Year: 2019

New vegan full English breakfast in Wagamama

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The future we never thought would be possible has arrived.

Airports haven’t been known as hotspots for plant-based food. Traditionally, vegans have needed to pack our own snacks when spending time in transit or otherwise deal with uninspired crisp selections.

Imagine my shock today when I discovered a vegan full English cooked breakfast at Wagamama while waiting for my flight at Heathrow Terminal 3 in London.

This marks a huge shift in the state of mainstream plant-based foods.

The full English features seitan bacon, scrambled tofu, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, sweet potato, and toast.

The meal isn’t cheap at £10.25 but it certainly feels like good value when held up against other airport meals.

And the thrill of enjoying a plate of hot vegan food before a flight cannot be overstated. It is a real joy.

If you want to follow my travel and food adventures, follow me on Instagram.

New vegan croissants for the UK

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On the morning of Friday November 1, 2019 (World Vegan Day) I was invited to a new product launch and let me just say that you are in for a treat!

La Boulangere is a French baked goods company that has just launched vegan croissants and pains au chocolat into the UK market!

These were some of the finest vegan pastries I have ever tried.

La Boulangere vegan croissants and pains au chocolat are now available from Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.

Get shopping and enjoy. These are very special products.

Breaking News: M&S going all vegan with own wines

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BREAKING NEWS

M&S welcomes World Vegan Day (Friday 1st November) with the commitment to have an entirely vegan-friendly own-label wine range on shelf by the end of 2022 – a UK first for a chain retailer.

Animal-based ingredients are commonly used in wine production across with the most common including egg whites, milk protein and animal gelatine. Substituting these for plant-based alternatives such as pea protein, or modifying vine management and winemaking techniques means the wines are 100% suitable for those following a vegan-based diet.

M&S was an early pioneer of this movement, first labelling wines as ‘suitable for vegetarians’ back in 1998, with ‘suitable for vegans’ following in 2005 – now all bottles are clearly marked on the back label.

Currently 70% of the M&S wine range is suitable for vegans, representing a significant offering already in place. Many customer favourites are already part of the vegan-friendly range, including popular wines such as M&S Prosecco (£7), Chablis (£12), Vinalta Malbec (£9) and Delacourt Champagne NV (£25)

Commenting on M&S’ long-standing dedication to this goal, Sue Daniels, M&S Winemaker, said: “We’ve made this commitment as part of our overall aim to make M&S products more relevant to more customers and to take action to reflect their changing dietary demands.

“Obviously, such a large-scale commitment isn’t without its challenges – however we have been working on alternatives with winemakers for several years and have already seen radical changes in more traditional areas such as France and Spain. We will be supporting the rest of our partner wineries every step of the way towards this goal.”

The commitment supports M&S’ focus on plant-based eating, having earlier this year launched its hugely successful vegan-friendly range Plant Kitchen comprising over 60 products from vegan firsts such as Plant Kitchen Coleslaw to new customer favourites Cauliflower Popcorn Bites and Cashew Mac & Cheese.

This Christmas, the retailer is extending its vegan range to offer customers for the first time a complete vegan-friendly Christmas dinner, whilst this week sees the launch of a brand new vegan sandwich into its popular vegan sandwich range the Plant Kitchen Nutcracker Sandwich, £3.50.

Visit the M&S wine shop online.

Top ten things to see at VegFestUK London

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It is that time of the year.

London Olympia is transforming into the UK’s biggest vegan lifestyle show once again over the weekend of Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October, 2019.

VegFestUK London will feature new products, cooking demos, informative talks, a food court, and opportunities to mix with thousands of other vegans and vegan-curious people.

To celebrate the 2019 outing of VegFestUK London, I’ve picked my top ten reasons why you should go.

Check them out below:

Ananda’s Marshmallows – Stall Number WM9: Ananda’s is famous for their vegan versions of Wagon Wheels, the much-loved sweet treat featuring marshmallow fluff sandwiched between to soft cookie discs. They call their version the Round Up. This weekend you can buy three for the price of two across the entire range.

LGBT Vegan Socials with FGV – Natural Therapy Zone Level 2: Yes, I’m singing the praises of my own social event. These two one-hour sessions are nothing more than an organised space where LGBTQ+ vegans and our allies can get together and meet each other. Just chat informally! There will also be cupcakes to eat.

Arancini Brothers – Stall Number CAT16: I shouldn’t need to tell you but Arancini Brothers make some of the finest vegan comfort food on the planet. Their savoury risotto balls are heavenly and I highly recommend you make their stand part of your weekend eating plans.

DÁPPA – Stall Number CAT1: Soft serve ice cream, anyone? I’ve eaten quite a bit of vegan soft serve ice cream around the world and these people make some of the best I’ve tried. They always are on top of their game when it comes to toppings as well. Be early for this because they will be BUSY.

