When we were first found out about Fare Healthy (thanks to Danielle from Qnola!) we were super-excited. A festival dedicated to food, fitness and wellbeing certainly ticks all the boxes. It also represented a great opportunity to meet lots of like-minded people and brands, and of course spread the Optiat (now UpCircle) name!
Needless to say, the festival didn’t disappoint. A carefully curated combination of established and up-and-coming brands, it was the ideal way to discover new brands whilst also having the safety net of the old favourites – that is, if you can call the likes of Pip and Nut, Teapigs and Rude Health as such!
In the spirit of the festival, we have selected some of our favourites that we think you need to definitely check out, if you haven’t already!
1. Ohros: Natural, vegan, handmade in the UK. We like to think that if Optiat were reincarnated as a candle maker, we would be something similar to Ohros. These beautiful 100% soy candles represent everything that we believe is important, whilst also having incredible scents.
2. Raw Press: These guys do juice right. It’s cold pressed, organic and bottled in glass. Their flavour combinations are genius (try carrot and orange juice with turmeric and argan oil!) and their nut mylks are the best in London. At the forefront of juice and healthy snacks (they stock raw deserts by the Hardihood) - their cafes are definitely worth a visit! More info at rawpress.co 3. Liha: These ladies are amazing. Their handmade beauty products are all organic and wildcrafted using only the world's best. Everything is made in their studio in Cheltenham with love. We purchased one of their coconut wax candles (more sustainable than soy but very hard to get hold of) and absolutely love it. Amazing products and top quality ethics. Their products are stocked in Content Beauty in Marylebone, so pop in and smell their tuberose oil - it’s heavenly! More info at lihabeauty.co.uk 4. Squirrel Sisters: Natural, raw, delicious snack bars. Beautiful packaging, great flavours and in two sticks so perfect for sharing (or not!). We recommend the Raspberry Ripple for sure! Available in Boots, WholeFoods, Planet Organic and independents. For more information, go to squirrelsisters.com 5. Manilife: Not just another nut butter brand. The founder of this peanut butter spent time in Argentina and wondered why their peanut butter was so much better than regular peanut butter. The high oleic acid content (the good stuff in olive oil) and the sweet peanuts that go into each jar are sourced from farms in Argentina. Try the deep roast. Trust us. You wont regret it. 6. Cultured Collective: The latest trend on the health food scene is focused on the gut (and rightly so!). Fermented foods are great for feeding the good bacteria in your gut. Nicola from the Cultured Collective makes unpasteurized krauts and kimchi. She uses a proper Korean recipe for her kimchi (vegan version also available!). At Fare Healthy she launched her kraut and kimchi juice shots, a powerhouse of probiotics and great for throwing in your bag on the go. She is stocked in Daylesford so head on over to get some good gut food! Feeling like you might have missed out? Our next show will be Move Fit, a fitness, dance and lifestyle festival from 10th-12th March at Excel London. Tickets are available www.movefit.london if you’re keen! As always, we would love to see you there. The UpCircle Team Sources linnwiberg.metromode.se blog.foodist.de mani-life.com befitsme.com The Future Kept The Cultured Collective
