Brisbane Vegan Expo 2019

The weekend just passed was the weekend of the every first Brisbane Vegan Expo. While we have our regular vegan markets, and there have been a few bigger vegan events over the years, there hadn't been anything as large as this organised. I bought a ticket and met my friend there for the opening of the first day on Saturday. A lot of other people had the same idea, and it was raining so we all crowded together waiting for the doors to open. After a bit of a slow queue getting through the doors, we were in! The expo had a large range of vendors, a food section (a lot of the Brisbane Vegan Markets stalls were there, as well as a few others), as well as a speakers program. We were just there to eat and shop! Thankfully the event was indoors, as it was storming and bucketing rain down while we were in there, and also I didn't need to worry about getting burned by the sun!

I don't have a lot of photos from inside the expo, because it was big and busy, Also it might surprise you that I didn't actually eat that much there. I had a few samples of stuff, and a piece of banana bread from the council's food waste reduction stall, and an ice cream bar. There was a new brand that was launching at the expo, and are planning on getting into shops soon. It is almond milk based, though does have some coconut oil in it. But I tried a sample and the coconut oil wasn't too strong, so I bought one of their ice cream sandwiches. It was OK, it did have some sort of slightly strange taste to it that I noticed, though no one else did.





Otherwise I only really ate one thing there. Grassfed (which I've mentioned a few times before was there selling their new Grassfed Snack Packs, and my friend and I each had one. It was seasoned curly fries topped with pulled jackfruit, BBQ chicken, BBQ sauce, aioli, and srirachi (I got mine without this, of course). At first it looked small in its contained, but it ended up being so filling! Please excuse this terrible photo, the lighting in there was terrible and we were sitting on a concrete floor.



I also had a lovely Grapefruit Iced Tea, but no photo as I had it in my reusable smoothie cup so there wasn't much to see. There was a big emphasis of sustainability at the expo, but of course with food stalls and samples being given out, there were lots of things to go in the bin. So it was good to be able to reduce where I could.

Of course I intended to do some serious shopping there, but I was also worried. I have a back injury, I can't carry heavy shopping bags. What to do? Thankfully I organised myself to get a lovely purple nanna trolley from Big W the week before, and it was worth every cent. I was able to take all my reusables, as well as fill it up with loads of goodies to take home.



So, what did I put in the trolley? I'm glad you asked...



Alright, alright. Let's have a closer look!

This was all from the same stall that focused on cultured snacks. The kombucha is very silly, with apple and raspberry juice, some alkalising herbs, and rose and jasmine oil. Of course I couldn't say no to a drink as silly as that! The crackers are made from sauerkraut, and the scoby snack is like a fruit roll up made from the kombucha scobies! Come to me, probiotics!



There were a few stalls there selling a range of vegan stuff, kind of like mini Green Edges, but of course with lots of chocolate and lollies and snacks. I bought some of this jerky I'd been keen to try, as well as some of the new dark chocolate Vego Bars (I am in love with these and this was a good price), and I just wanted to try this pecan maple cinnamon infused chocolate because it sounds nice.



Pacari Chocolate had a stall there, and they had a huge range of flavours (I have included a photo of their flavour wall). I chose a few florals, chocolate cherry, and I also got two 100% dark chocolate bars. It is hard to find 100% ones and I love that dark bitter stuff.





Since we're talking about chocolate, I fricken love Kresho Bars. And Kresho himself was there with the Kresho Bar stall! Each bar normally retails for about $3 or more in shops, and he had an expo special where you could buy a box of 24 bars for $65. Really, I'd be a fool not to buy them at that price, so of course I did!



On a non-food front, I also picked up some vegan sunscreen to try out this summer (not that I will be spending any significant time underneath that evil day star that hurts me, but I thought I'd try it for the few times I have to scurry through it), and some more soapberries that I like to use for washing my clothes.



But... back to food! I was excited to finally get to try these Gutsy products. The smoked garlic sauerkraut is delicious, and the carrots are like a nice, earthy carrot pickle that I am looking forward to using on sandwiches. I also picked up some of my favourite flavours of Nutty Bay cashew cheese, that had a good deal on them for the expo.



The most exciting purchase for me was Crum. It is vegan Milo. If you are not Australian, you probably won't know about Milo. It is not just Ovaltine or Nesquick, it is its own special thing. Chocolatey, malty, crunchy. It was a huge part of my childhood. And I tried a sample of Crum and it is just so good. Though, at AU$24 for a 250g tin, it will be a very occasional treat. But I am looking forward to making hot drinks with it before bed time (hot Milo before bed was an integral part of every school camp), and also to mashing it into vanilla ice cream (also a classic use). I only bought one, but please enjoy this photo of a wall of Crum from their stall.



My final purchases came from this amazing stall selling French vegan food and called The V Word. They were selling various brioche baked goods, quiches, pates, and more. I bought two things to take home. First up, a lovely individual sized Rustic French Quiche, which had garlic, leek, and mushroom. I also bought a Chinois, which is like a brioche pull-apart of fat scrolls filled with custard and chocolate chips. IT WAS LIKE MAGIC IN MY MOUTH.







It was a fun morning, though tiring and not exactly easy on the wallet. But I had planned to spend lots of money there, so I was prepared! Besides a few teething issues (a bit of a mess with the entry lines, not enough seating for eating, the massage people who used herbs that made a large area of the place smell like pot), it was a great day. It went all weekend, and lots of people were posting about how much fun they had. Good news is it seems like they are keen to organise it again next year. I, for one, will definitely be there, nanna trolley at the ready.

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Dim Sim emerging from the ferns.