Vegan Culinary Cruises – Stall Number QA5: You can come along to this stand to learn all about upcoming luxury vegan cruises taking place in Cambodia/Vietnam and the South of France but more importantly, it is where I will be based most of the weekend. Please come and say hello to me!

Follow Your Heart – Stall Number CB4: A must visit at any vegan show, FYH will be showcasing their incredible cheeses and salad dressings. Their legendary vegan mayonnaise, Vegenaise, is what I consider the best vegan product on the planet. Grab a jar or two!

Made In Hackney – Stall Number ME1: Made in Hackney is the amazing community kitchen project hosting out of this world vegan masterclasses. Money raised from these events helps run cooking and meal planning classes for at risk and low income members of our community. Stop by to learn about the charity and you can even grab a discount code to use against one of their future masterclasses.

Moo Free Chocolates – Stall Number CK4: This company is still one of my favourites of all time. I simply cannot get enough of their ‘hunnycomb’ variety. It is milk chocolate without the milk. Cows are friends!

Mouse’s Favourite – Stall Number WL3: You need to get along to this cheese stall early if you want the best pick. They will sell quickly. I especially recommend their camembert as it is one of the finest I have ever enjoyed.

Workers Playtime – Stall Number U16: Fabulous vegan shoe brand making their VegFestUK debut. Try and buy from two of their most popular styles plus check out what else is on the horizon. Stylish and ethical footwear.

Choosing a top ten was tough. Rest assured there is a lot more for you to discover at VegFestUK London this weekend.

Check out full details online here and buy advance tickets.

Follow VegFestUK on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Vegans are obsessed with IKEA

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Trends in the vegan world are tough to keep up with as there seems to be a never-ending stream of breaking news and product launches in 2019.

I’ve made it my business to know what is happening when it comes to plant-based developments over the past decade but I sometimes feel like I have vegan fatigue from the ridiculous number of news stories breaking every week.

Yes, I am tired and worn out from trying to stay updated with vegan developments however there is one story within this swell of stories that still has the power to get me excited and hold my interest.

IKEA.

I am obsessed by how obsessed vegans are with the plant-based products of IKEA. This is the strange and wonderful world we find ourselves in right now. IKEA is somehow the hottest global trend in veganism!

I spend a lot of time in Mexico City and we do not have an IKEA here. Can you even imagine?! I’ve got IKEA envy. Every single day I watch vegan after vegan post photos of plant-based foods from their local IKEA and I don’t have one near me.

Because I’m currently out of the IKEA loop, I’ve pulled together a few recent Instagram posts showcasing this love affair between UK vegans and the Swedish-founded mega store… plus a few photos from IKEA-loving vegans from around the rest of the world, too.

And until the Mexico City location reportedly opens next year, these photos are all I have.

Let’s do this!

UK photos first up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B36W_uZJYs0/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B34HkJLJldu/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wMkObJB8t/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PuH9upZ2N/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PryWPBgbB/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B16HsJBpGjX/

Rest of the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3mWzhDnXjw/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3koXEHJYEn/

If I haven’t showcased your favourite IKEA vegan eats, please let me now all about it in the comments.

In the instance I ever do make it to an IKEA, the first place you will hear about it is my Instagram account.

Legendary vegan bakery in London robbed

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The legendary vegan bakery Ms Cupcake of Brixton, London was broken into last night.

Sharing the news on their social media, staff showed the broken window where entrance to the shop was gained using a brick.

The update also stated that cash was stolen from the business.

The Ms Cupcake bakery is one of the true pioneer vegan businesses in the UK and was largely responsible for launching the booming interest in veganism we see today.

I recently interviewed Ms Cupcake founder Mellissa Morgan for Tenderly online magazine. We talked about the trials and tribulations of running an independent vegan business and how the biggest hurdles are often completely unexpected.

In the interview (which you can read online here), Mellissa talked of how the business recently recovered from a flood. This break in was never going to have good timing, but right now feels particularly difficult for the team.

Please consider what you might do to help support the Ms Cupcake team as they move past this trouble.

My suggestions are:

  • Visit the store as soon as you can and spend up big (they sell a huge range of pantry items, packaged sweets, ice cream, and of course legendary cakes and slices)
  • Follow Ms Cupcake on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook
  • If you are at VegFestUK London this week at Olympia, stop by the Ms Cupcake stall (stand number CAT0 – next to One Planet Pizza) and buy lots of cake

In addition, you can catch Mellissa presenting a talk at VegFestUK London on Saturday October 26, 2019 between 1:15pm and 1:45pm.

Mellissa will be talking about all things sweet on the Foodies Stage.

Learn how you can use alternatives to refined sugars in your baking but still get immensely indulgent and decadent results. Over the years Ms. Cupcake has changed and developed her recipes to reflect changing customer tastes and now you can learn her secrets. Find out how this Brixton bakery has removed a third of the sugar from their cupcakes and cakes and introduced both a menu of refined sugar free items and a menu suitable for diabetics.

