Like a couple of years ago, we went to the Vegan Fest. However, this year it was held at the Palais des Congrès de Montreal (new metro Place-d’Armes) on October 21st and 22nd. With such a venue, the festival was bigger but still quite compact so it was quite crowded and difficult to circulate. Also the conference area was much smaller and less accessible, so I didn’t bother to listen to any of the presentation.

This year there was a lot of cosmetic products, non-dairy cheese and desserts as well as fermented (Kombucha) or herbal tea. We have noticed A LOT of interesting products and organisations that deserve a further look (check their websites):

• Agrobio, a coop offering local and biological flour and seeds: coopagrobioquebec.com
• Animal Rescue Network, Montreal’s largest no-kill organization dedicated to the welfare of abuse and abandoned animals: animalrescuenetwork.org
• Audacieuse vanille, a vegan, gluten & soya-free pastry: audacieusevanille.com
• Bonbon collections, a vegan and 100% natural bakery: Bonboncollections.com
• Bridgitte’s Giddy Yo, chocolate and body care products: giddyyo.com
• Califia Farms, plant-based products including plant milks, dairy free creamers, cold brew coffees, probiotic dairy free yogurts and citrus juice: califiafarms.com
• Chandelles de la cabane, handmade soya candles: leschandellesdelacabane.com
• Clinique Renversante, propose to heal you with vegan food: cliniquerenversante.com
• Copper branch restaurants, plant-based power food: eatcopperbranch.com
• Dandies, marshmallows made without corn syrup or gelatin, 100% vegan: dandiesmarshmallows.com
• Fauxmagerie Zengarry, cheese without milk product: zengarry.com
• Hibisko, iced Hibiscus tea: hibisko.com
• Kraywoods, trendy wood sunglasses: kraywoods.com
• Lufa Farms, growing vegetables in rooftop greenhouses in the middle of the city: montreal.lufa.com
• Mama Yo!, a vegan and egg free mayonnaise: Mamayo.com
• Nabati Foods, a family owned company natural, egg/dairy/gluten-free desserts: nabati.ca
• Nature & moi, dairy-free cheese: gattuso.ca/products, biobio.ca
• Nature Zen, organic protein in bags or bars: nature-zen.com
• Nuts for Cheese, cashew-based vegan cheese: nutsforcheese.com
• Oat & Mill, non-dairy & vegan ice cream: oatandmill.com
• Pureprep, healthy plant-based food delivered to your doorstep: pureprep.ca
• Rawsome, gluten-free raw vegan & organic cakes: rawesome.ca
• Saveurs & Nature, artisanal chocolats: saveursetnature.com
• Soba, buckwheat pancakes with gluten-free & organic ingredients: painsoba.com
• Solo fruit, sorbets 100% fruits, egg/gluten & lactose-free: solofruit.com
• Souchi bar à sushi, a large selection of vegan sushi: suchi.ca
• Super Kale, snacks made with kale and other super foods: superkale.ca
• The heal tea, herbal teas: thehealtea.com
• Toro matcha, cold-brewed organic matcha: toromatcha.com
• Vee Kombucha, healthy fermented tea produced in the heart of Mauricie: www.veekombucha.com

There was one local products in particular that I was looking for at the Vegan Fest because I had seen it talked about in culinary TV shows: Gusta’s sausages and cheeses. Their plant-based deli “meats” are made from wheat protein (saitan) and their grating cheeses are made from coconut oil and various plant milks. I tasted their meat substituted and the taste is pretty close. Check it out: gustafoods.com

Mélanie and Jimmy

Last year my wife met a nice couple, Mélanie and Jimmy, who had quit their jobs to become farmer in the small municipality of Boileau, in the Outaouais region. On their one-acre farm, La Ferme de l’Aube, they are cultivating a variety of over seventy vegetables, fruits, fines herbs and flowers. They are great advocate of biologic and vegan farming. They were at the Vegan Fest again this year, selling organic seeds and garlic. You can check their webpage and FB page. I greatly admire people who chose to become farmer because it is not an easy job and yet it is essential work. I think the future of a healthy life can be found is in locally produced, organic food. So I exhort everyone to encourage our local farmers. They surely need our support.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of stuff I’ve seen at the Vegan Fest that seriously annoyed me. I favour wholeheartedly the health aspect of veganism , but I seriously despise the political and militant part. I am okay with avoiding red meat, eating lots of plant-based food, treating animals and the environment with respect, but for me vegan philosophy goes too far. I particularly don’t understand this war that is currently waged against milk products. Personally, I don’t drink milk (I prefer Soy milk) but I like a lot my yogurt and cheese. I don’t mind eating plant-based cheese (so far, what I’ve tasted seems close in texture and taste) but I don’t see any purpose for it if you are not lactose intolerant. Why not appreciate the real stuff. Our dairy farmers needs our support too, you know!

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