London vegan news, reviews & events
West London has a bit of a lousy reputation when it comes to vegan food. For years, the majority of plant-based businesses have been concentrated over on the east side of London while the other side of the city went without.
But that has all changed with this 100% vegan coffee shop sat on Chiswick High Road.
Read more below.
In the massive vegan food revolution of the past few years, there have been parts of London that have been left feeling a little high and dry.
If you live in South Ealing or adjoining suburbs, you will understand what I’m talking about.
While Hackney and Shoreditch couldn’t move for vegan restaurants, South Ealing and Ealing Broadway peeps (which included me on and off) were left with vegan options from chain restaurants.
But all that is changing as a new vegan pizza place is set to open in the West London suburb.
Santa Maria is a non-vegan pizza restaurant with a bit of a cult following in South Ealing and they have always been rather accomodating to vegans.
They have become even more accomodating to vegans by opening a 100% vegan version of what they do!
Vergine Maria is set to open very soon just a few moments walk from Ealing Broadway. Details are a bit thin on the ground at the moment but I will keep you updated with whatever I can find out.
In the meantime you can follow the new Vergine Maria on Instagram to be the first to see the pizzas coming out of their ovens.
Calling all chocolate lovers!
National Chocolate Week is coming up soon and West London vegan restaurant Comptoir V will be joining thousands of chocolate-lovers around the country in celebration of everyone’s favourite sweet treat.
Comptoir V will be serving a vegan 3-course cacao-centric menu for the entire celebratory week (15th – 21st October, 2018).
The specially designed menu will include:
All dishes can be ordered separately or part of a 3-course menu including a cocktail or superfood hot drink for £29.95.
The Comptoir V cacao menu will be available from 15th – 28th October, 2018 and booking is recommended to avoid missing out.
Comptoir V in Kensal Rise is open from midday to 10PM from Monday to Friday and also midday to 11PM on Saturday and Sunday. To book or for more information on Comptoir V you can call 0203 092 0047 or visit their website.
Follow Comptoir V on Instagram.
Vegan Chef Day and The Retreat Kitchen are hosting their very first Cheese and Wine Evening on August 17, 2018 in Richmond.
Missing Camembert? Lost without Brie? Get along and savour New Roots spectacular artisan vegan cheeses and wow your taste buds! You’ll sample five different plant-based cheeses and five different wines over the course of the evening, and learn all about pairing along the way.
Spaces are limited, so book your tickets early to avoid missing out. This Vegan Wine and Cheese Evening makes for a perfect date night alternative or a fun evening out with friends. It will be wine and cheese heaven!
New Roots cheeses are vegan, organic and gluten-free and will be available to buy and take away on the night.
Click here to buy tickets.
Located in vibrant Kensal Rise, Comptoir V brings international vegan cuisine to the heart of west London.
The restaurant descibes itself as having an international, plant-powered menu with decor inspired by the souks of Marrakech. Comptoir V aims to make plant-based eating and drinking exciting for everyone in a beautiful yet relaxed environment.
Some of the menu favourites with diners are the Tempura ‘Shrimp’, Barbecue Mushroom ‘Ribs’ with Vegan Mac and Cheese, the Tagine Special and Oreo ‘Cheesecake’.
Comptoir V also has a large selection of vegan wines, beers, soft drinks and superfood lattes.
Click here to visit the Comptoir V website and view their incredible menu. You can see their exact location here thanks to Google Maps.
Follow Comptoir V on Instagram.
My buddy Mark is hosting his first ever supper club at The Dodo Micropub in Hanwell, West London on January 15, 2018 and you should all book tickets!
Mark will serve a 4-course, nut-inspired menu with a welcome drink upon arrival and a take home goodie bag with samples for you to try at your leisure. This has all been made possible with the support of some wonderful brands including artisan cheese producers Essential Vegan and Raw Food Rosie’s, while Aqua Esse, Raw & Wild and The Happy Snack Company have provided him with your take home goodies.
Given cheese is at the heart of the menu, Mark has paired the main course and starter with vegan and organic wines from Spain. These are optional, so you can choose the ticket you want to purchase – with the paired wines or without. On the evening, should you wish, you will also be able to purchase alternative drinks from a vegan drinks menu featuring wines, beers and a selection of soft drinks including a limited number of the Aqua Esse intelligent aromatics spring water. You will be able to pay for your drinks by cash or card.
