vegan food fest toronto

The good, bad & the ugly of Vegan Food Fest in Toronto

The inaugural Vegan Food Fest took place this past Saturday on the grounds of Fort York and from the onset, the outdoor festival seemed like it was going to be great; the day was blessed with sunshine, the atmosphere was super laidback and there was plenty beer and wine on offer.

And it was fun... at least for the first few hours anyway... then the food ran out resulting in hangry crowds of ravenous vegans. Here's a photo and social media round-up of the good, bad and the ugly of the Vegan Food Fest in Toronto.

vegan fest toronto

THE GOOD

Seeing our local faves
It was great to see Doug's Public Kitchen, Pleasantville Creamery, Cardinal Rule, YamChops and Bloomer's in one place.

Discovering new vegan pop-up vendors

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Vaffles, Dishum Dishum, and Wood & Water Foods were all new finds for me.
Discovering vegans from south of the border
Good on you Vegan Fest for introducing us all to LA's Doomie's, and Charlie's Brownies.

There was... a vegan Big Mac

vegan big mac


Vegan Food Fest Toronto

This vegan version of McD's signature sandwich from Doomie's Home Cooking was a festival favourite.

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Polenta poutine
Thank you Doug McNish!
Tempeh Reuben
Bloomer's sauerkraut smothered sandwiches were a hit.

Pickles on a Stick

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Cardinal Rule's deep fried pickles were delicious.

Nuht Cheeze Galette

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Wood & Water topped these savoury pastries with heirloom tomatoes, thai basil and tree nut cheese.

Nacho Rama

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Wild Child's Kitchen served corn tortilla's with gaucamole, salsa, cashew sour cream, and hot sauce.

Deep Fried Mac N' Cheese

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Nona's cheesy, saucy macaroni dish was a favourite with crowds.

Baked Goods Galore

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


Tori's Bakeshop brought the whole store!THE BAD

Lack of signage
Signs to the event? A banner marking the entrance? A directory of vendors? How about posting the ingredients for each dish? All of these basics were in short supply.

Expen$ive!!!
$10 tickets ($15 at the gate) + food + drinks = one pricey day out.

Two hour line-ups


THE UGLY

Food sold out just hours in

Vegan Food Fest Toronto


This wasn't the clusterfuck that was Mac & Cheese fest, but this was a ticketed event billed until 7pm and a lot of the food was gone by 4:30pm.


How was your Vegan Food Fest? Let us know in the comments.

Photos by Jesse Milns


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