A Leicestershire mum-of-two has started selling homemade vegan food – including her own version of the traditional Cornish pasty and a veggie Christmas dinner in a pie.
Malaysian-born Loretta Lea has put an Asian/Oriental twist on some traditional British recipes with her Nyonya Recipe Shop 海角视频 – and everything she sells is vegan.
Loretta said she had been developing and perfecting the range for 18 months – refining recipes, testing products at food fairs, farmers markets and vegan markets, and selling through retailers and online stores.
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Popular picks include Oriental-inspired chigan leek and potato pasties, and her festive pie – made with short crust pastry and filled with layers of mash, mushroom, butternut squash, onion, chestnut, cranberry sauce, herbs and spices.
She said the idea was dreamt up by one of her daughters and a pack of six pies is £24.
Loretta, who lives in Barwell, near Hinckley, said: “Before I created Nyonya Recipe, I was a mother of two girls, twins, trying to find my way in a new country.
“I was busy with household jobs, taking care of the girls and learning a new culture.
“Then one of my daughters was diagnosed with a learning disability and this changed our lives.
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“I had to deal with the school, special education and social services and it was all new to me.
“I love to cook and other than doing a part-time job (dropping catalogues) to distract myself from the daily stress, I decided to start a food blog and share my family recipes with friends and this really kept me sane.
“Being of Asian/Oriental heritage, I decided to create the most unique food using both Asian and British flavours. I started experimenting with a few of my regular Malaysian bakes, making it fusion food.
“It’s all about capturing the tastes of my childhood but with a more modern twist. Food has to evolve.”
Loretta said she has been providing meals for people to collect during the lockdown and feedback has been great.
Explaining why she chose to make her dishes vegan, she said. “I used to take food to my Buddhist meetings and the feedback was that it’s tasty.
“But I noticed that some of the members are vegetarians or vegans, and they couldn’t enjoy the food. I also found that in other groups, too.
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“Me being me, I like to be as inclusive as I can. So, the vegan range was founded.
“As well as trying to be inclusive, I also feel that the way we are consuming natural resources is not sustainable.
“I am concerned about the number of animals that are used for food. I am also concerned about the amount of waste that we humans produce.
“So I am doing my small part by consuming less; reusing and recycling where possible, and eating plant-based food as much as I can. The products come in biodegradable packaging too.”