I love sugar

FGV cupcakes

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Here is a super quick post to say thank you to south London cafe, Cupcakes & Shhht.

The Elephant and Castle cafe hosted an intimate get-together today to celebrate the launch of my book. It was a lot of fun chatting and getting a chance to say hello to a few friends and news faces, but the crowning glory of the evening was the cupcake selection.

The gorgeous vanilla and coconut cupcakes had mini edible front covers of my book on top of the frosting.

Check it out!

Please take a moment to follow Cupcakes & Shhht on Instagram so you can keep updated on their latest news, including an upcoming pop-up in Old Street!

You can join me at one of the book events coming up this week in London and Coventry. See all the dates and events online here.

If you would like a copy of my book, you can order online here.

Non-vegan bakery chain adds vegan items

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The Hummingbird Bakery is introducing a vegan cupcake option to the counters of its seven bakeries.

In response to high customer demand, The Hummingbird Bakery will be selling vegan versions of its most popular products, launching the range with its bestselling Red Velvet. It will be available as a vegan cupcake in-store as well as a cupcake and whole Red Velvet Layer Cake online from 8th January 2018.

The Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake will be available at their seven bakeries located across London and Surrey, including their newest branch opened in summer 2017 on the Guildford High Street.

Tarek Malouf, founder and Managing Director of The Hummingbird Bakery, said:

Customers told us they wanted a vegan option of our cakes and we listened. We wanted to offer an amazing vegan cupcake that is every bit as delicious and authentically American tasting as the Red Velvet cupcake we introduced to the UK in 2004. The Hummingbird Bakery’s new Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake compromises nothing from the original recipe, we are really proud of this vegan version of our bestseller. With our new website launching in January 2018, we are delighted we will be able to showcase a new whole vegan Red Velvet Layer Cake on here as well for those wishing to celebrate a special occasion with the highest quality vegan baking.

Established on Portobello Road in 2004, The Hummingbird Bakery is best known for its Red Velvet Cupcakes with a deep red sponge flavoured with a hint of cocoa.

Breaking News: donut diner to open in London

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London. You are on a roll and your city is getting more vegan-friendly by the day.

Take this fabulous news as the latest example of your vegan excellence.

Superstars of the vegan donut scene, Dough Society, are set to open London’s first-ever vegan donut café in early 2018.

Dough Society has become famous in the capital for the decadent glazed donuts they serve up at events around the city, including Hackney Downs Vegan Market most Saturdays. They are so adored it has become a rare occurrence when the donut stall doesn’t completely sell out of stock within a few hours of trading.

The days of disappointed donut fans who turn up to markets late in the day  are soon to be over as the business readies the grand opening of London’s first donut and coffee shop in Hackney Central.

I spoke with Lauren of Dough Society to get a little insight into what is coming up:

When can we expect to see the shop open?

We plan on opening in January. We’ll announce the exact date nearer to the time but we have some fit out work to do in the space to get it up to scratch and are hoping for around the middle of January 2018.

Why are you setting up in Hackney?

East London is the only place we have ever traded on a regular basis so it feels like the natural place to settle. It’s easily accessible for a lot of Londoners and in being close to the station it’s super easy for tourists too!

Will the shop only sell donuts?

We’re primarily a coffee & donut shop. We’ll have around 20 different donut flavours so the spotlight will definitely be on that and quality coffee. We will be offering gooey cheez toasties as a savoury option as well. We have big plans for brunch on weekends shortly after we open (think Donut French Toast 😱!).

What will the inside of the shop look like?

The shop has a kind of semi-industrial look to it with a concrete ceiling and flooring, minimalist lighting but we’ll have lots of plants and wood to keep things light and airy and we’ll have seating for up to forty people. We want to create a space people can go that’s relaxed, chilled, and inclusive where you can meet with friends or enjoy a couple of coffees while you work. We’ll also have a large outdoor area for seating that we hope to use when the weather starts getting warmer!

Congratulations on your first 100% vegan donut shop, London.

While you wait for the doors to be flung open, you can follow Dough Society on Instagram.

Family vegan treats business

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Just a quick post to share news of a family-run vegan baked goods and chocolate business that will deliver to your home or workplace.

Fliss’s Fancy is not just a online shop where you can order tasty delights, it is also a way for owner Emma to have a meaningful way to remember her daughter who passed away.

Let’s hear from Emma:

I set up my business in September after making a few treats for my husband’s uncle who is a vegan. I was dairy free at the time. After losing my daughter, I didn’t want to put any animals or humans through what I went through. After learning more and more about the industry, I am now vegan myself and feel so much better for it.

