PLANT BASED FESTIVALS

With festival season on its way we have been planting some seeds with our food stall, it’s coming out of hibernation and will be back in business from May.

Our menus are a twist on traditional street food designed to be inclusive with some gluten free, organic and raw options focusing on tasty, natural flavours and veg at the heart of it. We hope to be a unique option for street food with some inventive additions, bitesize delights and a few wholesome bigger plates at our fully vegan food stall. 

2024 festivals confirmed:

SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD FESTIVAL

Saturday 25th, Sunday 26th, Monday 27th May

Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, DA9 9ST

Tickets are just £3 for adults and free for children (age 0-15) which gives you access to everything.

From delicious street food to artisanal stalls; celebrity chef demonstrations to recipe book signings, there's something to cater to every taste over the May Bank Holiday. Sink your teeth into the hottest street food from around the globe, before browsing the artisan's market for delicacies, homeware and accessories that make for truly thoughtful, original gifts. Don't miss the Big Cookery Stage while you're there.

scrumptiosfoodfestivals.co.uk

THE KENT WELLNESS FESTIVAL

Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June

Kent Event Centre, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, ME14 3JF

Tickets from £20 with entry to all classes, talks and workshops included.

A weekend full of fitness, yoga and meditation classes, self-development talks and workshops, health, nutrition and spiritual wellbeing talks, wellness market, traditional and alternative therapies, mediums, clairvoyants and readers, holistic day spa and food and chillout areas.

thekentwellnessfestival.com

THE KENT FOOD FEST

Saturday 15th & Sunday 16h June

 Little Elses, Morleys Rd, Sevenoaks, TN14 6QX

 Adult tickets from £15, children from £5 and dogs are welcome too!

At the festival, you can expect a fantastic line-up of music, featuring top artists. Additionally, there will be a world gourmet food village where you can indulge in delicious cuisine from around the globe. The award-winning drinks village offers a variety of beverages to quench your thirst.

For those looking to dance the night away, there will be DJs performing in the secret forest. There will also be a funfair to enjoy and art galleries showcasing the incredible work of both national and international artists.

If you're in need of relaxation and rejuvenation, make sure to visit the well-being and healing village. You'll find various activities and services to enhance your overall well-being.

thekentfoodfest.com

VERVE WELLNESS FESTIVAL

Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd September

Hatch House, West Hatch, Tisbury, Wiltshire, SP3 6PA

Weekend tickets from £159 and children under 15 from £20. Tickets for Saturday from £89, Sunday from £69.

A Celebration of Health, Wellness & Nature. The ultimate reset, deep in the Wiltshire countryside. VERVE has an array of activities including forest bathing, goddess circles, nature meditations, mindful workshops, blissful Yin, energising Disco Flow yoga, powerful Pilates, grounding meditation sessions, therapeutic gong baths, expert speakers discussing everything from sober curiosity, to the power of kindness and finding your true purpose. They have an amazing line up of musicians and DJs and delicious food and drink vendors, showcasing the best culinary talent.

feeltheverve.com

We are looking forward to serving up some delicious vegan dishes at these exciting events. Keep an eye out on our Instagram or subscribe to our mailing list for all our latest updates.

A YEAR OF ORGANIC SUPPER CLUBS

We have the exiting opportunity to work alongside one of my favourite restaurants in London, The Duke of Cambridge. Located just off Islington High Street is a gastro pub that has been promoting organic and sustainable practices since 1998. This month they celebrated their 25th year of being certified by the Soil Association. Although not a fully vegan restaurant they source sustainably and have a huge emphasis on plant-based dishes and components so that people of all dietary choices can dine together and be a part of making the world a little better by incorporating more veg in their lives.

They are part of The Culpeper Family Hospitality Group, a collection of four pubs and restaurants across East and North London with a simple mission to positively impact our world by using hospitality as a force for good - one day, one person, one pint, one (wine) glass, one meal, one smile, one building and rooftop at a time.

Our dedication to sustainability goes hand in hand with this collaboration. Our organic menus are focused on high quality, seasonal and tasty veg that has the spotlight in every dish. We will create a new menu each month that has a different theme based on either seasonality, cultural influences or a topic of interest.

We hosted our first supper club of the year at The Duke back in February. It sparked a lot of interest and we are grateful to everyone who attended. We hope these events will build a community and base for people interested in vegan food and lifestyles.

We have our next supper club confirmed in April with the intention to host once a month on the second Tuesday of the month. To find out more visit our Supper Clubs page.

From your favourite vegetable enthusiast, Hayley

WELCOME

Hello hello, welcome to the plantiful world of Plant Based Kitchens

Hi, I’m Hayley, Plant-based chef, vegetable enthusiast, environmental advocate and owner of Plant Based Kitchens. At the heart of our business is a dedication to help build a more sustainable world for us to live healthier and happier lives by providing accessible vegan food that isn’t something to be feared but embraced by all.

We want to de-bunk a few taboos about this lifestyle because it hasn’t always had the best press. The basic premise of this lifestyle and the individual choices we make uphold one fundamental that I’m sure we are all trying to do every day – to just do better. If we can make small changes each day that do more good than harm, then I’d take that as a win.

With so many decisions to make on a day-to-day basis that hold so much impact, I can be hard to see clearly amongst the fog. We are told to care about the environment, to switch to energy saving bulbs, minimise baths, invest in an electric vehicle. The easiest and most affordable way is to look closer to home, at our plates and eat more plants and less animal products. I have never been a “pushy” vegan and know I can’t change the world overnight but if each person consumed less animal products and really thought about where their food came from then I have done my job.

In my professional youth, I was once told by a senior chef “less is more”. As I gained experience over the years, I realised this didn’t just relate to plating a dish and its aesthetic. I started to implement this idea into my own eating habits, choosing quality over quantity. This idea is what drives my purpose of trying to create a more sustainable world, one that isn’t driven by consumerism and over-consumption (all you can eat buffet – run for the hills!). If we can’t take the plunge and go cold-turkey (I won’t apologise for my poor pun choices) then making more conscious decisions with the animal products we eat, having less or opting for organic can make a significant difference.

Another thing I feel can be misinterpreted is elitism. We have been indoctrinated to think a plant-based lifestyle is an exclusive member’s club that you have to buy into or change your whole personality to fit in. There is nothing stopping an individual from taking small steps to improve their health and their environment. Veganism is accessible and as easy as picking up an apple from your local supermarket. You don’t have to buy into “vegan” products when there are so many naturally readily available foods that are local and affordable.

So, long story short. If you want to do a little better today then consider Plant Based Kitchens to host a special dinner, cater for a wedding, birthday, corporate event - you name it! We’re here to stay (popping up every now and then in a town near you) making a thousand small choices to be healthier and more sustainable so you only have to make one.

Stay tuned for plant-based insights, upcoming events, myth busting, recommendations and so much more.

Check our Stories page regularly on our Website (congratulations you made it!). Keep up to date on our socials Instagram or Facebook.

If you are intrigued by our services or just want a chat then we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch.

From your favourite vegetable enthusiast, Hayley