London can you wait?

French vegan patisserie masterclass in London

by

London, here is your opportunity to take part in a super fancy and super exclusive masterclass led by one of the leading vegan patisserie chefs on the planet.

I’ll show you how to make exquisite plant-based versions of festive French patisserie classics that will wow your guests during the festive season. – Clarisse Flon (specialist vegan patisserie chef, food consultant and photographer)

Grab a ticket and get along to the Made in Hackney kitchen on Saturday December 12, 2019 between 10am and 5:30pm for this rare learning (and eating!) opportunity.

This Masterclass is part of the Made in Hackney ‘VIP Series’, working with experts who are renowned in their field.

The class will include:

  • How to make a show-stopping Pear and Chocolate Genoise Yule log
  • Make an exquisite chocolate cream patissiere and chocolate buttercream
  • Learn to make gorgeous iced sablé Christmas biscuits
  • Rolling and setting techniques
  • Piping skills
  • How to make stunning chocolate décor and caramel shard decorations
  • Learn how to enhance flavours, and how to pair textures and tastes
  • A delicious organic plant based lunch, and take home recipe pack
  • 15% discount in neighbouring wholefoods shop, Food for All

Clarisse Flon is a specialist vegan patisserie chef trained in classic French patisserie. Clarisse has worked in many fine dining establishments around the world while developing plant based versions of her traditional recipes.

She launched The Sunny Spoon in 2013 (a French vegan patisserie bakery featured many times at Hackney Downs Vegan Market) and helped launch Cafe Forty One, a vegan restaurant in La Suite West hotel in Notting Hill. Clarisse now works as a food consultant and photographer, developing vegan options and recipes for businesses.

Fee: £160 (£118 Concession) includes delicious tastings and a recipe pack.

This fee is used to fund the Made in Hackney programme of free courses to vulnerable and low-income community groups. By attending a Made In Hackney masterclass you get a great day of learning AND you’re providing the charity with essential funds for them to continue their work with vulnerable community groups.

Click here to read more and book a ticket.

Fundraiser dinner with Animal Equality in London

by

Hey London!

You can join Animal Equality at their Festive Fundraiser on Tuesday December 3, 2019 for an evening that promises to be packed full of merriment.

Entertainment at the Central London event (near Farringdon) will feature the always inspiring Christopher Sebastian and the hilarious Carl Donnelly. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to see them in action, then you definitely don’t want to miss this event.

You’ll also hear about the incredible work that Animal Equality has been able to carry out this year thanks to the generosity of their wonderful supporters, as well as enjoy a delicious plant-based, three-course meal and help the charity raise funds through a raffle.

The ticket price also includes a welcome drink and wine with the meal.

Entertainment

Speaker – Christopher Sebastian

Christopher Sebastian is the director of social media for Peace Advocacy Network, he sits on the Advisory Council for Encompass, he is senior editor at Vine Sanctuary Press, he is co-founder of VGN, and he lectures at Columbia University in the Department of Social Work for the graduate course POP: Power, Oppression, and Privilege. He primarily focuses on animal violence and how it influences anti-black racism, queer antagonism and class discrimination throughout the global west.

Comedy – Carl Donnelly

Carl has been nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award twice and has appeared on various TV shows including Mock the Week and Russell Howard’s Good News. He is a regular on the international comedy circuit, performing at pretty much every comedy festival there is!

Animal Equality look forward to seeing you next week. Click here to book tickets.

Extra note: The event space is accessible and Signing can be arranged on request.

Help vegan Black Cat celebrate 5 years in London

by

Black Cat Hackney is more than a vegan café.

So much more.

It is a place to eat. It is a place to socialise. It is a space in which you can feel supported and celebrated, no matter who you are. It is a supportive space for independent vegan chefs to take risks with pop up events.

Black Cat is one a crucial component of the London vegan scene and an important supporter of local Hackney communities.

The food at the café is sensational and the people keeping it all running are even nice.

I hope you will join me in wishing Black Cat the very best as they celebrate their 5th anniversary. How incredible!

Black Cat is celebrating this huge milestone with an even huger party, including the launch of a new menu at their second location (yes, keep up friends!) kitchen takeover at Roadtrip & The Workshop on Old Street in Hoxton. This venue is a late night hangout with gorgeous cocktails and exciting events.

So much info to give you so let me start with the party aspect.

To celebrate 5 years of being awesome, Black Cat are throwing a fabulous party at their pop up kitchen venue at Roadtrip & The Workshop from 7pm on Wednesday November 27, 2019.

