London vegan news, reviews & events
You know what’s better than a doughnut? A doughnut that everyone can enjoy. That’s exactly what Borough 22 in central London is all about.
Founded by Ryan Panchoo back in 2014, this doughnut brand was born from a mission to create sweet treats that were vegan and free from common allergens, without sacrificing taste. Fast forward a decade, and Ryan’s doughnuts are still made with the same love, care, and commitment to inclusivity.
I’m a little bit late to the game with this one.
Apparently these vegan copies of ice cream bars have been available all January, however I’ve just managed to get my hands on them.
Take a look.
Canary Wharf is one of those parts of London that feels like it only exists for people who work there. A sea of suits, glass towers, and the eerie quiet of a place that empties out after office hours.
It’s never really been a destination unless you have a reason to be there and for years, I’ve had precisely zero reasons.
But now, Yummzy has arrived, giving Canary Wharf a rare glimmer of interest for those of us who don’t clock in at a finance firm.
The title of this blog is a joke I’ve made a few times, in a few different forms.
I’ve joked about not celebrating Christmas while expressing my devotion to overeating on Christmas day. I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving but that doesn’t stop me from eating food associated with this problematic calendar date.
And just like the above festivities, Easter comes with it’s own delicacies that I love to consume while simultaneously rejecting the cultural and religious framework surrounding it.
Yes. I’m coming out of the closest as an atheist who is obsessed with Easter eggs!
My family wasn’t religious when I was growing up in Australia and I only attended church for weddings and funerals, but Easter was one of those celebrations that reached even the most non-observant of the population Down Under.
As a child, I would build a nest to which the Easter Bunny would deliver chocolate and candy eggs once a year (a tad confusing when I ponder this as an adult). This nest was more often than not simply a beach towel rolled into a spiral, placed in the living rom or at the foot of my bed. Sometimes I would shred newspaper to create a cosy, cushioning base to protect my expected egg delivery! I have no idea if this was a cultural practice outside of my family but we did it for most of my childhood years.
I suppose it was this custom that instilled in me a joy for Easter eggs that has lived long past my childhood and even long past retaining (most of) my family in my life!
This probably isn’t the right place to do a deep dive into my complex family history, however it is the perfect platform for sharing my current Easter faves with you here in the UK.
Check these out!
New vegan chocolate alert… and I have a discount code for it!
Fellow Creatures sent me their chocolate range for free, along with some information about the brand.
It is independent and LGBT-run. They pay 60% over market price to support cocoa farmers and their communities.
Isn’t that all just too fab?
If you go to fellowcreatures.co.uk and use code FATGAY at checkout, you get £5 off (minimum order £25) plus free shipping.
Buy all your festive chocolate needs in one place!
You can also find Fellow Creatures in Sainsbury’s and WH Smith.
Flavours include Raspberry White Choccy, Creamy Milkless Chocolate, Salted Caramel Choccy, Matcha White Choccy, and Creamy Hazelnut Chocolate.
The bars come in two sizes.
Yay for ethical chocolate! You can follow Fellow Creatures on Instagram.
Copperhouse Chocolate, London’s only vegan chocolate shop and cafe, has launched a new vegan ice cream range in its Chapel Market cafe in the heart of Islington.
Juliet Sampson, owner of Copperhouse, already had the idea to create her own delicious vegan ice cream and lockdown provided the perfect opportunity to experiment after their usual supplier moved out of London.
They currently sell six flavours that are all made with organic coconut milk as the base and of course contain their famous house blend hot chocolates. Favourites include Raspberry Chocolate (using Copperhouse Chocolate Raspberry Dream hot chocolate with a homemade raspberry swirl), Mint with brownie chips (with fresh mint and crumblings of homemade vegan brownies), and Coffee caramel (a delicious combination of Monmouth coffee and salted caramel swirl).
All the ice creams are made using organic ingredients and are 100% vegan. They are available as scoops priced at £2.50, oat milkshakes £4.90, cookie ice cream sandwiches with a choice of peanut butter and choc chip homemade cookies £5.50 and the decadent Hot Chocolate affogato using their delicious range of homemade hot chocolates £4.50.
The affogato is made with a lusciously extra thick hot chocolate using only the finest vegan milks, it is unlike any other vegan hot chocolate and is similar to Italian/Spanish hot chocolate but made to order. It can also be finished with decadent whipped coconut cream.
The ice cream is also available in a range of takeaway tubs that can be taken home for the freezer and are priced at £9 for a 450g tub – perfect for a delicious ice cream treat this summer.
