Scotland, arriving at their final destination by truck, looking confused, frightened and uncomprehending. It was utterly heartbreaking. For our own sanity, it is easy to imagine that local farms are not as cruel as those further away, but here I was, confronted by images from my own back yard. The bravery of those who confront not only the truck drivers, but those who open the gates of the slaughter houses, astounds me. Many would see the save movements – which started in Toronto, Canada I think- as an exercise in futility. I mean, what is the point of upsetting yourself by bearing witness to the suffering of animals which you don’t have a hope of saving?

Later on at the Save Movement Scotland talk, I found out that the peaceful protesters confront passersby with what is happening and let them know why it’s wrong. They also chip away at the consciences of the drivers and abattoir workers and security guards. These people may not acknowledge that it’s cruel and unnecessary to use animals in this way in front of the protestors, but what grains of doubt are planted in their minds? What conversations do they have with their family when they get home from work? It is a subtle and heartrending form of outreach and hopefully one day, I’ll feel emotionally strong enough to join them.

On a lighter note, the array of t-shirts on display this year was truly fab, especially by the charities. I bought one from the League Against Cruel Sports and one from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade, both noble causes. Clothing in general was top notch, especially on the Viva La Vegan stand. They even had bags that celebrated the vegan cheese/gary debate!

Cosmetics in general are well represented at Vegfest and I had a lovely chat with the owners of Iuvo Skincare at their stand. Their handmade soaps smelled and looked amazing, and their skin cream felt brilliantly smooth. They also had a selection of fragrant oils which I enjoyed sampling. In the end I bought a mixed box containing all these items. Well, it’d be rude not to.

The beautiful selection at Iuvo Skincare

On my second day at Vegfest I attended a brilliant talk by Vegan Geezer himself. If you’re not familiar with his work, check him out on youtube. In fact, that was what his talk was about – utilising youtube for activism. It was fascinating and I took lots of notes. The reach you can achieve is phenomenal and for anyone who wanted to take the vegan message to a greater number of people, there were loads of tips.

Talking of interesting outreach, Animal Equality were there with their virtual reality headsets. If you’re not familiar with these, they put you right onto the kill floor with British pigs. Participants put on the VR headsets and headphones and it’s as close as most people would ever want to get to the reality for these factory farmed animals. I witnessed a few individuals with tears in their eyes as they finished their experience. It’s no wonder really. I must admit to being surprised how many people were willing to try it – they were busy all day on both days. I’m sure it’ll help many people become vegan.

Animal Equality's iAnimal VR — Animal Equality’s iAnimal VR

I’m conscience that I haven’t said too much about the food at Vegfest so far. Believe me, while chatting to folk or browsing I was invariably munching on something scrummy. I’ve mentioned Holy Cow, but Brownins Vegan Carribean Food deserve a mention just for their dumplings (I know, I know, but they were a different kind of dumpling.) They also did magnificently massive jerk soya wraps, which I simply didn’t have room for, but saw others devour joyfully.

Cool Jerk Pies had some festive offerings, with a vegan version of pigs in blankets as a topping. Cakes were everywhere of course, including my two favourite purveyors, Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes and Pitxu’s Cakes and Bakes. The macaron display was impressive as usual and well, basically the food was fab all round. A slice of pizza from the Bute Island Foods stand was heavenly.

Cruelty free pigs in blankets - on pies! — Cruelty free pigs in blankets – on pies!

The last talk I attended was one from Go Vegan Scotland, a relatively newly formed group who spread awareness of veganism up and down the country. I first noticed them when they produced a poster asking where people drew the line between animals who were ‘meant for food’ and those who were not. It went up at various locations throughout Scotland and I thought it was a brilliant way to jolt people from their cocoons of casual carnism (as you might say.)

I also noticed them when I attended the monthly vegan quarter at the Leith Market in Edinburgh and it was great to hear the story of how they’d formed and what their approach was. They brave all elements to man stands in areas of heavy footfall in both Edinburgh and Glasgow and say they’ve had an overwhelmingly positive response. I’m sure if you’re a vegan you’ve had some sort of flack online (I know I have!!!) but it seems that people are less likely to insult you in person. Most people are curious and want to know more, which is why Go Vegan Scotland are there.

