Our volunteer blogger Amanda Cole wrote about her visit to the 2013 V - Delicious and the Allergy + Free From Show in London.

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With the upsurge of fast food and new innovations of packaged food over the years, many people have developed eating habits that are what they assume to be part of a modern lifestyle. However, with more critics and available information, few are starting to understand the dangers and are determined to halt such habits by changing their eating patterns.

People with certain allergies, illnesses and dietary requirements are also seen to be starting to watch their daily food intake by choosing specific products that cater to their sensitized needs.

Free From is a catch-all term used to denote food and drink that has been designed to exclude one or more ingredients to which at least some consumers can have either an allergic or an intolerance.  Its market usually cover food products that are wheat free / gluten free, cow dairy free, nut free and egg free

The combined V-Delicious the Veggie Good Food Show and The Allergy + Free From Show is a yearly vegetarian, vegan, and healthy living event catering exactly to this crowd. You will find more than 300 exhibitors offering and exploring vegan, raw, organic, sugar/gluten/dairy/any-type-of allergy free food.

Exhibitors range from department store giants and big brands who aim to target this growing market of dietary eating to smaller and dedicated local entrepreneurs who have found opportunity in their new product innovations.

One of the exhibitors, ‘Four Girls and a Cupcake’, started their business from personal desires. The owner quit her job as a banker to pursue her love of baking. With her 3 of her closest friends being a diabetic, lactose and tolerant, and the other a vegan, she created a gluten-free, flourless and sugar-free cake bakery in order for them not to miss out on delicious cakes, and from there it expanded.

Other exhibitors offer flourless pasta, raw protein bars, vegan sausages, as well as ethically sourced drinks and low carb bread. Not only focused on food, the exhibition also directs its attention on vegan living and lifestyle, with more exhibitors offering ethical and organic cosmetics, shoes, clothing, accessories, hair products, and many more.

Along with the exhibitors The Sainsbury's Kitchen had cooking classes with top chefs. Learning Zone and 1-2-1 Consultations are available for those interested in free from living, or solutions to allergies.

Free seminars at the V Theater are also available with dieticians, nutritionists, child and adult nutritionists, dermatologists, V health and environmental experts as speakers.

Some interesting topics include ‘The Safety of Soya: Debunking the bunkum – and there’s lots of it’, ‘Why you don’t need dairy’ and ‘Healthy Kids – Children’s Health and Nutrition Dietary Guidelines.’

Categorized as V Friends of the show are The Vegetarian Society, The Vegan Society and Viva! representatives who answered questions and provided in-depth information for all your V living needs.

Whether you have specific dietary needs or a slight curiosity or even if you are a skeptic to the increasingly advertised world of healthy eating, you will always find something to enjoy and to learn from this event.

The next V-Delicious and the Allergy + Free From Show will be held on 20-22nd June 2014 at Olympia, London.

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Images: V-Delicious, Amanda Cole