Entry is free with a suggested donation of £8 if you can afford it.

There is a super cool line up of entertainment across the evening including:

  • 7pm Gaea
  • 7:45pm Zek
  • 8:20pm Immigranti
  • 9pm Arboricidio
  • 9:45pm Surya
  • 10:30pm Awate

As part of the celebration, Black Cat is launching a new menu which you can check out below.

Potatoes

  • Chips: freshly fried potatoes, herby parmesan dust 3.50
  • Patatas Bravas: double cooked cubed potatoes with our signature spicy sauce and a dollop of garic mayo 5
  •  Gyro fries: potatoes, shawarma style marinated seitan strips, cheese sauce, halloumi curds 7

Sides

  • House marinated olives: warm olives in lemon, thyme and rosemary marinade 3
  • Bread: buttered sour dough bread 2.50
  • Just Nachos: freshly fried corn tortilla chips seasoned with Cajun salt 6
  • Loaded Nachos: freshly fried tortilla chips, ground chorizo, black beans, sour cream 8.50

Small plates

  • Grandma’s meatballs: house made sausage meatballs cooked in a rich white wine gravy 6.50
  • Croquettes :  deep fried thick béchamel fritters with leek and mushrooms 5.50
  • Arancini: risotto croquettes with house made marinara and filled with vegan cheese 5.50
  • Dan Dan Cauliflower: crispy battered cauliflower coated in spicy sesame, soy and siracha sauce topped with pickled cucumbers and carrots and crushed peanuts 6
  • House wings  : chicken style seitan tossed in our signature bbq spicy sauce, served with blue cheese sauce
  • Garlic prawns: vegan prawns marinated in a spicy smoked paprika, white wine and chilli flakes. Served with grilled sour dough 7

Burgers and sandwiches ( served in brioche bread and sour dough bread )

  • The roadtrip hot dog: moving mountains sausage, jalapeño jam, house sauerkraut, cheap mustard 8.50
  • The beef style burger: house made beefy patty, horseradish mayo, lettuce, grilled onions, burger sauce, gherkins. Black Cat best seller for the last 5 years, tweaked for the occasion 8.50
  • The Cuban: smokey tempeh, seitan ham, melted cheese, dill pickles, herby mayo in grilled buttered sour dough 8
  • Buttermilk corn crusted chicken style burger: tofu and seitan patty tossed in our very own scotch bonnet spicy sauce, blue cheese, lettuce, beef tomatoes and herby mayo 8.50 
‘Beef’ burger
Leek & mushroom croquettes
Patatas bravas

How tasty does that all sound?!

To wrap up…

Get along to the Black Cat 5th anniversary part at Roadtrip & The Workshop in Hoxton on Wednesday November 27, 2019 from 7pm. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Get along anytime after the party in the future to try the gorgeous new menu.

Be sure to visit the original Black Cat location in Hackney. See the exact location thanks to Goole Maps.

And finally, follow Black Cat on Instagram.

Fried chicken restaurants in London launch vegan items

by

Fried chicken chain Chick ’n’ Sours has launched a range of plant-based sandwiches and sides.

The restaurant chain wanted to recreate their K Pop Sandwich in plant-based form and have included all the same flavours in a vegan version. The protein they’re using is seitan.

To emulate the flavours of their K – Pop sandwich, they built up a sandwich on their original bun (which is vegan already) with a vegan Gochujang mayo, the seitan patty (coated in a crunchy coating), chilli vinegar, and a reworked ‘slaw dressing’ to replicate the flavours but without the fish sauce. They top the burger with vegan Sriracha mayo.

The menu also includes plant-based nuggets called No Way Nuggs. These are a different protein using pea and soy that is coated in breadcrumbs. They coating the nuggets in a vegan ginger miso mayo and sprinkle with spring onions, pickled ginger, and sesame.

They can now offer a completely vegan meal on the new menu and have re-engineered versions of their famous sides to make this happen. This set menu includes House Pickles, No Way K-Pop, No Way Ginger Miso Nuggs, Bang Bang Cucumbers, Pickled Watermelon Salad, Fries (without dripping), and plant based Gochujang mayo and vegan Sriracha mayo.

Chick ’n’ Sours now has four branches across London: Haggerston, Seven Dials, Islington and Spitalfields.

You can visit their website and follow them on Instagram.

Please note that Chick ‘n’ Sours is a restaurant that also serves meat and dairy. Their website and social media reflect that fact. If you are looking for a fried chicken experience that is completely vegan, you can dine with Temple of Seitan in Hackney and Camden.

