Discover these independent businesses at Bournemouth's vegan market.
Since its first successful event seven years ago, the market has worked with over 1,000 independent businesses and welcomed 100,000 people. To find out the secret of their success, Utku Huseyin visited the market.
The area below is made darker by the grey clouds in the sky. The wind huffs as rain splats everywhere, echoing a cry for help. It is spring and a downpour struck the Bournemouth area.
Will this be enough to stop the market?
Run in over 50 locations across the UK, Vegan Market Co supports over 2000 independent businesses.
The market opens promptly at 10:30 a.m. The rain strikes with whistles in the wind. An eruption, echoing, and explosion into the area as if hit by a cloud water balloons bursting into the tents. Running for cover, the tent flap glistens as pearls of rain blanket the shelter. You can hear the pitter-patter of the raindrops dancing in the wind. Sheltered under an independent business, Soy Ahoy, run by Max Fry, who started making his own vegan proteins before lockdown. Suddenly, his smile brightens the atmosphere. “We started with just doing vegan proteins then moved into catering doing cakes, baking and salads,” he says. During lockdown they were doing home delivers all over Bristol and the southwest. “Then coming out of lockdown we wanted to stop doing deliveries and start trading face to face with people,” he added.
Food at Soy Ahoy stand - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at Soy Ahoy stand - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at Soy Ahoy stand - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at Soy Ahoy stand - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Soy Ahoy advertisment - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Soy Ahoy advertisment - Photo by Utku Huseyin
The rising sun slowly begins to break through, lighting up the area, a choir of birds begins to sing. Turning around, a sudden beam of smiles streams through. Isla Pendreigh, who started her business Isla Jayne Crafts last January said: “I make sterling silver jewellery that I make at home in my little studio.” In addition to selling at markets, she sells online on Etsy and is developing her own website. “I’ve got to do things like order them up, filing takes a long time and then getting them, all polished so their all nice and shiny. Some of them can take a few hours to make but it sorts of differs piece to piece,” she added.
Despite the weather, nothing but smiles and joy could dampen the day. The event itself is climate-positive, meaning that the aim is to encourage people to live sustainable lifestyles. Each event's carbon footprint is made up of factors that can include travelling by visitors, staff and vendors, as well as packaging and food waste. The packaging, for example, is made from compostable or recyclable materials, as the market has a policy of zero single-use plastics at the events.
The smell of sugar consumed the air around. Quickly turning around to see a face full of joy. A little girl licking her lips, her mouth-watering as she indulges into a doughnut. The child's laughter filled the air. Safe to say, she was a happy customer.
Eve Thompson, owner of independent business Stop Ya Beefin, had originally planned to start her business in 2014, but: “Life got in the way I guess. I was busy and a bit scared of taking the leap from my corporate job.” During lockdown, Eve’s work stopped completely, giving her a boost: “I was like I got nothing else to do, this is the perfect opportunity. So, I just went for it and gave it a go.” The advice given by Eve was: “Go for it - if you’ve got a passion lean into it - don’t be scared of failure or anything like imposter syndrome. Because that’s going to come up and that’s going to be a consistent battle that you face. You will always regret the things that you don’t do in life.” This is now Eve full-time job, as well as doing events and pop-ups around the UK.
Food at Stop Ya Beefin - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at Stop Ya Beefin - Photo by Utku Huseyin
In addition to planting trees for each business attending the event, Vegan Market Co works with Ecologi to offset the carbon footprint of each event. For example, at the time of writing, Vegan Market Co has planted a total of 5,303 trees and funded 42 projects to date.
To see more up to date news, check out the following link - https://ecologi.com/veganmarketco
The smoke danced in the wind as the sweet smell of spices ran through the air. At the end of the aisle was another independent business, Tastes n’ Flavours. Speaking to Lara, she started her business because she wanted to combine both African and Caribbean cuisine and “mix it together because that’s not common.” Describing one of their street foods, Trini Double, Lara said: “It’s a fried flat bread - it comes from chickpeas but we decided to use African honey bees because its naturally sweet.” The business was set up last summer and now has a permanent base at the University of Southampton. “We also have a Jollof Pelall, it’s a Trinidad food called Pelall with rice and gungo peas in it. We’ve actually changed it and made the Jollof Savoury,” she says.
Advertisement at Tastes n’ Flavours - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Advertisement at Tastes n’ Flavours - Photo by Utku Huseyin
To go back to where it all started, Lewis Beresford launched the entire Vegan Market Co in 2015 to help make vegan products available to consumers. Now, in 2022, seven years later Vegan Market Co has worked with more than 1,000 independent businesses and has welcomed 100,000 visitors.
Patiently waiting, the customers begin to line up. Huddled together like a rugby position, getting ready to tackle. The London Feel Good Co, run in partnership with Andy Vagas and his wife. “My wife started the because she’s vegan and into nutrition,” he says. “All the products are handmade and all the animals that got herd doing these things is myself. We have all seven vegan cafés in London, so I do all the baking for that as well,” he added.
Food at The London Feel Good Co - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at The London Feel Good Co - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at The London Feel Good Co - Photo by Utku Huseyin
Food at The London Feel Good Co - Photo by Utku Huseyin
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