vegan UK

Vegan cooking classes for children

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My friends Nishma and Mahersh (of Shambhu’s catering) are once again running a week of vegan cooking classes for children in Queensbury, London!

This is a hands-on cooking course intended to teach children (8-13 years of age) how to cook a variety of delicious healthy meals using only plant-based ingredients (no meat, fish, eggs and dairy).

By participating on this course, children will pick up a variety of cooking skills and food-related knowledge, including nutrition. They’ll also learn about the wide variety of nutritious pulses and grains available, alternatives ways of sweetening foods, how to cook with tofu, how to store food and reduce food waste, and much more.

As part of the hands-on nature of the course, children will learn to use basic cooking utensils and appliances, under close supervision.

Over the five days, the children get a taste of different culinary styles from around the world, with each day dedicated to the style of a particular country or continental region.

The classes will run between 10:00am and 12:30 from Monday August 6, 2018 until Friday August 10, 2018. That’s a two and a half hour cooking class for five days in a row!

The cost for each attendee is £135.

To find out more and book a spot, visit this page online.

New vegan café in Brixton

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If you are trying to keep track of all the new vegan places in London, you are probably getting worn out.

Multiple new ventures seem to be popping up each week and my head is spinning with trying to report it all back to you.

Next up?

Blank Brixton is a coffee shop and café on Acre Lane, situated about halfway between Brixton and Clapham Common Underground stations. They have only opened a short while ago, so I wanted to reach out to the team to find out what their deal is and they wrote this gorgeous, little piece of prose for me:

We are the place you come to cry a little
Laugh a lot, eat some more and feel alive.

Our food has no bounds or limits
It is made to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

The coffee is always fresh and conversation is too.
We are vegans just like you
We are blank brixton 🙂

Check out some of the photos from Blank Brixton below and get along to show your support for this new vegan business. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps. They are open 7 days a week.

You can also follow Blank Brixton on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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New vegan eatery in Balham

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This is fantastic news.

A brand new vegan comfort food outlet has just opened in Balham. Yes, that’s right friends. Something opened south of the river in London!

The menu at Wicked Kitchen sounds more than delightful.

They are serving up fast food that makes me wanna be there right now and it includes:

  • Jackfruit burgers
  • Wraps
  • Sweet potato and skin-on fries
  • Wings
  • Mac n cheese
  • Nachos
  • Shakes and smoothies

You can follow Wicked Vegan on Facebook and Instagram. See their exact location thanks to Google Maps.

New vegan cheese in Waitrose

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Hey, friends.

Here is a super quick post to share some exciting news.

If you shop at Waitrose, you will be able to pick up dairy free cheese by Koko starting from June 4, 2018.

The vegan cheese varieties being launched include:

  • Dairy Free Cheddar
  • Soft Cream Cheese

The following image was shared by Koko on their Facebook page.

Are you excited for these new products? Did you get to sample any at the recent Bristol Vegfest? How were they?

You can also follow Koko on Instagram to stay updated on new products.

New vegan cafe in Hackney

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Hold your tongues, complainers.

Yes, we have ANOTHER vegan eatery in Hackney, London but I don’t want to hear your moaning. If people can make vegan business work in Hackney, it has a knock on effect for the rest of us. The more vegan places we have in Hackney, the more vegan places we will have around London and the UK in the future.

So, say a big hello to Smashing Kitchen.

I asked owner and founder Asia to give us some insight into Smashing Kitchen:

The vision is to provide delicious nourishing plant based food, homemade honest dishes, vegan, made with love and with nutrition at heart. Free from refined sugars, additives and fats that aren’t always optimal for personal wellbeing. Everything is either raw, baked, or steamed. We don’t do deep frying. The menu consists of starters such as bread (home baked) and butter (of course vegan!), nachos, raw veggies, hummus (butter beans instead of chickpeas), guacamole, salads (either ‘ready’ sets off the menu, or ‘create your own’ options), sourdough flatbread pockets, and burgers. We will also be introducing soups and we always try to make some special dishes of the day as well. The dessert section showcases a no added sugar cheesecake. We also serve coffees, teas, homemade soda drinks, and kombucha.

That sounds tasty!

Opening times right now for Smashing Kitchen are Tuesday to Sunday 12:30pm until 4:30pm as well as 5:30pm until 9:00pm.

The café is dog-friendly and child-friendly (baby changing table in the bathroom, high chairs coming soon).
One of the real draws of the café is the huge amount of plants as well as natural light.

Smashing Kitchen is based just off Mare Street (between Mare St and London Fields Station) on a little corner, away from the main street hustle and bustle, but still great transport connections (loads of buses, London Fields Station 1 minute away, Hackney Central Station about 10 mins walk away). Click here to see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Smashing Kitchen on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Vegan yoga retreat in Dorset

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If you are looking for a wonderful weekend away within the UK, this vegan yoga retreat in Dorset might just be the spot for you.

My friend Louise Wallis is not only one of the most ferociously-amazing vegan activists on the planet, she is also the owner of her own yoga, pilates and movement business called Mind Body Zone.

