So you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to vegan candy and chocolate? Be prepared to have your entire sugared-confectionery schemata redefined.
The ridiculously-talented people behind Moo Free Dairy Free Chocolates just can’t help themselves. They are literally compelled to keep creating delicious treats that I can’t resist. Just when I thought the vegan Easter egg by Moo Freewas the pinnacle of desire, they had to go and blow the game apart… again!
Check it out! Moo Free are about to launch this stunning range of finger-sized snack bars and I can barely contain my excitement.
Every now and then something unexpected comes along and changes my life. My existence is peppered with random signposts, events and life-altering moments that have impacted deeply upon me.
One such occasion occurred last week as I was innocently trolling the Internet. I was casting an eye over the Vx website (as I had heard they were hosting a 2 year anniversary celebration) when I stumbled across an invaluable nugget of information: there is a new vegan ice cream on the market in the UK. My world was once again turned on its head.
The humans behind the new vegan desserts known as Bessant & Drury’s are wildly talented individuals. I can’t recall ever having been so instantly enamoured with a vegan ice cream in my life. Stunning doesn’t cut it. Would you like to share in my accidental, life-changing joy? Read on.
Sweetness is my weakness. Well, so are saturated fats and deep-fried foods but a FGV has to keep a special spot in their heart for sugary snacks. My body craves vegan delights such as chocolate and cupcakes…. and who am I to deny it?
Most of the sweet stuff I consume is made with processed cane sugar but I have recently come to adore an alternative to this regular sweetener. Vegans and vegan-curious, I would like to introduce you to Sweet Freedom.
Of all the religious celebrations that I opt out of, Easter seems one of the strangest. Can someone enlighten a FGV with atheistic tendencies? Why do people imagine a giant bunny is hopping around leaving chocolate eggs in nests?
As a naive child in Australia, I would fashion beach towels into makeshift nests and settle in for a night of anticipation. Would the Easter Bunny visit my ramshackle egg depository?
I am thankful those days (and sleepless nights) are long gone as I put my trust in more logical ways of thinking. However, the amusing twist in this bunny tale is the fact that I still adore devouring chocolate eggs whenever a vegan version makes its way into my FGV nest.
You know I travel a lot, right? I have hauled my hefty frame from one continent to another for many years and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The desire to keep moving runs deep in my veins and I’m perpetually plotting and scheming my next journey.
People have often asked me where I would ‘settle’ if I had to and I always answer, “I never want to settle’. But then they get annoyed at me for not playing the game properly so I answer, “Wherever I can purchase and consume Dun-Well Doughnuts“.
Can we talk? I don’t want to sound nasty, but Philadelphia hasn’t been a model city when it comes to healthy or cruelty-free eating. From cheese steaks to hoagies, the city of brotherly love just loves to pile dead animals up in buns. The food for which Philly is famous for isn’t necessarily creative, either.
But hold on to you faux-suede fedora readers because there is a new sheriff in town. Vedge restaurant is not simply ringing the Liberty Bell for all creatures great and small, they might just turn out to be the finest vegan restaurant on the face of the planet.
The owners of Vedge had nothing to prove in my FGV eyes. They had already run the wildly successful vegan Horizons where the quality of food was of an unusually lofty standard. It’s South Philly location was always packed during my visits and I never left the premises without feeling like I had just enjoyed one of the best meals of my life.
Well, flash forward to a few months past the closing of Horizons and we find owners Kate and Rich have taken vegan fine dining to even more unbelievable levels of greatness.
The recently opened Vedge sits unassumingly behind a brick facade in Philadelphia’s Center City area. As Josh and I entered via the brief stone steps off Locust Street, we were faced with a gorgeous interior and seductive lighting. Some of the friendliest hospitality people I have ever encountered made sure we were comfortable and refreshed in the sumptuous cocktail lounge as we waited for our table to become available. My thirst was satisfied with a cold glass of lager as Josh opted for a scotch on the rocks. We were only on drinks in the bar and Vedge was already stratospheres above its competition.
My refreshment
Once seated we wasted no time in getting down to 5 star dining. A whole lot of world-class, vegan food was consumed by the pair of us and there is no easy way of getting it all down on screen. I’m just going to have to trundle through it, so sit back and experience the culinary delights of Vedge through the following photos.
Marshmallow wrapped in chocolate with a biscuit base.
If the above sentence is the key to my FGV heart, my affections well and truly rest in the hands of Sweet & Sara. This confectionery company has been churning out irresistible snacks for years and are unmatched in the field of vegan marshmallow production. From their entirely-vegan premises in New York City, Sweet & Sara gift the world with chocolate bark, biscotti, macaroons, marshmallows and the world famous smores.
During my recent US vacation, I have taken every Sweet & Sara smores sighting as a sign that I must eat one. My intuition is usually spot on and in this case, foolproof. The smores are chewy and delectable. With their chocolate shell, cookie base and fluffy inside, I can’t think of another compact snack that captures my affections the way this one does. Start picking out your wedding outfits…it is true love.
The Redwood Wholefood Company is one of the true vegan megastar companies. The Heather Mills-owned business produces a staggering range of cruelty-free delicacies and has won numerous awards throughout their history. This FGV has been in love with their products for over a decade and some of my favourite Redwood items include Cheatin’ Roast Turkey, Cheatin’ Rashers, Breaded Pepperjack Style Cheezly Bites and Gourmet Meat Free Chicken Style Pieces. Oh yes, I’m extremely familiar with Redwood.
With a lustrous reputation for good-tasting and compassionate food, my life is spent in anticipation of new Redwood products. My appetite and interest have been temporarily satisfied by a tasty new item that is simple yet irresistible.
I recently enjoyed the chance to return to one of the best vegan food providers in the UK. The Globe pub in the northern town of Glossop is as near to a religious experience a vegan atheist can get. The cosy inn delivers plate after plate of cruelty-free comfort food and my only regret is that it isn’t situated closer to where I live.
That said, I must admit location is but a mild irritation. Distance exists only to be laughed at when a FGV is hungry and let’s face it, when am I not at least peckish? So grab your warmest coat and wrap up tightly… we are heading into the windy wilds of Derbyshire for a spot of overeating.
