Vegan Shop-Up!

I've been planning to attend the Vegan Shop-up for the past two months but unfortunately something has always come up but this time I finally got the chance to go and now I can’t wait to attend again! It was nice to check out some local vendors and see what they have to offer and I have to admit I have fallen IN LOVE with Fine + Raw's chocolate, it was literally to die for! I didn't get a chance to buy some but I’m just dreaming of tasting and trying it again haha. They've recently opened up a cafe factory and I plan to check that out soon because the thought of going to a chocolate factory is like a crazy dream come true! Haha.

There were tons of vendors all different parts of the bar and the products ranged from cakes to vegan gyros! Bunna Cafe, which sells vegan Ethiopian food, was there and I wish I got to check them out but I was in a slight rush that day and yeah #brokecollegestudentlife. There were other food vendors like Harmony Kitchen, Heirloom Vegan Eatery and other tasty places to sample and I can’t wait to do just that next time I go! The lovely Lael was there and they had such beautiful soy free, gluten free cakes! Everything from them looked gorgeous and if I were in the process of planning a birthday/wedding anything they’d definitely be who I had in mind to do the cake! They even had vegan French macarons in their display book and when I spoke to one of the girls at the table she said the texture isn't exactly the same but they’re just as good!

You definitely need to check out O Live Brooklyn which sells premium extra virgin olive oil and vinegar and oh my I tried their 18 year + aged balsamic and it is AMAZING! I checked out their website and they have these other delicious sounding flavors like espresso, tangerine and dark chocolate and I can just imagine how great they would taste with the backdrop of that tangy, sweet balsamic flavor. Treeline Cheese was there and I've heard of this brand of vegan cheese a lot so I was looking forward to checking them out. They had four different hard cheese available; plain, mild smokey, very smoky and one with cracked black pepper.  I have to say the plain was super creamy just like regular cheese but it was missing something extra, it was as if it was too plain. I also tried the very smoky and it was a little overdone I think, the smoky bit overtook any other “cheese” flavor there was to be had and it tasted a bit like the plain flavor was doused in a bottle of liquid smoke. I do compliment the texture and the creaminess and the plain is something I would try again maybe spiced up with some fresh herbs and spices.

Outside the venue, there was the ever popular  Cinnamon Snail which I have yet to try but I’m sure I will soon. I did get a drink from the Green Pirate Juice Truck which was the GP Lemonade, a refreshing combo of lemons, apples and cucumbers, it was delicious and a great drink for a warm, sunny day!

I had a fun time at the Vegan Shop-Up and you should definitely check it out if you’re in the area when it rolls around next month. Great atmosphere, great food and great people!