Now in its tenth year, VegfestUK Bristol attracts vegan food producers from across the UK and Europe and with over 120 stalls there was no shortage of produce to choose from, with many free samples and special discounts on offer.
Highlights of the event included live performances for Finley Quaye, Neville Staple of the Specials, and Johnny Clarke with Soothsayers. There were also many veggie cookery demos, talks on nutrition, health and lifestyle, a Ready Steady Chef competition featuring local restaurant chefs, a veggie sausage and burger tasting competition, and a brilliant comedy hour every days. Stallholders and visitors alike were agreed that this was the best ever show yet.
'We were lucky with the weather' said Tim Barford the organiser, 'but we've had weather like this before in previous years but never had a crowd this size. Free entry made a big difference - but there is clearly a huge rise in interest in veggie and vegan food - all our stallholders reported a big increase in interest in their products - even the more established brands. It's great to see that the veggie diet is now going mainstream and has shed its tag of being boring and uninviting. There's more people going veggie in the UK than any other country in the world and our event reflects this surge of interest in veggie and vegan alternatives. It's amazing, and I'm very very happy. Roll on 2013.'
Plans are already afoot for the 2013 VegfestUK shows in Brighton and Bristol, and the organisers are looking into hosting a big show in London in 2013 too. See www.vegfest.co.uk for updates
