New vegan market opens in West Kelowna
West Kelowna now has a completely vegan-friendly market open at a permanent location.
Jennifer Laforge said there aren't a lot of vegan options in West Kelowna so she opened Fork Plant Based Market at 2437 Main St. to provide others who eat a vegan diet with choices.
The store features in-house baking and food items in addition to stuffed apple pie snickerdoodles, hot perogies, blueberry basil stuff oatmeal cookings and some gluten-free options in addition to B.C.-based vegan products.
There are meat and cheese substitutes available too, she said.
“It’s been a bit hectic but we’ve had a really great response, we’ve been really busy, it’s nice," Laforge said.
People have been coming from Penticton and Vernon, and coming across the bridge from Kelowna to shop at the new store. Being vegan herself, she can relate to travelling to find vegan options.
“Over the last couple of years, the demand has increased so much and the products available makes the transition easier for people who are on the fence,” she said. “If it replaces their cheese they why not?”
Laforge, being a single mom, said she decided to open the business to inspire her children.
“It’s definitely been one of my dreams to have my own bakery shop,” Laforge said.
READ MORE: Kelowna couple used pandemic shutdown to rebrand and expand their vegan bakery
She also has another food company and said she hasn’t experienced a decline in sales due to the pandemic, so she thought this was a good time to open the storefront.
Over the last few years, a number of bakeries and vegan-focused restaurants have opened their doors in the Central Okanagan, including a Kelowna couple who celebrated their grand opening of a vegan bakery last week.
Fork Plant Based Market is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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