Vegan panettone in Selfridges UK

by

Growing up as an uncultured and unworldly person in Australia, I didn’t know much about fancy foods or even foods that a lot of people consider common.

Heck. I didn’t even try hummus until I moved to the UK in 1998. Can you believe it? That shows how out of touch I was with international and diverse tastes.

Now, of course, I’m running all over the globe and eating all sorts of food.

I even know what panettone is!

And in fab news that I think of lot of people will adore, Selfridges food hall is now selling a spiced pumpkin vegan panettone just in time for the festive season.

I saw this delight at the Selfridges food hall on Oxford Street in London.

If you aren’t able to get into this store, Selfridges is also selling the festive panettone online.

Click here to see it online.

Return of Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market

by

It is back!

The original London vegan market, Hackney Downs Vegan Market, is back for one day only in festive form on Saturday December 14, 2019.

This festive market has become an annual tradition for vegans, the vegan-curious, and our friends from all across London. Our traders help us showcase the best plant-based street food in the capital and there are always plenty of cheeses and gifts, ensuring quality shopping.

Traders on the day include:

Vegan cheese and pantry

  • Kinda Co. – a London favourite when it comes to cheeses, they will be selling cheese boards for your Xmas table
  • New Roots – Vegan Cheese – one of the most innovative vegan cheese companies out there at the moment with spectacular products
  • Vegan Cartel – need vegan bacon? They have it for you in take home packs
  • Plant Based Artisan – the original and the best gourmet vegan honey alternative

Hot food

Cakes

  • Vegan Delice – one of the original Hackney Downs Vegan Market traders and our resident queen of cake

Gifts

Beer

  • All Good Beer – beer to help make your Xmas market experience even better!

Whether you are stocking up for Christmas or just coming along to eat your fill on the day, Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market is the place to be.

The market will run between 11am and 5pm.

You can see the exact location of the festive market online thanks to Google Maps and be sure to invite your friends using the Facebook event.

New vegan pizza and beer hot spot for London

by

The team that founded Young Vegans Pie Shop – London’s only vegan pie and mash outlet – have opened a new pizza restaurant in Bethnal Green, East London.

Young Vegans Pizza Shop opened its doors to the public for its launch on Wednesday the 13th of November, 2019. The restaurant contains 30 seats, a licensed bar, and a dedicated takeaway/delivery counter.

The Pizza Shop began life as ​Death By Pizza​, a small pop up based out of a ramshackle hut with clay pizza oven in Hackney serving up highly rated wood fired vegan pizzas. One year later and the company has rebranded it to Pizza Shop, aligning itself with the Pie Shop, and relocating to a much bigger space in Bethnal Green.

Young Vegans has always proudly produced all ingredients at their prep kitchen in Camden. These include mock meats and vegan cheeses, and the vegan mozzarella used at the Pizza Shop.

The revamped menu retains previously popular pizzas such as the Devil’s Coglioni (seitan pepperoni, mozzarella and marinara sauce) and the Holy Ghost (ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, red onions and spinach) as well as new favourite Horror Show (butternut squash, caramelised onions, mozzarella, marinara, walnuts and rocket). What’s new is the full set of starters and desserts, from mac ’n’ cheeze and mozzarella fingers to cheesecake and a cookie dough pie.

Alongside the much expanded food menu, Young Vegans Pizza Shop serves a range of cocktails, wines, and local craft beers from Hackney Brewery.

The restaurant’s weekly opening hours are Wednesday to Friday from 5pm-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday from midday-10pm.

You can follow Young Vegans Pizza Shop on Instagram.

You can see the exact location of the restaurant thanks to Google Maps.

Taiwanese vegan food in central London

by

Gil and I were recently invited along to an extremely popular (and busy!) restaurant in Covent Garden to try their vegan options and I was more than impressed.

Din Tai Fung is an award-winning global restaurant chain that was once named one of the top 10 restaurants on the planet.

The London location is just steps from the famous Covent Garden market.

The chain has really upped their game to make the menu more welcoming to vegans and from I sampled, they are doing a damn fine job.

Check out the photos below of my delicious meal including mushroom and truffle dumplings, sweet bean buns, garlic greens, savoury rice, and iced tea.

You can see the exact location of Din Tai Fung London online thanks to Google Maps.

Best vegan curry in the UK

by

I was recently invited by Pho to pop into one of their restaurants to try the new vegan Christmas menu.

In case you don’t know, Pho is a restaurant chain around the UK serving up amazing Vietnamese street food and a quarter of their menu just happens to be vegan, making it a loved destination for plant based eaters.

