All things vegan to be celebrated outdoors
Festival relaunch aims to inspire
PORTSMOUTH is set to host an outdoor vegan festival next month.
The Portsmouth Vegan Festival normally takes place indoors but this year the event is being relaunched as an outdoor celebration of vegan food and products.
Organisers hope the festival can act as an inspiration for people who may decide to ‘go vegan’ or to simply try vegan food for the first time.
Festival organiser, Victoria Bryceson, 34, said: ‘The vegan lifestyle is massive now. A few years ago if you went into the supermarket you could not get any vegan products – now you can get a vegan version of everything.
‘It’s not all about the ethics
– many people are choosing a vegan lifestyle because of the health benefits. One of the things I love about the festival is seeing people who are not vegans coming along and being surprised by the food. They are shocked to find out that a vegan burger or cake does taste the same.’
The festival will include a selection of global vegan food as well as the latest vegan fashions and ecofriendly products. More than 80 stalls will be represented, including catering from VDogs, who’ll be offering freshly cooked to order vegan hotdogs, Greek Vegan Deli, All Out Foods and a range of vegan pizzas from Those Vegan Pizza Guys.
Also on offer will be vegan chocolate from Deliciously Honest, a range of handmade wholemeal short crust pastry vegan pies from FNK Pies and Hunter Gatherer Coffee as well as a range of flavoured fudge from Slab Artisan Fudge. The event will also feature Scandinavian inspired jewellery from 68CHARMS Jewellery, wellbeing products from Eco Buddy and a chance to buy the latest vegan clothing from Tweedy Clothing, Vegan Slogans and Viva La Vegan.
Victoria wants the festival to go ahead to support many of the businesses which have been struggling during the pandemic.
She said: ‘They are all local businesses. Many are on the brink of collapse and so it’s really important to go ahead.’
A number of leading wildlife and animal welfare charities will also be supporting the event.
The festival is scheduled to take place on Sunday November 1 from 10.30am to 4.30pm at the Mountbatten Centre in Hilsea. Entry is £4 payable on the day (under 16’s free) or £15 for VIP tickets in advance from Eventbrite, which includes a fast track entry and a goody bag.