Friends enjoying a Green Feast. Photo: Courtesy of QVW.
Green Feast 2025: Kerri Wright on ‘a celebration of Quaker community’
‘Abundance and ethics need not be in opposition.’
This autumn has seen an inspiring wave of vegan Green Feast events across Britain Yearly Meeting. These have been organised by Quaker Vegan Witness to demonstrate how vegan practices can become a vital expression of Quaker witness. From intimate breakfast gatherings to vibrant open afternoons, the events have shown that the commitment to planetary stewardship and compassionate living resonate deeply within our Meetings.
What seems to emerge most powerfully from these feasts is their capacity to generate meaningful discussions over the dinner table. At Saffron Walden, eleven people attended, with ‘lots of interesting discussion’. As the organiser reflected: ‘Everyone really got into the plant-based alternatives and recipes, bringing a wide variety of delicious food, and lots of vegan cookbooks for inspiration.’ The Quaker Concern for Animals flyers displayed along the table ‘made for lots of enquiry and discussion, as a lot of Friends weren’t aware of it’. Though currently the only vegan at the Meeting, the organiser noted that ‘the vast majority of Friends there are seeking a more plant-based lifestyle, maybe not to be fully vegan, but certainly much more discerning. How this lifestyle ties in with the peace testimony is something that was discussed at length.’ They concluded: ‘It was a lovely evening with lovely food! But being able to promote plant-based food in a Quaker context and talk about it was definitely the best part!’
Community can also look outward. Luton Meeting’s Vegan Feast was billed as a community event rather than specifically Quaker, though held in their Meeting house and clearly Quaker in origin. More than twenty folk attended, from convinced vegans to vegetarians and ‘flexitarians’. They shared companionship, ideas and gifts of vegan food. ‘It was lovely,’ said Luqman Ali, a Sufi imam and director of Khayaal Theatre, in his beautiful closing words.
One outcome has been that veganism has become more prominent locally. Colin Hall of Luton Meeting said that he envisages a future event around the hugely important topic of moving towards a more (or entirely) plant-based diet.
Perhaps most significantly, these events are catalysing some incremental and thoughtful change within Meetings. Newport’s Business Meeting recorded that: ‘This was successful and the food was all vegan and a very enjoyable occasion. We intend that in future we have plant-based milk available for weekly refreshments and a choice of biscuits to include a vegan alternative. Future shared meals can follow the same pattern.’ As one Friend noted: ‘Small steps in the desired direction.’
Westminster‘s Green Feast saw more than thirty Friends share ‘a wide variety of vegan dishes… including loads of interesting salad combinations, Gerry’s Famous Focaccia, stuffed vine leaves galore, homemade hummus, chocolate fudge cake, lemon drizzle cake, apple turnovers and a packet of Frazzles that confused more than a few, but disappeared rapidly!’ Even ‘the biscuits for the tea and coffee were also all vegan courtesy of Lidl’s wide selection (the orange custard creams were a big hit!)’.
Georgina said: ‘Loved today! Thanks everyone who contributed, great to be part of such a caring community.’ Nancy added: ‘Wonderful day! Thanks all who participated. We have two new vegan soup cookbooks in the library, for anyone wanting to try a new soup on a Soup Sunday.’
The leftover cake was ‘eagerly hoovered up by the Young Adult (YA) Quaker group who meet in the late afternoon,’ with Juno saying: ‘Many thanks for the goodies! Love to you all from YAs!’
Westminster Meeting recorded the minute: ‘Last Sunday’s Green Feast was a great success and so we agree to hold another one next year on Sunday 4 October.’
‘These events are catalysing some incremental and thoughtful change.’
Cambridge Jesus Lane Meeting held their Green Feast on World Quaker Day as an open afternoon. Kirsten Lavers, the warden, reported: ‘It was a busy and joyous afternoon. We invited our hirers and local neighbours – the Climate Choir came and sang for us… we served vegan cakes and Giselda did a roti (flatbread) workshop which was really enjoyed – people made their own roti and ate them with green tomato chutney, hummus or vegan nutella.’
Exmouth held a breakfast Green Feast with ‘quite a lot of people popping in throughout the morning and lots of great conversations’.
Selly Oak embedded their Green Feast in a fundraiser for Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, with Middle Eastern food and a jazz trio. ‘The SPICES leaflet was spoken to and taken up by a good number of attendees – not all Quakers.’
From Brussels, Harriet shared: ‘We had our shared lunch today and I was so happy that a friend brought various vegan dishes and mentioned the Green Feast. It was such a lovely meal together.’
The momentum is building for the year ahead. Kendal Meeting’s sustainability group has suggested a Christmas Vegan Feast, with Friends ‘quite excited about that and having time to organise that means we could reach out better than we did in September’.
Dorchester’s event included feedback from a book group who had read Brian Mclaren’s Life After Doom. It brought together twenty people, and a plan to have a ‘bring-and-share vegan lunch in January as part of Veganuary’ alongside sharing plans for climate action.
One report noted that, across various Meetings, ‘One group had a blended Meeting in a mosque, followed by a vegan lunch. One group had a Green Feast and another a roti-making event. One group held worship in a local prison, followed by a vegan lunch – a very emotional experience.’
These accounts show how plant-based witness can work through convivial gathering, practical skill-sharing, and the simple power of delicious food. They have shown that abundance and ethics need not be in opposition. For those of us who stand as lone vegans in our Meetings, they offer real encouragement. They show that when we create spaces where vegan living can be experienced as celebration, transformation becomes possible.
There is a huge appetite (pun intended) for making Green Feasts a recurring feature in the Quaker calendar. As we move toward 2026, let us all continue to support each other as we engage with our local Quaker communities and beyond, making the case that compassion for all sentient beings is central to our Quaker Vegan Witness.
For support with Veganuary, see https://qvw.org.uk/community.
