London vegan news, reviews & events
My previous posts detailing my vegan over eating throughout the USA were nothing compared to this installment.
Since we last spoke I have been on a food consumption journey. I ate in Bend, Oregon. I ate in Redwood forests. I ate in the rental car. I ate in the mountains. But most importantly, I ate during a three-day conference for vegan bloggers in Portland.
Hold on tight as I power through this list of vegan delights.
My consumption of vegan snacks during this trip through northern California and Oregon is nothing short of staggering.
All of the brands and products MUST be consumed as and when they catch my eye, otherwise I will return to the UK full of remorse and thoughts of ‘if only’. This over eating marathon is not simply a product of my greedy temperament, it is also a necessary process to ensure I don’t feel too depressed back in London.
Don’t laugh. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Following is a short collection of photos of the vegan snacks that have found their way into my belly over the last few days. Of course I am also eating fruit, but I assume you didn’t come here to stare at a banana.
Enjoy!
As I enjoy a short stay in the glorious city of San Francisco, I am proving beyond a shadow of a doubt why I possess the name Fat Gay Vegan.
Here is a super quick post highlighting the vegan snacks that have kept me company during my first few days in the USA. You will notice the lighting is terrible. Obviously I am photographing these snacks on the bed in a dimly-lit hotel room. Is there any other way to overeat in solitude?
Enjoy the photos and if you are a food importer in the UK, I want all of these available by the time I get back.
Read to the end for a free Ms. Cupcake recipe!
I thought sitting down to write a blog post about the release of the Ms. Cupcake cookbook would be a simple process that involved reviewing the book, saying how much I adore her food and sticking in a few photos.
However, on reflection the idea of simply talking about the book as just another collection of recipes seemed beyond insufficient. This book acts as distinct marker in the timeline of vegan London and Mellissa Morgan is more than a mere cupcake maker. She has been one of the guiding forces in the veganisation of the UK capital and walks at the forefront of a plant-based wave sweeping the country.
No, this isn’t just a cookbook. It is historical evidence of how an independent baker helped change the way London and the UK think about veganism.
The story of the rise of Ms. Cupcake is especially poignant and personal for me. It wasn’t long after I started this blog that Mellissa moved her well-loved market stall business into her very own bakery on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton. It was the story about this move that went on to become one of the most read posts of all time on my blog.
When I had the idea of creating London Vegan Potluck, it was Mellissa and the Ms. Cupcake crew who welcomed my crazy idea with open arms. The potluck has since moved to larger premises, but I will never forget or take for granted what the bakery did for me and my event. Mellissa’s commitment to the vegan community in London helped me create one of the most enduring and loved social events in the country.
The Ms. Cupcake bakery is a focal point for vegan London. The rise of such a successful vegan business lit a spark that has grown to an inferno and inspired all manner of events, food providers and support networks. Many of the people who work or have worked in the bakery have become my dear friends. The cookbook tells Mellissa’s story and the recipes are testament to her creativity and persistence, but it also acts as reminder for vegans everywhere how we can change the world around us if we decide to act.
Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you would like to know how to create mouthwatering cookies, cupcakes, muffins and loaves. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want a invaluable guide to vegan icing, stockists and methods. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you enjoy owning recipe books brimming with colourful and stylish artwork and photos. But most importantly, buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want to own a piece of the story of how London truly became an international vegan city.
Order now online from Amazon.
As a special treat, Ms. Cupcake and her publisher have given me permission to include the following recipe taken from the new book. I followed the easy recipe to make my own batch of Nanaimo bars and the process was completely hassle-free, even for a non-baker like me.
I understand I can be somewhat dramatic at times, but my blog isn’t just a place to share factual information in a calm and level manner. The food reviews on here would be nowhere near as enticing without my verbose posturing and over-the-top declarations of love for newly-discovered vegan eats.
My hope is this enthusiasm appears balanced and you can tell that when I say something is fabulous, it really means I think it is fabulous. I know I can be taken by positive histrionics when I love something, but I am also capable of dishing the dirt when I feel a product or restaurant isn’t up to scratch. This honesty hopefully makes me believable.
