Visit us at our Expo
About us
Whangārei Vegans had its beginnings in 2005 when a small group of vegans took part in SAFE’s annual fundraising campaign and the following year set up a branch in the city. They initially held stalls in the Cameron St Mall and subsequently at the Whangārei Growers Market, with the aim of introducing the public to Animal Rights and veganism.
The group wished to meet with other like-minded people and so organised meet-ups at the Green café (long since closed down) in Vine St on some Saturday mornings.
There were few vegans, or at least known to the group, in Whangārei at that time. So, attendance was low and gatherings irregular. The number did not grow significantly until some new vegans, keen to meet other vegans, arrived in the city in 2013 and sparked a revival of the coffee meet-ups. Gatherings soon began on a weekly basis at Indulge Café (now also closed). The owners were vegan, and so vegan food was plentiful and inexpensive.
The advent of social media and the formation of a Whangārei Vegans Facebook page helped numbers grow and the Saturday gatherings became quite large. It was at one of these meet-ups that the idea of an expo was hatched and eventually, in 2016, Whangārei’s first vegan expo was held.
The main aim of Whangārei Vegans has always been to provide friendship, support and information to anyone interested in pursuing a vegan lifestyle. Along with meet-ups there have been other social gatherings; pot-luck dinners, umu’s (Tongan hangi), and beach walks. From 2016 to 2019 the group’s main activity was putting on an annual vegan expo. These were very successful and introduced the wider Whangārei area to the joys and benefits of a vegan lifestyle. The expo inspired the opening of Whangārei's first vegan cafe, Power Plant which provided delicious and healthy food until it closed, as a cafe, in 2022. Fortunately Power Plant now supplies other outlets in Whangārei, such as the Hare Krishna stall opposite the Growers’ Market (on Saturday mornings), with their delectable creations.
Any activities, and some of these are social, put on by the group, are advertised on the Whangārei Vegans Facebook page. It's also possible to join an email list to be notified of upcoming events.
In 2018 Whangārei Vegans became a registered charity - The Whangārei Vegan Society. The society is happy to help anyone interested in learning more about the vegan way of life. Contact can be made through our website, or by emailing us at veganexpo@gmail.com.
The group wished to meet with other like-minded people and so organised meet-ups at the Green café (long since closed down) in Vine St on some Saturday mornings.
There were few vegans, or at least known to the group, in Whangārei at that time. So, attendance was low and gatherings irregular. The number did not grow significantly until some new vegans, keen to meet other vegans, arrived in the city in 2013 and sparked a revival of the coffee meet-ups. Gatherings soon began on a weekly basis at Indulge Café (now also closed). The owners were vegan, and so vegan food was plentiful and inexpensive.
The advent of social media and the formation of a Whangārei Vegans Facebook page helped numbers grow and the Saturday gatherings became quite large. It was at one of these meet-ups that the idea of an expo was hatched and eventually, in 2016, Whangārei’s first vegan expo was held.
The main aim of Whangārei Vegans has always been to provide friendship, support and information to anyone interested in pursuing a vegan lifestyle. Along with meet-ups there have been other social gatherings; pot-luck dinners, umu’s (Tongan hangi), and beach walks. From 2016 to 2019 the group’s main activity was putting on an annual vegan expo. These were very successful and introduced the wider Whangārei area to the joys and benefits of a vegan lifestyle. The expo inspired the opening of Whangārei's first vegan cafe, Power Plant which provided delicious and healthy food until it closed, as a cafe, in 2022. Fortunately Power Plant now supplies other outlets in Whangārei, such as the Hare Krishna stall opposite the Growers’ Market (on Saturday mornings), with their delectable creations.
Any activities, and some of these are social, put on by the group, are advertised on the Whangārei Vegans Facebook page. It's also possible to join an email list to be notified of upcoming events.
In 2018 Whangārei Vegans became a registered charity - The Whangārei Vegan Society. The society is happy to help anyone interested in learning more about the vegan way of life. Contact can be made through our website, or by emailing us at veganexpo@gmail.com.