CarFest 2024: The Happy Pear twins on 20 years of craic, hugs and connecting with people

Virgin Radio

23 Aug 2024, 13:44

Stephen and David Flynn, aka The Happy Pear, are “giving hugs, promoting vegetables and spreading cheer and merriment” at CarFest this weekend.

“We're slightly insufferable. We know that,” they said with trademark joie de vivre when they joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show live from the site at Laverstoke Park Farm today (23rd August)

They said: “We're identical mirror twins, we've been plant-based for 20 years, we love to run and we're all about food, but I think the most important things are having craic, having a laugh, getting lots of hugs and connecting with people.”

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In 2004, they opened a fruit and vegetable shop in Greystones, Ireland, called The Happy Pear. The shop has now expanded to include a cafe, a bakery and a shop which sells fruit and vegetables, as well as healthy snacks and supplements. 

They have since released six books together, and their newest one, The Happy Pear 20, is due to be released in October, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their shop. “We used to get up at 4.30am and go to buy vegetables, because we started a vegetable shop which was our centre for the revolution,” they explained. 

“We weren't selling carrots, we were selling a better way of life!”

They continued: “The revolution has grown in many different ways and I guess it's still the same thing, to get people to eat more veg. But we have a four-acre organic regenerative farm and that's one of my most favourite things.”

Having been vegan for 23 years, they said: “Our message is not about [that]. You don't need to be vegan. It's about eating more vegetables and just having a laugh.”

The Happy Pear took to the SpaFest Stage today (Friday 23rd August) at 3pm and on Saturday at 2pm will be at The Studio, for Healthy & Happy with The Happy Pear. On Sunday at 1pm, they will be at The Kitchen Table for Living Life The Happy Pear Way. “We're here til Sunday. We're slightly insufferable, we know that. We'll be giving hugs, promoting vegetables and spreading cheer and merriment.”

When Chris asked for their headlines from the last year, the Happy Pair lads replied: “I guess the big thing is we're 20 years in business. And we're launching our food products in the UK here. so you'll have to come and taste them.”

They added: “We got invited onto The Today Show to do a cooking demo, which is great fun. That’s in two weeks time.”

On getting American representation, they explained: “We were asked to do a TV show and they tried to get a TV show and it didn't work. But then they said, ‘We want to be your US management team.’ It was like, ‘Wow, US management team. That sounds like a really big deal.

“We're two guys with a vegetable shop. Like, ‘Okay, sure.’ So now we're going to the US and we're going on The Today Show and we're doing something in Fenway Park with the [Boston] Red Sox!”

Also at CarFest today, Rob Brydon spoke about the winds, and about how the new Gavin & Stacey script moved him to tears. Read about it here.

Meanwhile, Dr Rangan Chatterjee chatted about rocking CarFest with his band this weekend! Read more here.

CarFest takes place from Friday 23rd August until Sunday 25th August 2024 at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire. Visit the CarFest website for more information and tickets.

Virgin Radio UK is the official broadcast partner for the festival, so be sure to stay listening over the weekend for loads more Laverstoke Park.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.