Our First Vegan Fair Experience

Alarm sounds at 5.30 a.m., looking out of the window, where on a good day we can make out the coast of Devon from Mumbles. We looked out trying to see the bottom of our garden. Not a good start but up and at em on this heavy drizzly day. No time for breakfast for us, as you know there’s always something you forgot to load and we’d done just that and had to call into to the store to collect one or two pieces.

We hit the road and put on our favourite channel for this time of day and on went Virgin Radio, but no Chris Evans, oh no, never mind. The roads were quiet on this Bank Holiday Sunday and we had a hour and a half road trip between us and our journeys end, a Vegan Fair in Abergavenny, our first Vegan Fair Experience. Not only had we loaded up with lots of Gower Tea but we were also trying some new Vegan Cake recipes.

On the journey we chatted about our expectations, and as I’m always very apprehensive about new Fairs the memsahib tried to put my mind at rest, she is always the optimist to my pessimistic aura. We travelled through Swansea, the roads were dead and then into the Neath Valley. Now this is normally a gorgeous journey as the valley is beautiful, if you ever have the opportunity to travel the Neath Valley by-pass, but unlike today try to do it in nice weather. We couldn’t see a thing lights were on despite it being in daylight and we continued up then started to climb into the Heads of the Valleys roads.

We were making good time, then all of a sudden as if the curtains had parted we were in glorious sunshine, the views were outstanding in among the hills and valleys of South Wales, surely God’s country and not too far to continue. The road signs said a mere 25 miles to go we continued and came into the county of Monmouthshire, it’s always been a favourite of mine, I used to enjoy travelling here to play rugby in my youth. Then it was upon us the gorgeous old historic market town of Abergavenny.

We were to set up in the towns Victorian Market hall just over the bridge crossing the River Gavenny and into town. We were greeted by the organiser Daisy, a young lady in her early twenties and despite her youth was extremely competent and had a lovely friendly way about her. We were one of the first traders and allocated a prime spot in the centre of the Market. We worked like beavers scurrying back and forth the van I carried and the memsahib set up shop, tea and cake. We had thirty minutes spare before the market opened and were able to grab some breakfast at a local cafe at very reasonable prices.

The Market opened and I was amazed how many people arrived so early and for our first vegan fair experience were amazed by the demographics of the people attending. Young and old alike attended and a real mix of ethnicities it was wonderful. People were curious about the origins of the teas, how we started the business and took a real interest. Memsahib was inundated with predominantly ladies, asking how she baked the cakes, she explained that she and our daughter in law had made them and how they were made with dairy substitutes. Time went quickly and at the end of the day we were tired but elated, my apprehensions and doubts long gone and we’d learnt a lot.

Would we do it all again after Our First Vegan Fair Experience, yes we would and are already booked in to do several others later this year. We would also like to thanks our host Daisy Botha http://www.aardeevents.com for organising a successful and lovely experience for both stallholders and customers, we wish her well in her endevours. Until our Next Vegan Fair.