By Lucia Rivera, VRG Intern

Through selling vegan foods at festivals throughout the country, young cooks share and promote vegan eating. Two of these cooks are Anayeli Camacho and Thomas Woodruff, who, respectively, works at a vegan restaurant and started his own vegan pop-up business.

     “I would say the benefits of selling vegan food [in a festival setting] is you can reach more people. People who want to live a healthier lifestyle and people who want to help the planet,” Woodruff said.

     Additionally, for Camacho, selling at festivals like a VegFest is a great way to gain more exposure for the restaurant she works for, named Verdine. She also stressed the importance of marketing the restaurant visually at the festival.

     “[Selling food at festivals is] just about spreading your name and letting people know ‘Oh, we have a restaurant as well and you can come check us out anytime.’ That’s why it’s so important when we go to these events to make sure that the food is great because [customers are] going to taste it and say ‘Wow, this is good; where can we try more?’ Then they’re going to come to the restaurant. You’ve just gotta make sure your voice is heard and you’re getting customers,” Camacho said.

     In order to receive the benefits from selling food at festivals there are several factors that need to be executed well according to Camacho. In her experience, making a profit has been a central goal, in addition to speed, organization, and teamwork. Woodruff agreed that organization and teamwork were the “most important” factors, claiming that “everything is so fast paced and if everyone isn’t on the same page it isn’t going to be good.”

     “Especially for a festival, teamwork is a huge thing. [Also] understanding what everybody’s role is and understanding what everybody has to have done by the time we’re up and running [is important]. Like if at 11 it starts, then we need to make sure that at 11 everybody’s done what they’re supposed to be doing and we’re ready to go; we’re ready to serve customers.”

     There are also certain factors that are taken into account when groups choose what food to sell. This includes planning for the respective audience and what other groups will be selling at the festival. In the past, Anayeli has made and sold sushi rolls, tamales, philly cheesesteaks, and cupcakes with her team. Woodruff prefers selling desserts, and in the past has sold at the Front Street Food Festival in Texarkana, Arkansas.

     “I think the best items to sell at festivals are desserts. People are usually more open to trying a dessert and if they like the dessert they usually buy a plate of food,” Woodruff said.

     When Camacho has worked with a prep team at festivals her process has consisted of preparing the food beforehand, assembling her station, heating up the food, and then being ready for arriving customers. Contrastingly, at a restaurant, a team is not focused on producing large

amounts of one item. Necessary materials like water are also not always as on-hand as they would be in a restaurant kitchen.

     “The packaging of it is different because we’ve got to make sure that nobody at the restaurant gets the food meant for the festival. Of course we label it and everything but we’ve got to set aside that equipment and that food and that prepping,” Camacho said. “It’s about really working

with the other prep people because it can become chaotic. There’s people prepping for the restaurant and we’re trying to prep for the festival, so just making sure everybody’s on the same page, everybody knows what’s happening, [and] everybody knows what their role is.

For those that want to organize a veggie festival once the pandemic is over, this information may be helpful: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/09/07/putting-on-a-vegetarian-festival-vegetarian-festivals-galore/

You can find quantity recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/fsupdate/index.htm

Here are items that Thomas Woodruff has sold: https://www.txkvegan.com/