8 Super-Cool Brands to Check Out at VegExpo

Plant-based desserts, eco-friendly cleaning products and sustainable fashion join forces for this weekend’s event.

There’s no better place in Canada to be a vegan or vegetarian than Vancouver. With tons of veg-friendly restaurants, local farmers’ markets, and eco-friendly shops, the city breeds a healthy culture that supports diets of all kinds. But what happens when all of these like-minded individuals are in one place?

Find out at Canada’s fifth annual VegExpo (Sunday, May 27) where exhibitors will be showcasing delicious treats, sustainable products and environmental activism. Whether you’ve been counting down the days to this event for weeks or are cluelessly tagging along with a friend, here’s our list of one-of-a-kind places to check out during your visit.

1. YamChops

From its hip Little-Italy location in Toronto, this plant-based ‘butcher shop’ offers an array of great tasting meat substitutes. They also create classic dishes like Fish-Less Fish Tacos with mango salsa and Chick*n Shawarma topped with lettuce, carrot, pickle and garlic aioli to fulfil all your meat cravings. (Anyone else hoping they’ll have free samples at the expo?)

2. Crazies and Weirdos

This small company has one loud message: save the animals. Crazies and Weirdos launches a new t-shirt campaign every three months to support and bring awareness to one specific animal group. They then donate a portion of these sales to a designated cause that fights to better the lives of the animal group they campaign for. Alongside their #ClarkKentIsVegan tees, which they raised money for Ric O’Berry’s Dolphin Project, they will have merchandise for their new #CarbsAreBaeBae campaign, an initiative that raises global health awareness for humans while discussing the difference between good and bad carbs.

3. Nabati

Raw + vegan + gluten-free = very Vancouver-friendly. Nabati, the Arabic word for plant-based, is a family-owned business from Edmonton that creates delectable desserts (think Nanaimo bars, cookies and cakes) for a healthy, sustainable and compassionate life. They use whole, unrefined fruits, nuts and vegetables—and produce their own house-syrups that contain zero artificial colouring.

4. Purest Home Essentials

Inspired by the belief that every home should be clean and safe from toxic chemicals, Purest offers a collection of eco-friendly (affordable!) cleaning supplies. And since these products are 100-percent natural, you can stop worrying about what will happen if your kids rummage through the cupboard under the sink. 

5. Vegan Rob’s 

Founded by Robert Ehrlich in 2015, Vegan Rob’s focusses on nutrition and compassion. With the simple goal of loving yourself, our planet and all living things, this brand has a refreshing take on the versatility of vegan snacking with products like cheddar puffs, sweet and salty popcorn, and dark cacao kombucha bars.

6. Arvin Goods

With a full commitment to sustainability, Arvin creates sock made from 100-percent up-cycled materials—and underwear that doesn’t require water or toxic dyes. The process to make one pair of stylish Arvin socks saves 150 litres (!) of water, requires zero chemicals and is cost effective for everyone.

7. NutMeg Mylk 

Unhappy with the quality of dairy-free milks available in grocery stores, Megan Wallace began handcrafting her own from raw, organic and nutrient-rich ingredients. NutMeg Mylk offers plenty of healthy and wholesome flavours like the Signature (a creamy almond milk lightly sweetened with dates and a touch of nutmeg) and the Provence (a lavender-flavoured milk made with organic honey from Abbotsford).

8. Cinnaholic 

As seen on Shark Tank, Cinnaholic brings your 100-percent vegan cinnamon roll dreams to life. At VegExpo, you can try one of their limited-edition seasonal flavours, cinnacakes, or confetti cookies—a chocolate chip cookie with sprinkles! And if you ever visit one of their many store front locations across North America, you can also create your very own signature treat with various frostings, toppings and sauces (including marshmallow and cake batter flavours, and various fresh fruits).

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VegExpo

Sunday, May 27 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)Vancouver Convention Centre West1055 Canada PlaceTickets available here