It’s hard to keep up with the plant-based movement in the UK – with lots of new products launched almost daily and seemingly continual new advancements in the plant-based category – both food and non-food. But one great, and fun, way to keep abreast of what’s going on is visiting a Vegan Expo!

 

This weekend I was at the Just V Show in London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre to catch up on all that’s plant-based. The first thing I noticed was how many people there were – Olympia is a big venue and it was packed out. The second thing was how many new plant-based and cruelty-free products there were literally everywhere!

 

Today it is so easy to be fully plant-based regardless of whether you like to eat in, eat out, cook from scratch or whether you tend to grab lunch on the go. Hundreds of stands showcased lots of new innovative products and fortunately for me, I got to try most and speak with lots of suppliers.

 

A couple of things caught my eye – the growth in the plant milk category (just in time for our World Plant Milk Day on 22nd August!). I tried pea milk for the first time, which was delicious and I also had my first try of bee-friendly vegan honey – made from pure brown rice syrup (slightly milder than bee’s honey, but with the same look and feel).

 

There were also a lot of products in the fruit/energy bar sector and lots of meat alternatives too, including some delicious vegan chorizo, nuggets and lots of vegan cheeses.

 

All in all, I was overwhelmed by the variety of products on offer and by the time I left I was pretty full too! What also struck me was just how inclusive the sector is – such a variety of people in attendance, young and old from across the UK and from all around the world. It’s great to be part of the plant-based movement and events like this remind us that it really doesn’t matter if you’re fully plant-based, vegetarian, flexitarian or someone that’s just curious about tasty ways to meat reduce.

 

No matter where you fit on this spectrum, you will be making a difference and be taking the planet a step closer to ProVeg’s goal of a world where everyone chooses delicious and healthy food that is good for all humans, animals and our planet.