Copperhouse Chocolate is proud of their single-origin hot chocolates from Colombia, Madagascar and Ecuador which each having their own distinct tastes.
The cafe also hosts a Chocolate Happy House every Friday for between 3-4pm where customers can get a free cookie with every coffee or hot chocolate purchased.
Located just moments away from Angel tube station, Copperhouse Chocolate promises a welcoming cosy space to relax with a comforting cup of proper hot chocolate, delicious ice creams, and vegan food all the while offering a home for community groups, meetups, and gatherings to connect in London.
See the exact location of Copperhouse Chocolate thanks to Google Maps.
Follow Copperhouse Chocolate on Instagram.
This competition is all about the win/win.
By simply taking part, you will be raising funds for an important social enterprise that is helping tackle homelessness in London. And if you win the comp? You get a one year’s supply of vegan pick n mix.
Oh, yes. You actually can’t lose! Well, you might not win the sweets but you get the meaning. You win by helping.
I suppose you want facts now. Well, I’ve got ’em.
Poster Bakes is an online vegan pick n mix shop founded to raise funds in support of The Connection, a social enterprise helping people move away from the streets of London and towards a happier and more fulfilling life.
The price of a single bag of sweets from Poster Bakes could cover the cost of someone receiving a shower, breakfast, and a cup of coffee in The Connection which in turn opens the doors to more in-depth support.
The vegan pick n mix initiative has been incredibly popular and I have a feeling it is about to go into overdrive.
You can enter this competition for a chance to win one year’s supply of vegan pick n mix from Poster Bakes! You just need to buy some sweets and find a golden ticket in your order.
It’s getting all Willy Wonka up in here!
The competition starts Monday 14th June, 2021 and will be running for a few weeks until Poster Bakes have sent out all their golden tickets tickets.
They will be randomly giving away 5 golden tickets in total, each of which will entitle the winner to a year’s supply of free sweets (a 500g bag every month for 12 months). Winners will be chosen at random from those who have entered the giveaway. This is what you need to do:
I’d love to know if you entered and I’d love to know if you win. Don’t forget who hooked you up with this info if you are suddenly swamped with vegan pick n mix.
I’m always shouting from the rooftops about Truffle Pig and their decadent vegan chocolates.
The Sheffield-based confectionary specialists have developed a loyal following and it is no surprise when you consider how delicious their products are.
I first tried Truffle Pig chocolates a few years back when they traded at my Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. I bought as much as I could but people swamped them and everything was gone very quickly.
Knowing how popular the brand is, you should be excited about this new hand painted, dark chocolate block released just last week.
It is called Riots Not Diets.
This 100g chocolate bar is made with their signature dark 55% cocoa with 'RIOTS NOT DIETS' written on each one. As these are hand painted design, each bar will be uniquely decorated! Support independent vegan business and support your taste buds. Click here to check out the entire Truffle Pig range online, including the new Riots Not Diets bar. Important fact: Truffle Pig restock online every Friday so you need to be quick on the day to place your order. You can also follow Truffle Pig on Instagram.
Poster Bakes is a vegan bakery and social enterprise run by The Connection at St Martin’s, a homelessness charity that operates within Central London.
Poster Bakes started out by selling traditional deep-filled doughnuts, made fresh every day and delivered to people around London by bicycle.
As the second wave of lockdowns came in and with Christmas fast approaching, Poster Bakes launched their mail order mince pie kits, which could be delivered to people all over the UK to spread some cheer and festive magic in the run up to Christmas.
The social enterprise went on to launch deliciously-spiced hot cross bun baking kits in the run up to Easter and now offer their brand new range of vegan pick and mix! You can select your own or choose from one of their mouth-watering mixes.
All profits made through Poster Bakes go directly towards continuing The Connection’s work, helping thousands of people each year to move away from the streets. They will also be running kitchen classes for people experiencing homelessness to help give them the tools and knowledge to cook and make nutritious food decisions when they become housed.
The website is currently open for pick and mix orders that can be shipped around the UK, and Poster Bakes have plans to launch some delicious new baking kits within the next few months. If you would like to find out any more information about the work of The Connection, click here.
You can also follow Poster Bakes on Instagram.
Have you seen the gorgeous baked treats created by Cocolico?
Cocolico is an independent French Pâtisserie business in the UK. You might recall them trading at Hackney Downs Vegan Market a few times, or possibly even bumped into them at other markets around the Reading and London areas.
If you are looking for handcrafted delicacies that taste amazing, Cocolico have got what you want.
Take a look at this special ‘postal treats’ box you can order online for UK-wide delivery.
Included for £16:
Click here to order right now and be sure to follow Cocolico on Instagram.
