I’ll pay you to cook for me

Not so amazing

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I’m not usually one for disrespecting meat-free establishments, but neither will I pretend they are all fabulous havens of delectable and mouth-watering food.

Roots and Fruits - could be improved

If you find yourself stranded in Leeds for the day, places to eat vegan food are not easy to come by. If curry is your thing, make haste to Hansa’s and you should be satisfied with most things on offer. Feel like a quick snack or a tummy filler? Out Of This World stocks delicious vegan sandwiches, pizza slices and fudge to meet your needs. But if you are craving uninspired and uncreative dishes that are slightly overpriced, head on down to Roots and Fruits.

I know it would appear to some as slightly counter-productive for a FGV to ctiticise a vegetarian restaurant, but Roots and Fruits doesn’t make the grade in my book.

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A fair amount of vegan cupcakes

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If vegan cupcakes are a sure way to my heart, I was head over heels in love today during a visit to the Ms Cupcake pop-up shop in Soho, London today.

Vegan Bear selling in Soho

Ms Cupcake is a fabulous vegan cupcake company I have written about previously and they create the best small cakes I have ever eaten. Since my visit to their Greenwich Market stall, I’ve suffered through countless sleepless nights as I’ve plotted, schemed and dreamed of a way back to their sweet treats. Well, my pleas were heard apparently. Ms Cupcake have a pop-up store situated in Soho, London this week and it is set to return again for two days next week in the same location. Positioned in a fair trade gift store called Fair Share, the Ms Cupcake table is brimming with six specially-created fair trade flavours that have to be tasted to be believed.

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Cruelty-free curry

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Leeds city centre isn’t exactly drowning in vegan food choices, but there is a special eatery that has  been keeping our lot nutritiously-fed for over 20 years.

My meal at Hansa's in Leeds

Hansa’s Gujarati Vegetarian Restaurant is every bit as much an institution as it is a success story. Hansa Dabhi is an accomplished chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, travel guide and business person. She has been at the forefront of quality dining in West Yorkshire for more than two decades and her North Street location employs an all-female staff. Hansa has made many appearances in support of her first cookbook and has been rigorously promoting her second.  Charities supported by Hansa and her customers include Saraswati Vidayala, an organisation committed to constructing schools in India. As you can gather from this paragraph, Hansa is a busy human… and I haven’t even described her food yet.

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Pocket bread, flavor sauce and crunch patties

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Australia may have lost its only Maoz outlet when the Perth store shut up shop, but at least I’m still able to delight in their crunchy falafel goodness here in London.

Falafel and Belgian fries from Maoz in London

Maoz Vegetarian is a chain of falafel bars that originated when their first store front opened in Amsterdam during 1991. Since then, the company has franchised locations all around the world. They serve delicious falafel, salad and tahini masterpieces in cities as widespread and diverse as Madrid, Hoboken, Paris, Rotterdam and Berkeley. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough falafel lovers in Western Australia to keep the doors of the Perth outlet open. I believe a Maoz in Germany might have also fallen by the wayside. But luckily for fine food connoisseurs, 15 Maoz locations are still left standing for our eating pleasure.

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You can even bring your baby

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Sheffield has given humanity a lot. Pulp. ABC. The Human League. Heaven 17. Moloko. Def Leppard. Arctic Monkeys. Seemingly, the stream of musical output doesn’t end. But now this northern city has expanded its gift-giving into the fields of vegan food and roller derby.

Last weekend Stuart, Baby Bobby and I decided to go on a bit of a northern road trip. We packed up the car with vegan sweets and our warmest winter accessories and hit the road. It was my first trip to Sheffield and I was keen to discover what it had in store besides an eclectic musical history.

The Blue Moon Cafe in Sheffield

First up was lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe. This vegetarian eatery sits in the shadow of the main cathedral and is housed in a huge, stunning room featuring a skylight. Bobby was right at home as the cafe supplied a number of high chairs for patrons and was buzzing with babies and infants. The food is pre-made and displayed in glass cases along the counter. Most of the dishes are vegan and anything containing dairy is clearly labeled.

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Vegan cupcake champion of the world

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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.

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Taking the long way ’round

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Isn’t it fab when something wonderful pops up where you least expect it?

A few days ago I was cheerfully strolling around Halifax town centre in West Yorkshire when I stumbled upon a shop front called Food Therapy. As I possess the skill to spot a health food store from a quarter of a mile away, I hotfooted it over to explore just as quickly as my FGV trotters could carry my ample frame.

Soya mince pie with vegetables and gravy at Ginger, Halifax

Opening the door was akin to walking into my very own vegan heaven. Food Therapy is brimming with Redwood products, vegan ice cream, Fry’s frozen goods, sweets, hair care products and anything else needed to sustain a cruelty-free existence. They aren’t a vegan store, but they certainly have a fantastic range of products suitable for us. The grocery range is reason enough to sing the praises of this establishment but you suddenly get more bang for your quid when you take the internal staircase inside the store to the mezzanine housing Ginger Vegetarian Cafe.

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A drunk, Welsh poet walks into a bar

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If you fancy a sampling of vegan food and alcohol, with a dash of animal rights and queer history thrown in for good measure, head to the central London area known as Fitzrovia.

A map showing the approximate area of Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an unofficial neighbourhood situated just north of Soho in central London. By many accounts, Fitzrovia was well-known as a hot spot for bohemians, free-thinkers, artists and even the odd socialist from the late 1800s through to the ending of the Second World War. The pubs and cafes of this district provided gloomy spaces in which outsiders were able to socialise, politicise and drink. Art, alcoholism and social justice melded perfectly and remnants of this bygone era can be enjoyed in Fitzrovia today.

Last week, Jordan and I ventured into the heart of Fitzrovia and what better place to commence my retelling of our adventures than the Fitzroy Tavern.

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Meat is murder… eat falafel

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Yes, I am overweight. Sure, I am a homosexual. Certainly, I choose to not eat animal products. For people who know me well, it also wouldn’t have been a surprise to see a reference to musical icon Morrissey crammed into my self-deprecating blog title.

Morrissey (a)live in Leeds 2009 (Flickr credit: Man Alive!)

Since my early teen years (and I have been around for a while), I have been comfortably obsessed with all things Morrissey and The Smiths. If you are a disciple like I am, there is no need for me to convince you. If you are anti-Morrissey (or worse still… indifferent!), I’m not in the habit of trying to convert you. For the purpose of this blog post, let’s agree that I love Morrissey and I exploit any opportunity to celebrate his contribution to popular culture and animal welfare.

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222 Veggie Vegan ate my heart

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Rest assured, I know about food.

During the course of my FGV existence, I have consumed food in many countries and across several continents. I consider myself quite the connoisseur when it comes to vegan cuisine. You should seriously consider these self-proclaimed credentials as you ponder my recommendation that you head to 222 Veggie Vegan at your earliest convenience.

Interior of 222 Veggie Vegan

This unassuming eatery is nestled on North End Road in West Kensington, London. It offers an all-you-can-eat buffet during the day and an a la carte menu in the evenings. The food is healthy, hot and incredibly tasty.

My visit took place on a Sunday afternoon which meant I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I

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