Ferments and Pickles

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Celebrate Veganuary’s Finale with Purpose and Flavour

Join me for an exclusive, one-night-only dining experience at E3 Vegan, a proudly independent and celebrated restaurant nestled on Roman Road, East London.

This special supper club is your chance to savour an inventive three-course plant-based menu created by Head Chef Marc Joseph, formerly of the iconic Vanilla Black, London’s first vegetarian and vegan fine dining destination.

Born out of a love for sustainability and a passion for exceptional cuisine, E3 Vegan’s hyper-local, seasonal approach has made it a standout on the culinary map.

This January, I’m bringing you an unforgettable evening to celebrate Veganuary’s close, with 50% of ticket sales going directly to support the impactful community work of Made In Hackney.

Details:
📅 31 January 2025
📍 E3 Vegan, Roman Road
🍴 Multi-Course Dinner: £40pp (plus booking fee)
🎟️ Only 20 seats available – reserve yours today!

Menu will include:

  • E3V Focaccia with cream sheese and mixed pickles
  • Beetroot Borscht with pickled gherkins, beetroot and dill
  • Pomme purée and grilled baby leeks with pickled purple potatoes, pickled shallots and a yeast cracker
  • Ginger cake with pickled rhubarb and E3V vanilla ice cream

Additional purchases available: cocktails, wine, beer, soft drinks, and indulgent desserts like cakes and brownies.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss this exclusive chance to indulge in an extraordinary menu while supporting a meaningful cause. Click here to book now!

You can watch/stream my weekly podcast Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) on YouTube and Spotify.

Follow me on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, Blue Sky, and X(I know, I know!).

Best in show

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This was a cute and funny surprise.

Last night I attended an event hosted by Viva!, the incredible animal rights campaign charity.

They surprised me by presenting me with the award for Best Vegan Blogger… for 2019! It was a very funny moment.

I apparently won this award six years ago but I mentioned to the charity a few months ago that I didn’t have a memory of the event. So they kindly and humorously went out of their way to reprint the award and frame it for me!

I’d like to send huge love to the Viva! team not only for this kind and funny act, but more importantly for all the incredible work they do for animals.

You can discover more about the work of Viva! online here.

Clever girl

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If you need two middle-aged gay vegan men complaining about a film released a decade ago, you’ve come to the right spot.

In the latest episode of Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast Josh and I cover diverse topics, starting with my journey with dentures and their impact on my self-image. Heavy stuff! We explore societal perceptions of body image, especially the stigma around weight, before shifting to Hollywood’s power dynamics and how appearance influences success.

We also delve into the Jurassic Park franchise, with a focus on Jurassic World. Our discussion highlights issues like sexism, the male gaze, and the problematic messages around motherhood and fat characters.

Such a horrible movie!

Additionally, we address themes of racism, toxic masculinity, and the appropriation of the term “woke,” critiquing how these elements shape the film’s messaging.

In addition to watching/streaming on YouTube, you can also listen on Spotify.

I hope you enjoy the episode. We have a new episode every Tuesday, so please subscribe over on those platforms if you want to be reminded when a new episode drops.

If you are looking for some vegan events to attend in London over the coming weeks, please take a look on my EVENTS page. There are a few supper clubs and of course London Vegan Social.

And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and TikTok.

Mini festive market 2023

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If you think it feels like a long, long time since I’ve posted on the blog you are completely correct.

The reason I’m coming back to speak to you all after all this time is because it’s the end of 2023 and I’m inviting you to a celebration!

To celebrate this blog being alive and well again, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m hosting a vegan mini festive market in conjunction with vegan food charity, Made in Hackney.

Please join us in The Redmond Community Centre on Saturday December 16th, 2023 between 11am and 4pm for festive fun, gift shopping with local traders, tombola, live music, and time to socialise with friends old and new.

Drop in anytime across the day and say hi… we can’t wait to see you! The market is in support of all the crucial work Made in Hackney does around plant-based food security and nutrition.