I set my business up in memory of my daughter Felicity. I’ve sold at the West Midlands Vegan Festival and I’m looking into appearing at a few more events next year. I sell mostly online and have enjoyed amazing feedback from people who are shocked that they taste the ‘same’ if not better than dairy versions.

I was donating my money I got from the business to our Just Giving page as we had been in the media because of what happened to our daughter (hospital negligence). We’ve now raised that money so I will now be looking at sending a percentage of money I make to charities. This week I’ve donated to the Lullaby Trust.

You can order Emma’s treat at her online shop and follow her business on Instagram.

Before you head off to another part of the Internet, let’s look at some photos of her food.

Vegan Christmas treats in Coop

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I often make a joke at this time of year where I say I do not celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate cake/chocolate/etc.

Check out these photos and understand why I’m in full celebration mode right now thanks to the Cooperative supermarkets here in the UK.

Best vegan chocolate

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I recently had the extreme good fortune of tasting the best vegan chocolate I’ve had in years.

Sat hello to Chocolatey Clare.

This handmade milk chocolate brand hails from Dublin, Ireland and features a gorgeous selection of flavours including Lemon Crunch, Mint Creme and Salted Peanut.

They are all gorgeous.

I was very kindly gifted a selection box thanks to Clare herself and I wasn’t expecting to be so blown away by how delicious her products were. Josh and I were actually fighting over the final crumbs.

When I write that I thought these chocolates were amazing, I really mean that I have never tasted vegan chocolate this good in Ireland or the UK. There are only a few chocolate brands on the planet that I think are in this league.

The good news for all the chocolate lovers out there is that you can order directly from Clare online for delivery.

Click here to order your own selection now.

Need more convincing to buy some for yourself or a friend?

Chocolatey Clare sources ethical cacao from a Fairtrade certified co-op in Peru, the packaging is printed by a company specialising in vegetable inks with machines powered by wind, and the bars are plastic free as they are wrapped in recyclable paper-backed foil.

This is the ultimate feel good gift. Order some now. Get double what you think you should because you will be in love.

Follow Chocolatey Clare on Instagram.

Cheap vegan chocolate

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Moo Free news!

Launching for Winter 2017, the brand-new snack-sized Choccy Chums Surprises from Moo Free are priced at a low RRP of just 55p!

Each mini slab is embossed with one of four of the Moo Free Friends: Hammy Hamster, Mikey Bunny, Lily-Lu Lemur or Cheeky Chops.

“Thanks to the patronage of our loyal customers, we’ve been able to continue to invest in new machinery and training”, says sales and marketing director Mike Jessop.

“As a result, we are now able to introduce these delicious and fun Choccy Chums Surprises to the vegan market at our lowest recommended retail price yet”.

These new mini slabs are certified organic and vegan (of course)!

Are you excited for these new low-price vegan treats?

Vegan chocolate box

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It’s that time of year when I say that I don’t celebrate Christmas but I do celebrate chocolate.

Now that I have that out of the way, let’s all celebrate this new selection box by Moo Free Chocolates.

How fabulous does this look?!

The box retails for £4.79 and includes:

  • Original Chocolate Santa Bar
  • Original Chocolate Snowman Bar
  • Mini Moos Minty Moo
  • Mini Moos Cheeky Orange
  • Original Choccy Drops

Look for this in your local retailers or order from the company direct online if you run a retail outlet.

Extra note: Moo Free Chocolates is included on the Food Empowerment Project list of trustworthy chocolate manufacturers. See the full list here.

The list reflects Food Empowerment Project’s most recent research on companies that make vegan products containing chocolate to find out if they source their chocolate from areas where slavery can still be found.

Moo Free gets the thumbs up!

Vegan Xmas treats at Tesco

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Here is a super short post about something I saw in Tesco today.

If you celebrate Christmas and shop at places such as Tesco, you can pick up this vegan chocolate selection box for yourself or a friend. I saw them in the special ‘seasonal items’ aisle (and not in the free from section) of the Tesco Extra in Osterley, London.

What do you think?

Will this be one of your stocking stuffers this festive season?

FGV ice cream

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Here is a super quick post to let you know about one of the biggest honours of my life.

The Ice Shack vegan ice cream parlour in Manchester is serving a Fat Gay Vegan flavour!

The mojito flavour is packed with lime and is incredibly creamy.

Of course the FGV mojito is not the only reason to visit this ice cream shop, but it is a damn fine one. So is the salted caramel ice cream, the dozens of flavours of handmade truffles, and the ever rotating selection of ice creams.

Follow Ice Shack on Instagram.