At Ely’s Vegan and Vintage Fair, of course!

Ely Markets is gearing up for its iconic fair this May Day bank holiday weekend. 
This popular event brings together an eclectic mix of vegan food alongside vintage, retro and traditional market stalls.

It’s going to be an epic weekend for foodies, coinciding with Ely’s Food & Drink Festival at Palace Green on Sunday and Monday, and Eel Day on Saturday, with its annual parade planned from Cross Green to Jubilee Gardens at 10.30am.

Julia Davis, of Ely Markets, hopes the Vegan and Vintage Fair will appeal to young and old, regardless of diet or lifestyle.
“You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate it – we’ve got delicious food and drink that’ll please everyone, as well as lots of vintage stalls. 
“It’s a chance to experience something new and enjoy a bit of retro fun while soaking up the atmosphere of our beautiful city.”
There will be a diverse range of vegan food available – from meat-free burgers and Sri Lankan curry to Food by Lizzi’s famous “Scotch Eggless” and delicious cakes. 
Visitors should also look out for vegan beauty products and ethical clothing.
Julia said: “Our markets have a great reputation for vegan food. At our Vegan and Vintage Fair, we’re bringing together local favourites with food and producers from all over the region. We’ve got something for everyone.”
Street food fans can try out vegan burgers, wraps, samosas and curry, washed down with vegan-friendly coffee, tea and cake – plus a bar on the Market Place for anyone after a stronger tipple.
As well as sampling vegan food, visitors can also browse a selection of retro-inspired stalls. There will be vintage and upcycled furniture – plus collectables, clothes and records.
Julia said: “This year there’ll be everything from retro lamps to 1950s-style dresses and vinyl. People love the unique combination of delicious vegan food and quirky stalls. So whether you’re curious about vegan food, or a fan of vintage style, come and explore our Vegan & Vintage Fair this bank holiday with your family and friends.”
Ely Markets’ Vegan and Vintage Fair will take place on Sunday, May 6, and Monday, May 7, from 10am to 4pm. 
Vegan food and produce will be available on Dolphin Lane and the vintage stalls will be on the main Market Place. 

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Lucy at 35 celebrated its grand opening at midday today – and within minutes the cafe was full of foodies curious to try out its colourful cuisine.

Any stereotypes of vegan food being bland or boring were quickly shattered, with dishes ranging from three bean chilli to chickpea, squash and sweet potato curry.
Not to mention the tantalising cookies, brownies and cakes – a work of wizardry, containing neither eggs, butter nor flour.

Minutes before the launch, Spotted in Ely caught up with chef Lucy Andrew, of Little Downham, and Ely businesswoman Caroline Bailey, the forces behind Lucy at 35.

Caroline said: “We are very excited and we are very proud to be bringing a dedicated vegan and gluten free cafe to Ely.
“I’ve known Ely for 40 years. Absolutely there’s been a change. Ely’s a really special city and I think it will really embrace a healthy eating lifestyle.”
Lucy, who’d been prepping dishes into the early hours, admitted having last minute jitters about the grand opening.
“Nerves are good – it shows you care a lot.”

Lucy – who herself has followed a gluten free diet for almost a decade – needn’t have worried.
The healthy, unusual dishes she’d dreamt up were an instant hit on a busy Saturday.
The old stereotype of vegans living on tofu and lentils has gone – and “if it hasn’t, it definitely will be kicked into touch”, Caroline said.
“Vegan food has a beautiful range. It’s delicious and healthy – a rainbow of colours.”
Lucy at 35 opened today at Spa Ely, 35 Forehill. For more information click here.

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Bi-annual vegan fairs are already drawing foodies from far and wide to Ely – and now, the city’s celebrating the launch of its first, dedicated vegan and gluten free cafe.

“Nourish to flourish” is the motto of Lucy at 35, a cafe promising “healthy, wholesome and delicious” plant based foods, based at Spa Ely.

Lucy at 35 is the brainchild of chef Lucy Andrew, from Little Downham, and Ely businesswoman Caroline Bailey.
Caroline had a “light bulb moment” after becoming frustrated at the lack of places to eat out when she found out she was gluten intolerant late last year.
“I decided to offer vegan food at 35 Forehill, to create it as a health and wellbeing lifestyle venue, catering for people’s health and beauty needs, both inside and out.”
The grand launch of Lucy at 35 will coincide with Spa Ely’s 12th anniversary – a double celebration.
Caroline said: “Our food is not aimed just at vegans, but people who want to try delicious, new flavours that are plant based.”

