On the picturesque sunny Sunday of Sept. 5, 2021, the Bizerkeley Vegan Meals Pageant on the metropolis of Berkeley introduced collectively a various mix of vegan distributors, musical leisure and visitor audio system. The occasion was the brainchild of Erika Hazel — recognized on social media as “The Bizerkeley Vegan” — who needed to arrange a pageant bringing collectively each the vegan and non-vegan neighborhood in a setting stuffed with good meals and enjoyable actions. The pageant additionally aimed to lift funds for the Pals of Berkeley Animal Care Companies by that includes a silent public sale during which all proceeds went to the shelter.
Hazel, who’s nearing her five-year anniversary of being vegan, is an lively voice and outstanding determine inside the foodie world. She describes herself as a meals critic who loves touring to totally different meals festivals to develop her palate by making an attempt out a big selection of various distributors. Her inspiration for organizing the Bizerkeley Meals Pageant attracts from the festivals she’s attended previously, in locations comparable to Oakland, San Francisco, Atlantic Metropolis, Portland and Southern Atlanta.
Hazel’s knack for occasion planning began on the tender age of 8 years previous when she helped set up a charity toy drive for homeless youth in Vallejo. Hazel remarks, “I am going to occasions and I’m like ‘I understand how this may be extra wonderful.’” Given her meals background and her love for occasion planning, it’s no shock that Erika would ultimately go on to orchestrate the logistics for her personal meals pageant. Certainly one of Erika’s objectives for the occasions was for all her distributors to promote out and be worthwhile, so she made positive to have little to no duplicates, “All of the several types of cuisines are one among every in order that no one has to compete for purchasers and cash.”
As I walked across the venue, I had the possibility to satisfy and converse with a couple of of the distributors once they weren’t busy coping with lengthy traces. Well-liked distributors included Kubé Nice Cream, Crazy Rabbit Kitchen, Chef Reina, Plant ‘N Soul Vegan Pizzeria, Real Hard Kombucha, Cali Dawg Vegan Hot Dogs, Nature’s Fynd, Liquified Juicery, Grilled Cheez Guy, Vegan Heat, De La Tierra, Ube Mami and others.
Ashley Comora from Liquified Juicery says she got here to the Bizerkeley Meals Pageant in an effort to promote wellness and therapeutic along with her juicing merchandise: “I would like folks to find out about the advantages of juice cleaning (and the way] ingesting juice each day can reverse illness and illness, enhance your immune system and provide you with pure power.” She hopes that attendees of the pageant stroll away from the occasion realizing that “being wholesome can style actually good and be gratifying.”
Kai Nortey from Kubé Good Cream, an in depth good friend of Erika’s, says she was serious about coming to the pageant to unfold the phrase about her firm’s product and mission. Kubé Good Cream is a “black woman-owned, artisanal coconut ice cream producer in Oakland,” specializing in producing “vegan, non-dairy, soy-free, peanut-free, artisan-made cold-pressed coconut cream.” In contrast to different ice cream manufacturers, the corporate can be deeply dedicated to meals justice and restorative economics, hiring previously incarcerated people with a background within the meals trade. “All of it ties again to restoring life, well being, pleasure, dignity and fairness again to folks, again to the soil and again to animals,” Kai notes.
Desirae Devis of Ube Mami, a Vegan Filipinx Baked Items enterprise based mostly within the Bay Space, may’ve solely began her enterprise in February of 2021, nevertheless it’s already a giant hit. “Now we have Filipino baked items . . . all the things from conventional baked items comparable to pan de sal to Filipino impressed desserts comparable to cookies infused with ube and conventional Filipino flavors.”
Devis says the reception to her items has been nice to date: “Lots of people are actually enthusiastic about our meals . . . most haven’t had Filipino desserts in a very long time as a result of none of them are historically vegan.” With Devis’s expertise for baking and placing a inventive vegan twist on historically non-vegan desserts, she says it’s “nice to see how they get a chunk of their tradition again.”
Just like Devis, Filipina-American Chef Reina Montenegro based mostly the premise of her all-vegan Filipinx restaurant — Chef Reina — round cooking her childhood favorites and luxury meals from house, however with a vegan twist. When requested what her hopes for the occasion entail, Montenegro remarks, “If I might feed somebody who’s not a vegan and get them to attempt our meals and persuade them to go vegan that means, that may make my day.”
Sachi Georgieva, a wholesome habits coach who focuses on holistic well being and plant-based vitamin, gave one of many visitor speaker talks throughout the occasion. Her remarks centered round breaking down widespread myths and misconceptions about going vegan and answering viewers questions concerning the life-style. “I simply need to assist folks eat extra vegetation, be kinder to their our bodies, be kinder to the animals, (and) be kinder to the planet,” Georgieva says.
The throngs of individuals on the pageant visibly loved the ambiance and all of the scrumptious vegan meals as properly.
Scott, a vegan occurring his tenth yr of the life-style, says he was serious about testing the Bizerkeley Meals Pageant after seeing his favourite distributors on Instagram promote the occasion: “It appeared like a enjoyable factor to do, an opportunity to check out some totally different distributors that I haven’t had the possibility to check out earlier than and a few of my favorites that I’ve tried.” Scott says he wasn’t upset. “It’s been nice to this point. Nice meals, everybody appears very chill and mellow. It’s simply a good time.”
Gabriela, a vegan occurring her third yr, was excited to attend the pageant after listening to about” it from her supervisor at work. “I needed to see what folks across the space are doing, how totally different individuals are selling vegan meals. It’s kinda onerous to search out stuff so it’s good to see that there are such a lot of distributors out.”
Although the Bizerekley Vegan Pageant is now not in session, you’ll want to take a look at the occasion and buy tickets early earlier than they promote out when it graces town of Berkeley subsequent time!
Contact Madeleine Lorie at [email protected].
