Every single one of our amazing food traders adhere to super strict sustainability standards at Shambala – and they are all worthy of celebration – but our annual Food Trader awards celebrate those that truly go the extra mile to innovate and minimise their environmental impact, whilst still serving up ridiculously tasty festival food.

SUSTAINABLE TRADER OF THE YEAR 2024: CASITA!

Casita is an authentic Mexican food stall which prides itself on preparing and cooking food with the same love that their Latino family has done for generations. Here’s why they’ve taken the title of Sustainable Trader of the Year at Shambala 2024:

They had a solar panel strapped to their roof which stored that juicy summer sun (or what we had of it….!) in batteries via a controller. Throughout the show, their team studiously monitored the amount of electricity produced using a nifty bluetooth application.

When they arrived, they connected their fridge trailer to Shambala’s green-tariff mains power connection, then, when the fridge reached the required low temps, they rigged it up to their solar and battery set-up too… so everything they used in their delicious kitchen was 100% off-grid.

Casita’s head-chef (Ben Arthur) is an expert when it comes to foraging local ingredients, and he hand-picked 1.5kg of fresh samphire to showcase in their recipes on site.

Here’s what Casita’s founder, Flavio, had to say about bagging this years award:

“Since we started catering at Shambala in 2021, we always wanted to be able to trade off-grid so that we can go the extra mile to meet the festival’s ethics. It took us a bit of thinking and organisation regarding equipment and appliances, but ultimately the sunlight was our best friend and helped us succeed, and do our bit for the environment and the planet.” 

Casita actually attempted an off-grid eatery in 2023 but could not provide enough power to keep the kitchen going for the whole festival. This year, they upgraded their system and managed just fine! Congratulations Casita!

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD 2024: DOSA DELI

…And, for quite possibly the billionth year in a row (we have genuinely lost count) the amazing Dosa Deli take the ‘People’s Choice Award’ – meaning our audience voted them their favourite trader at Shambala 2024.

Our Shambalans just can’t get enough of those ginormous golden dosas and big-as-your-head bhajis (and quite frankly, neither can we!)

Again, massive kudos to every single one of our food traders for all their hard work this year, serving up an incredible array of hearty, colourful and delicious vegan and vegetarian fare. x