Rows and rows of cakes graced one of the first tables that you’d spot upon entering Camden Town Hall this Saturday, each more mouth-watering than the next. Ripe cherries rested on beds of molten chocolate which in turn framed layers of soft sponge cake. Courtesy of Vegan Sweet Tooth, these masterpieces were just one of the many delicacies on show at London Animal-Free Festival, a new plant-based haven in the capital.
With numbers growing out of this world, the vegan takeover of the UK can no longer be ignored, and brands are tuning into the endless potential of plant-based customers. From cupcakes to makeup and cheese (I tallied up three cheese brands in the Town Hall, but there could have been more), there’s pretty much nothing you in 2016 that cannot be veganised. And London Animal-Free Festival is here to show us how.
Organised by Farplace Animal Rescue, who work with specialist cases such as FIV+ cats, London Animal-Free Festival has rounded up brands such as Chiaralascura, Bohemian Chic makeup, Miss Cupcake and All Glamour No Guts to create a one-day event that, just a few years ago, were unheard of. The sheer abundance of hot food (hot dogs! Burgers! Tofu and kale bowls!), desserts and apparel that vegans – and their veg-curious friends – could enjoy at the festival is a clear indicator of how far the movement has come.
Aside from having a taste of (well, stuffing your face with) all of the treats on offer, visitors to the festival can also enjoy talks and discussion as well as live music. There has always been a sense of community to veganism, and at the London Animal-Free Festival, it’s more tangible than ever.
London Animal-Free Festival is a beautiful celebration of the advances of the plant-based movement, the amazing variety of options on offer, and the endless possibilities we have to come together. It’s not news that London is a vegan paradise, but now more than ever there’s reason for compassionate consumers to hop on a train to the capital.
This post has sponsored content. All photos by David Camilli