I think it’s opened many people’s eyes and it’s great to have an information stall in busy city centres calmly giving out information and advice. Of course one of the main reasons I loved their talk was because I managed to win a hamper in their raffle which was drawn by a man dressed as a cow. I love Vegfest.

Edinburgh Vegan Festival 2016

September 29, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Right in the midst of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and just across the road from the Edinburgh Book Festival lay, for one weekend, the Edinburgh Vegan Festival. This is the second year the Roxburghe Hotel has played host and I must say, spread over two days instead of one, it felt a lot less ram packed this year.

My haul began straight away with a few giveaways. For a donation to Tower Hill Stables animal charity you could pick up the much fabled Follow Your Heart VeganEgg (egg replacer in baking and also makes scrambled ‘egg’) as well as other goodies including Sarelle bars, Lavera hand cream and much more.

The array of food was as mindboggling and mouth-watering as ever. Every type of cuisine seemed to be represented, from the award winning sgaia steaks, to olives and deli delights galore. As it was almost lunchtime there was sizzling going on. More focused individuals than myself were picking out their lunch options with tongs and great skill. All I could do was look around me.

I’d popped in the previous day, Saturday, and got a pie from Cool Jerk, always a favourite. Macaroni pie, seriously, how can you go wrong? Even my omnivore companion was impressed with their mince and onion offering. Today however, a pizza and salad from Henderson’s more than filled me up. It’s my regret to this day that I didn’t try the jam donuts that Considerit Chocolate were selling…However, a few of Missy’s Vegan cupcakes were pocketed for later, as were a brownie or two from Shire Snax. Even if you arrive at these events hungry, there’s always so much to fill you up you never get to try everything.

Of course, there’s always room for a small dessert and I was tempted to lots of different stalls to sample their wares. It was the first time I’d tasted Jeaven’s dairy-free toffee and I was compelled to buy two bags straight away. It really is lovely stuff.

Missy's Vegan Cupcakes — Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes

Yum Earth Organics were also tempting passers-by with their fruity boiled sweets and jelly beans that not only were free from gelatine (of course!) but also contained anti-oxidents and counted towards your five (or seven, or whatever) a day. Impressive. Good Full Stop were not a company I’d come across before, but their date and nut bars in a wide selection of flavours were worth stopping for.

Jeaven's dairy free toffee — Jeaven’s dairy free toffee

I was pleased to see many charities in evidence too. The League Against Cruel Sports was there, not only selling some cool t-shirts but also spreading the very important message that the fox hunting ban must be kept.

A selection of sweets from Yum Earth Organics

The Dr. Hadwen Trust continue to raise awareness of their work, which is conducting accurate medical testing without using animals. They have the only vegan charity shop in Britain (so far) and fund research into almost every serious condition you can think of, from brain tumours to heart disease.

Animals Asia had so much merchandise on their stand they were struggling to keep it all balanced on there! They do amazing work and this time were particularly highlighting their efforts to rescue bears who are used for bile. Just horrendous stuff, so very necessary work.

T-shirts from The League Against Cruel Sports

For those with a concern for the environment, which of course includes many vegans, Population Matters were there to highlight overpopulation of humans.

Plenty of stuff on the Animals Asia stand!

There were arts, crafts, make up and beauty products of all kinds on display too. Some beautiful paintings of elephants caught my eye and I bought one right at the end of the day. The art was beautiful and some of the proceeds went towards elephant conservation, so I simply couldn’t resist. Also gorgeous bags with foxes and badgers on them called to me. I got a badger one as the face on it was just adorable and badgers haven’t had their troubles to seek recently.

Agharta jewellery was lovely as always and I bought three more sets of earrings to add to my collection in the shapes of lizards, dragonflies and dinosaurs! They have a shop on etsy but attend many of the vegan festivals in person.

My favourite make up company was in attendance too, Bohemian Chic Minerals. They do a great variety of stuff, from brightly coloured eye shadow, to subtle foundation and bronzer to shimmering lipstick. All their products are suitable for sensitive skin too, which is a real bonus.

All this is to say nothing of the talks I attended. Kate Strong is a world champion triathlete and she was talking about how you can be the best you can by breaking out of the norm. This includes diet of course and she was a very engaging speaker. Inspiring stuff. Mick Walker is a vegan cyclist who has adopted a completely plant based diet in order to keep strong and fit as he gets older. I can only aspire to be as healthy as these two!

