Competition girl

Instawin

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Vegan Tuck Box have surpassed themselves.

This fabulous subscription service has, for a while now, been the go to supplier of hard to find sweets and chocolates. The monthly box delivery is always rammed solid with tasty snacks and delicious surprises. (I first wrote about the Vegan Tuck Box here)

But what of surpassing themselves?

Vegan Tuck Box is now the number one place in the UK for the best vegan candy on the planet. They have No No’s, Peanot No No’s, Peanot Cups and Chocolate Covered Pretzels. The better part of this news is you don’t have to hope to get these in the mystery subscription box as you can order what you want, when you want.

Click here to visit the Vegan Tuck Box shop to see all the candy and treats available, as well as the eight (yes, eight!) different subscription box options. I’m incredibly tempted by the chocolate lover’s box.

But that’s not all.

How would you like to win the following selection of the best vegan candy on the planet?

tuck box prizeYou have no idea how difficult it is for me to have this in my house and not eat everything. Many thanks (sarcastic and real) to Vegan Tuck Box for donating this selection of goodies as a giveaway.

How do you win?

This is an Instagram competition. Head on over to my Instagram account, find the photo you see above, like it and leave a comment. Also follow my account if you feel like it.

I will randomly pick a winner next week. I probably won’t pick you if we are friends or enemies. I will post the box to you wherever you are in the world.

Get to it!

Also, follow Vegan Tuck Box on Twitter for news of more gorgeous treats coming up!

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Guide to Paris

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Paris is famous for a lot of things. The Eiffel Tower. Louvre. Notre-Dame. Arc de Triomphe. I could go on and on and on. The city is packed solid with world-famous landmarks and attractions.

Paris has been referred to as the most visited city on the planet and it is believed the area welcomes in excess of 30 million visitors each year. It is a destination that has been celebrated in countless films, books and songs.

2014 has seen the city come into another kind of renown as veganism has seemingly swept all before it to make Paris one of the must-visit hot spots for compassionate tourists.

This explosion in plant-based eating has been painstakingly documented in the brand new Vegetarian Paris – The complete insider’s guide to the best veggie food in Paris.

Compiled and written by Aurelia d’Andrea, this compact book is the perfect guide for vegan travellers. It contains maps, shopping information, event listings, colour coded vegan listings of almost 20 establishments, dozens of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafes, transport information, accommodation tips and even a handy basic language and phrase guide.

The book is small enough to be taken out for a day of sightseeing and packed with enough useful information to make you glad you did.

You can buy your own copy of Vegetarian Paris online here or read on for a chance to win a copy.

veggie paris guide

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Win a recipe book

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I adore Chloe Coscarelli.

Chloe brings an irresistible and infectious love for tasty vegan food to the world. She appears so profoundly happy to be cooking and eating vegan food, I’m sure it makes non-vegans more than a little willing to see what all the fuss is about.

Chloe is an example of that rare vegan who can effortlessly cross over to the mainstream with her nutritious and delicious food ideas and then return to the land of plant eaters with a huge group of newly-converted compassionate friends happily following along. She is like the Pied Piper of cruelty-free cuisine.

The recently released Chloe’s Vegan Italian Kitchen follows this stylish, accessible and convincing approach to spreading vegan food joy.

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Blackpool win

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I am heading up North this weekend for a bit of fun and sun at the Northern Vegan Festival being held in Blackpool. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I will be hosting a speed meeting event designed to let compassionate people meet compassionate people in a fun atmosphere. Also…. PRIZES!

The session will run from 5pm and is not only a unique way to touch base with other vegans, it is also a chance to win some fabulous cruelty-free prizes.

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Check out this incredible list of prize sponsors. If you want to be in with a chance to take one of these lovely items home, come along and meet compassionate people rapidly this Saturday (September 13, 2014).

Now, the prizes:

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Time to win

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Remember when I wrote about this tasty-sounding cooking demonstration? No?

Well, here is the quick recap.

Angela Malik is a celebrated food creator who has just opened a brand new cooking school in West London. This Thursday she is hosting a vegan Chinese food cooking demonstration class where attendees will learn some nifty food prep skills and eat some delicious plant-based food.

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Sounds fab and the news gets even more enticing if you read on.

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Cool rider

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I make no secret of how much I adore the Cool Chile Co. This London based business is my main supplier of essential ingredients needed to get my Mexican food fix.

They sell it all. Kits that take the mystery out of cooking the perfect black bean dish. Chiles that are chopped, diced, dried and powdered. Spicy chipotle ketchup. Sweet salsa verde. Their enormous tortilla machine churns out thousands of the soft, round things every week (I wrote about the machine here). They even have a chorizo spice kit that comes with instructions explaining how you can use a meat substitute if you like. I love it!

But something makes the Cool Chile Co. extra special. The people who run it.

Director Dodi and General Manager Kelly are some of the most down-to-earth, unassuming and outright friendly people I have met in London. Even if their Mexican products weren’t the best in the country (which they are by a mile), I would still want them to be a roaring success because of what decent people they are.

Mexican ingredient champions
Mexican ingredient champions

It makes it all the more enjoyable to announce that I am partnering with the Cool Chile Co. for my huge vegan Mexican dinner taking place this week. Dodi and Kelly are getting behind UNA CITA by making sure we have the freshest tortillas in the country to make my three taco plate a dish you do not want to miss.

