Shropshire Star

Shropshire organisers appeal for more traders to join the ‘free from’ food Frestival

A festival in Shrewsbury specialising in ‘free-from’ foods and those suffering with allergies has lined up a huge array of traders for the event – and is calling for more to come forward to offer even more diversity.

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Robin Nugent of Iron & Rose in Shrewsbury’s Market Hall with speciality winemaker Thomas Holt, of Paso-Primero

Frestival 2019 will take place at the West Mid Showground on May 18.

Organisers are aiming to introduce people to all sorts of foods free from ingredients such as wheat, gluten, dairy, meat, nuts, animal products, palm oil, sugar and even plastic.

Traders at the event will include Hunter and Gather, which sells a range of products, created to provide choices that are healthy, tasty and free from any artificial products or preservatives; The Wrinkly Elephant Company, which sells luxury, natural, handcrafted soap, bath and body products and Planet Doughnut with its vegan doughnuts. Lajina Leal of Lajina Masala, who is also demonstrating in the Frestival cookery theatre, will have a stall, selling her spice mixes, which are naturally low in fat, sugar, salt and gluten-free.

There will also be Rawesome, which sells tasty vegan, gluten free and dairy free raw bars with no added sugar, Haughton Honey, which sells raw honey straight from the hive and many more.

Organiser Ian Bebbington said: “We are delighted with the number of traders who have come forward to set up at Frestival.”

Michelle D’Arcy, from the Shropshire Veggies and Vegans, will have an information stall to tell people all about the vegan lifestyle. She said: “I felt it was important that there was a someone there with knowledge about veganism to advise people about how to stay healthy on a vegan diet and the reasons for going vegan.”

Frestival will have a large food court for visitors to enjoy with all sorts of streets stalls, selling everything from pizza and BBQ food to vegan ice-cream.

There will be a variety of hot and cold food. There will also be vegan wine from Thomas Holt of Paso-Primero with Darren Tomkins of Gindifferent, the hugely successful gin bar in Shrewsbury’s Market Hall. To become a trader at Frestival visit shropshirefrestival.co.uk/get-involved