London vegan news, reviews & events
Summer is desperately trying to break through the clouds here in the UK. The stuttering arrival of the warmest season brings with it handy excuses to eat copious amounts of frozen treats. Frozen treats rarely get tastier than the daiquiri sorbet I recently discovered. Oh yes, you read correctly.
These tubs of ice cold delight will make you smile. It’s that simple.
Life is full of choices.
I chose last year to relocate (once again) to Europe instead of choosing to remain in Australia. I choose not to buy or consume dairy products due of the mistreatment of animals exploited within the industry. Furthermore, I often choose to overeat sweet food because I’m a greedy fat, gay vegan.
These three choices of European living, dairy-free food and sugar over-consumption have recently merged into some sort of holy trinity of choice with the discovery of a delicious chocolate caramel product called Choices. See what I did there?
Following weeks of planning (mostly me harassing people via Twitter), the London Vegan Potluck took place last night. It was a fabulous success.
Held at the Ms. Cupcake store in Brixton, the potluck brought together vegans and non-vegans from all over London in a celebration of vegan food, vegan beer and fantastic people. Approximately 25 people gathered to try out dishes and drink beer kindly supplied by the good folk at Freedom Brewery.
The evening was a true community event. Old friends caught up and new friendships were cemented.
The selection of food on offer was wonderfully-diverse. Sweet cakes sat beside pasta specialties. Exotic salads jostled for attention with hearty stews. The choices were mind-boggling.
Slip your pleather shoes on, grab your Oyster card and get to Brixton as soon as you can. Vegan baking superstar Ms. Cupcake is now tempting your cruelty-free taste buds with donuts. Get them while they’re hot.
If you recall my last post about Ms. Cupcake, you will already know about the staggering range of vegan cupcakes they produce. The bakery is the first of its kind in London and is fast becoming a favourite destination for their many loyal customers. The cupcakes are certainly delicious enough to warrant a visit, but now Ms. Cupcake offers even more treats to entice in the form of donuts.
Flavoured syrup is a dietary staple, right? A fabulous range of products known as Sweetbird has got me thinking that very thought.
A little while ago I was contacted by a friendly human asking if I would be interested in sampling some of their vegan syrups. I hammered out a positive response as quickly as my fat, gay fingers could type. It surely would go against the natural order of the universe for me to decline. It is always lovely to be offered a gift, but I’m a whole lot happier when the gift turns out to be ample amounts of sweet liquids and powdery chocolate.
London is famous for many reasons and millions of people travel to the capital for theatre, fashion and historical relevance. Well, now you can add vegan cupcakes to that list as Ms Cupcake finally throws open her doors to the world.
If you like vegan sweets, the Ms Cupcake bakery on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton is a dream come to life. The store (opened officially today) is a wonderland of animal-free frosting, sugary sponges and sweet concoctions. I was overwhelmed on entering the store for the first time. Everywhere I looked I was confronted by a staggering amount of temptations. It took me a while to process I was standing in a real, honest-to-goodness vegan bakery. Let the eating begin.
It is time for a straight up vegan food blog post. Sometimes I love simply describing a delicious meal and nothing more.
222 Veggie Vegan is a glorious restaurant situated in West London. If you want details on their fabulous vegan alcohol menu or their handy location, check my earlier post. This one is just a quick fix for serious vegan foodies.
I apologise in advance for the money you will be forced to spend after reading this review. The plane tickets, the train bookings and the coach fares will be inevitable.
Sowerby Bridge is a picturesque village situated approximately halfway between Leeds and Manchester. The market town is nestled alongside the rushing River Calder and is made up of true story book visuals. Cobbled lane ways meet narrow passages amid historical churches, chimneys and shop fronts. Sowerby Bridge is a charming location sure to enchant most. Sold? OK. Well what if I throw in a world class, vegan restaurant?
I do love a nice bar. Be it candy or other, a bar is a superb way of hitting the hunger where it hurts without ruining your appetite. If that bar can be based around delicious coconut, all the better for a FGV.
A little piece of heaven entered my life recently thanks to a health food company based in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Oskri Organics is a small manufacturer producing goods in their own warehouse. Take a quick browse through their products list and you will find cooking oils, spreads, dried fruit, nuts, granola and much more. The only item from their repertoire that appears to have made it over to the UK is the Coconut Bar Original.
It has been a difficult battle and at times I have felt like I can’t go on. The vegan ice cream wars are starting to take a serious toll on me (mostly my waistline), but for the sake of public interest and immense greed I will continue. If only for my dear readers.
This is the part that gets confusing. Tofutti is a well-established brand, churning out masses of dairy-free products that are exported all over the planet. I have often enjoyed their vegan ice creams, dessert sandwiches, cheese imitations and even a mini, frozen, vegan cheese pizza. I don’t believe they are the healthiest food choices, but they satisfy in a cholesterol-free and cruelty-free way.