Lucy’s tantalising dishes include falafel, mint yogurt, rocket, pickled red onion and toasted sesame seed wraps, white truffle and mushroom risotto, Thai vegetable and peanut noodles or a vegan twist on mac ’n’ cheese, featuring butternut squash and nutritional yeast.
For those with a sweet tooth, desserts include dark chocolate, caramel and sea salt bark and sweet potato brownie with dark chocolate frosting.
Lucy, 24, said: “The wonderful thing about these dishes is the purity of them. I believe we need to ‘nourish to flourish’, that this comes from within us and what we eat.
“We will serve gorgeous rainbow coloured foods packed with pure nutrients that are shown to have many health benefits, can increase energy and give you a glowing skin, as well as being very satisfying on the pallet.”

She herself adopted a gluten free lifestyle at the age of 15 after her former partner was diagnosed as coeliac. She found it difficult to return to her previous diet, becoming very bloated after re-introducing foods she had eliminated, such as pasta, bread and biscuits.
Lucy said: “Lots of my family and friends now follow a gluten free or vegan lifestyle. We share recipes and tips, which is fun as it can lead to trying new recipes that I haven’t tried before.”
The cafe will have a strong environmental ethos. Lucy plans to use the freshest, seasonal ingredients where possible and make her best effort to source locally.
It will also serve take-away foods in recyclable and compostable containers.
Lucy at 35 will open at Spa Ely, 35 Forehill, on April 21. For more information click here.
The Vegan & Vintage Fair will take place on May 6-7 (Bank Holiday Weekend). For more details click here. 

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The answer is at Ely’s next Vegan Fair, promising a culinary feast for foodies – regardless of diet.

Launched last autumn, the Vegan Fair proved so popular that it’s set to make its return on Saturday, September 30.

The fair brings together familiar faces from Ely Markets, alongside other regional and national vegan producers, makers and street food vendors.
Vegans and “v-curious” market goers will be able to get their teeth stuck into an array of street food and drink as well as sampling henna tattoos, vegan handbags, cosmetics and information stands.

The event runs alongside Ely’s Craft and Vintage Market.
Emma Grima, commercial director for East Cambs Trading Company, said: “The vegan fair proved a big hit last year, so much so that we have decided to make this year’s event bigger and better than before.
“By providing something different to the market, we hope that residents and visitors alike will welcome the chance to take part and try what’s on offer.”
Admission is free. The fair is family friendly and will run from 9am to 3pm.
For more information click here.

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As well as its second special Vegan Market set for Bank Holiday Weekend, the city is also gearing up to host Cambridgeshire’s first ever yoga and vegan festival.

Cambridgeshire Yoga and Vegan Fest, held at the Paradise Centre on June 11, is hosted by London-based Yogific, which describes itself as a “community of vegan yogis”.

The day is expected to include over 44 yoga and meditation sessions, talks, live music and over 50 stalls.
On its Facebook event page, the group describes the Paradise Centre as a “really nice leisure centre located in the heart of Ely”, adding that it plans to covert it into a “yoga university” for the day, catering for all ages and abilities, including a yoga class aimed specially for children.

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But sisters Claire Harrison and Holly Hodge, the creative talent behind The Isle Bakery, Ely’s newest cake shop, assure us there are no food fights in the kitchen when they’re busy baking!

The two Ely women love whisking up “beautiful cakes that taste as good as they look”.
So when they thought about turning that passion into a business, having each other for inspiration and support was the icing on the cake.
Growing up on a farm, Claire and Holly have many happy childhood memories of baking with their mum and siblings but it wasn’t until they reached adulthood that they discovered a passion for cake decorating.

They set up Isle Bakery at the start of this year, after baking for family and friends for several years.
Their first order was an exquisitely decorated unicorn cake, which proved an instant hit.

Since then they’ve conjured up magical custom made cakes for a number of occasions, including special birthdays and milestones, as well as quirky and unusual creations.
Claire says: “We’re currently working on a cake that combines two friends passions, princesses and superheros, on one spectacular cake.
“The cake will feature Batman and Belle themes and hopefully make two little girls very happy.”
Holly and Claire had each played with the idea of turning their baking passions into a business – but in the end decided that the best way to have their cake and eat it was to join forces and set up Isle Bakery together.

“We both love baking and trying out new decoration ideas. We had both considered starting our own businesses and it seemed like a good idea to do it together.
“This way we can bounce ideas off each other and take on larger orders which we work together on.
“We each have our own areas of interest and that helps us offer a broad range of designs, techniques and styles to our customers.”

Setting up a business with a sibling isn’t for everyone – but luckily Claire and Holly’s partnership does not turn up the heat too much in Claire’s kitchen!
“Fortunately we are a very close family and have always got on really well.
“It is great to have someone to bounce ideas off and to share this incredible experience with.
“It certainly felt less scary starting a business with each other than it would have done on our own.
“Working together also means we can cover each other for holidays and we always have back up if one of us is ill meaning our customers won’t be let down.”

