One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to veganism is the idea that you have to miss out on the good things in life when you do it ‘right’ (whatever that means).
Here at Antagonist, we’re firm believers of the very opposite and we’re here to prove that striving for a wholesome, cruelty-free life can be an adventurous and colorful experience; a journey both thrilling and satisfactory.
But what’s the easiest and most effective way to show the non-believers what we’re on about? Well, serve them delicious food, of course.
Let them experience what vegetables can taste like, shake up core beliefs of what food should be, and is made of. And do it in a safe, welcoming space, make it aesthetically pleasing, make it an experience, target not only the taste buds but all other senses as well.
Event Styling & Set Design Professionals
Enter event styling and set design duo Fig & Forest, founded in 2018 in the Netherlands but working all across Europe these days (if pandemics allow it, that is). Laura and Irena, both with a background in fashion, share a love for decorating and soon decided they wanted to explore that path together.
“Their concept came out out like a dreamy Pinterest board of plant-based perfection.”
As a real-life showcase, they came up with the concept for ‘Jungle Kitchen’, an event in a greenhouse in Amsterdam. And well, it came out like a dreamy Pinterest board of plantbased perfection as you can see in the photos.
“We’re passionate about intertwining sustainability into our work whenever possible” the duo, one vegan, one vegetarian, told us. “We discovered Eindhoven’s Jungle Cafe and knew instantly we wanted to collaborate with them. This was how the concept for the Jungle Gathering event was born.”
Seasonal, Organic, Delicious
Jungle Cafe & Catering offers plantbased food that’s both delicious and very instagrammable (yes, that’s a thing, deal with it). Founders Niels and Zohra see themselves as part of the growing sustainable movement.
With their small scale catering company they want to inspire people to make more conscious choices. “We try to make a difference with everything we do. We cook with seasonal ingredients as much as we can and as organic as possible. And we try to reduce waste and avoid single use products.”
“Attainable, delicious, nutritious and versatile food.”
But in the center of it all, obviously, is their food. “We want people to see that vegan food isn’t such a big, complicated thing as they might think. That it is attainable, delicious, nutritious and versatile.”
Take the event’s menu, for example, which was all jungle-themed (and, side-note, therefore less seasonal). Alongside homemade bottled kombucha and strawberry mint lemonade, Jungle Kitchen served savory waffles filled with spinach and herbs and topped with sour cream and chives, followed by twisted pesto bread and a fresh spring salad with fennel, green asparagus and lemon.
Next up were the sweets: powdered donuts, strawberry galette with vanilla cream and mint, ginger-lemon poppyseed cookies and, to top things off, a coconut bundt cake with lime icing and roasted coconut flakes.
Because the Details Matter
For decorations, Fig & Forest used Arte di Vita linens and platters. “Their fabrics are made in Belgium, France and Spain from European linen and hemp and with respect for the environment,” we were told. And then there’s the ‘vegan facts’ cards, playfully integrated into the setting.
“Sometimes, all it needs is a one-liner with a surprising piece of information to get you thinking.”
“We wanted a fun way to inform people about the benefits of choosing a vegan diet” Laura and Irena explained.
“Sometimes all it needs is a one-liner with a surprising piece of information to start a new thinking process about choices you make on a daily basis but don’t think twice about. We tried to use positive facts rather than negative ones, though. We wanted them to be encouraging, as we want to inspire rather than criticize.”
The Garden of Amsterdam
The dreamy location is another important piece of the puzzle. The Arendshoeve, also known as The Garden of Amsterdam, is a beautiful greenhouse filled with gorgeous plants and natural elements.
“It was the perfect location for the jungle vibes we were looking for,” Laura and Irena swooned.
What can we say: Mission accomplished. If you feel like you missed out… so do we. We can’t wait to attend a Fig & Forest event and taste some of Jungle Green Kitchen’s creations. And we will!
Styling & Planning
Fig & Forest
@figandforest
figandforest.com
Food
Jungle Cafe & Catering
@jungle.eindhoven
junglecafecatering.nl
Location
Arendshoeve
– The Garden of Amsterdam
@thegardenofamsterdam
arendshoeve.com
Linens & Platters
Arte de Vita
@arte_di_vita
artedivita.eu
Menus & Info Cards
Minn Momentvormgeving
@minn_momenten
minn.be
