Vegan festival in Brighton responds to '˜massive demand' for plant-based food

Brighton Viva! Vegan Festival at the Hilton Metropole Hotel will see hundreds of food stalls, workshops, talks and cookery demos on September 29 and 30.

Food on offer will include Asian, Mediterranean, Indian and Greek cuisines, as well as pies, cakes, chocolates, hot dogs and burgers.

There will also be vegan fashion, footwear, jewellery, beauty and skincare products on sale.

The festival includes live music, tallks, workshops and children’s activities.

A survey by comparethemarket.com suggested that 3.5 million people in the UK now follow a vegan diet – making up seven per cent of the population.

But The Vegan Society found there are more than 600,000 vegans in Great Britain in 2018, up from 540,000 in 2016.

Victoria Bryceson, festival organiser, said: “With the vegan lifestyle really starting to go mainstream there’s a massive demand for vegan-friendly events.

“The Brighton festival is set to be a fantastic day out whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or simply vegan curious. The idea behind the festival is to educate and inform everyone about the vegan lifestyle and offer support to anybody who would like it.

“Cutting out meat and dairy from your diet is easier than you might think and many people are increasingly looking for alternatives as they want to live more healthily and ethically. They want to find out more about the new innovative foods and recipes now available and want to do it affordably. Our festival will educate people on how to do all of this.”

The festival has also pledged to donate any surplus food to the homeless.

Brighton Viva! Vegan Festival takes place on Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30, from 11am to 5pm at Brighton Metropole Hotel on Kings Road, Brighton.

Entry is just £5 or £8 for a weekend pass. Under 16s go free. Stand

For more information, visit: www.veganeventsuk.co.uk