RAW TALES GIVES READERS AN INSIGHT LOOK INTO VEGAN COMPANIES AND THE INDIVIDUALS BEHIND THE BRAND. WE ASKED OUR FEATURES TO BE RAW AND TRANSPARENT IN SHARING THEIR CHALLENGES, SUCCESS, AND THE PASSION THAT CONTINUES TO DRIVE THEIR BUSINESS.
We gladly introduce the Raw Tale of Tonya Deveau, Owner of My Vegan Sweet Tooth, Hampton Roads 1st all-vegan bakery that specializes in gluten-free, organic, paleo and raw treats.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A VEGAN?
I actually became a vegetarian in high school and became a vegan about 4 years later. I have been a vegan for 22 years. Initially, I stopped eating meat because I never liked it much, even as a child. When I became a teenager, I made that connection that an animal is an animal, whether a dog or a chicken, and I did not want to be responsible for an animal dying. I became a vegan when I found out I had a dairy allergy. Veganism was not really a thing you heard about a lot back when I switched over, so I had to do a lot of research.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MY VEGAN SWEET TOOTH?
My kids inspired me to start the company. They decided to sell cookies in the neighborhood to raise money for the endangered Amur leopard. People loved the vegan cookies so much, my kids said I should sell them to everyone. So we looked into selling out of our home.
WHAT PRODUCT/SERVICE DO YOU OFFER?
We offer all kinds of baked goods, mostly sweets. Everything is 100% vegan. We use local ingredients when available and work with other local small businesses. We also have a wide variety of gluten-free items and raw items. We do offer savory items as well like quiche, pot pie, and breakfast burritos. All vegan, of course.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE WITH HAVING A VEGAN COMPANY?
Some people thought there might not be enough vegans to support an all-vegan bakery, but vegans in this community are very dedicated to supporting anyone who offers something special for them. We also get a lot of people who aren’t vegan, but have food allergies, or just love our food, since it doesn’t taste any different than non-vegan items.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR COMPANY?
Success to me is not getting rich off this venture. It is all about the animals, that is the most important thing to me. I do love that vegans and people with numerous allergies can come to my bakery and not worry about what they are eating. That is a plus.
WHERE DO YOU FIND YOUR INSPIRATION?
My main inspiration is my family. Every one of them, especially my husband who is so supportive. It is also a good example for my children that you can accomplish anything if you work hard. Ultimately, I am always thinking about how we are helping animals. We are helping people realize that eating products that are free of animal products is absolutely delicious, and it is better for you. Something really important to me is that we also give all of our tips and a large portion of our monthly profit to local animal charities.
IN ONE SENTENCE WHAT WOULD YOU TELL AN ASPIRING VEGAN ENTREPRENEUR?
Keep your focus on the ultimate goal – showing people that it is not necessary to hurt animals in order to have good food.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO KNOW?
We are proud to have won the Va Pilot cinnamon roll taste test contest, beating out non-vegan contenders. We also recently won an award from PETA as one of the top 10 bakeries in the country for our cannoli. We are also fortunate enough to have Ginger Soave, who has been on national television twice, as our wedding cake decorator.