The whole event was inspiring and I’d highly recommend them, especially for new vegans, or the vegan-curious, so that they can experience the gorgeous food, discover how to live a cruelty free life and get inspired by others’ journeys. It’s a joyous, guilt-free way of life and this festival, along with others like it, embrace that fully. Do try to attend one near you.

How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger with Gene Stone

July 25, 2016 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Many of you will be familiar with NutritionFacts.org but for those who aren’t, I’ll fill you in. It’s a fantastic resource for those who want to learn about the connection between food and health. Dr. Michael Greger and his team sift through all the papers published in English about nutrition, then present the salient points in the form of short, digestible (sorry…) videos. These videos are uploaded most days and by now there’s one on just about every subject regarding health and nutrition that you can think of. Dr. Greger has consolidated all he’s learned and put it into a book which, although it won’t help you live forever, will certainly help you avoid unnecessary illness and many of the leading causes of death.

Plant fats are healthier than animal fats

How Not to Die is split into two parts. The first part deals with factual research on the top fifteen ways people die and how you can reduce your likelihood of falling victim to them. Everything from heart disease, diabetes and cancer are covered along with illnesses you may not necessarily equate with diet, such as kidney disease, depression and Parkinson’s. Everything is fully referenced and each section has either a personal story or case study along with fascinating data that’s explained intelligently but accessibly. It’s all incredibly detailed, but never boring, and there’s lots of extra information in the boxed text – everything from the top sources of anti-oxidants to how much sleep you should be getting. It’s thoroughly inspiring stuff and leaves you feeling in control of your own health. It seems the more research is done, the more we realise that developing disease has far more to do with our lifestyle choices (of which diet is of course a huge part) than our genes.

The second part is headed up ‘Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen’ outlining the foods you should be eating each day for good health. It’s the culmination of years of experience and is a regimen that the good doctor and his family follows. The author does many talks both for lay people and health professionals and is always being asked what he eats. A whole food (that means as unprocessed as possible) plant based (no animal products) diet is by far the best for humans and is the only diet to have halted and reversed diabetes and heart disease. The list of foods include beans and berries, other fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices. It also suggests daily exercise, as this is known to ward off not only osteoporosis, but also breast cancer and a host of other maladies.

Everyone knows that for good health they should cut back on meat and up their fruit and vegetable intake as well as exercise more. This book takes things a stage further. It clarifies what you should be eating, what foods to avoid and gives the hard science to back it all up. The nonsense we’ve been fed by the food industry and drug companies has gone on long enough. Here is an evidence based instruction manual on how to eat well and stay well.

Nuts and seeds should form part of a healthy diet

Highly recommended.

Buy the book here.

Glasgow Vegfest 2015

December 15, 2015 by Tofu Temptress 2 Comments

Happily, not even Storm Desmond seemed to dampen the spirits of the plucky attendees for the inaugural VegFest Scotland. December weather here is not known for its clemency, but the harshness of the wind and rain on the opening day, Saturday, was unusual even in these parts. Still, the stallholders, organisers, stewards, performers and volunteers battled on to welcome an enthusiastic, if bedraggled, crowd. The warmth inside the venue was welcome.

Walking into the Glasgow SECC, I queued up to get some cash out (oh boy, what a gloriously wallet-emptying experience VegFest can be) and noticed an ad for a pantomime show starring David Hasselhoff and the Krankies. This venue is nothing if not eclectic.

Once I’d entered Hall 3, I could look around me with a sense of great joy and satisfaction. Finally, the biggest vegan festival in Britain was having an event in Scotland. All over the place I saw people delightedly sampling food from both UK wide and local businesses (such as Real Foods, an Edinburgh health food store). It is often commented on in vegan circles how, at a vegan festival, you can have anything you want! You don’t have to ask people if their food, or indeed clothing, is vegan friendly, because all of it is! Oh, the relaxation and sense of indulgence.

Sneak veggie onto kids' plates — Sneak veggies onto kids’ plates

I pottered around, sampling from all over the place. I enjoyed a secret sausage (well, quite) which is a lovely product designed to slip vegetables, undetected, onto children’s plates. They tasted so good and I could see how they would appeal to adults and children alike.

