The KZN Vegan & Craft Market has closed its doors after four years of trading. I chatted to the market's founder, Catherine Phillips, to find out how it all started, what led to the closure and her plans for the future.
Catherine Phillips came across Beauty Without Cruelty when she was a child and signed up for their monthly newsletter.
“Each month I would receive their newsletter and pamphlets in the post telling me all about the cruelty of the beauty industry and the testing practices being carried out on innocent beings,” Phillips said.
Her growing understanding and compassion toward animals led to her becoming a vegetarian at the age of 13.
“At the time and as I grew into a young adult, I didn’t know any other vegetarians and had definitely not heard the term veganism before,” said Phillips.
While pregnant with her son, Phillips said she was pressured into eating fish as it was believed that it was the only way she would be able to get the nutrients she needed to ensure a healthy baby.
Phillips says that at the time, she was ignorant and did not have the resources to research vegetarian alternatives to fish.
“When my children were still young, I finally decided to follow my heart and do what was right – I stopped eating meat again, and as the internet grew, and with the advent of Facebook, I was able to discover more about vegetarianism and even came across the concept of veganism.
“I was horrified that I was still supporting cruelty toward animals by consuming eggs, milk and cheese, and in 2009 I became vegan."
Phillips began reaching out to other local vegans on Facebook and eventually met up with a few for picnics at the Durban Botanical Gardens.
“It was lovely not feeling alone in my thoughts and beliefs. I found it difficult to eat out as not many places catered for vegetarians then, and when they did, the dish was usually heavily laden with milk, cheese and eggs, so not suitable for a vegan. "
Phillips then had the idea of starting her own little vegan catering business called the Vegan Kitchen in 2013.
“I was determined to be able to still enjoy food —not just chips and salad, but real, good food. I set about trying to convert all my favourite dishes, especially sweet treats, to vegan-friendly dishes."
Toward the end of 2017, Phillips began selling her food at markets in Botha’s Hill and was soon part of a group of vegan-friendly market stalls.
“We joked about taking over the entire market. The owner of the Botha’s Hill Sunday Market, Nathalie, suggested I try just that, to host a fully vegan market.”
Three weeks later, Phillips found herself hosting her very own fully-fledged KZN Vegan Food & Craft Market, which boasted 30 stalls selling vegan food, drinks, sweet treats, plants, arts and crafts. The market welcomed around 500 customers with the food stalls selling out by midday.
Requests followed to host the market again, which initially began with a market taking place bi-monthly in Botha’s Hill; however, the venue was sold and the market had to find a new home.
“We moved to the Golden Hours Market site in Durban North in February 2019. People flocked there too and we soon had about a thousand customers through the gate. By the end of 2019, the market had 90 stallholders and between 1 500 and 2 000 customers at each market.”
Then the Covid-19 pandemic swept through the world, and the market, like thousands of other businesses in South Africa, had to temporarily close in line with lockdown restrictions at the time.
When businesses were allowed to trade again, Phillips said people were still nervous about venturing out and the number of stalls and visitors dropped significantly.
As time went on, visitor numbers continued to dwindle, forcing Phillips to make the difficult decision to close the market with the last market. The last market day was held on July 9.
“The idea of the market was to provide a safe space for vegans to shop, a place where they could be assured that all goods were cruelty-free and environmentally friendly, as well as a place for people who are vegan-curious to come find out more about the lifestyle and try new things.
“We had a variety of food stalls, as well as clothing, beauty and craft. As long as they did not have any animal products in, and were not tested on animals, the products were welcomed at the market as veganism is a lifestyle, not a diet, and we wanted to showcase this.”
The market also had live music, which added a cool, vibey atmosphere and promoted local talent.
“It’s been an amazing journey, I connected with so many more people through the market than I ever would on my own. It’s very sad that the Durban North vegan market did not survive the current economic times, however, we do still run the Country Vegan Market in Hillcrest, and that seems to be gaining more support,” Phillips concluded.
“Closing one chapter and opening another.”
The Country Vegan Food & Craft Market is open on the last Sunday of the month from 10:00 - 14:00 at the Roseway Waldorf School, Alverstone in Cato Ridge.
Contact Catherine Phillips @ +27 84 032 3686 for more information.
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