From Morrissey to Meat-Free Monday memes, vegetarianism has been a fiercely loved topic for generations.

VegFest, which claims to be Europe’s prime vegan festival, is therefore suitable for a large and diverse group and not just providing sustenance to their mealtimes, as this two-day event at the Brighton Centre was equally dedicated to ethics and lifestyle.

Brighton may have suffered the loss of the title of Most Vegan City in the UK a few years ago – to Glasgow, surprisingly – but more than 10,000 people flocked to the event last weekend.

Among them were the serious types nodding along to passionate talks about vegan advocacy, but also teenagers buying up pin badges about hummus and excitable toddlers with faces covered in vegan raw chocolate cupcakes.

Any outdated ideas about vegan recipes being based on mung beans and lentils were dispelled immediately upon discovering a vast array of food stalls and recipe stations, including vegan kebabs, hot dogs and ‘fish’ and chips.

The overall atmosphere was of enthusiastic curiosity and a non-exclusive camaraderie that created a warm buzz in the crowds.

Combining interesting debates with delicious samples and stalls, live music, face painting and cooking demos, VegFest was an event that catered for everybody.

Five stars