Independent traders and stalls will include:

VG Coffee – selling hot drinks and hand held nibbles
I AM NUT OK – award-winning plant-based cheeses perfect for your festive table
Pinkeens Prints – gift ideas including hand-painted mugs in support of London wildlife conservation
Ecotricity – chat with Britain’s leading ethically-sourced energy company
Made In Hackney – chat with us about or community classes and masterclasses
Citizen Cake – homestyle cakes and bakes
Con Pasión Perú – cook-at-home Peruvian tamales and snacks
Cake Cult – decadent cookies, cakes, and tray bakes
Canopy Indoor Plants – plants and pots for you to buy for loved ones… or yourself!
Copperhouse Chocolate – handmade artisan chocolates and chocolate drink mixes
POH Books – specialist in African and Caribbean books for all ages… including vegan recipes!
Singing Santa – the jolly old man will be on the mic singing your favourite pop songs

Extra note: FGV and Made In Hackney would like to thank Ecotricity for financially supporting this event. If you would like to find out more about this ethical energy supplier, click here for a quote. Ecotricity will kindly donate money to Made In Hackney for each new customer signing up via that link.

Wholewheat pasta with lentils recipe

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I am trying to get into more nutritious cooking at home and it’s like learning a new skill from scratch.

Yes, I can cook but I haven’t been very focussed on cooking for health. Ive been more of an instant gratification kind of fellow.

But a recent high cholesterol warning from my doctor has me trying to take control of my carb, salt, and sugar intake. Yes, a vegan can have high cholesterol if their diet is not balanced and does not lean towards whole foods.

If you want to see some of my creations, be sure to follow my Instagram account where I will be sharing some of my homemade recipes.

Like this one:

I’m copying the recipe below in case you are unable to see it above.

Penne with Beluga Lentils, Spinach, and Leeks (serves one)

  • 100g uncooked wholemeal penne pasta (1 cup)
  • 100g frozen spinach (1 cup)
  • 100g fresh leeks, sliced (1 cup)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 100g cooked beluga lentils (1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp five spice powder
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

  • Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the sliced leeks and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
  • Add the frozen spinach to the pan and continue to sauté until the spinach is heated through and any excess water has evaporated.
  • Add the garlic powder, cooked beluga lentils, chipotle powder, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and five spice powder to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
  • Add the cooked penne pasta to the pan and toss to combine with the lentil and spinach mixture.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of the dish as a garnish before serving.

Extra note:

An Instagram follower suggested adding the lime juice and apple cider vinegar after removing the mix from the heat. Apparently heating the acids too much can make them taste bitter.

I’m all for these cooking tips. I’m on this journey to learn, so the more tips the better. Get involved in the comments if you have anything to add!

Vegan pizza party with FGV

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I love a good party just as much as I love a good pizza, so why not combine my love for these two things?!

Join me in a week for The Future of Food co-presented with NXT LVL PZA.

Join Fat Gay Vegan at NXT LVL PZA’s Hackney Wick launch party!

Your £5 entry goes straight to madeinhackney.org, a local plant based cookery school and food kitchen helping some of East London’s most vulnerable people. It also entitles you to 1 free beer and free pizza all night!

NXT LVL’s master chef will be cooking up a storm in our courtyard, showing us the secrets of making food so good, you don’t notice it’s saving the planet. Come down, try some next level pizza, talk about the future of food and get to know your community.

@ HWK – 29 White Post Ln, London, E9 5EN

Thursday 12th May: 7pm – 11pm

£5 entry – free pizza + 1 beer* – 100% of proceeds go to Made In Hackney

CLICK HERE to buy your ticket now. Numbers are strictly limited.

*Pizza will be served by the slice. Beer tokens will redeem 1 alcoholic or 1 non-alcoholic beer. A soft drink option will also be available. Please check bar listing for more information.

Win some food with FGV

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Here is a super rapid Instagram competition where you can win some food and hang out with a bunch of vegans and vegan-friendly peeps.

On the first Wednesday of each month, I host a London’s best party for compassionate people. Get excited for London Vegan Social!

London Vegan Social is the place to meet people, sing karaoke, eat delicious food, and sip refreshing cocktails. Spread across three floors of the Old Crown Pub at 33 New Oxford Street. It’s perfectly located halfway between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn Underground stations.

The monthly party runs between 6pm and 10pm on the first Wednesday and this month I am giving away a food and drink package for two. The event is tomorrow (May 4) so get reading below about how you can win!

This food and drink prize is supplied by resident vegan kitchen Vetomeato and host pub The Old Crown.

Here is what you need to do to win:

I’ll be picking a winner at 5pm on Wednesday May 4th, 2022. The prize can be claimed at London Vegan Social that same night!

The prize does not cover any travel expenses but the winner will get the following:

  • 2 burgers
  • 2 fries
  • 2 Mac n cheese bites
  • 2 vegan cocktails

Click here to visit and comment on the Instagram post.