Try a sample? Don't mind if I do... — Try a sample? Don’t mind if I do…

There was chocolate too, sooooo much chocolate. It can be a bit of a struggle to give an indulgent box of chocolates as a gift, knowing they are cruelty free, but thanks to Pana Chocolate and the ever-reliable Considerit Chocolate, that need never be a problem again.

The array of cakes too, was an absolute delight, with local business Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes proving popular. I also sampled some lovely, fudgy chocolate peanut butter-type gorgeousness from Red Rosa’s Specialist Cakery, who were new to me. I won’t forget them in a hurry though, as their cakes were amazing.

Red Rosa's Specialist Cakery — Red Rosa’s Specialist Cakery

The cheeses too were a revelation. Although I’d tried Sheese from Bute Island Foods (who had some great looking ‘melty’ pizzas on offer) and Vegusto (I had one of their hotdogs for lunch on the Sunday) before, a couple of newcomers caught my eye.

Tyne Chease from, unsurprisingly, the north of England, tasted great. I was also particularly pleased to see a local firm from Glasgow itself, called the Nutcrafter Creamery. If you miss soft cheese especially as a vegan, you have to try their stuff, it was really scrumptious.

samples from the Nutcrafter Creamery, Glasgow — Samples from the Nutcrafter Creamery, Glasgow

After all this eating it was time for a sit down, and where better to place myself than at a talk by Tony Wardle from Viva! on saving the world with you knife and fork. Tony used to be a journalist for the Guardian and during his time there he realised that although world leaders knew well that animal agriculture is the main cause of all the environmental problems we have today, none of them wanted to admit it for fear of making themselves unpopular. I mean, would you want to be the politician who tells their constituents to go veggie? Also, many of our representatives in Westminster are in the pocket of the animal agriculture industry and so continue to suppress any progress for fear of losing their money. It was an illuminating and entertaining talk, even although poor Tony had to compete with one of the louder stage performers of the day. He also has a book out, Pod, which is an environmental thriller. I bought a copy and can’t wait to read it.

The next talk in the Campaigns and Lifestyle area was by Vegan Lass, a prominent vegan blogger. She has a big following and the talk was full. She was keen to present the case for an abolitionist approach to activism. I found it very interesting and agreed that sexist campaigns and steering people towards ‘ethical meat’ (let’s face it, there’s no such thing), can do more harm than good. I do however, still find it helpful to ask people to cut down on animal products, rather than eschew them altogether overnight, as once people have done a little to help animals, they find it easier to go on and help a lot by becoming vegan. I am wary of alienating non-vegans, but still understand her point of view that veganism is a moral imperative. The discussion continues…

Talk with Jane Easton and Justin Kerswell of Viva!

I grabbed a quick drink from the Fentimans bar (superlative ginger beer) and headed over to the Viva! Health Summit. Jane Easton (who wrote the brilliant Viva! Cookbook) and her colleague Justin Kerswell talked about all the free resources there are out there for both new and existing vegans. They are very much, as I am, about making veganism mainstream, and have a worldwide database of vegan-friendly places to eat. They hope to be able to compile it so as to make things easier for the travelling vegan. They also have great little cards which you can leave with your bill payment at a restaurant that say ‘Thank You! I ate here because you offer vegan food.’ What a brilliant idea! It’s not all about eating lentils from a clog, as Jane says!

Scrummy lentil patties and salad from World Foods

With so many beautiful caterers to choose from, it was tricky to pick just one for lunch. The queue at World Food was massive, as usual, but somehow I’d managed to sneak in at a quiet bit. They serve the most delicious lentil patties in different flavours, with an incredibly varied salad, all wrapped up in a fluffy, warm tortilla. What could be better?

They work fast at the World Foods counter. — They work fast at the World Food counter.

Performances over the weekend ranged from musicians, to performance poets, to comedians and I was lucky enough to catch most of Andrew O’Neil‘s set late on Saturday.

The hilarious Andrew O'Neil — The hilarious Andrew O’Neil

It was so refreshing to hear him lampoon some of the ignorant comments that vegans can come across every day. I won’t go into details, as it’s the way you tell ’em, but let’s just say I have a few amusing retorts to the question ‘Where do you get your protein?’ stashed up my sleeve…

The whole place was buzzing over both days, with juicing and spiralizer demonstrations making me feel like I was at a market. It’s not all about food though of course. Honestly! There were so many other treats to check out.

