London vegan news, reviews & events
Dinner tonight was this lovely vegan meatball stew I threw together using VBites meatballs. I flavoured it with plenty of chipotle and hot sauce while my rice stack in the centre was packed with coriander.
My pal Messy Vegetarian Cook was over for the meal and her Instagram photo took into account our drinks for the evening, including two bottles of red wine and some shots of delicious mezcal. Check it out!
Make your last meal of 2013 extra special as Fat Gay Vegan partners with vegan cuisine leaders Saf to bring you a New Year’s Eve supper club to be remembered. Book now or read on for more details.
Saf Restaurant & Bar (located inside Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street) serve some of the finest plant-based food in the UK. Every item featured on the Saf menu is world class and lovingly-prepared by the staff.
This exclusive New Year’s Eve event will see Saf closed to the public and will feature a 3 course meal (2 options for each course) with a fizzy welcome cocktail all for £30 (+fee) per person. Fat Gay Vegan (that’s me!) will greet and host throughout the dinner.
There will be time to mingle around the bar and diners can purchase extra wine, cocktails or beer from Saf. All alcohol served in the restaurant is vegan and there are gluten free drink options.
The event will commence at 7pm and come to an end at 10pm, allowing diners time to spirit away into the night to ring in midnight with friends and loved ones.
View the evening’s menu below.
Book now to be part of this special meal.
Limited availability. No refunds.
See my recent review of Saf here.
My mate and all round good person Kip from Messy Vegetarian Cook has stopped by to let you know her take on my recent 2nd Annual Day of the Dead vegan supper club.
She even took fab photos for you to drool over. Thanks Kip!
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Another event organised by Fat Gay Vegan, the second annual Mexican Day of the Dead supper club went off without a hitch.
Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—is a Latin American holiday that originated in Mexico to remember and celebrate the lives of those who died. Food and friends are a central theme in the holiday, and this supper club lauded both.
The dinner comprised of five courses (six if you count the hibiscus tequila cocktail): esquites (Mexican sweetcorn salad, a typical street food), smoky lentil soup with fried plantain, potato taquitos (deep fried stuffed corn tortilla rolls), seitan in hibiscus mole sauce with cacao nibs, and cinnamon rice pudding.
While I think it’s safe to say the overall diner favourites were the taquitos and lentil soup, what stood out most to me was the mole sauce. This rich preparation is the end result of a laborious task of toasting, grinding, and mixing a number of latin ingredients. Aside from the necessary chili component, other popular ingredients include nuts, seeds, chocolate, various spices, bread, and various fruits and vegetables. A mole can be incredibly complex, so to know someone painstakingly prepared it from scratch made the whole meal worthwhile for me.
Many thanks to chef Julio for his efforts and skill in the kitchen, and for his enthusiasm in presenting the food and culture of his country with such passion. Hats off also to Josh for his help and to Sean for hosting such a great evening. Also a massive final thanks to all of the companies who donated to guests’ take home goody bags.
I’m already excited about next year’s supper club!
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I just need to take a moment to give my heartfelt thanks to all of the people who voted for me in the VegfestUK awards 2013.
The award ceremony took place on Saturday during the show and I was genuinely thrilled to be presented with the award for Best Blogger of the Year. It was lovely. This blog has been running for almost three years and recognition isn’t expected, but it certainly is appreciated.
From the bottom of my fat gay vegan heart, I thank you.
As the colder weather approaches, take comfort knowing there is an exclusive vegan supper club full of hearty pies and sweet tarts just around the corner.
Fat Gay Vegan (that’s me!) has teamed up with pie experts The Tickled Tastebud Co. for an evening of delicious, handcrafted vegan pies and tarts.
Hosted in the intimate setting of a Kensington apartment on Saturday October 12th 2013 from 6pm, this exclusive meal is open to only six diners. You will need to be faster than speedy to secure a place.
Once you have read the menu below, I am certain you will be booking instantly.
The creation of the Internet has led to some strange and wonderful occurrences in life. But I’m not sure I’ve experienced a more unexpected social media surprise than pop star Darren Hayes sending me a recipe for soup, with personalised tips on how to make it vegan.