Don’t forget to follow Fat Gay Vegan and Vetomeato on Instagram.

Wanna invest in vegan pizza?

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Ever since I adopted a vegan lifestyle over 20 years ago, I’ve been searching for the best plant-based pepperoni pizza.

We didn’t have a lot of pepperoni pizza opportunities in Australia when I was younger and by the time I got to the UK where they were more popular, I was vegan!

But hey, guess what, people? I think I’ve found the vegan pepperoni pizza of my dreams… and you can invest in the company responsible for bringing it to the UK capital.

NXT LVL PZA is a fast food concept that was pretty easy to fall in love with.

I stumbled upon the NXT LVL pop up restaurant in Soho just over a month or so back and was swept up by excitement and greed. The brand is all bright colours and video game imagery while the menu is 100% plant-based.

The idea of the concept is to give hungry people (like me) the food they desire while doing good stuff for the planet and animals. I saw so many people getting excited about the pizza before they realised it was plant-based and that excitement didn’t let up when they started eating.

The pizza from NXT LVL is extremely tasty.

I think what NXT LVL PZA has got right is not trying to invent the wheel when it comes to ingredients that other people do incredibly well already.

The brand has created partnerships with leading plant-based companies such as Beyond Meat to create pizzas with toppings that can’t be, er.. topped!

This is why the pepperoni pizza has got me all hot and bothered.

The Spice Invaders pizza (see photo above) features the mouthwatering pepperoni slices of Verdino Foods. This is by far the best plant-based pepperoni I have ever enjoyed. My childhood dreams are coming true!

Following on from a trial delivery kitchen near Battersea over the past few months, NXT LVL PZA is ready to take their delicious vegan menu across London via a series of delivery kitchens. I think they plan on opening ten delivery kitchens as a starting point!

And if you like the sound of getting a slice of the action (get it?), you can invest in their expansion via a crowdfunding campaign. Of course you need to know that any sort of investment opportunity carries risk, no matter how much some chubby Australian blogger loves vegan pepperoni pizza.

Click here if you want to discover more info about investing in a chain of vegan pizza kitchens.

You can also follow NXT LVL PZA on Instagram.

Extra note: keep a close eye on my social media announcements in the coming week. I love NXT LVL so much, there might just be an FGV pizza party sponsored by the brand coming to London and you will definitely want to be a part of it.

Help a vegan business rebuild

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Life is never really easy, but the past few years have been a struggle and a half.

We have all been through a lot and some of us have experienced immense pain and hardship, so it is nice to know we can still reach out to help each other in times of trouble.

During the afternoon of February 18, 2022, storm Eunice collapsed a very large chimney stack onto the kitchen roof of vegan cafe The Plant Base in Tunbridge Wells. The sound was reportedly impressive and the damage was definitely extensive.

The vegan business does have insurance but that will only go so far and they really don’t want to be starting from scratch again for the second time in a year, so they are asking very nicely for anything we can do to help.

CLICK HERE to donate to the emergency repair fund for The Plant Base.

As the only 100% plant based restaurant in the area, The Plant Base customers travel from far and wide to eat with them and they want to reopen as soon as possible.

You can also follow The Plant Base on Instagram.

Special vegan Valentine’s dinner in London

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If you know anything about vegan food in London, you’ll be aware that Essential Vegan is one of the best places to get plant-based cuisine in the city.

Vanessa has established her vegan Brazilian food business as a real leader on the food scene over the past few years and now you can celebrate Valentine’s Day 2022 with a special set menu.

Tapioca dice with homemade sweet chili chutney
Palm hearts and plantain moqueca with basmati rice

The 3-course Valentine’s Day dinner is available for one night only at Essential Vegan, inside Dalston Superstore, on Monday February 14, 2022 from 5pm.

The menu is priced at £25 per person and includes:

  • tapioca dice with homemade sweet chili chutney
  • palm hearts and plantain moqueca with basmati rice
  • Brazilian donuts with guava paste

This is an incredible line up of dishes that is going to have you all loved up!

You can choose the time that suits you with bookings starting from 5pm. Click here to make a booking.

The full Essential Vegan menu will also be available on the night, as it is 7-days a week.

If you like the sound of the Valentine’s Day dinner but can’t get along, think about getting along to the Essential Vegan Dalston Superstore drag brunch that takes place every Saturday and Sunday between 12pm and 5pm. You need to book in advance (same link as above) as this event sells out most weeks.

You can follow Essential Vegan on Instagram.