The wonderful ladies from Bohemian Chic Minerals were there, with their array of cruelty free make-up especially made for those (like me) who have sensitive skin. They’d come all the way from Slough.

Beautiful handcrafted jewellery (I loved the Agharta pieces) and ornaments (some carved from ‘vegetable ivory‘ from Ecuador) were on display, as well as all manner of clothing and footwear.

I met the lovely couple from Humane Wildlife Solutions, who take care of your ‘pest’ problems kindly and effectively. What a brilliant business!

Let’s also not forget the many charities represented. The woman on the Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary stall was lovely, and keen to tell of the life-saving work they do there.

I bought a T-shirt from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade and again, I’m so impressed with the work they’re doing.

T-shirts from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade

On the Sunday I went to a cookery demonstration that Jane Easton was doing and even got to try some of the delicious barley risotto that she made (recipe here.) I even went up for seconds. Yum! Barley is commonly used in soup in Scotland, but it was a refreshing change to see it used like this.

The Scottish theme continued with some gorgeous-looking macaroni pies from Cool Jerk. If only I hadn’t been too full to try them. You can’t try everything…

Macaroni (and other) pies, courtesy of Cool Jerk

The best talk of the whole weekend was definitely Dr. Melanie Joy on Understanding the Psychology of Meat for Effective Vegan Advocacy. I am an admirer of hers, but this is the first time I’ve attended one of her talks, having seem a fair few on YouTube. She is the author of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. Her understanding of not only the subject of veganism, but also what she refers to as carnism (the meat-eating ideology) is impressive. Being a social psychologist, she detailed effective ways of communicating with people, along with ways to avoid burnout and I took copious notes.

The kids of Sunnyside Primary doing sterling work for animals.

I must also tell you about the quite inspiring children of Sunnyside Primary School. They are doing a project on how cruel it is to capture dolphins and whales from the wild and make them perform in places like the much derided Sea World. Two of the very well informed children gave me a little tour of their display. They were selling badges to raise money for their cause and of course I bought some. They’ve been endorsed and commended by Sea Shepherd no less and you can follow them on twitter here.

Goodness, I ate a lot of food. Well, if only I’d managed to get on the stationary smoothie-bike, where as you peddle you blend your own smoothie, so you get both exercise and fruit. I think it was mainly for the kids though. I also ran out of time and didn’t get a henna tattoo. Next time…

Henna tattoos. What design would you get?

If you would like information about your nearest vegan festival, Animal Aid have a pretty comprehensive list here. Do go and support them and take non-vegan friends and family to introduce them to the joys of a vegan lifestyle!

Spiralizing is so hot right now... — Spiralizing is so hot right now…

...but sometimes you just want a pizza. — …but sometimes you just want a pizza.

Bristol Vegfest 2015

June 4, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Where on earth do I start with Bristol Vegfest?

Vegans don't have to miss out — Vegans don’t have to miss out

Over the weekend of 23rd/24th May this year, over 14,000 people passed though the Amphitheatre venue in the Harbourside area of the city to experience, celebrate and discuss all aspects of the vegan lifestyle.

The emphasis this year was on the environment, to coincide with Bristol being the European Green Capital, as we all know what a devastating effect animal agriculture has on our environment.

In addition to promoting a vegan lifestyle to combat this, the Vegfest also had countless recycling bins for waste and measures in place for a festival that was low in environmental impact. Everything from the posters and flyers to the generators and marquee build and breakdown was sustainable – even the loos were environmentally friendly!

The number and range of stalls was certainly impressive. This is the biggest vegan festival in the country after all. Walking in at opening time on Saturday, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by choice. It was a hot day and perfect for the outdoor venue, but I did feel for those stallholders in the marquees, as they chugged down water and wiped their brows.

vegan cake, you can't go wrong — Vegan cake, you can’t go wrong

Many major and also some lesser known animal and environmental charities were represented. Amnesty International was there, as well as Greenpeace and Population Matters. There were vegan lifestyle stalls that sold everything from shoes to perfume, make-up and clothes. However, the sheer range of food stalls and catering options on site was enough to turn one’s head. I mean, in the ‘real world’ as a vegan I’m not normally given much choice. It’s normally a case of ‘Can I have that but without the cheese?’ or ‘What, not even your bread is vegan?’ but here, well, as George Takei might say ‘Oh my…’

So, I began with the animal charities, as I’m a sucker for a good cause and it also makes me feel virtuous about spending money. Cruelty Free International were there, having now merged with the BUAV to become one large anti-vivisection charity.

