I love sugar

Massive vegan chocolate Santa giveaway

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Do you like vegan chocolate? How about FREE vegan chocolate? How about free vegan chocolate in the shape of Santa?!

The wonderful people at Moo Free Chocolates have given us 200 chocolate Santas to giveaway at Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday and Sunday (November 24 and 25, 2018).

There will be 100 vegan chocolate Santas given away for free each day!

These organic chocolate Santa bars are always a favourite at this time of year, alongside the Moo Free advent calendars which have been known to completely sell out across the UK.

Moo Free Chocolates just won the Best Vegan Chocolate category at the VegFestUK Awards so they are excited to share their award-winning chocolate with our market visitors.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market starts trading at 11am on both Saturday and Sunday, so please arrive early if you would like to get your hands on a Santa. Only one per person until they run out.

Two of our fabulous traders are taking charge of the giveaway so this is who you need to say hello to in order to collect your free chocolate:

  • Saturday – Vegan Delice – our superstar resident baker with cupcakes and hot donuts
  • Sunday – Pason’s Pots – our regular baby food maker selling locally made food for young people!

If you would like to see the full range by Moo Free Chocolates, please visit their website and be sure to follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Moo Free Chocolates can be purchased in stores everywhere including supermarkets, health food stores, and independent vegan shops.

See full Hackney Downs Vegan Market details and trader line up for Saturday and Sunday online here.

Buy 3-pack bundles of vegan chocolate

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If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen me post quite a number of times about No Whey Foods.

This US company makes some of my all-time favourite candy and chocolate products.

It is difficult to get my hands on these products when I am in the UK, so it is good news to my ears to find out that No Whey has started selling online via Amazon.

The three products available right now are shown below, with more to come over weeks and months.

And in even better news, the candies above are available as lots of three. Yes, you order three packets at a time!

Click here to visit the No Whey product page on Amazon.

Extra note: some of these products are also starting to show up in independent vegan grocery stores and online shops around the UK. Please make it a priority to support these businesses before shopping with Amazon if you can.

Extra extra note: I have just realised that No Whey are in the ‘can’t recommend’ section of the Food Empowerment Project chocolate list. This list documents responses from companies related to their ethical and fair trade chocolate practices. You can see the full list online here.

Award winning vegan chocolate

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Great news for one of our regular Hackney Downs Vegan Market traders.

The Well-Bean Company is a thoughtful vegan chocolate company that is not only lessening demand for animal products, but also raising funds and awareness for mental wellbeing initiatives.

And they just won three awards at the Newham Business Awards 2018!

Well-Bean founder Charlie just told me:

We won three awards! We were awarded Sole Trader of the Year, Young Entrepreneur of the Year (I assume being in my 30s means I am still young?) AND Business of the Year. Most the evening was spent with shocked faces and tears. We then went on to Brighton chocolate festival where BIG brand bean to bar makers highlighted our chocolate as some of the best at the event. It has been an incredible time.

I am thrilled and rather quite emotional to see Charlie and Well-Bean get this recognition. They are a good company in every sense of the word and it is always a proud moment to see one of our market traders get positive attention.

If you want to support The Well-Bean Company and help them celebrate their awards, get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Sunday October 21, 2018 where they will be selling their gorgeous vegan chocolates.

Click here for full market details.

Follow The Well-Bean Company on Instagram.

Ms Cupcake reduces sugar

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Hey, cupcake fans. I’ve got news for you.

Legendary vegan business Ms. Cupcake situated in Brixton has developed a new icing recipe due to demand from customers.

The icing recipe was very recently changed and now has 33% of the sugar taken out. Yes, 33% less sugar!

This change is in response to customer feedback that said the icing was overly sweet. The new icing recipe is less sweet, with more flavour and the same indulgence.

Ben Woodcock at Ms. Cupcake told me, “This represents a change in direction for our brand that is constantly working hard to adapt to changing customer needs.”

Ms. Cupcake are keen for people to try the new recipe, so this Saturday and Sunday (October 13 and 14, 2018) they are offering 33% discount on all cupcakes bought at the Brixton store. Customers need to say ‘33%’ to get the discount at the checkout.

For people outside London, they are running a 10% discount from now until Sunday October 14, 2018 on their UK-wide postal order service and are recommending the cookie sandwiches or Nanaimo bars which include the new icing recipe. Customers need to quote the promo code ‘33%’. The online menu can be found here.

Follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram.

Vegan Magnum ice cream

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I’m a little bit late to this party but for anyone who hasn’t heard, there are new vegan Magnum ice creams in the UK.

The dairy free version of these famous products are available UK wide and come in two varieties. You can grab the classic or the almond (chocolate coating with almond pieces).