Get all the info about VegFestUK London (including tickets) online here.

Vegan jobs with The Vegan Society

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Have you ever thought about working with the most-recognised vegan group on the planet?

Check out these positions with The Vegan Society and get busy applying. Yes, they are all based in Birmingham, UK.

Business Development Officer (x 3)

The Vegan Trademark registers tens of thousands of vegan products a year and they are looking for three people to join the busy team and help register even more vegan products.

The role supports the Trademark team, working closely with some of the leading manufacturers across the UK and around the world and actively promoting The Vegan Society’s Trademark. The role will be working to strict deadlines and targets to ensure client expectations are met, managing the client relationship and administering all elements of Trademark product checking, applications, renewals, and queries.

Salary and hours: this is full time (37.5 hours per week) role with a salary of £24,799 per annum.

The application deadline is 9am Wednesday 13th November 2019. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 27th November 2019.

Media and Public Relations Officer

The Media & PR Officer is the first point of contact for the media at the Society and often undertakes high profile media interviews. This role works very closely with all departments to represent the Society’s voice in the media and good interpersonal skills are required.

The successful candidate will be expected to have excellent writing skills with a high standard of literacy and a positive, can-do attitude. A background in PR, journalism, communications or marketing is required and experience of media relations is preferred. Experience of being a spokesperson for an organisation is an advantage but training can be provided to the right candidate.

Salary and hours: this is full time (37.5 hours per week) role with a salary of £22,911 – £28,785 per annum.

The application deadline is 9am Friday 25th October 2019. Interviews will be held week commencing 28th October 2019.

To apply for these roles and find out more information, click here.

Please also take a moment to follow The Vegan Society on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Fry’s heading to Tesco supermarkets UK

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The Fry Family Food Co is a legendary vegan brand that is known and loved all over the planet.

The family-owned brand is especially famous amongst vegans and the vegan-curious in the UK. Their meat alternatives have been keeping people happy for what must now be a few decades.

In what is great news for lovers of this meat-free brand, The Fry Family Food Co now has products available in Tesco supermarkets around the UK.

You can now find their chilled Pepper Pie, Mushroom Pie, Curry Pie, Med Veg & Squash Slice, and Twin Chicken-Style Sausage Roll (new and seen first in Tesco) in around 800 stores.

Both the slice Slice and Sausage Roll are ready-to-eat straight from the pack, or you can heat them in the oven for a warm and tasty treat.

You can view the entire range of Fry’s products (including the range of pastries available in Tesco) online here.

Fry’s will also be launching three frozen products later this month, so keep your eyes open!

Vegan jobs with a vegan charity

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Do you need a job and are OK with relocating to Bristol, UK if you don’t already live there?

Viva! is an extremely effective campaign group founded in 1994.

The charity works heard to spread the vegan message with most campaigns focused on improving outcomes for animals, slowing the human-driven destruction of our planet, and helping individuals on their personal wellness journeys.

Viva! has two jobs that I thought might be of some interest to readers, so check them out below:

WordPress Developer

Viva! are looking to recruit a web developer, experienced with WordPress, to join their current web team. Your main role will be to help consolidate and migrate content and functionality across from some of their existing Drupal sites into a new, secure, well-optimised, easy to maintain WordPress website.

Closing date: 28 October 2019

Click here for details of how to apply.

Business Partnerships Manager

The Business Partnerships Manager is responsible for cultivating and maintaining strategic relationships with businesses and corporate partners. Viva! are looking for a highly organised, strategic thinker with strong communication skills. Applicants must thrive in a fast-paced environment, be able to work independently and able to meet tight deadlines.

Closing date: 4 November 2019

Click here for details of how to apply.

Even if these jobs aren’t for you, you can follow Viva! on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Help this independent vegan shop in the UK stay open

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Friends. I sound like a broken record but it needs repeating constantly.

Shop with independently owned vegan businesses or we will lose them.

The above message was posted by the owner of Kind Earth Vegan Supermarket in Llanelli, South Wales.

They are on the brink of closing.

UK independent vegan businesses are crucial for some many reasons, but I’ll give you just the top few:

  • they create local jobs for local people without exploiting animals
  • they keep more money in local communities
  • they help to keep the focus of animals at the heart of veganism
  • they add social capital to neighbourhoods
  • they are opportunities to cross promote other independent businesses and producers

Kind Earth is a much-loved independent business and the locals want it to stay.

Here are some ways you can help keep it open:

  • if you are in the area, shop there regularly
  • if you are visiting, make a special one-off visit and spend cash
  • sign up to the Kind Earth newsletter to find out how to shop via mail order and join their veg box scheme
  • follow Kind Earth on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter

If you are in South Wales, drop in for a visit. You can see the exact location of Kind Earth thanks to Google Maps.