Thousands flock to the Nottingham Viva! Vegan Festival

Viva! held their first vegan festival at Nottingham’s Conference Centre Burton Street on Saturday 5 May.

The event was a huge success and attracted 2,900 attendees. With a series of talks, cookery demos and over 120 stallholders the festival provided a great opportunity to learn more about a vegan lifestyle. Many of Nottingham’s own vegan community exhibited at the event including the award winning caterers Veggies and the established Numinums Café. Keynote speakers included Juliet Gellatley (founder and director of Viva!) and Tony Wardle (assistant director of Viva!).

Entry to the event included access to a vegan beer festival at Nottingham’s first and only vegan pub, The Peacock.

Viva!’s signature ‘Why the world needs vegans’ whiteboard was on display and obtained array of positive and upbeat comments from those attending.

Paul McCauley, 45, from West Bridgford and his wife Sue, 42, attended the event.

Paul said: “The food is really nice. We are vegetarians and it is opening our eyes to turning to vegans. It felt like a natural thing to do and saves interfering with nature.”

Sue Grice, 60, from Belper, went with her daughter Emma, 29.

She said: “It is nice to have it here in Nottingham as we have come from Derby. There is lots I didn’t know about such as perfumes and different suppliers of clothes.”

The next Viva! Vegan Festival is in Coventry on Saturday 29 July 2017 – for full details visit the Viva! Festivals page.

Read the Nottingham Post’s article and watch their video from the festival here.