My history of interaction with the ex-Savage Garden singer goes way back. There was the time I gave Darren a Stars Wars figurine as a gift. I was much, much younger and hanging out to meet my pop star idols was a favourite past time. Pop-loving me was was beyond thrilled when Darren phoned me at home in Sydney, Australia that night to say thanks for the action toy.
Fast forward a year or two later and I was hanging out after seeing Darren’s band Savage Garden in concert in Manchester, UK. I think it was around the time I was about to turn vegan and Darren was about to turn gay (love and jokes, Darren!).
Darren loved the Madonna t-shirt I was sporting and invited me onto the tour coach for a short chat about pop music and other hot topics. It was a fabulous opportunity for fan boy me to spend some time talking with someone I looked up to musically.
Then we need to fast forward about 15 years for my next Darren Hayes encounter.
If you didn’t know, I run a PR business. I only work supporting vegan companies or products. As a rule, I try not to promote my clients on this blog but if my blogger and PR roles ever intersect I make sure it is very clear.
The reason I have decided to post the following information regarding my client Fry’s Distribution is that I want as many people as possible to be aware of this event where free vegan food will be given away. Yes, my business interest is to help them but my personal interest is to support the spread of veganism.
With that disclosure out of the way, will you be coming along for a free vegan sandwich? I’ll be serving!
ENORMOUS FOOD GIVEAWAY SET FOR BRIXTON
Brixton locals are set for a free dinner next week as leading vegetarian food company Fry’s Distribution undertakes massive food giveaway on Coldharbour Lane.
Join frozen vegan food giants Fry’s Distribution on Thursday August 29th, 2013 from 6:00pm as they cook up and serve hundreds of mouth-watering sandwiches for the people of Brixton.
Pat Drummy of Fry’s spoke of the motivation behind the event:
“At Fry’s, we pride ourselves on reaching out to local communities in order to show them how easy, tasty and healthy meat-free eating can be. Our message is about doing what is best for your family, animals and the planet by reducing the amount of mass produced animal products you consume.”
Pat continues:
“2013 has been an incredible year for our company with record increases in sales due to meat scandals and our entire range has recently been listed with online supermarket Ocado. People are coming around to the idea of not having meat with every meal and we want to show the people of Brixton how it can be done.”
The giveaway is taking place inside the much-loved Ms. Cupcake bakery located at 408 Coldharbour Lane. The owner of the bakery, Mellissa Morgan, spoke of her support for the event:
“I am always looking for inventive and interesting ways to give something back to the Brixton community. When I was approached by Fry’s Distribution about using my shop to host this giveaway, my initial reaction of saying yes was based on what a great thing it will be for the people in the area. As a vegan business owner myself, I also look for opportunities to spread information about kinder and more environmentally friendly food.”
More than 300 sandwiches will be given away on a first come basis and the event will commence at 6:00pm sharp.
Fry’s products can be purchased at Brixton Wholefoods in Atlantic Road.
Somebody posted this line on my Facebook page:
Building up a credible following of people honestly interested in vegan food and news, then using them as a marketing tool ( like many other blogger) : not cool.
This is my response:
If you missed out on attending London Vegan Beer Fest, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on holding a small piece of it in your hand.
I have an extremely limited run of tote bags left from the event and I am offering them for sale right here. For £6 (or £7 outside the UK) you will get a limited edition, hand printed, organic cotton London Vegan Beer Fest tote bag posted through your letterbox.
But that is not all.
Because I am a kind and loving FGV, every buyer will also get a super cool ‘DRINK VEGAN BEER’ pin/badge and a copy of the beer fest programme.
These London Vegan Beer Fest bundles are a lovely memento of a superb community event. Once these are gone they will not be reprinted, so grab a little piece of vegan history while they last!
Click the button above for the bundle if you are in the UK (£6)
Click the button above for the bundle if you are outside the UK (£7)
London, get ready to experience Mexican food like you have never experienced it before.
I am proudly partnering with esteemed restaurant group Peyton & Byrne to present a Mexican inspired vegan supper club held in the gorgeous surrounds of St. James’s Park.
On Thursday August 8th, 2013, food enthusiasts will have the rare chance to be immersed in a 100% plant-based Mexican meal on the covered balcony of Inn The Park. I am working alongside the staff of this Oliver Peyton-owned eatery to deliver a sumptuous and exotic range of dishes inspired by the hustle and bustle of the streets of Mexico City.
Booking details at bottom of page.