As the photos show, these vegan ice creams are available in packs of three. I have also seen reports online of single packs being sold.

What do you think? Have you tried?

Best vegan donuts in the UK

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Here is a quick little post to tell you about an amazing vegan food trader.

The Vegan Food Pod is a trailer that pops up around the country, selling the best vegan donuts and pastries you will find anywhere in the UK.

The filled donuts are some of the best I’ve eaten anywhere, including the vanilla custard and chocolate ganache.

We recently welcomed The Vegan Food Pod to Coventry Vegan Beer Fest and the business sold hundreds and hundreds of donuts in a matter of hours.

You can catch the donut masters selling the good stuff at both Glasgow Vegan Beer Fest and Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest in the coming weeks. Buy tickets for those events online here.

Follow The Vegan Food Pod on Instagram to follow their appearances.

Jumbo personalised cookies

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Have you been dreaming of a giant 12″ vegan cookie featuring your name?

Well, perhaps you have the ability to predict the future because Ms. Cupcake of Brixton has just launched a brand new giant, personalised cookie service!

Legendary vegan bakery Ms. Cupcake is now selling London’s first personalised giant vegan cookie, which comes delivered in a pizza box!

The USA-style cookie is made to a giant 12” and has launched with two flavours – the classic choc chip and irresisitible red velvet.

Each cookie can be personalised with a hand-written message and you can choose multiple icing colours to be piped around the edge. The bakery is launching them with an introductory sale price of £20.00 until August 12th. The price after that will be £25.00.

There is an additional service of adding an edible picture at extra cost.

Delivery is available across London, or customers can choose to collect from the Brixton shop. Get all the cookie ordering details online here.

I’m so excited to hear about this new giant cookie development.

To order, customers can call the Ms. Cupcake office on 0203 086 8933 (option 3) or email info@mscupcake.co.uk. They require at least five full days notice in order to process your giant cookie order.

You can also follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram.

London’s first ever vegan bakery turned 7

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If you think eating vegan food in London is a relatively new phenomenon that has found popularity over the past two years, you clearly haven’t done your reading.

There have been food providers working hard to showcase plant-based cuisine for a very long time, with one of these businesses recently celebrating a 7th birthday that completely passed me by.

Ms. Cupcake threw open its doors WAY BACK in April 2011, meaning London’s first ever vegan bakery turned seven years old earlier this year.

That is an incredible achievement for any food business and even more impressive for a vegan business that was paving the way for many others to follow. Mellissa Morgan and her Ms. Cupcake brand have become globally recognised and the store front is still there on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton for you to visit 7-days a week.

I am sharing some recent food photos from the bakery with you below, but let’s also get some important links listed on here.

Click here to see the exact location of the bakery thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Find out about ordering bespoke cakes via the bakery’s website.

Order your own copy of the Ms. Cupcake recipe book and get a free Nanaimo bar recipe from the book online here. You can even step back in time to see my blog post from that grand opening day over 7 years ago!

UK has a vegan shake diner

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Hold onto your vintage petticoats because this is some hugely fabulous news.

The Essex town of Colchester has just welcomed a 100% vegan, 50s-style diner that has a distinct rockabilly vibe.

It looks marvellous!

You need to follow Shakers Dairy Free on Facebook and Instagram. You can click here to see the exact town centre location thanks to Google Maps.

Not only do I adore the idea of a completely vegan diner selling ice cream, shakes, and sandwiches, but I’m also in love with the fact that Shakers are using 100% compostable packaging.

Yay for vegan Colchester! There is definitely a fabulous compassionate scene building in strength in that part of the world.

Painting with chocolate edible art experience

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RAW Lab‘s resident chocolatiers The Well-Bean Company (who also trade at Hackney Downs Vegan Market) are premiering their painting with chocolate experience and it sounds AWESOME.

It is time to get creative by making masterpieces for the eyes and the mouth!

The class boasts a relaxed vibe where the only rule is to enjoy experimenting with edible art. You will have full reign over your masterpieces and can be as creative as you wish. The prize at the end of the evening is taking home your delicious, all-chocolate canvas.

Whether you have never picked up a paintbrush or you’re the next Monet, Charlie at The Well-Bean Company promises this experience can be enjoyed by all.

  • What: Painting with chocolate – the edible art experience
  • When: 7 June 2018 7pm- 10pm
  • Where: The Well-Bean Company, RAW Labs, Hudson Way, London E16 2QP
  • Price per ticket: Special launch offer £24
  • What’s included: All the painting tools and equipment, chocolate for painting (and eating) and a welcome drink

Click here to book your ticket now.

Follow The Well-Bean Company on Instagram.