Among the well known charities represented were Viva! who are one of my favourites. You could sign up for membership at the stall, as well as obtain all sorts of useful literature. I got a leaflet on going dairy free for my friend who is doing just that at the moment following medical advice. Their leader Juliet Gellatley gave a few of talks on why you don’t need dairy, how a vegan diet can help with menopause symptoms and the one I attended, how to become a school speaker. Their food and cookery co-ordinator Jane Easton also gave a talk and cookery demonstration – she is the author of the Viva! cookbook, which I can thoroughly recommend.

Animal Aid were also a presence, not only doing talks, but they also had a stand with loads of goodies on it (I may have spent a bit too much, but a lot of it was on presents…) Have a look at their gift range here. An additional stall was present on behalf of their education department, so it seems school speaking is a real growth area for these charities. Get them while they’re young.

The League Against Cruel Sports was also present and they were of course highlighting the proposed lifting of the fox hunting ban by the new Tory government, as were the Hunt Sabs.

It was lovely to see several smaller charities do talks and have stalls, among them Wood Green Animal Sanctuary. Wood Green has four centres in England, which re-home every type of animal, from dogs and cats to farm animals. Their particular focus at the moment is on unwanted pets and the importance of rescue over buying. They are particularly concerned with puppy farms which supply pet shops, and irresponsible sellers on websites such as Gumtree and those who sell dogs in newspaper ads or even down the pub. Lisa Mitchinson gave an insightful talk on this in the Campaigns and Lifestyle tent. It’s a great issue to be highlighting and I support them fully.

Another charity I noticed who was working on this issue was Protect a Pup, who work on free microchipping, low cost and free neutering and doggie food banks.

An exciting area was the Vervet Monkey Foundation, who were trying to recruit volunteers to help in the care and rehabilitation of rescued monkeys in South Africa. As long as you have the means to get to them, they supply vegan food and accommodation for a small fee and you’d get the pleasure of feeding baby monkeys. Seems like the dream job to me.

The Dean Farm Trust are a relatively young charity that I urge you to look up. I thought Fin Fighters was a fabulous idea, working specifically to end the use of shark fin. Marine conservation was very much in evidence with groups such as Sea Shepherd and The Black Fish both having stalls.

Fleecehaven rescue sheep and give them a loving home

By far the cutest stall (and I don’t mean to be patronising, only wildly complimentary) was that of Fleecehaven, the sheep sanctuary. They rescue sheep for all sorts of reasons and give them a loving home for life. Sponsor a sheep here.

Of course we have to remember that plenty of non-vegans visit VegFest so there were plenty of stalls to show them how great the lifestyle can be. Veganuary are a great organisation who challenge people to go vegan for the month of January each year and it’s amazing how many who take part choose to remain vegan. The Vegan Lifestyle Association also supports those who wish to test the waters, as well as supporting more established vegans. The Vegan Society was of course present, being the oldest charity to provide vegan outreach, existing since the term was coined by their founder, Donald Watson, in 1947. I attended a great talk on activism by Dorset Vegan Lizzi Shaw, who has shown that if vegans don’t have much outreach in their own area, they can always create some for themselves! She is truly inspirational.

There was also an opportunity to see how vegan shoes (courtesy of Wills and Bella Storia) can be just as smart as leather ones, so you can look good with none of the cruelty. All my shoes now are non-leather ones and I enjoy the look of surprise when friends find out that you don’t need to kill a cow to get something waterproof and breathable on your feet.

Bohemian Chic Minerals have a fantastic range of make-up that’s not only cruelty free and vegan, but very suitable for even the most sensitive skin. This was great for me, as eczema has come and gone my whole life and this is the gentlest make-up I’ve ever felt.