The Christmas menu is not seasonal specific food but rather focussed on giving you the choice of two courses for £14.50 or three courses for £18.50.

The menus have been designed with groups in mind such office Christmas parties, seasonal meet-ups for friends, and family dinners. It is the perfect place to suggest if you are being dragged along for a mandatory end of year dinner because there is SO MUCH vegan choice.

Check out the vegan Christmas menu for Pho below.

I ate a few things in order to give you some feedback (research purposes only!) and I was blown away. As always, the vegan options at Pho are amongst some of the best dishes on the planet in my opinion.

First up I had the Chả giò. These crispy spring rolls are served with lettuce and herbs for wrapping before plunging into the accompanying dip. I picked the peanut dip but you can opt for soy ginger sauce.

I also tried two mains. They offered! What was I meant to do?

I had the giant bowl of Phở chay, featuring tofu and button mushrooms in veggie broth with rice noodles. This dish was simply delicious.

My final dish was Cà-ri. This rich, fragrant Vietnamese curry with tofu and
mushrooms was topped with nuts and served with broken rice.

This was the tastiest and most enjoyable curry I’ve eaten in my life. I will order it every single time I return to a Pho restaurant, without fail.

Make sure you get along before Christmas to enjoy the Christmas menu prices.

The restaurants do also serve meat but are extremely proud of their vegan options and do everything they can to make plant based diners feel at home.

Click here to visit the Pho website and find your nearest location.

Top ten things to see at VegFestUK London

by

It is that time of the year.

London Olympia is transforming into the UK’s biggest vegan lifestyle show once again over the weekend of Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October, 2019.

VegFestUK London will feature new products, cooking demos, informative talks, a food court, and opportunities to mix with thousands of other vegans and vegan-curious people.

To celebrate the 2019 outing of VegFestUK London, I’ve picked my top ten reasons why you should go.

Check them out below:

Ananda’s Marshmallows – Stall Number WM9: Ananda’s is famous for their vegan versions of Wagon Wheels, the much-loved sweet treat featuring marshmallow fluff sandwiched between to soft cookie discs. They call their version the Round Up. This weekend you can buy three for the price of two across the entire range.

LGBT Vegan Socials with FGV – Natural Therapy Zone Level 2: Yes, I’m singing the praises of my own social event. These two one-hour sessions are nothing more than an organised space where LGBTQ+ vegans and our allies can get together and meet each other. Just chat informally! There will also be cupcakes to eat.

Arancini Brothers – Stall Number CAT16: I shouldn’t need to tell you but Arancini Brothers make some of the finest vegan comfort food on the planet. Their savoury risotto balls are heavenly and I highly recommend you make their stand part of your weekend eating plans.

DÁPPA – Stall Number CAT1: Soft serve ice cream, anyone? I’ve eaten quite a bit of vegan soft serve ice cream around the world and these people make some of the best I’ve tried. They always are on top of their game when it comes to toppings as well. Be early for this because they will be BUSY.

Vegan Culinary Cruises – Stall Number QA5: You can come along to this stand to learn all about upcoming luxury vegan cruises taking place in Cambodia/Vietnam and the South of France but more importantly, it is where I will be based most of the weekend. Please come and say hello to me!

Follow Your Heart – Stall Number CB4: A must visit at any vegan show, FYH will be showcasing their incredible cheeses and salad dressings. Their legendary vegan mayonnaise, Vegenaise, is what I consider the best vegan product on the planet. Grab a jar or two!

Made In Hackney – Stall Number ME1: Made in Hackney is the amazing community kitchen project hosting out of this world vegan masterclasses. Money raised from these events helps run cooking and meal planning classes for at risk and low income members of our community. Stop by to learn about the charity and you can even grab a discount code to use against one of their future masterclasses.

Moo Free Chocolates – Stall Number CK4: This company is still one of my favourites of all time. I simply cannot get enough of their ‘hunnycomb’ variety. It is milk chocolate without the milk. Cows are friends!

Mouse’s Favourite – Stall Number WL3: You need to get along to this cheese stall early if you want the best pick. They will sell quickly. I especially recommend their camembert as it is one of the finest I have ever enjoyed.

Workers Playtime – Stall Number U16: Fabulous vegan shoe brand making their VegFestUK debut. Try and buy from two of their most popular styles plus check out what else is on the horizon. Stylish and ethical footwear.

Choosing a top ten was tough. Rest assured there is a lot more for you to discover at VegFestUK London this weekend.

Check out full details online here and buy advance tickets.

Follow VegFestUK on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.