Launched in 2014, ‘veganuary’ is a global movement that challenges meat-eaters to try living a vegan lifestyle for a month. This year the ‘veganuary’ hype has notched up a level and across Joburg restaurants and cafes are scrambling to introduce ‘veganuary’ specials to their menus.
Whether you are taking up the veganuary challenge for health or ethical reasons, Joburg’s number one destination for stocking up on organic veggies and vegan-friendly products such as vegan cakes, nut butters and vegan cheeses has to be the city’s longest-running organic market – the Bryanston Organic Market, situated at 40 Culross Rd, Bryanston.
Joburg’s original organic market, Bryanston Market has been promoting organic products and ethical eating for more than four decades and has a strictly monitored system in place that guarantees everything you buy here is organic, ethically-sourced and has a minimal impact on the environment.
Here’s a look at some tasty vegan treats to enjoy at Bryanston Market. The market is open every Thu and Sat from 09:00 to 15:00 and many of the products can also be ordered online at the Bryanston Market online shop.
Leafy Greens
Antonia De Luca’s Leafy Greens is an organic farm and vegan cafe set in the rolling Muldersdrift countryside, about a 40-minute drive from Sandton. Antonia also has a stall at the Bryanston Market serving a cafe menu of delicious lunches and the best vegan cakes, as well as the Antonia’s range of raw, dehydrated snacks, stoneground vegan nut butters and even vegan parmesan.
Bare Nature Nutrition
Specialising in healthy snacks that taste great and will fool any sugar-addicted child, Bare Nature offers a selection of homemade preseravative-free and dairy-free ‘raw treats’ that make a great substitute for chocolate bars such as the beetroot bar and the chocolate brownie bar.
Modern Traditions
Dr. Mavhungu Tracy Nelwamondo is a health coach and nutritional researcher and a major advocate for the nourishing and healing properties of ancient African indigenous plants such as marula and baobab. Baobab for example is considered by experts to be a ‘superfood’ that provides twice the amount of calcium as milk does. Modern Traditions is Tracy’s range of baobab and marula based substitutes that have been designed to fit into modern diets including marula nut butter, baobab powder (a popular addition to vegan smoothies) and delicious vegan marula and baobab based ice-cream.
Raw Wizard
Cook up a vegan feast with a basket of products from Raw Wizard, a local company founded in 2015 that specialises in raw and vegan foodstuffs. The Raw Wizard range includes nut-based cheeses, yoghurts and milks and vegan burger patties made with lentils, beans, oats and buckwheat.
Meera’s
Chai and Harshada’s dosa stall is a favourite market lunch stop with a range of authentic, freshly made vegan-friendly South Indian dosas to choose from served with delicious sambar and Indian pickles complemented by excellent chai or freshly squeezed juices. The perfect lunch stop.
