A reasonably good buy

Come here often? Good, then you’ll know that I love roller derby, drinking vegan booze and overeating. If this is your first time visiting me, you’re about to get a crash course in what makes a fat, gay vegan extremely happy. Buckle up, friend.

A few weekends back, Josh and I rolled on into the inner-city district of Earls Court to take in an evening of contact sport, vegan cider and delicious cruelty-free food.

The first part of this winning trifecta took place in Brompton Hall, a venue inside the famous Earls Court arena complex. The roller derby bout was staged by the London Roller Girls and was accompanied by all the bells and whistles I have become accustomed to in derby. There was an extremely-camp cheer squad called the Jeerios, a DJ pumping song requests and a vendor alley selling all kinds of skating merch. Heck, there was even Billys Skate & Bike Store selling ‘suitable for vegans’ rollerskates.

I had a grand time watching the various teams of the Roller Girls league go head to head. No doubt this good time was buoyed by the vegan cider I was drinking. I was blown away to learn the bar in the venue served bottles of Aspall, one of my favourite drinks in the UK. Derby plus vegan cider equals massive glory, yet it got better still.

Following the turmoil of the flat track and too many ciders, I was in desperate need for some nutrition. How fortuitous that this fabulous roller derby venue is within walking distance of one of the finest vegan restaurants in the whole of London! Oh yes, 222 Veggie Vegan is a short, drunken stroll from Earls Court.

Josh and I sat down to a gorgeous, late-night meal. 222 never disappoints. Josh went with the soup of the day with a side of bread. I put my faith in the trusty roast and it delivered just what I needed. The seitan in this meal is world class and the savoury gravy is one of my favourites anywhere.

Josh also found space to order a burger and I drank a scrumptious bottle of Samuel Smith lager. 222 Veggie Vegan has it all.

As much as London can be a tough grind, it does come up with the goods quite often. There are not many places in the world where you can guzzle vegan cider by the bottle while cheering on your favourite roller derby teams and follow it all up with a delectable vegan meal just a short stroll away.

So why do I smile when I think about Earls Court? See above.