Coventry Viva Vegan Festival 2017

Yes, I know what you’re thinking… another vegan festival?! Honestly, you can’t go to too many, it’s not possible.

As much as I loved the Fargo Village Vegan Festival (check out my post on it here) this was on another level; there were a vast array of stalls and ways to interact and engage with the companies and teams working there. The festival took place on July 29th at Coventry Cathedral. I didn’t really know what to expect, I was assuming it would just be in the ruins of the old cathedral but the event was both inside and out. It was £3 entry or £2 for a student – I am still clinging onto my student status (my ID is still in date okay).

When you first walk in there is too much to process so mum and I decided we would walk around first to get our bearings and go back to the stalls we liked the look of. We had a lovely chat with the people on the Greenpeace stand and I found out some amazing new projects they are running – check out their website here.

Now there wasn’t just food and the odd campaign stand at the festival, there were also some lovely cosmetic and skin care companies. I got the chance to have a chat with the lovely Sinead who was at the Arbonne station, a brand that I have never actually tested myself but they are at the top of my cruelty-free product list which I update as regularly as I can. I got a chance to try some of their skincare which is to die for, and the body creams smell like you’re wearing a really fancy perfume!
I actually arranged to meet Sinead at a later date to discuss the Arbonne brand more in detail, which funnily enough is actually tomorrow (Friday) so I am super excited to find out more!

We also stopped off at a few other cosmetic stands, one being Makeup Without Malice which is a company that stocks a range of vegan and cruelty-free options on its site. I got the chance to try the infamous rainbow highlighter and I was not disappointed! I’m not going to lie, the reason I was drawn to the stand was that I caught a glimpse of ‘Alice’, you are yet to find out my true love of all things Alice in Wonderland! (Watch this space!!)

There was also some pretty trendy work out gear from Vegan Rex that would let everyone you meant business, it’s a little extra but I kind of like it!

There were, of course, plenty of samples to try and I lost count of the number of things I tried – fudge,  chocolate, smoothies, cakes, pies and pastries galore!

Jethro’s Marinades and Sauces (click for link to site)

Mariner’s Fudge – it can be bought at Moo Bar in Leamington (closed atm for refurb)

The May Bakery

These Walnut Whips were ah-mazing!

However, there was one part that I will definitely remember from the experience and that is discovering Good Carma Foods. Mum and I went over because the lady was selling parmesan alternatives which we had been looking for in health shops and the like, so to find a replacement was fabulous. The cherry on the cake was trying the Spead Sensation which tastes EXACTLY like mature/strong cheddar and it’s made from cashew nuts! I was so happy to finally find a cheese replacement that doesn’t taste like rubber!! Honestly, it doesn’t look the prettiest but it tastes soooo good, you need this in your life.

My new favourite food!

After this ‘sensation’ (pun intended) mum and I decided to grab some lunch, so we headed outside to the other half of the festival. There was a fairly big queue for the hot dog stand and damn they were delish! We finished the day off with some tea and lemon & lavender cake from Greens Vegan Catering!

I couldn’t wait to take a picture before I tried the hot dog…

Who said being a vegan was boring!