A huge festival dedicated to all things vegan is coming to Manchester this weekend, bringing over 80 stalls showcasing all the tools you need to live your best plant-based, sustainable life.
Offering a mix of street food stalls, beauty and household products, vegan cooking products and more, whether you’re vegan, vegetarian or just thinking about making a bit of a change, Manchester Vegan Festival is the place to go for inspiration.
Taking place this Sunday 15 May at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Trafford, Manchester Vegan Festival is set to be full of surprises – selling everything from authentic Eritrean street food and toiletries to a vegan cookbook for humans and their dogs.
Run entirely by volunteers, all the proceeds from the festival (and that cookbook) will go to support animal welfare charity Miracle’s Mission – a non-profit animal welfare organisation works with sick, injured and disabled animals worldwide.
Other charities and not-for-profit organisations attending include Greenpeace, Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary, Plantlife, Viva!, Woodland Trust and WWF.
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Food and drink stalls
Teatime Collective is a vegan bakery based in Hulme. At the festival, you’ll find vegan cakes by the slice as well as Bakewell tarts, rock road, chocolate tortes and apple turnovers. / Image; Teatime Collective
Root2Ginger sell natural ginger drink mixes that are alcohol free and made here in Manchester. / Image: Root2Ginger
On the street food front, look out for authentic Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine from House of Habesha and hearty wraps from Seitan’s Kebab. Elsewhere, you’ll find a Greek vegan deli, vegan vfish and chips from There’s No Catch, and an array of vegan hotdogs from VDogs.
As for the food and drink stalls, here you’ll find a host of Manchester-based makers including Root2Ginger, Kind Hearted Chocs and Teatime Collective.
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For fiery, spiced mint and ginger health drinks, Root2Ginger is a must, whilst Teatime Collective and Bolton-based Vegan Infinity are the places to visit for vegan cakes, brownies, truffles, apple turnovers, bakewell tarts and bars.
Artisan vegan chocolate shop Kind Hearted Chocs will be there with its special handmade selection boxes, and there will also be a stall selling a vegan cookbook for humans AND dogs. Called Bo’s Book, all the profits go to help needy dogs at the animal welfare and education charity Miracle’s Mission.
For all things beauty, household and lifestyle, stalls at the festival will include natural and organic vegan toiletries from iUVO Skincare, Eden Perfumes and fashions from Slogan Clothing, and Viva la Vegan.
Eden Perfumes promise to match your favourite perfume without chemicals, whilst Slogan Clothing has all your ethica, vegan and ecological clothing, boots and accessory needs covered.
Also exhibiting is the ultimate vegan food and camping experience happening in June 2023 – VFest UK. This brand new upbeat event features exciting headline acts, yoga, family entertainment, fun shows, international speakers, stalls, global food caterers and much more.
Charity support
The event supports Miracle’s Mission, a charity that works to provide a place of safety for animals in danger, to educate on the needs of neutering both pets and strays and to neuter stray dogs and cats to prevent the birth of more animals onto the streets.
The mission also rehabilitates and re-homes dogs in need, often with disabilities, from its UK rescue base.
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Speaking on the upcoming event, Manchester Vegan Festival organiser Victoria Bryceson said: “I’m really looking forward to the Manchester Vegan Festival which is set to be even bigger and better than last year’s.
Nelly from Miracle’s Mission is a double amputee looking for her forever home. / Miracle’s Mission
“We received so much positive feedback last year and there’s now so much demand that this festival is becoming a sell-out event. I think it’s partly because people really love the friendly atmosphere.
“The wonderful thing about the event is that it’s for everyone whatever your lifestyle. Just come along and bring your friends for a great, fun day-out.
“You’ll have everything you need there, whether you’re looking for some retail therapy, some ‘me’ time, precious family time, or just a lovely meal out with some friends.”
Manchester Vegan Festival takes place on Sunday 15 May 2022 from 10.30am to 4.30 pm at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Longbridge Road, Manchester M17 1SN.
Admission is £5, with under 16’s allowed in for free, or £15 for VIP tickets that can be ordered in advance from Eventbrite, These include fast track entry and a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers.
Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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Tributes pour in after Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkey Ralph dies at age 40
Emily Sergeant
The time has come… one of Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkeys, Ralph, has sadly died at the impressive age of 40.
As regular visitors to Manchester‘s largest park may be aware, Ralph the donkey recently celebrated his 40th birthday – which, even more impressively, actually made him 120 in donkey years – and it was a truly incredible achievement for him to reach, especially as The Donkey Sanctuary says that the average life expectancy for a donkey is just over 30 years of age.
But earlier this week, things sadly took a turn for the worse.
Heaton Park‘s Estates Team made the decision to contact a vet for a site visit after identifying some changes with Ralph’s behaviour, and unfortunately, this was found to be caused by a ruptured intestine.
So it’s with ‘deep sadness’ that the park had to announce to the public that Ralph passed away later that afternoon.
“Ralph meant a lot to many, both staff and all our visitors, and he will be deeply missed within the park,” Heaton Park & Hall said in tribute to their beloved friend on social media this week.
They also shared an adorable image of him when he was just a young foal.
Those who had the pleasure of seeing Ralph roam the park over the past four decades soon began flooding the comments, sharing their own emotional tributes to the friendly face who’s sadly no longer with us.
Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkey Ralph celebrating his 40th birthday / Credit: Heaton Park & Hall (via Facebook)
“Sleep easy buddy, you had a wonderful charmed life and you deserved it,” one touching comment read on Facebook, while another added: “Aww Godspeed Ralph, you had a happy life, now its time to rest,” and a third commented: “So sorry to hear this sad news about Ralph, but glad to know he has enjoyed a long and happy life.”
Another tribute reads: “RIP Ralph, you brought a lot of joy to a lot of people,” as does this similar one: “Aww bless him. He’d had a long and happy life, and gave much happiness too.”
Georgina Pellant -
13th May 2022 
