Monthly vegan market in London

This news is long overdue.

I am proud to announce Hackney Downs Vegan Market, a brand new monthly vegan market showcasing amazing plant-based food and goods.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market is a collaboration between Fat Gay Vegan and Hackney Downs Studios/ Eat Work Art, the site of my now infamous Vegan Christmas Market. On the third Saturday of each month, the vegan market will come alive with some of the finest street traders in the capital.

We will feature some regular, well-known traders in addition to a rotating line up of visitors.

As this is a collaborative project with Hackney Downs Studios, I am responsible for curating 75% of the stallholders.

In the spirit of inclusion and for the promotion of people often overlooked/sidelined at mainstream vegan events, I have earmarked my percentage of stalls for those traders who identify as BME, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and/or as women.

To clarify, this policy ensures that at least nine out of the twelve stalls each month will be owned or co-owned by someone who identifies as BME, LGBTQ, a person with a disability and/or a woman.

The remaining stalls will be filled with resident artists and manufacturers located within Hackney Downs Studios. This will allow for local, onsite traders to access the space even though they might not identify within the above outlines.

The very first Hackney Downs Vegan Market is scheduled for Saturday March 18, 2017. You can RSVP and invite people over on the Facebook event page. This is where I will be posting stall updates and news of available trading space.

If you identify as BME, LGBTQ, a person with a disability and/or a woman and would like to feature your market at Hackney Downs Vegan Market, you can email me at sean@fgvpr.co.uk to find out more information.

Unfortunately we won’t have space for every interested trader, but we will of course be keeping a waiting list and will work hard to include as many people as possible.

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Written by fatgayvegan

12 Comments
  1. I realise that it’s well meant but that inclusion policy seems counterproductive to me.

    You can’t fight discrimination by discriminating, all that encourages is the idea that discrimination is ok, just not against groups X, Y and Z.

    The only thing that stalls should be judged on is their own merits.
    The owners gender, sexuality and nationality doesn’t determine how good a stall they can run.

    There are ways to encourage and help these demographics without discriminating others. For example targeting specific issues that might hold them back e.g putting support and advice in place on how to start a business for people with chronic illness/disabilities. Taking away the roadblocks they may face, whilst ultimately providing everyone with equal opportunities.

    • Obviously, the discussion around positive discrimination/affirmative action/whatever it’s called this week won’t end anytime soon. I can see Sean’s point, though. I’ve thought for some time that visible diversity in the vegan community leaves quite a lot to be desired, and so have others I know. I’m sure it’s there, but it may take this to bring it out more. Who knows, it may not work, but I certainly think it’s worth a try.

      Apart from this, full marks for starting this market just round the corner from me. 🙂

      Annoyingly, I’ll be away for the first one, but subsequent ones are in the diary.

  2. Thanks Sean for once again adding to the ever-growing London vegan scene. In my opinion you alone (with help from the lovely Josh, of course) are responsible for having created a vibrant vegan community in London. If not for you, most of what we love about vegan London would not exist. Love you xxx

  3. You’re so awesome Sean! Love you, love this

  4. Awesome, provides an incredible opportunity for new start ups whose founders have decided that vegan is the way to go and want to get feedback from real customers before they launch into independents and/or supermarkets…or make permanent bricks+mortar sites. A lot of market managers are very tight knit and oversubscribed, only want career stall holders and don’t want more than one or two vegan stall holders in the mix. Bravo!

  5. I really appreciate this policy! Thank you for doing this despite the oh-so-predictable naysayers.

  6. Just a late thumbs-up for trying to do something positive and different with your radical inclusion policy. As if having a monthly vegan market wasn’t exciting enough…! Thank you, Sean.

  7. Hi,

    Can I just ask what the exact address is for those of us using satnav/driving?

    Many thanks and awesome work!

  8. Hi, thanks so much for organising this excellent market – I thoroughly enjoyed it and know many others did too. I was wondering if for the next one some steps in the direction of zero waste could be taken? For example, putting out recycling bins, and encouraging stall holders not to provide plastic cutlery could be a first step… Thanks very much in advance for considering!

  9. Absolutely awesome sums up what you do Sean.
    Whatever would we do without you?
    Looking forward to what ever you have up your sleeve in the future.

    Regards
    Sharyn

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