Eden Perfumes give you a cruelty free version of top brands

Eden perfumes give you a list of famous brand perfumes and list an equivalent they have made without any of the harsh chemicals. Their stand was very busy during the show with lots of wrist sniffing going on.

Mount Purious have a range of skincare using various oils that I was very impressed with, as I tried some and my skin felt nicer instantly.

Clothing was everywhere too. Many of the charities sold t-shirts and so on, but there were also specialist designers, such as Hempish and Viva la Vegan, both of whom had apparel that was lovely and softly wearable.

Harsher in style, if not necessarily fabric was Vegan Cross, who are normally located near Kings cross in London. They were popular for their merchandise declaring legends such as ‘I Love Vegan Junk Food’ and also the vegan cheese and ham toasties they produced at the side of their stall. This was perfect for light hearted fun, in common with Vegan Sidekick’s satirical comics which you can view online, although of course it all does have a serious point to make.

The array of caterers and food stalls was, as I have said, phenomenal. It would take forever to list them all (but if you’re interested, the list of all the stalls is available here) so I’ll simply highlight a few. By far the prettiest stall belonged to Paradise Unbakery, a purveyor of raw cakes and other delights.

Coming close in the looks stakes were Rawsome cakes and chocolates, and of course the ever-welcome Ms Cupcake.

There were many free samples by Life Food, Nectar Foods, Pulsin, Aduna, Sheese, Ananda Foods, Nakd, Koko, Beech’s and countless others. Needless to say, I partook of a fair few vegan cheeses and chocolates, but also foods which I’d never heard of before and was pleasantly surprised by.

Aduna foods' samples of Moringa and Baobab, which I'd never tried before — Aduna foods’ samples of Moringa and Baobab, which I’d never tried before

The caterers were flawless and on the Saturday it was so hot that it came as no surprise to find the Pimms tent and the Ice Cold Lemonade stall had healthy queues all day. The vegan ice cream and ice lollies disappeared as well and personally, I headed for the beer tent.

Says it all really... — Says it all really…

Pitfields had a rather groovy set up with a record player – dare I say, rather a hipster vibe. Being in Bristol, there was also a healthy amount of cider provided by the bars.

Of course I’m not one to drink on an empty stomach (no ‘eating’s cheating’ for me) so I was forced to choose from the many and varied caterers onsite. Well, my first choice was a good ‘un as the pizza, baked before your eyes in a wood-fired oven, provided by Pandemania Wood Fired Pizza was sublime. Although not a vegan company, all their ingredients are fresh and veganising their superb product is easy.

I also managed to fit in some macaroni cheese from The Spotless Leopard van which was fab. Before the weekend was over I managed to sample some of Bangwok’s glorious Pad Thai, which was heaven in a cardboard container.

There were of course plenty I didn’t have time, or indeed room in my stomach, to try. Everything from paella, sushi and subs to curry, churros, kebabs and seitan sandwiches was available and certainly appreciated by the stream of hungry vegans (and non-vegans) who populated the festival on both days.

On the main stage, a variety of acts performed during the day, and after many of the stalls had shut down around 5pm the music kept going till 9pm, creating a real party atmosphere. I must admit I felt the funnest act was The Captain’s Beard on Sunday, who had the crowd in the palm of their hand from their rendition of Whisky in the Jar to the ever popular (and appropriate, given their pirate costumes) What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?

The Captain's Beard got everyone dancing — The Captain’s Beard got everyone dancing

Kids and adults alike were up dancing and as the day wore on and I sipped on my can of Red Stripe, I couldn’t help but reflect on what a friendly, positive and hopeful vibe had been created. Looking out at all the people having fun and not feeling restricted at all by their choice of lifestyle was a happy sight indeed.

Ice lollies were needed on the very warm opening day

Who ate all the - never mind. — Who ate all the – never mind.

If you’ve never been to a vegan festival then chances are you might be worried it might be populated by terribly worthy people having intense discussions over a bowl of kale and some herbal tea, but nothing could be further from the truth. We like food, we like booze, we like fun. Living the cruelty free life shouldn’t make you miserable, it should give you joy. Vive le Vegfest!

(Apologies for the quality of some photos. There was a mark on my camera sensor which I didn’t discover until it was too late. Hope you enjoy them anyway.)

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