With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the best vegan restaurant I have experienced in Europe.
After I visit a city, it always takes me a long time to work through all the food I consumed and convert the tasty memories into blog posts. I have that well-known vegan condition that involves eating every single possible vegan dish available to me during a vacation. Almost like I’ve never seen food before. What’s wrong with us?
My recent Edinburgh trip was no different. Working out where vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner were to be enjoyed took precedence over getting to the castle or visiting the museum. The walks along the Royal Mile or down historic closes were planned with precision to ensure vegan food options took centre stage throughout my time in Edinburgh.
In addition to my baked potato experience, one of the most memorable frenzied pit stops for food involved vegan fudge. Thick, creamy and irresistible vegan fudge. The Fudge Kitchen located on the Royal Mile isn’t a vegan food outlet but they certainly know how to make plant-based eaters feel welcome.
The store has at least one vegan fudge option on show each day. My visit coincided with the overwhelmingly-scrumptious toffee variety made with soya cream.
I am trying to be a less food-driven tourist. Not as many of my trips are planned around the food available at the destination but it will be a long while until I am comfortable moving through a town without devouring every vegan dish on offer.
Find all Fudge Kitchen UK locations online
Follow Fudge Kitchen on Twitter
Like Fudge Kitchen on Facebook
Do you need another reason to visit the Ms. Cupcake vegan bakery in Brixton? Well, I have four reasons under my FGV belt that will convince you to get down there. Enjoy!
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Meet you there?
Follow Ms. Cupcake on Twitter
Like Ms. Cupcake on Facebook
Visit Ms. Cupcake online
My love of Moo Free Dairy Free Chocolates is well documented and I jump at any opportunity to sing their praises. The confectionery company are unparalleled when it comes to making a vegan product that tastes like milk chocolate.
I have often proclaimed it the best vegan chocolate in the world, so obviously every new product must be chronicled. It is my FGV duty.
Wanna know what they have up their crafty sleeves for Easter this year? It is an organic Bunny Bar and it is delicious.
The Bunny Bar by Moo Free is perfect. It is just the right size for a snack, it is the same fabulous Moo Free taste we adore and it retails for a lot less the a pound. The recommended shop price is only 69p.
How terrific is that?! Get to a store or order online. Then I suggest starting with the ears…
Follow Moo Free on Twitter
Visit Moo Free online
It is would be so ridiculously easy for a chubby, queer plant eater like me to make a million jokes about sugar and overeating when writing about an online vegetarian confectionery store. The hilarity almost writes itself.
I am going to stick to the facts and throw open the joke writing challenge to you… the witty reader. Get your thinking caps on and hit me with your best funny lines about FGV and sweet eating. Post your comedy gold in the comments below.
Meanwhile, I’ll fill you in with all the details you need to know about this fabulous new online sweet shop in the UK.
I love announcements and I especially love announcements featuring a whole lot of vegan food. If the news can also contain a bit of info about a cool animal charity too, I am giggling with delight.
This month, London Vegan Potluck will be hosting a raffle on behalf of Moo Free Chocolates. The company is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for new chocolate making equipment in order to expand their business.
Any money gathered from the raffle will be added to the Kickstarter fund. Moo Free are supplying us with a selection of their delicious and tempting treats for the competition. Read about my love for Moo Free Chocolates here and here and here and here.
As Kickstarter requires fundraisers to reach their full target before collecting any of the money, Moo Free have indicated they would like the raffle funds to go to The Farm Animal Sanctuary in the instance of their target not being reached.
Find out about and donate to the Moo Free Kickstarter campaign here
Follow Moo Free on Twitter
Discover The Farm Animal Sanctuary here
Like The Farm Animal Sanctuary on Facebook
Come along to the February London Vegan Potluck. You could win some tasty vegan chocolate. You might just raise some funds for a compassionate company. There is a chance your money will support a wonderful animal sanctuary. And you are certain to eat a whole lot of delicious, homemade vegan food. Winners all round!