The two sisters don’t have a limit on the number of people they can cater for and work on a case by case (or cake by cake) basis.
“It really depends on the intricacy of the design, the shape of the cakes, number of tiers and how many other bookings we have on at the time. We are happy to consider all order sizes.
“One way people can increase the number of servings is to add cupcakes to a cake order.”
Isle Bakery caters for different diets, accommodating people who are dairy or gluten intolerant as well as vegetarians and vegans.
“We have made egg free cakes before. We both have personal experience of food intolerances and passionately believe that there is no reason why people following special diets should have to put up with inferior quality cakes.”

Before they even set foot in the kitchen, the bakers plan out each creation, discussing each customer’s order with incredible attention to detail.
“Some people come to us with really specific ideas, even photos, of what they want. Others have a general theme in mind or are open to suggestions.
“We work with customers to refine their ideas, going back and forth until everyone is happy with the proposed design.
“Time spent planning a cake varies hugely depending on the complexity of the design. Modelling is usually the most time consuming part of a project and some projects we have to start weeks in advance.”
Holly juggles a full-time job in public health with her passion for baking while Claire is mum to Kessie, six, and Layla, four.

Juggling motherhood, jobs and a small business takes a lot of planning, Claire says.
“It is challenging at times. We make sure not to take on more work than we can manage as the quality of our finished product is paramount.
“Being organised is incredibly important and we have a lot of spreadsheets on the go!”

Muffin ventured, muffin gained – and Claire advises anyone seriously thinking of starting their own business to give it a whirl.
“Make sure you are prepared for lots of hard work. Having the support of family and friends has made the start of our venture so much easier than it might have been.
“We have also been delighted by the fantastic support we’ve received from the local community.

“I guess at the end of the day you won’t know if it’s for you unless you give it a try. We’re glad we did.”
If you knead a bit of inspiration, be sure to check out Isle Bakery’s delectable creations by clicking here.

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Following Ely Markets’ highly successful first Vegan Fair in October, the team will be back in early May Bank Holiday weekend, this time returning for a delicious two-day special.

This time they will be joined by a Vintage Fair selling everything from antique to mid-century, retro and almost modern.

Julia Davis of Ely Markets said: “Ely Markets is pleased to host a fantastic event for the May Day Bank Holiday weekend.
“There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a foodie or just love vintage, come along to Ely market place on Sunday and Monday to check out some new tastes and browse the great choice on offer.”

Dolphin Lane will transform into “Vegan Alley”,  tantalising your tastebuds with a selection of much loved stalls. Traders confirmed already include KuraKura, Miss Molly & Food by Lizzi.
Meanwhile Ely Market Place will feature a vintage market as well as its regular Sunday Market stalls.
Both markets will take place from 10am to 4pm on Sunday April 30 and Bank Holiday Monday, May 1.
You can keep up with latest developments by visiting Ely Markets’ Facebook page or by checking @ElyMarkets on Twitter and Instagram for updates.

For trader enquiries email markets@elymarkets.co.uk

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Yesterday’s Ely Vegan Fair – the city’s first – drew massive crowds from across the region, wanting to try some animal free treats.

Vegans, veggies and meat eaters alike commented on the high standard of food, ranging from vegan Scotch “eggs” to Caribbean street food and cakes galore. On the event’s Facebook page, many people are already calling for the fair to be a regular feature.

Stallholders included Joanne Penny, Broken Spoon, The River Kitchen, Raw + Delicious, A Vegetative State, Vegan Sweet Tooth, Organic Alex, Moonbeam Food Company, Lick Caribbean, Gourmet Vegan, Wandering Yak, Jo Clark, Food! By Lizzi, Audrey’s Cakes, Arbonne Cosmetics, Gaia’s Kitchen, Kemp-Beer, L’Atypique Wines, Tropic Skincare, Novi + Stand-Up, Minkie Moo Bakery, Moriaty’s Tea and Coffee, Curry with Love, Replete Flatbreads, Sun and Moon Juice and Moral Munch.

The crowds were also entertained by face painting and live music from Ely busking legend Jacen Bruce.
Ely Vegan Fair is the latest in a series of specialised events organised by Ely Markets to bring people to the city centre and enjoy a vast range of high quality produce.


From November 17, Ely Markets will be hosting another new event, called Ely Festive Lates, getting shoppers into the Christmas spirit. Festive Lates will run every Thursday in the run up to Christmas, from 4.30pm to 8.30pm.
For more information about Ely Festive Lates click here.
 

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