Dublin based Vegan Sandwich Co raise money for Trans organisation

The fabulous Vegan Sandwich Co on Smithfield’s Queen Street in Dublin have managed to turn a bad situation into a positive one.

Vegan Sandwich Co owner, Sam Pearson, sitting outside the shop on Queens Street in Dublin. He is resting against the window with his arms folded.
Image: Babs Daly

Following the breakdown of their walk-in fridge on Sunday night, the Vegan Sandwich Co in Dublin was faced with having to dispose of what was deemed to be thousands of Euro of unsellable stock. 

Vegan Sandwich Co opened in 2018 when owner and manager Sam Pearson, recognised a lack of vegan sandwich options in the Dublin market. After testing his wares on the festival circuit he began a small delivery service from a commercial kitchen. Later that year he took on the Queen Street shop so customers could buy the products across the counter as well as online.

Whilst the business has gone from strength to strength, it has faced massive challenges over the last couple of years with uncertainty around Covid restrictions.

In their social media post, they stated, “This is not a situation any food business wants to face.” They also kindly asked customers, “Please bear with us over the coming weeks while we rebuild our stock and regroup.”

https://twitter.com/vegansandwichco/status/1457356201273004041

Instead of allowing the food to go to waste, they decided to place it in creates in the shop with a sign which read, “Last night our walk-in fridge died, resulting in all of this stock becoming unsellable. We cannot guarantee anything is fit for consumption but if anyone has a use for it, it’s free to a good home.”

It went on, “We will not accept money for any of the stock but cash donations to Small Trans Library will be accepted at the counter.”

After the disappointment of losing all the stock, they were delighted to share that they managed to raise over €500 from the giveaway and also managed to avoid creating any waste. 

https://twitter.com/vegansandwichco/status/1457417099568091140

The Small Trans Library (STL) is a small lending library with branches in both Dublin and Glasgow. They host a catalogue of over 200 LGBTQ+ books many of which are “trans-authored books for trans people”. The organisation also host reading groups, writing workshops and community events for trans people.

STL also provide a groceries and supplies fund for Trans people who are out of work or struggling. In the 15 months leading up to July of this year, they reported to have redistributed €18,000 of funds.

Visit Vegan Sandwich Co online here.

© 2021 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.

Support GCN

GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.

GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.

GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.

Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.

0 comments. Please sign in to comment.