Haus of FGV

I like my potatoes creamy

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Potato is a food I enjoy mostly any which way. Roasted, fried, mashed… you cook it, I’ll devour it. With this established, you will understand it was with great excitement I set about creating a mouth-watering potato breakfast swimming in vegan cream and cheese.

Alpro long-life vegan cream

Alpro products are everywhere in the UK. You can’t go into a major store without running into their yogurt, custard, pudding and milks. They produce a wide range of dairy substitutes using non-GM soy beans grown on land that is investigated to not have been deforested or reclaimed. Best of all, the entire Alpro range is suitable for a vegan diet. I had recently been craving creamy potatoes, leading me to search out the Alpro long-life, dairy free soy cream. This cream is housed in a handy and neat resealable carton. But I won’t pretend I needed to reseal it. All of the cream was used in one sitting.

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Cheesy beefy bagel glory

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Is there a more pleasing bread product than a bagel? You can’t go wrong with something chewy, doughy and simple that can be held in one hand.

During my first visit to New York City many years ago, I was staggered by the huge range of bagels on offer. No matter the neighbourhood, there were stores and bakeries everywhere I turned baking and selling bagels. Unfortunately for FGV me, many establishments weren’t forward about their ingredients and I wasn’t familiar with bagels enough to know what was vegan or why they might not be animal-product free. Growing up in suburban Australia meant I existed in a bagel-free zone during my formative years. My bagel-curious nature is only now being satisfied thanks to a fabulous company here in the UK.

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That’s the way I like it

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Hungry but can’t be bothered to cook? This dilemma visits the Haus of FGV often and forces me to enjoy uncomplicated meals from time to time.

Redwood Fish Style Steaks

A few evenings ago, Josh and I were prettying ourselves for a fabulous night out in London. Plans were afoot for an evening of hilarity with singer/comedian/actor Sandra Bernhard at the Leicester Square Theatre followed by camp shenanigans as ex-Dead or Alive front person Pete Burns turned out a midnight PA at The Eagle in Vauxhall. It was going to be a big one so we were in need of sustenance before our wild night. With not much time to spare and even less enthusiasm for food preparation, we opted for a fishless sandwich.  It was fast, tasty and animal-friendly.

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Leave the chilli on the table and nobody gets hurts

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Want to enjoy a delicious bean chilli but time is limited? Co-operative supermarket has got you sorted.

Co-operative chilli cook in sauce

I have always been strangely intrigued by chilli as a meal but have not encountered it often. Growing up in Australia, my closest encounter with this dish was the oft-repeated episode of the Simpsons in which Homer trips after eating a super-hot pepper. The whole concept of a cook-off filled me with wonder. As Homer strutted from stall to stall with his special chilli spoon, my fascination with the bean-filled, savoury goodness expanded. Sadly, chilli has only passed my lips a few times since I first saw that TV show but that could all change with the discovery of a chilli cook in sauce from Co-operative supermarkets.

Co-operative supermarkets have a fantastic track record of ethical policy, including a commitment to

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Would you like Fry’s with that?

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This is going to be controversial but it needs to be announced… Fry’s Vegetarian products are the ultimate faux-meats available on the global market. I can’t take them fighting words back.

Chicken-less bagel made using Fry's Vegetarian Chicken Style Strips

Fry Food Group is a company owned and operated by Debbie and Wally Fry. They create a huge range of meat-free foods and in my opinion are unmatched for quality, range and taste. The company operates an eco-friendly production facility in South Africa where they promote best environmental practice such as employing people who walk to work and the installation of a water treatment system. Debbie and Wally are committed vegetarians and all of their scrumptious products are certified vegan. Cue the food. You know you want to.

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Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop

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Some things are simply destined to be together. A triple shot of vodka and a glass of cola. A ferocious hangover and oven chips with gravy. There are countless combinations of perfect matches like these examples out there.

During a recent shopping adventure, I picked up two products that seemed to scream ‘combine us’ from my grocery basket.

Linda McCartney sausage rolls

First up we have an old faithful in Linda McCartney sausage rolls. Vegans do need to be careful when purchasing from this company as some products in their range contain milk and/or egg. The sausage rolls however are suitable for a cruelty-free diet and are crispy perfection when you follow the cooking guidelines carefully. You recieve 6 per box and the frozen snacks are free from artificial preservatives and flavours. They make a quick, simple snack and are available in shops all over the UK.

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Dunker licking good

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Bite-sized, crumbed and oven cooked. You know you want it.

Vegetable Dunkers... vegan frozen food

There is a profit-fuelled frenzy occuring in UK supermarkets and grocery stores. Major chains are falling over each other to snare a larger slice of the compassionate shopper market and we vegans are faced with an ever-expanding choice. Alongside old-timers such as tofu, shop shelves are now showcasing cruelty-free newbies such as roast ‘beef’, air freshener, dishwashing liquid, hairspray and countless other products labeled suitable for vegans.

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Vegan ice cream wars

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It is part of my genetic make-up as a fat, gay vegan to be obsessed with ice cream.

Swedish Glace and Worthenshaws Freedom

Dairy free desserts are becoming increasingly easy to locate with most major supermarkets stocking at least one or two brands of vegan ice cream for the discerning, sweet-toothed vegan to purchase. I have become quite the non-dairy connoisseur during the last few years and have enjoyed scandalous affairs with various ice cream brands from all around the globe. Tofutti from the USA is a reliable friend and never lets me down. Coco Luscious is crafted in Australia and is too good to be true. I often dream of the decadent Booja Booja from the UK and its rich, chocolatey delights. This short list of favourites is just the tip of the vegan ice cream iceberg.

You get the picture, right? I am a self-proclaimed vegan ice cream know-it-all. I recently put this expertise to the test by comparing two brands available here in the UK.

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Cereal killer

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Breakfast isn’t my most consistent meal of the day.

It’s not that I don’t like eating in the morning, but I often find myself keeping strange hours that result in my first meal of the day being closer to midday. This anomaly of time-keeping results in me missing out on some more traditional breakfast foods. Today I decided it was time to break with this (lack of) tradition. I wanted a bowl of cereal and milk.

Whole Earth corn flakes for breakfast

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Return of the mac

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When people give me the old line, “I couldn’t go vegan because I would miss cheese too much” I say, “Boo fuckin’ hoo!”.

Then I count to ten and take a few deep breaths before explaining there is now a wealth of cheese options available. You can remove yourself from the suffering cycle associated with dairy industrialisation by choosing plant-based cheeses to grate, sprinkle and melt.

One such product is the glorious Daiya. I have experienced this delightful, cruelty-free cheese during my numerous trips to the USA. Daiya is made from fermented cassava root and I could only hope to taste it whenever I found myself Stateside… until now.

Amy's vegan macaroni and cheeze

Whole Foods Market in Kensington, London shocked me senseless by selling me a fabulous box of frozen macaroni and Daiya. To my knowledge, this Amy’s product isn’t available anywhere else in the UK. If you know otherwise, please educate this FGV.

While I wait for your postcards to come flooding in, I am happy to share a photo of the ridiculously-lovely meal Josh cobbled together around the macaroni.

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