A fat, gay vegan needs to put in the hard yards in order to be worthy of the name and sugar is one of my top secrets when it comes to keeping my voluptuous figure.
Sweet Vegan strawberry marshmallows
Marshmallows are a fabulous foodstuff full of sugar turned fluffy. On the very rare occasion I see vegan marshmallows for sale, I like to stock up. There isn’t an abundance of cruelty-free marshmallow manufacturers in the world as it is a product traditionally associated with crushed bone. A few years ago I enjoyed a salacious affair with the glorious products of Sweet and Sara, but since then I have been in a marshmallow wilderness. Thankfully, Sweet Vegan has now come into my life.
The vegan ice cream wars detailed throughout my blog have been pleasing a lot of readers and keeping me on the plump side of hefty.
Juicy Raspberry by Swedish Glace
This latest edition to the ranks is set to keep the trend alive. Juicy Raspberry is one of the premium flavours produced by vegan ice cream manufacturer Swedish Glace. The texture is fluffy and creamy while the juicy in its name is well justified. Huge deposits of sweet raspberry flavouring are scattered throughout the tub. This variety is a fine addition to the Swedish Glace family and it enjoys a well-deserved place within my wide range of food addictions.
No messing about here with witty remarks. When it comes to vegan sweets, there is no time for being verbose. It gets in the way of eating.
Vegan candy from Sainsbury's
Sainsbury’s is a leading UK grocery retailer that is ever-increasing its range of vegan items. Two of the latest additions to their cruelty-free repertoire are exactly the sort of foodstuffs that keep me worthy of my name. Strawberry Lances and Strawberry Pencils are sugar delights that will do nothing for your health but plenty to satisfy cravings. I was especially smitten with the lances. These sweet and sour straps are my new favourite candy and will definitely become a staple product in the Haus of FGV pantry.
From NYC to Sydney and from Barcelona to Los Angeles people just can’t get enough of a certain sweet treat. Yep, the world is obsessed with vegan cupcakes.
Cherry Dream by Ms Cupcake
As a well-travelled FGV, I have devoured my fair share of cupcakes all around the globe. I’ve dined on Babycakes in New York, slobbered over frosted sponges in Gopal, Barcelona and licked the sugar off my fingers in Loving Hut, Brisbane. Cupcakes are everywhere and I thought I had eaten the best a cupcake can get. That was until Ms. Cupcake crash landed into my life. My entire cupcake appreciation framework is being forcibly re-imagined.
Gluten free, wheat free and dairy free chocolate can be obtained by strolling into your nearest Sainsbury’s supermarket. It’s that simple.
Vegan chocolate/candy bars readily available throughout the UK
High Street grocery retailer and all round mega-chain Sainsbury’s are constantly expanding their freefrom range. These products are designed to cater for diets requiring the absence of ingredients such as egg, dairy, wheat and gluten. While not all items under this branding are suitable for vegans, you will certainly discover a few cruelty-free surprises when you browse the freefrom section.
Every vegan usually has a product, service or item of food they miss.
Vegan peanut butter milkshake from Shake'a'holic in Leeds
I don’t mean we aren’t committed to our cruelty-free stance, but sometimes you can find yourself daydreaming of more accessible foodstuff. How fantastic would it be to stumble out of a bar at 2am and devour a vegan kebab or a bag of chips? It is my dream to be able to walk into any pub in the world and order a pint of vegan cider. I am sure every vegan out there would have a different answer if poised with the question, but surely on demand milkshakes would rank favourably in a ‘what do you miss’ quiz.
Vegan milkshake lovers in the north of England, be prepared for this discovery. During a somewhat-hungover wander through Leeds city centre yesterday, my FGV eye was drawn to a colourful and cheery establishment known as Shake’a’holic. Being in a fragile state, I wholly intended to keep on until I spied the small print on the shop sign that sent my heart aflutter: “Ask us if you’d prefer vegan”.
My love affair with Swedish Glace has been mentioned previously and my recent purchase has only strengthened my emotional connection to the non-dairy dessert. These ice cream connoisseurs have done it again with their Neapolitan variety. The strawberry, vanilla and chocolate delight is housed in a FGV-pleasing 1.3 litre tub and satisfies on every level. It is creamy, sweet and fluffy, with each of the flavours deserving of their place in the line up.
Is there anything finer than a decadent, chocolate ice cream?
Vegan, organic Booja Booja
After being somewhat disillusioned by my last chocolate ice cream affair, my faith in the cold stuff has been restored thanks to the good folk of Booja Booja. This producer of organic sweets are experts in gluten free, dairy free and organic delights. They manufacture gourmet truffles with flavours such as Ginger Wine, Champagne and Cognac Banana… and then there is the ice cream.
My 110ml Hunky Punky Chocolate
Two things can impress me about a vegan ice cream. The taste is of course the most important factor but my FGV senses can also be stimulated by a cute flavour name. Booja Booja have managed to find the perfect coupling of taste and name with their variety called Hunky Punky Chocolate. It is available in three sizes (110ml, 500ml, 2 litre) and is a pure joy to eat. Creamy, smooth and rich. I devoured the smallest container available and now I dream of finding the 2 litre size to enjoy.
The vegan ice cream wars rage on, Booja Booja rise to the top and this FGV is satisfied… for now.
It is part of my genetic make-up as a fat, gay vegan to be obsessed with ice cream.
Swedish Glace and Worthenshaws Freedom
Dairy free desserts are becoming increasingly easy to locate with most major supermarkets stocking at least one or two brands of vegan ice cream for the discerning, sweet-toothed vegan to purchase. I have become quite the non-dairy connoisseur during the last few years and have enjoyed scandalous affairs with various ice cream brands from all around the globe. Tofutti from the USA is a reliable friend and never lets me down. Coco Luscious is crafted in Australia and is too good to be true. I often dream of the decadent Booja Booja from the UK and its rich, chocolatey delights. This short list of favourites is just the tip of the vegan ice cream iceberg.
You get the picture, right? I am a self-proclaimed vegan ice cream know-it-all. I recently put this expertise to the test by comparing two brands available here in the UK.
Do you ever have difficulty deciding what to eat when faced with many options?
One way out of this precarious situation is to buy one of everything. My trip to Whole Foods Market in Kensington a few days ago saw me tempted to do just that. I was entrusted with the task of buying some pre-packed goodies for Josh and myself to devour. The plan was to nab a window seat in the store’s food court, eat ourselves silly and watch frenzied Christmas shoppers collide with each other on the obscenely-busy high street below.
So sit down, relax and enjoy the visual delights of my lunchtime shopping spree. For a FGV, I was actually rather restrained.
Whole Foods in-house vegan yoghurt varieties
I wanted to commence the meal with healthy food that tasted great, so I opted for two tubs of vegan yoghurt with muesli and fruit. Buying both flavours was the only option when I couldn’t decide between mixed berry and blackberry. They weren’t fabulous, but fulfilled my expectations.
Saf is a vegan restaurant located in Shoreditch, East London that has now opened an outlet in the Whole Foods Kensington food court. While I didn’t buy from them directly, I chose one of their pre-packaged wraps from the sandwich case instore.
I promise I’m not being hysterical when I state it
