London vegan news, reviews & events
UPDATE – THIS DEBT WAS PAID THIS MORNING (19th December, 2017) IN FULL
I have been asked a lot about my time working with Besos Food & Drinks, the UK company selling the drink Besos de Oro, so I would like to take this opportunity to clarify the situation.
I worked with this company for three months during 2016 and was never paid for the work I carried out.
When I first raised my concerns of the non-payment, Peter Smith of Besos Food & Drink communicated with me that he was more than happy with the work I did for his company and that he was sorry for late payment.
Even though he told me he would pay and admitted via email that he owed me £1500, he never attempted to make payment and that was the last I heard from him until I saw him in court.
I took my case to Small Claims Court and stuck with the process for over a year.
Last month at a hearing in London, the judge unequivocally found in my favour and ordered Peter Smith and Besos Food & Drink to pay me all money owed plus interest and court fees.
The amount now owing is £1800.
The court order generated from this decision carried a due date of December 15, 2017.
Peter Smith and Besos Food & Drinks failed to make the court order payment by this date.
Even though it will cost me more money in court filing fees, I will now take the next step of seeking money owed by implementing bailiffs who will enforce payment of outstanding monies owed.
All of this information is public knowledge and transcripts of the court proceedings can be sourced.
UPDATE – THIS DEBT WAS PAID THIS MORNING (19th December, 2017) IN FULL
Of course there are a bunch of events scheduled to celebrate the release of my first-ever book once it is published in January, but you can help me celebrate early at a fabulous 3-course food event in Brixton on December 12.
I’ve teamed up with the gorgeous Cafe Van Gogh for a special pre-launch party. Diners will be treated to a scrumptious 3-course meal and will go home with an early release copy of Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t.
Tickets are selling swiftly for £30 each, so click here to book your spot.
But what of the menu?
You get a choice of starter, main and dessert from the following menu:
Starter
Main
Dessert
Book your spot now!
In case you’ve missed the almost-reportable levels of spam I’ve been sending out to the universe, I’m here to tell you that I have a book being published in January via Nourish Books.
I’m also here to tell you that you can help me celebrate this book achievement AND eat some delicious food at an exclusive pre-launch supper being hosted by Café Van Gogh on December 12, 2017.
Tickets for the event are £30 plus booking fee and for that price you will enjoy a gorgeous 3-course meal and take home an advance copy of my book Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t.
Click here to book your ticket. The dinner will run from 7pm until 10pm.
I’m thrilled to be able to support this eatery in the important work they do in assisting vulnerable and marginalised community members when it comes to finding meaningful, rewarding and enriching catering employment.
Join me for a wonderful meal and let’s support this crucial café and follow Café Van Gogh on Instagram.
If you cannot attend the meal but would still like a copy of my book, you can pre-order your copy online.
As you probably already know, I have a vegan boot.
Yes, a Fat Gay Vegan boot is in the world and it is fabulous.
I tried a pair on today and I’m totally in love. Check it out.
The boots are made in collaboration with brand new ethical apparel company Workers Playtime and we have a very limited run that can be ordered right now.
The size run starts at European 36 (UK 3) and goes up to European 46 (UK 12). The upper is patent microfibre, the sole stitching feature is pink, the lining is a pink fleece, and you even get a pair of pink laces.
This really is the boot of my dreams. Use your festive gift receiving excuses to get yourself a pair!
Order online now and your new pair of FGV boots will be sent directly to you straight away.
You can see close up shots of the boot and order your pair online here.
There is a BIG vegan event taking place in Manchester this weekend and I’m so happy to announce that I will be there!
Manchester Vegan Fest 2017 is promising great food, entertainment, talks, new people to meet and lots of funky vegan stalls.
The two day event run by Vegan Organic Network is being staged at Sashas Hotel right in the centre of Manchester.
Sahsas is located in the heart of central Manchester, a short walk from from Piccadilly Train Station and a few hundred yards from the bus station.
