Once again we had a day buzzing with energy and enjoyment, at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall in Auckland.
Over 1400 people visited the 23 stalls, sampling and buying a variety of delicious vegetarian and vegan foods; attending the cooking demonstrations and taking away yummy recipes to try at home; experiencing the relaxing health benefits of reflexology; gathering information about the vegetarian lifestyle and related health, environmental and animal welfare issues.... it was a very busy and exciting scene, filling people with warmth, friendship and lots of ideas to try at home.
The coup of the day was not one, but two cooking demonstrations by Peter Chaplin, a high profile international chef who used to cook for the stars in Hollywood, with the demonstration room packed to capacity and inspiration at an all time high and Alessandra Zecchini, Food Editor of the NZ Gardener, with her Italian slant on vegetarian cooking. Our other demonstrators,Peter Low (E-PACS Super Mart), and Rita from Blissful Health were equally entertaining and appreciated, promoting an Asian style of Alternative vegetarian protein foods.
Some of the instant feedback received on the day:
Many thanks and when will you do another one --- I came back to go to Alessandra's cooking demo again this year as I enjoyed it so much last year! Will you do one of these at Christmas time -- I loved Peter Low's sense of humour in his cooking demo -- See you again next year -- You will have to find another venue to make this bigger (haha) -- I love this Festival and the atmosphere -- To think that all these people are interested in vegetarianism …….
Help celebrate World Vegetarian Day and check out our organic vineyard. . . Rain or shine. Bring some vegetarian food to share. BBQ equipment supplied. A chance to try the newly released Wrights Wines' Unoaked Chardonnay.
RSVP to Geoff or Nicola by 29 September 2007 by email or phone (06) 8680967
Wellington
Wellington Vegetarian Food & Lifestyle Festival
Saturday September 29th
St Johns in the City, Cnr Willis and Dixon Streets.
Free entry.
Join us to celebrate World Vegetarian Day with an exciting range of stalls covering everything from vegetarian cookery demonstrations and tastings, lifestyle products, cruelty-free beauty products, to nutritional information. View documentaries played on a big screen being run throughout the day, and hear informative speakers talk about human health, the environmental effects of food production, new education initiatives in schools, animal health, and animal rights.
(on the corner of North Parade & Shirley Road opposite the Palms Shopping Mall.)
11am opening by vegetarian Cabinet Minister Ruth Dyson with a 4pm finish.
Free entry but gold coin donation appreciated.
Vegetarian sausage sizzle, a variety of vegetarian lifestyle stalls, yummy vegetarian food stalls, information displays, prominent vegetarian businesses and artists featured, café, cookery demonstrations, films, great music, free giveaways and much more.
