ORGANISERS have hailed the second North Wales Vegan Festival as an overwhelming success as more than 2,000 people flocked through the doors.

The event, which was taking place once again at Plas Coch Sports Centre at Wrexham's Glyndwr University Campus on Saturday, saw an array of plant-based products on sale and several talks about the benefits of living a more environmentally friendly and healthy lifestyle also taking place.

Festival organiser Victoria Bryceson said: "It's been busier than last year and we've had some really good feedback from visitors about the range of products here and the quality of the food as well.

"We've also had a lot of non-vegans coming and tasting the food, many with the preconception that it's not going to be very nice, but they've been tasting it and absolutely loving it, so it's fantastic."

Video by Scott Murphy. For more great videos, subscribe to Leader YouTube channel by clicking here

As well as numerous food stalls, selling everything from vegan hot dogs, burgers, chocolate and cakes, the day also involved several talks about how to successfully live by a plant-based diet and Victoria, who has been vegan for 26 years, said they gave an interesting insight into the diversity of the those in attendance.

She said: "We've been running talks throughout the day and we've been polling people and it's been about 50 per cent who aren't actually vegan, but have come along perhaps with a vegan partner and they've been pleasantly surprised and are interested to find out more about it.

"Two years ago, people were saying it's just a phase, like it'll boom and then it will go, but here we are and it's just getting bigger and bigger, so it's definitely not a fad and the number of vegans is increasing every single day in the UK."

There was something for everyone at the event, with speciality gourmet cheeses, plant-based honey - which takes the bees out of the process - with apples, cane sugar and natural flavourings providing a sweeter taste, but with less of the calories than the real thing.

Another stall featured one man so convinced about the benefits of being vegan he wrote a book about how it had saved him from death, after a cancer diagnosis and the prospect of just six months to live; Syd Barnes from Manchester was signing copies of his extraordinary book and said: "I was given just six months to live in 2012. I was unable to eat, in severe pain and rapidly losing weight and then I switched to a plant-based diet and it has saved my life as I'm still here."