The inaugural Surrey Vegan Market came to The Heart Shopping Centre in Walton On Thames last Saturday, Sophie Eggleton reports
I’ve just got home from the whirlwind inaugural Surrey Vegan Market in The Heart, Walton on Thames. As I write this, many of the stall owners and organisers are currently celebrating a successful day, enjoying a much deserved drink by the river in the last of today’s astonishingly good weather. Instead of joining for a salubrious tipple, I’ve decided to rest my market-weary legs at home and write up a summary of the day.
I really wanted to write this post with some urgency – and while running high on adrenalin – in an attempt to translate some of the excitement of today for those that didn’t manage to make it down this time around. Big and positive thing are happening here – not just in terms of Veganism, but also in regards to cultivating a community spirit and supporting independent business.
I was there to work on my partner’s stall (NOMADS – serving Gourmet Vegan Subs). I envisioned that for the most part I could take it pretty easy compared to the occasions we've been stationed at legendary markets located in London – thinking that today my role would be more as the hype person; encouraging people to come over, chatting about what we do, and updating the social media as much as possible.
I couldn’t have got it more wrong! My aforementioned tired legs, and a denim jacket positively humming of fried onions will attest to that. In fact, I didn’t sit down the whole time, as a constant flow of paying customers and passers by intrigued by what was on offer made sure we were both multi-tasking well beyond our capabilities at all times. It was the busiest we’ve ever been, which is a hugely encouraging realisation for a market we had no preconceptions about. There was a genuine feeling that this is something that the area is not only ready for, but something that many local people have been eagerly anticipating for far too long.
We have of course visited the Farmers Market before, which is located on the same plot monthly, but we had no idea how the the addition of the word vegan to the event title would effect it’s popularity. Many of us were fairly conservative in terms of quantities this time around – we are of all of course conscious of waste – and just had no idea how it would be received in ‘sleepy’ commuter-belt Surrey. We had nothing terribly local to help us to gauge numbers either, aside from the monthly Surrey Vegan Event in Haslemere (also run by the passionate and inspirational Louise Simpson). As a result, a huge chunk of the market stalls sold out one or two hours before the market’s intended conclusion at 2.30pm. Frustrating as business owners admittedly, but also exhilarating, and an undeniably happy moment for the movement as a whole.
It felt a special day in many respects. It was so rewarding to hear from jubilant local vegans who said they’ve been yearning for some more local options to obtain vegan products, and the ability to enjoy fresh food. It was great to see the tentative prepared to ‘give it a go’. Perhaps most satisfying was witnessing the adamant carnivores being completely won over, purely because something was simply great and tasty (their kind credentials a definite bonus).
I think that was one of the most thrilling parts of all our experiences today. People passing the stalls were constantly stopping to look or chat, and every generation seemed extremely open; wanting to find out about the ingredients used, the source of the vegan alternatives, and about the ethical/kind cooking or manufacturing processes. Seeing how often curiosity – and even slight cynicism – translated to a sale and a very happy customer, showed how far we have come. Some first-timers returned for seconds, and many asked when they would see us again. The feedback from all the stalls was a mixture of pleasantly surprised to being completely overwhelmed, with many reporting that they gave ample customers their first experience of vegan hot food via the wonderful Green Grill and Hippy Turks, or cakes from April’s Table, Host Vegan Bakery and Cakes Free From, and that it was one of the busiest days they’ve had as a business so far.
Today made us feel like those long-standing myths and misconceptions about veganism are really starting to be de-bunked too, largely thanks to the increased accessibility of vegan products, opportunities that allow for un-pressured sharing of information, and the ease with which people can obtain things simply to try and make up their own mind. As organiser Louise Simpson pointed out: "People who still think being vegan is about eating tofu and lentils are hugely mistaken, though I will admit that 22 years ago as a vegetarian that was exactly what I thought a vegan diet consisted of! It has never been easier or more exciting to be vegan and we are seeing more and more vegan food that may even fool omnivores. I challenge anyone who still thinks like I did 22 years ago to come down to one of our markets or our Annual Fair and be blown away by the choice on offer."
