By now many of you would have seen the link to my crowdfunding campaign to raise funds towards a new purpose built kitchen for Trish’s Vegan Pies. I figured I should introduce myself to people that don’t know me or my products. I’m Trish and I have been vegetarian for over 20 years and vegan for over 5 years. I became vegetarian and then vegan because of the horror that is the industrialisation of the meat and dairy industries. I witnessed how animals were no longer seen as beings, but purely commodities and they suffered because I loved bacon and KFC. So I made the decision to not contribute to this suffering and I have to say I became a much more interesting cook because of it!
I moved to the Eurobodalla after my marriage break up with my two children – both of whom were raised as vegetarians. I was a stay at home mum, then did volunteer work, which lead to paid work in the children’s school.
Basically, my work history shows that I care about my community. Having worked in childcare and aged care in various roles – I always have encouraged the people in my care to eat well and that is why I am trying to keep this business in the Shire. I need help to get a new kitchen that has enough storage and bench space to be able to grow and keep our community healthy and well fed.
Why should you contribute to just another small business in the shire that will probably come and go just like so many before it?
Well quite frankly, to do so is investing in your future.
I could launch into a lecture about how great Veganism is for the environment. Not using as much water as non plant based farming to create the proteins, minerals and vitamins our bodies need for optimum health. Less degradation of land to create the food we need to survive. All these are facts (check out the article link below) we all know to be true, but it comes down to two things for most of us. Taste and health.
Health has been proven to improve by increasing the amount of plants and whole grains in our diets. Also, interestingly, health professionals who may not advocate veganism for healthy people do advise people suffering from diseases such as cancer to eat a plant based diet. Surely, this sends a strong message to all of us who want to achieve optimum health cheaply and easily? I personally suffered badly from hayfever since moving to the coast, but once I cut out dairy, have had no signs.
So then it comes down to taste. I have been asked in the past “what other flavour do you do other than vegetable?” Thankfully there are a lot of people who do get what I am trying to do with my food. The convenience of a pie (and who doesn’t love a good pie?) with much less fat and much more fibre than an average meat pie. The regular flavours are: coconut curry chickpeas and vegetables, red lentil dahl with pumpkin, chilli red kidney beans and veggies, satay veg with cashews, and borlotti beans with greens and mushrooms. Imagine these pies filled with flavour, veggies (many locally grown) and a balance of protein and fibre and vitamins – a complete meal that can be bolstered with a quick green salad or extra veggies if you desire.
Australia has the 3rd fastest rate of growth in veganism (reported in 2016) and the future for this to continue looks bright. I want to bring this future to the Eurobodalla shire and be an ethical business that has at its core the health and wellbeing of the residents, particularly those that are time poor or elderly. I’m not advocating that everyone go Vegan, but it would be beneficial for you to eat more veggies. Let me help you do so and keep this business local.
So if anyone would like to chat about any of this, please contact me or go to the campaign site. Now that I have you all excited for the pies, I have to let you know that the pies are reliant on this new kitchen coming to fruition. Will you help?