If you are interested in learning about Louise’s approach to melding yoga and veganism, you can book a spot on this exclusive retreat taking place this September in the gorgeous Dorset countryside.

What does the retreat include?

  • 3 x days and 2 x nights full-board accommodation in a beautiful eco-Retreat
  • Exclusive use of the venue & all facilities, including swimming pool
  • 6 x Yoga / Meditation / Relaxation classes
  • Delicious vegan meals prepared by the resident Chef (mainly organic & local produce)
  • Complimentary gift bag
  • Free WiFi and parking

I had a quick look over on the booking page and the retreat is booking up fast.

You really couldn’t wish for a more wonderful person to be in the company of for a few days. Louise is sure to make this a retreat to remember.

Click here to book.

Vegan deli in Suffolk

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Here is a photo-heavy post to celebrate a vegan eatery in the Suffolk town of Lowestoft.

VeGee Deli looks to be serving up exceptional, tasty food and they even say themselves that their message is about nutritious and indulgent cuisine.

Don’t you just adore the word indulgent?!

You can follow VeGee on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

You can see the exact location of the deli thanks to Google Maps. They are located in the courtyard of Tramway Hotel.

Now, look at this food!

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Surplus food pop up event in Bristol

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Anna just got in touch with me to let me know about a new vegan café venture she is launching. Café Surplus is part café, part campaign and part awareness-raising venture about food waste as the café will be stocked using surplus produce from local shops and businesses.

Anna is holding a party to launch the brand on 7th June, 2018 in Bristol (you can buy tickets online here).

A little bit about the event in Bristol:

Come along for an evening of food, drink and feel-good socialising. The fully vegan buffet will be sourced using surplus food collected from local shops, markets and supermarkets. There will be plenty to eat but the exact menu will be decided on the day. Ticket price covers all you can eat, a (non-alcoholic) cocktail on arrival, venue hire, staff wages and an evening full of fun and good vibes.

Tickets are just £10. Book now.

Also look out for Anna and Cafe Surplus to show up in London soon after the Bristol launch. There are plans to open a permanent location in the capital.

You can follow the venture on Facebook and Twitter.

 

New vegan spot in Newcastle

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There is a new vegan spot opening in Newcastle, UK and it sounds fabulous.

Little Green is a café and health food shop that is 100% vegan, located in the Sandyford section of the city.

Here is a little bit about the new business:

We are ‘Little Green’, a family run health food shop and cafe / bistro serving plant based, freshly prepared food, coffees, teas and a wide selection of soft and alcoholic drinks. We serve nutritious, plant based food in our cafe which is, wherever possible, locally sourced and organic, with a range of gluten free options available. We also have consultation and therapy rooms available for hire to therapists/ well-being practitioners at a reasonable charge.  Our health food shop benefits from co-owner and nutritional consultant, Gareth Zeal, being on hand to provide advice and offer 1 to 1 consultations. We stock a range of quality supplements, organic, vegan, raw and fair-trade products, a range of herbal teas, green teas, natural body care and beauty products, ecological cleaning products, SLS free shampoo, and other aids to a healthy and planet friendly lifestyle. We offer a refill scheme and stock products from local artists and craftsmen. We aim to ensure that our products are sustainable and keep plastic packaging to a minimum. Wherever possible, we deal with local, independent suppliers. Our food and drinks are kind to the planet. We create hand-made, delicious food in a space that welcomes openness, relaxation and creativity. Little Green is a growing community looking to make positive change by nourishing our bodies, fulfilling our souls and opening our hearts to all. Whenever you can be, be kind.

Little Green is due to open June 8, 2018.

Follow Little Green on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Heinz mystery

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Here is a little bit of a Heinz mystery for you.

First up, I was tagged in a post on Twitter alerting me to the fact that the No Added Sugar baked beans are not suitable for vegans.

This was further corroborated by the Vegan Wiki Twitter account that posted a photo of the following sign:

Vegans everywhere are scratching our heads because we can’t work out why these beans aren’t vegan.

The company advertise their No Added Sugar beans as suitable for vegetarians. There are no warnings about milk, eggs, or any animal derived ingredients on the label.

So, do us vegan police have it all wrong? Are these No Added Sugar Beans actually suitable for our lifestyle after all and this is a case of crossed wires?

Apparently not, according to the company itself.

This Twitter exchange in which Teen VGN asks the company to confirm has them confirming that the beans are NOT vegan (although in a somewhat confusing and elusive manner).

So, there we have it.

No Added Sugar beans by Heinz are not suitable for vegans but we don’t no why. The term ‘proprietary’ means that it is secret and they don’t want to disclose the ingredient.

One possibly is that the vinegar used is not vegan as that can sometimes be filtered with animal products in a similar way to some alcohol. However, if this was the case, the product would not be vegetarian either.

Until we find out how and why, the best you can do is stop eating the No Added Sugar beans and ask your local bean-serving restaurants and cafés if they are using the product for any of the vegan dishes.

Also, in absence of information we can do nothing but wildly and hilariously speculate what the hell is in these beans.

Sure, we might guess honey or even lanolin but I’m sure you can come up with something more inventive.

Answers in the comments below!