2018 definitely seems like the year of new start ups. Louise agrees: "I have seen this myself with the amount of new traders contacting me about stalls. Our Annual Fair sold out for stalls over a month ago and we are still getting enquires. Surrey is still catching up with places like Brighton and London, but I hope that we are helping show local businesses that there is a high demand. I know with Veganuary’s huge success many chains have realised this and upped their game, and I feel independents should also make sure they keep up as we love supporting local and small independent businesses too!"
Louise, who is largely responsible for the close-knit and ever growing vegan community here in Surrey, has a number of long term goals that seem to finally be coming to fruition. "We hope to show people that vegan food is not boring and that we are not weird or extreme," she told me with a smile before the event. "But we are a great bunch of compassionate people that care about the environment, animals and our health, and if we can just get more people eating more plant based food and shopping for cruelty-free goods then that’s a great achievement."
What is often so successful about these markets is the fact that they bring products and food to people that may have not previously made the effort to actively seek them out, so they can then discover that no sacrifices in terms of quality or taste have to be made. When you speak to a lot of business owners in the vegan sector, whilst the ethics and conscience behind the brand is an important and driving force, delivering a quality product or service is always the primary aim.
But it wasn’t just locals who saw it as an important date on their calendar; I spoke to many who has ventured from further afield to make sure they were there, with some even abandoning the abundance of vegan markets in London to experience this brand new one in Surrey. The local area has greatly accelerated its progress in terms of catering to a vegan lifestyle (alongside gluten and dairy free ones). I’ve personally been enjoying the new vegan menu that Mitchell and Butler Pubs have added, trying dishes at The Minnow, The Oatlands Chaser and The Thames Court.
One of the reasons Louise initially started these events two years ago was because there was very little in the way of vegan food on the high street: "We have amazing food now at Wagamama and Pizza Express who followed Zizzi’s lead and launched their own vegan cheese which was brilliant news. There are so many to mention but obviously my go-to vegan cafe is Crazy Bean in Great Bookham and Juice Smith in Cobham.’
As well as the fab stalls displayed at this weekend’s market, there are other local places you can shop with kindness in mind. Louise has a few local recommendations alongside her lovingly created ethical clothing line (@kindhumanclothinguk). For shoes, Louise recommends New Look as "their vegan friendly shoes are great value and even won a PETA award back in 2014".
If you want go down the recycling route, Surrey has a vast amount of local charity shops, as well as car boot sales like Apps Court. We both bond over our love of TK Maxx too. "I often find vegan beauty brands there at a discounted price, as well as some great clothes, especially fitness gear, which I literally live in!," says Louise excitedly. It’s fairly easy to find cruelty free beauty goods in the area as well: "Superdrug are great for cruelty-free and vegan-friendly products, and if I was to splurge then Aveda in Walton or Space NK in Weybridge are great too." That’s if you haven’t stocked up at the market via Arborne or Tropic, of course.
So, if you were already feeling devastated to have missed the event, or are only recently regretful after reading this glowing review, fear not, as there's still plenty of opportunities to get involved. Louise explains: "We expect the market to grow, in both foot-fall and the number of stalls as word gets out. We are starting with a healthy number (16 to be exact) and can grow up to 40 stalls. So expect to see more amazing vegan-friendly businesses with, of course, a focus on local and new businesses, as that is where our heart is: helping to provide a platform for new and exciting local businesses."
If you’d like to keep up to date on everything Vegan going on in the area, I urge you to join the regularly updated Facebook group Louise created: Surrey Vegans UK. It’s a very warm, supportive and welcoming space, and I learn new things from it every week, whilst making lovely new connections and just generally feeling like part of a community.
"I feel really strongly about creating a safe space without judgement for people to ask questions, share information and be supported in their journey as each of us are unique and have our own reasons for adapting to the vegan lifestyle, or making healthier choices," explains Louise. With over a thousand members in the group, any questions or worries you might have will be answered (and nothing is ever considered a silly question).
After the runaway success of the inaugural Surrey Vegan Market, plans are very much in the pipeline for follow up markets at The Heart. Watch this space and hopefully I'll see you there!
If you’re interested in trading at one of the markets or would like to know when the next one is, head to the Surrey Vegan website: surreyvegan.co.uk
To read more of Sophie Eggleton, visit: sophieeggleton.com
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