London can you wait?

Go west

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Why is all the fun, cheap vegan food everywhere but West London? It isn’t!

I recently heard rumblings of a pop up cafe on Portobello Road and wasted little time in getting over there to check it out.

LOTUS Cucina is a super cute pop up cafe housed in a juice bar at 297 Portobello Road, just under the Westway if you are heading away from Notting Hill (nearest Tube station is Ladbroke Grove).

You want vegan food? You got it. You want cheap prices? You got it. You want a friendly cook who will cheerfully deliver your food to your table? You got it. LOTUS Cucina is the perfect mix of tasty food and relaxed atmosphere. It’s good food done well. Simple.

Wanna know what I ate?

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Breakfast can’t wait

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A rapid post to hip you to a fun breakfast I recently enjoyed.

Following on from a quick trip to Chatsworth Road Market to buy vegan cake (see here), Josh and I were of course still hungry. What’s the nearest vegan food provider to the market? Black Cat Cafe!

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Ghosts in our machine

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The wonderful activist and outreach group Animal Equality are hosting a film event you do not want to miss.

Grab your friends, buy your tickets and help pack out the Hackney Picturehouse on July 15th for the UK premiere of The Ghosts in Our Machine.

I asked Laura Gough from Animal Equality to say a few words about why the group is hosting the screening.

Laura stated, “The Ghosts in Our Machine is an inspiring and powerful documentary that will invite viewers to consider animals as individuals. Sometimes it’s easy to forget about what really happens to the animals in our society, and we believe that this documentary will change perceptions and help people care more about this issue.”

So what is this highly-anticipated film about? Watch the trailer below before scrolling down for the ticket buying link.

As you can see, this film looks to be an extremely emotional piece of work. The film website includes this synopsis: The Ghosts in our Machine is a multi-award winning documentary by Liz Marshall that illuminates the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world. Through the heart and photographic lens of the acclaimed photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, we become intimately familiar with a cast of animals. The film follows Jo-Anne over the course of a year as she photographs several animal stories in parts of Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Each story is a window into global animal industries. Are animals property to be owned and used, or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?

  • Book your tickets for the UK premiere of The Ghosts in Our Machine (featuring a Q&A with the director) on July 15th in Hackney by clicking here now.
  • In addition to the film screening, Animal Equality is hosting a pre-film reception where you will have the opportunity to mingle with the director and members of Animal Equality. Buy tickets for the pre-film reception by clicking here now.

 

Eat this

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I have a simple task for you to complete this weekend.

Get on public transport. Head to Brixton. Walk into the Ms Cupcake bakery. Eat the following. Win the Vegan Ice Cream Wars forever.

ice cream cup

 

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Sweet tooth

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It’s a determined trickle in London. Slowly, but surely. Vegan food is taking a foothold as more and more compassionate people take chances on creating and selling plant-based foods. One such vendor is vegan baker Giancarlo Roncato.

A trained chef who decided to swap the animal based ingredients out of all his food, Giancarlo can now be found plying his wares on market stalls around London. Josh and I paid a visit to his Chatsworth Road operation a few weekends back and were delighted not only by the choice on offer from Giancarlo, but also the vegan-friendly vibe of the entire market.

So, what does Giancarlo and his Vegan Sweet Tooth bakery offer? Check it out below.

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How very

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Has it been a month already?

My season of free film screenings known as FREE WINONA is coming to an end. I have shown Beetlejuice, Mermaids and Reality Bites. What do all of these films have in common? You are correct if you noticed they all star Winona Ryder.

All of the above films went down a treat but I have certainly saved the best for last.

how very

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Chilli cheese dog

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I ate something that was delicious. Do you wanna see it?

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What is your glitch?

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The FREE WINONA film season has reached the halfway point and I am now pulling out the big guns. Get ready for Reality Bites on Tuesday June 17, 2014.

If you wanna know what teenagers and 20 somethings were losing their minds over in the 90s, come along to this free film screening. Of course it features the main reason for this season of movies, but it also stars the awesome Janeane Garofalo and the brooding Ethan Hawke. In addition, the film was directed (and stars) Ben Stiller!

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Learn to boss

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We all know about the fabulous Made in Hackney, right? This community-concerned kitchen is an invaluable source of information about plant based eating for local residents via a whole host of workshops and classes.

The centre offers discounted courses to people experiencing financial hardship. These courses are in part made possible by some of the full-priced classes hosted by Made in Hackney. This is a great way of making sure everyone has access to information about vegan food, no matter what their economic status.

One of these full price classes is a weekend long, hands on experience for people looking to start their own small food company. It sounds thorough and extremely valuable.

The Making to Sell Intensive Weekender will cover:

  • Becoming an ethical small scale producer
  • Product presentation
  • Branding
  • Securing retailers
  • Sourcing local/ethical ingredients
  • The legal bits

This sounds like a perfect course for someone looking to start or expand a vegan home food business or market stall.

Taking place on June 14 and 15, the cost for the weekend is £65 (£52 Concession) including a free organic lunch.

All the information about the course and how to book can be found by clicking here.

Go get schooled and start some vegan businesses, London. We need you!

Say goodbye to the Tart

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I’m not sure how much more I can take of my favourite vegan food suppliers disappearing or retreating from public life. If I start losing weight, you will know who to blame. Come on vegan food makers, this FGV needs you.

First Saf closed up for good, then The Mighty Fork stopped trading and now I find out one of the best vegan bakers in the city is set to stop trading in Brixton.

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