When purchasing your ticket also choose whether you wish to be greeted upon arrival with a mulled wine or a mulled kombucha. It will be mid January so both are assured to warm you up after your journey.
Mark’s mission is to constantly aspire to serve healthy and wholesome plant based food and with this in mind, only the highest quality organic ingredients will be used in all the dishes he personally prepares.
The menu for the evening is below:
Arrival
Starter
Main
Dessert
Take home goodie bag
This is set to be a wonderful event so click here to book your ticket.
For delicious food photos and to stay updated with events, follow Mark on Instagram.
West London is in the midst of a plant-based eating revolution with new businesses popping up all the time.
There is GreenBay Supermarket and Picky Wops pizza parlour within walking distance of each other. Sanctuary is just around the corner from both of these places in Fulham. Don’t forget the fab new café called Vegan HQ on South Ealing road.
That side of London is really gathering vegan steam and we now have a brand new plant-based café called The Retreat Kitchen in Richmond to add to the expanding list.
During the week at The Retreat Kitchen you can fill up at the seasonal salad bar and enjoy dishes such as the cashew ‘cheesy’ leek and broccoli quiche. You can devour homemade beetroot brownies or a refined sugar-free sticky toffee, date and cinnamon donut. You can enjoy a range of organic and vegan beer, wine, prosecco and cider.
The weekend at The Retreat Kitchen is a more laid back affair with an all day brunch menu where you can enjoy their version of traditional breakfast offerings including stuffed chickpea omelettes, mushroom florentine muffins and hollandaise sauce and loaded fresh fruit as well as banana and cinnamon pancake stacks.
The Retreat Kitchen is located on Hill Rise, Richmond (see the exact location via Google Maps) and is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 8:30am until 5:00pm and for brunch and cream teas at the weekends from 9:30am to 5:00pm.
You can visit The Retreat Kitchen online and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
I bring huge vegan news on the daily, but rarely do I get to say that an amazing vegan business is opening just a 15-minute walk from where I live in West London.
VeganHQ is a fully-vegan mini grocery store and takeaway food outlet. It also happens to be London’s very first completely vegan organic coffee shop.
The shop front opened just days ago at 50 St. Mary’s Road in Ealing and I’m thrilled to say it is just a short walk along South Ealing Road from where I live when I’m in London.
VeganHQ is stocked solid with vegan meats, vegan cheeses, chocolate, t-shirts, household products and more!
The food line up sounds like comfort food heaven with hot dogs, hamburgers and kebabs.
The nearest Underground station is South Ealing on the Piccadilly Line. Click here to see the simple walking directions from the station to the store.
The next closest station is Ealing Broadway on the District and Central Lines as well as Mainline trains. Click here to see walking distance to the store from Ealing Broadway.
VeganHQ is open 7 days a week during the day, so please make a big effort to get along to support this 100% vegan business (as well as grab yourself some tasty treats).
Follow VeganHQ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Extra note: images used in this blog post belong to VeganHQ.
The breakneck speed with which London’s vegan scene is expanding leaves me breathless. Or maybe that’s due to the building in my lift being broken meaning I had to take the stairs.
Regardless, London is booming when it comes to plant-based cuisine and bhuti is front and centre of the surge.
There is so much to tell you about bhuti. Situated in the West London neighbourhood of Richmond, bhuti bills itself as a centre of well-being and offers a huge range of beauty and relaxation therapies. It is home to ongoing yoga and pilates classes, as well as nutrition workshops.
Like many similar places, the treatments are certainly not inexpensive but I assume the prices are well within the range of what people pay for this type of thing in Richmond.
Not interested in a vitamin C facial or full body ‘5 element’ massage? Well maybe the in-house vegan tearoom will get you heading west.
The menu actually extends far past what you would expect from a tearoom. The fully vegan, organic, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and mostly raw menu includes a whole variety of snacks, drinks and dishes and even though bhuti only opened recently, they already have plans to expand the tearoom.
The menu is designed by head chef Eli who has been vegan for years and has moved over to bhuti from RAW at La Suite West. Eli is serving up raw cakes, buckwheat toast with toppings, chia pudding, breakfast smoothies, hot soup, nori rolls and tea infusions just to name a small selection.
Find out everything you need to know about bhuti on their website and take a moment to follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
