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This May, Manchester is hosting more than 100 plant-based stalls at its Northern Vegan Festival.
Food vendors at the plant-based extravaganza include artisanal vegan chocolate shop Kind Hearted Chocs, street food specialists Seitan’s Kebab, and House of Habesha. The latter will be serving up classic Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes, like spicy timtimo and spinach stew.
Other vendors include: Sow Foods (which offers a variety of Asian- and Spanish-inspired dishes), Happy Mouse (which specializes in tofu-based dairy-free cheese options), and Greek Vegan Deli.
The UK’s thriving vegan scene
Manchester’s huge vegan event is a reflection of the UK’s growing appetite for plant-based products. Last year, a number of studies showed an uptick in demand for meatless food.
In October, a report published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health found that meat and fish consumption had dropped by 17 percent over the last decade. And in December, a study by Nurishh estimated that one third of Brits are keen to adopt a plant-based diet throughout 2022.
Across the country, supermarkets, restaurants, and events are responding to this demand. In fact, earlier this year, a Mintel study estimated that sales of plant-based products reached £598 million in 2021.
Richard Caines, a market analyst for Mintel, said of the findings: “The fact that nearly half of adults now either don’t eat meat or poultry or are limiting intake poses a challenge for the meat industry and points to vast further potential for meat substitutes’ growth.”
The Northern Vegan Festival will take place at Manchester’s BEC Arena on Sunday, May 15. Standard entry costs £5. Find more details here.
