Nilakshi Surendran enjoys a vegan cream of mushroom soup from Rawlicious which is based in Markham. (Vineeta Patel/Toronto Observer)
On March 19, vegan Torontonians gathered at Artscape’s Wychwood Barns to indulge in a culinary event catered specifically to them.
Since its startup in 2009, the Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off has been a hit annually. With over 600 attendees and about 60 competing bakers, this year’s competition was the biggest yet.
The event showcases vegan and gluten-free treats such as cupcakes, brownies and more which are available to all attendees.
Lisa Le, more popularly known by her blogging pseudonym The Viet Vegan, was among those who participated in the bake-off. Le is a prominent figure in the vegan community, putting Vietnamese twists to many of her dishes, which of course are vegan.
She took to Twitter to express her excitement and gratitude for the bakeoff ,saying she “Had a BLAST at @VeganBakeOff today!”
Nilakshi Surendran, 20, also attended the dairy-free soiree. “The vegan community in Toronto is really growing and it’s great because a lot of people who aren’t vegan are becoming more open to trying vegan food and learning more about it,” Surendran said.
The event not only brought tasty vegan treats but also the recipes behind them. Everything from ice cream to cookies were showcased. It was definitely a chance for people to expand past specialized restaurants and refined diets to making more extravagant meals and desserts.
“Knowing that there are more vegan places out there also helps people that are on the fence about becoming vegan actually decide because now they know where to get vegan food,” Surendran added.