By Sally Churchward. Additional reporting: Spring Wise. Victorious is, of course, a music festival. But while the bands are obviously the big draw, there are other attractions that make it special. Here are some of the things besides big names, that make those three days on Southsea Common so special.   1. The Kids’ Arena

The South East Vegan Festival returns to St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton  tomorrow – 13th July. The popular event will feature 90 all vegan stalls serving delicious world foods, drinks, selling quirky clothes and accessories, bags, cosmetics and a range of campaign stalls.The day will feature special guest speakers to engage with you their work and

A monthly artisanal market has been launched in Southampton’s Carlton Place, hosting over 25 stalls each month showcasing their wares. The market launched on the 6th April where there was great visitor attendance from the local community. It is organised by Gaia Health Store Co Founders André and Emma Moreira. The market has been very

By Joy McKay. There has been so much hype about this restaurant it had genuinely made me suspicious, but with 30% off for Veganuary it seemed worth a try. Késarum is an 100% vegan, modern Indian restaurant providing a seasonal menu with many locally sourced ingredients. Situated on what’s now called the QE2 mile on

By Charlotte Ndupuechi. As the winter sets in you may be on the lookout for a cozy venue to while away the hours. Board in the City is a great concept. A table-top gaming cafe offering a welcoming environment for all. It has a huge selection of board games, community events and food and drinks

Cosy up for winter at The Greyhound on the Test, a 16th century characterful retreat with seven dog-friendly en-suite rooms and three accessible cottages. Looking ahead to the festive season, guests will find crackling fires, twinkling lights, and delicious food, whether they’re enjoying a relaxed festive gathering with family or a lively Christmas party with

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood. Preparations are underway for the popular Local Produce Trade Show 2024. The showcase event for delicious food and drink produced across the region will take place on Tuesday 6th February 2024 at the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton. The aim is to bring together buyers from hospitality and beyond to feast

A high-end experience restaurant, The Lightship – which will honour the nautical heritage of The Solent, is set to open on Friday 30 June. With an idyllic position at Haslar Marina on the English waters, the highly anticipated drinking and dining delight will transform Portsmouth’s historic 1940’s ex-Trinity House lightvessel to offer a restaurant with 1940’s gastronomic flair.

by Joy McKay. The Hampshire Local Produce Trade Show is in it’s 10th year and showcases produce and food related services based in Hampshire and the surrounding areas. I went along to the Hilton Hotel at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl see what delicious new food and drinks were being produced and sold for us in and

by Joy Richardson. Here is part two of our vegan budget meal plan (click here for part 1). Every year The Vegan Society promotes January as a time to try being vegan and many people enjoy the challenge of taking part. However whether you want to try joining in with Veganuary, or would just like

by Joy Richardson. Every year The Vegan Society promotes January as a time to try being vegan and many people enjoy the challenge of taking part. However whether you want to try joining in with Veganuary, or would just like to incorporate more meat free meals into your diet, vegan food can be wholesome, filling,

by Vie Portland. I’ve adapted this recipe so it’s not too spicy. Quantities of ingredients are to taste and availability. Ingredients: red onions mushrooms crushed garlic vegan chick*n piees passata tinned chopped tomatoes kidney beans seasoning (paprika/chilli powder/Cajun seasoning vegan tortillas vegan cheese, grated vegan sour cream or coconut milk   Saute red onions, mushrooms

by Charlotte Ndupuechi. I went from being a huge meat eater to being plant based and haven’t looked back. Like many others I was consciously trying to reduce my impact on the planet. For years I had been recycling and trying to find more local produce. I had changed my shower-head and had a little

by Charlie Hislop. Christmas has come early to Southampton and the Solent region apparently, with the final approval by the Government of the Solent Freeport proposal. That is according to Government Minister Dehenna Davison who was in the region to make the announcement. “This Freeport is going to give local economies a shot in the

A community bakery in Southampton is hosting a bake-off style competition for amateur bakers this month (July 2022) to help raise funds for new baking equipment. CommuniBakes, which is the commercial arm of the charity Communicare, is hosting the competition on Saturday, July 30 and the winning bake will be made and sold in August.

by Sally Churchward. It is one of Southampton’s best-loved independent shops, drawing in people from a wide area, thanks to its affordable, ethical stance. But now vegan supermarket Rice Up has fallen on hard times, with only days to save it from possibly having to close its doors for good. The shop strives to serve

Eat cake – tackle loneliness. What is not to like ? Last month saw the launch of a project in Southampton to do just that. Communibakes is a baker’s shop and community hub in Shirley set up by a local charity. The profits from the bakery and shop will be channeled into much-needed work to

This recipe is courtesy of the Upper Shirley High School food and nutrition department. It’s really quick and simple to make and would make a lovely gift over the festive season and is suitable for vegans. Ingredients • 80g dairy free spread • 70g dark muscovado sugar • 70g golden syrup • 200g plain flour

by Jean Glasspool. It’s beetroot season. This is an excellent recipe for anyone who has a glut of beetroot thanks to their allotment or back garden plot. It makes a delicious savory chutney that keeps well. These quantities make four to five jars full. Scale the ingredients up or down if you have more/less beetroot.

by Sally Churchward. This is a great recipe to make with small children, as once you’ve blended the pears, you just put all the ingredients (except the pears for the bottom/top) into a bowl and mix. Ingredients: 300ml pear puree – blend pears to make this. How many pears you need depends on how much

by Spring Wise. Ingredients (serves 4): Olive oil to fry with 1/2 cup lentils I vegetable stock pot (or equivalent cubes) 1 and 1/2 tins chopped tomatoes 1 large carrot 1 onion 2 handfuls of mushrooms 3 large cloves garlic 1 cup vegan red wine 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 bay leaf Fresh or dried

by Sarah Groszewski. Monday saw the opening of a community Vegan pop up cafe in October Books, Portswood. The cafe was opened on a pay-what-you-like basis as a way to prevent food waste (a large proportion of the fruit and veg is surplus food donated from local traders), fight hunger, spread  environmental and vegan messages,

by Sally Churchward. Monday, October 14, will see the launch of a new pop up vegan cafe in Portswood, Southampton Veg Out community vegan cafe will open its doors at 10am in the community room at October Books on Portswood’s high street. As well as spreading a vegan and environmental message, the cafe will provide

Celebrated as ‘the gateway to the world,’ Southampton used to be known as somewhere you pass through, thanks to its famous cruise industry and commercial dockyards. But times have changed, and now it is a destination in its own right, thanks, in part, to its thriving leisure scene. There has been a lot of redevelopment

by Hannah Pinchin of Hannah Banana Bakery. SERVES 8 Ingredients: Biscuit base 300g Vegan digestive biscuits (or lotus spread biscuits for a spicy twist) 3tbsp Vegan margarine  Zingy lemony middle 225g Cashew nuts (soaked in water over night or boiled for 10 minutes) 125ml Maple syrup 250 ml Coconut cream 50ml Fresh lemon juice (1