More than 4,000 visitors are expected at the event which will have two café areas in the main hall and one downstairs with live music. Upstairs there will be a talks, a film room, cooking demonstrations and vegan fitness including exercise machines and yoga.
On Saturday at 3:00pm, I will be hosting a talk and Q&A discussion about the themes from my soon-to-be published book Fat Gay Vegan: How To Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give A Sh!t.
The book is published on January 4, 2018 but you can get a sneak preview as I share some of the stories and insights. A very limited number of the books will be for sale directly after my talk for £8.99.
You can pre-order the book online.
RSVP to the Manchester Vegan Fest 2017 Facebook event here.
I have to be honest and say this wasn’t a childhood dream in the same way releasing a book was, but how darn cool is it that I have just released a Fat Gay Vegan boot?!
I’ve teamed up with an ethical boot manufacturer to create the FGV Vaquita.
The gorgeous boot is made in Portugal and its features include:
If you want to try this boot on before they are released to the public on a wider scale, I am hosting an exclusive VegfestUK London viewing of the boot THIS WEEKEND (Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October, 2017).
We will have the boot in sizes EUR36/UK3 all the way up to EUR46/UK12.
If you love the boot and want to order a pair after trying, we will give you a 10% off voucher so you can order your very own pair online.
The boot will not be available in stores for a little while so this is your chance to try the boot on for size, be certain you like the fit, and order now for savings.
If you celebrate birthdays or Christmas, this is the perfect way to ensure you get a gift that is comfortable and fabulous. Bring the present buyer along with you!
I hope you love this boot as much as I do.
The Fat Gay Vegan stall at VegfestUK London is number U45 on level 3. I am also selling early release copies of my first ever book.
Remember when I announced with sadness that my monthly advice column for Vegan Life Magazine had been discontinued?
It appears that there were a few people who loved my column, so much so that the magazine has asked me to return with a brand new monthly column!
The latest issue has just hit new stands and magazine racks around the UK (and the world).
I’m thrilled to be back and getting the chance to share my insights with Vegan Life Readers. It’s also very cool that I have been bumped up to a coverline with my story right there on the cover for the world to see!
You can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online here.
Of course you all know I have a book being released in January 2018, right?
Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t is being published by Nourish Books and is available to pre-order via Amazon right now.
But…
If you are super keen to read what I am calling my ‘manifesto for living a compassionate life’ and can’t wait until January, my publisher has made a limited number of copies available for VegfestUK London on October 21 and 22, 2017.
I will have 300 copies of my first ever book to sell from a stall on level three of the VegfestUK venue and I will be on hand for most of the weekend to chat with you about it.
I am also hosting a presentation in the auditorium on the Saturday at 4:00pm to talk about the themes of the book and explain my approach to veganism, how I think we can expand our compassion beyond caring for animals and where I think veganism is heading in the future.
In addition, I will be hosting an informal discussion about the importance of running local vegan markets and offering some tips for anyone interested in starting one on their area on Sunday at 2:00pm.
You can read about my VegfestUK London talks online here.
Hope to see you at the show!
As you probably know, I have a strong connection to Mexico City. Some of the people I love most in the world are there and I live in the city for 6 months of each year.
I’ve been deeply worried about the devastating earthquake that affected the people of Mexico City last week and have felt helpless in London with no chance of being on the ground to help.
As a response, I have asked my publisher Nourish Books to help me raise money for a special charity based in Mexico City.
Isla Urbana works hard to install and maintain clean water infrastructure for some of the city’s most vulnerable people. Each water tank and system they install costs money but has the ability to give water security to an entire household and sometimes local schools.
Between Sunday September 24 and Saturday September 30, 2017, Nourish Books will kindly donate £1 to Isla Urbana for every copy of my book ‘Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t’ that is pre-ordered via Amazon.
Use this link to pre-order the book: http://tinyurl.com/CDMXwater and please share this post where you can. If you prefer to donate directly to the charity, you can do that here: http://islaurbana.org/english/