Cool Chile Co make this possible
Cool Chile Co make this possible

As a thank you to the company for coming on board with my event, I am giving them a pair of tickets for UNA CITA to give away to one fortunate Twitter follower. You need to follow them and retweet THIS tweet to be in with a chance to snap up the tickets for this Friday’s event.

Love Cool Chile Co. and be in with a chance to win!

Limited tickets for UNA CITA also available to buy here.

Win tickets for VegFest

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I love a good giveaway. Don’t you? Of course, some giveaways are superior to others and the prize up for grabs in this competition is definitely at the higher end of the scale.

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You know all about VegFestUK. You are aware the Bristol chapter of this vegan lifestyle, food, education and music extravaganza has been a much loved event for over a decade. You know it is the biggest vegan show of its kind in Europe. Of course you are aware that people travel from all over the UK, Europe and the planet to attend. There isn’t a person reading this who isn’t already aware they can visit the official VegFestUK website here for all show information. I probably don’t need to tell you the event this year is spread across May 23, 24 and 25, 2014.

I won’t bore you with what you already know. Instead, here is some new information to arouse your interest.

COMPETITION

VegFestUK Bristol organisers are generously giving me the opportunity to gift two pairs of tickets to the Friday and Saturday night concerts taking place as part of this year’s event. That’s right. One lucky winner will score two tickets to the Friday night gig and two tickets to the Saturday night gig.

That’s a fab prize. Check out the talent the winner will be experiencing.

Friday May 23, 2014

VegFest UK is throwing a huge disco party featuring the Bristol Samba Band, ABBA Gold tribute band, the legendary Boney M feat. Maizie Williams and Gwen Dickey’s Rose Royce. There will also be musical action from DJ act Just a Couple of Mums.

Saturday May 24, 2014

VegFestUK goes punk on the Saturday night with live sets from Goldblade fronted by the awesome John Robb, Ruts DC and Peter Hook and the Light.

Here is how you can enter to win a pair of tickets for both nights.

Comment below telling me about your favourite musical act. Make it funny and interesting. Share tales of concert experiences, first records, obsessions gone wrong or anything related to your musical pick. Your favourite band, singer or performer does not have to be appearing at VegFestUK in order to mention them.

It is that simple. The competition will close midnight April 30, 2014. I will pick a winner based on how amusing/engaging the entry is but I’m sorry to say I can’t choose someone I work with or am friendly with already. The tickets will be sent to the winner via post from VegFestUK organisers. You will need to leave a way for me to contact you in the instance you are the winner. A link to your Twitter account would be fine.

Get entering!

Follow VegFestUK on Twitter

Like VegFestUK on Facebook

 

Gardening comp

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Here is some interesting news for the gardeners amongst you.

A television production company is in the process of recruiting keen gardeners for a new show focussing on people who are confident when it comes to turning home grown produce into meals. The BBC2 endeavour is being called The Big Allotment Challenge and the makers have put a call out for amateur kitchen gardeners to take part. The show even plans to be inclusive of home flower growers.

If you think you have what it takes, ask for an application form via grow@silverriver.tv or 0207 907 3401. Applications close March 13, 2014.

It would be fantastic to see a vegan on the series, to show people what plant based eating is all about. Somebody do it!

Cupcake competition

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Living in London, it is easy to feel like you are at the centre of all things vegan in the UK. We have a monthly potluck, a monthly drinks event, a yearly beer fest, amazing vegan bakeries, vegan friendly restaurants and countless social events.

We have it pretty good in the capital and can often be guilty of overlooking the rest of the country when it comes to vegan good times. Take the upcoming vegan cupcake competition in Leeds. It sounds fab and should be celebrated.

Iron Cupcake: Leeds is a baking competition that has been happening for a few years in the Yorkshire city. Every time it runs, participants follow the designated theme to create 12 cupcakes in order to impress judges and take home a prize.

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People not baking are welcome to buy tickets so they can take part in the excitement by watching the action unfold and getting a taste of the entries.

On March 9, 2014 the competition pushes the plant-based agenda by making the theme of Iron Cupcake: Leeds vegan. Yes, that right. Every single entry in the competition needs to be completely free of animal derived products.

Get over to the official website right now to book your place in the competition or grab a ticket to be a spectator.

Enjoy!

Feel like winning?

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My vegan Day of the Dead party has been months in the planning.

Huge goodies bags have been assembled for attendees. My friend has designed the menu based on traditional recipes and he has flown all the way from Mexico City to be with us. The room is decorated. We have an altar for offerings to the departed. The food is crazy delicious.

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It is going to be a phenomenal party starting at 4:30pm today in central London. How would you like to join us for free?

The marvellous people at Cool Chile Co have donated two tickets (valued at more than £80) to be given away today!

Mexican ingredient champions
Mexican ingredient champions

This is a simple competition with very few rules:

  • You must follow the Cool Chile Co on Twitter
  • Once following, you need to tweet them and tell them when you last ate Mexican food
  • You need to include the hashtag #FGVwin
  • Winner is responsible for their own transport and must be able to get to Holborn in central London by 4:30pm today (Saturday November 2nd, 2013)
  • Winner will receive two tickets to attend the 2nd Annual Day of the Dead vegan supper club and two goodie bags.
  • There is no cash substitution for this prize and the prize will be drawn randomly from eligible tweets – the judge’s decision is final (FGV and Cool Chile Co.)
  • Only enter if you are certain you can attend
  • Winner will be notified via Twitter at 1:30pm

Get tweeting. Tell your friends to tweet so they can bring you if they win.

If you do not win but would like to attend, there are roughly four tickets for sale from here.