Monthly vegan festival comes to Worksop

The town’s second vegan festival took place on Bridge Street on Saturday - offering everything from pizza to dog treats and bags made from bicycle tubes.

Shoppers will find between 25-30 stalls at the monthly market - with people traveling from as far afield as Hull in search of plant-based culinary delights.

Alan Henry, who runs the market, said he hoped the event would continue to bring new people into the town.

He said: “People will travel to a vegan market because it’s just nice not to have to ask ‘does this have dairy in it?’”

“Worksop has had quite a hard time this last couple of months with the floods but we’re trying to bring people in from surrounding towns like Gainsborough, Mansfield and Retford.”

Products on offer include animal product-free soaps and cosmetics, clothes, burgers, pork pies and sausage rolls, cakes, jams and cheeses and much more.

However father-of-two Alan says people shouldn’t be put off by the word ‘vegan’.

He said: “We want people to know you don’t have to be a vegan to take part - it’s just new food stalls and recyclable materials.

“I personally don’t like the word vegan because of the stigma.

“We want people to know you can have a dirty burger and also be kind to the environment.”

However the festival is not just about shopping - with many stallholders giving advice on how to live a vegan lifestyle.

Alan said: “We have a lady from Retford who makes stuff like bamboo toothbrushes, knives and forks - she covers everything.

“But she also gives great advice on how to ditch plastic - I’ll stand there and give advice to anyone because that’s what it’s all about.”

The vegan festival will be held on alternate months with the next ones being held at Retford on April 11 and Worksop on May 9.

For more information visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/s/worksops-vegan-festival-march-/2711241948995138/.