London can you wait?

Friends reunited

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London can be a beating.

Living in such a huge city of course has its advantages, but you can also get swallowed up in the sheer scale of things. I have friends who live on the other side of the city and I can get through an entire calendar year without seeing them. Everyone is busy and it can take hours to get across town.

One victim of London’s gigantism is Saf. This 100% vegan restaurant is one of the finest places for plant eaters to dine out in the capital, but I rarely make it along. One of the last times I visited was for this blog post from April 2011. That is far too long between visits.

This week I decided to bridge the gap between myself and Saf. I slipped in on my own for a quick lunch and my choice of main was exquisite. I adored my Summer Risotto featuring  organic Arborio rice with a miso cream, fresh broad beans, grilled courgettes, roasted garlic and saffron all topped with a shaved fennel salad.

£11 is a fair chunk to pay for a main meal but the quality and freshness of my meal warranted the price tag. It was delicious and felt as though someone had really considered the combination of ingredients.

Risotto at Saf
Risotto at Saf

I am so glad I have reconnected with Saf. I promise I won’t let London come between us ever again.

Visit Saf online

What’s your bag?

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If you missed out on attending London Vegan Beer Fest, it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on holding a small piece of it in your hand.

I have an extremely limited run of tote bags left from the event and I am offering them for sale right here. For £6 (or £7 outside the UK) you will get a limited edition, hand printed, organic cotton London Vegan Beer Fest tote bag posted through your letterbox.

But that is not all.

Because I am a kind and loving FGV, every buyer will also get a super cool ‘DRINK VEGAN BEER’ pin/badge and a copy of the beer fest programme.

These London Vegan Beer Fest bundles are a lovely memento of a superb community event. Once these are gone they will not be reprinted, so grab a little piece of vegan history while they last!

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Click the button above for the bundle if you are in the UK (£6)

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Click the button above for the bundle if you are outside the UK (£7)

 

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Vegan feast in a Royal park

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London, get ready to experience Mexican food like you have never experienced it before.

I am proudly partnering with esteemed restaurant group Peyton & Byrne to present a Mexican inspired vegan supper club held in the gorgeous surrounds of St. James’s Park.

On Thursday August 8th, 2013, food enthusiasts will have the rare chance to be immersed in a 100% plant-based Mexican meal on the covered balcony of Inn The Park. I am working alongside the staff of this Oliver Peyton-owned eatery to deliver a sumptuous and exotic range of dishes inspired by the hustle and bustle of the streets of Mexico City.

Booking details at bottom of page.

Inn The Park (1)

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Best-in-Show at LVBF 2013

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The sun burned bright. The beers flowed liberally. People adored the BBQ. Karaoke raised money for Sea Shepherd. That’s right, people. London Vegan Beer Fest was a raging success enjoyed by almost 300 people on Saturday July 13th, 2013.

I have much to share with you all (including photos), but I have taken time out of my LVBF comedown to share some important information with you. Beer lovers, I present the audience favourite beverage as voted by the attendees of London Vegan Beer Fest.

Drum roll.

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Get ready to be happy

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Hey. You. Yes, you.

You sitting comfortably in your front room, eating baked beans on toast or a bag of salted crisps and feeling quite smug with yourself. You might be a fussy vegan but there you are eating tasty treats normally assigned to ‘the normals’ of the world. You can eat whatever you like because there are vegan options for most things now. You are such an accomplished eater and you don’t even have to think about it anymore. It’s so easy, right?

Well, hold onto your hemp hats. I make no apologies for blowing your tiny, vegan world apart with this next announcement.

Comfortably-numb plant eaters of the UK, I give you The Mighty Fork. Eating just became interesting again.

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The Mighty Fork is the brainchild of hot dog hero Rita Fontes and she is certainly going to make UK vegans more appreciative of their food choices.

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LVBF swag bag

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You’ve heard all the hype and you’ve survived my incessant tweets. Now it is almost time for London Vegan Beer Fest to explode onto the capital.

The beer is being brewed, the BBQ menu has been planned and the karaoke machine is loaded with songs. July 13th, 2013 is going to be a day London vegans and their friends will never forget.

But for some attendees, the memories will be even sweeter.

Tickets have been split into four categories. The general admission pre-sale tickets sold out a few days ago, you can get in on the day for £10 after 1pm and £5 after 6pm (depending on space) and then of course there are the VIP Golden Keg tickets.

These precious tickets cost £25 and are your pass to a good time with plenty of benefits. Holders of the VIP tickets gain earlybird entry from midday (an hour before everyone else), get to choose one pint of beer, will be fed one item from the vegan BBQ and get to chill out in two exclusive reserved seating areas.

That’s pretty cool, right? Well, it gets better.

Every VIP ticket holder will also be given a limited London Vegan Beer Fest goodie bag stuffed with treats and special deals.

See below for the full list of included bag treats and then hurry to the ticket page to order one of these limited edition tickets. At time of writing, there were only eight VIP tickets remaining. Be quick!

bagThe VIP bags are reusable eco-friendly cotton and have been sponsored by Fry’s Distribution. Check out their website for tasty vegan frozen food.

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Each VIP bag will contain one discount voucher for the wonderful new 100% vegan hot dog company The Mighty Fork. Keep an eye on their Twitter page for news of upcoming location.

elegantly veganEach VIP bag will contain one colour postcard from Elegantly Vegan, a gorgeous new recipe app. The card includes a QR code for a free preview download of the book.

yelpEach VIP bag will contain one metal bottle opener/keyring courtesy of Yelp London. Yelp is a fun and interactive online listings community. Check them out!

pensEach VIP bag will contain one pen thanks to Viva! Campaigns. Follow this invaluable non-profit activist group on Twitter.

ron likes cakeEach VIP bag will contain a discount voucher for the new allergy-free cake company Ron Likes Cakes. I recently tried one of their creations and they are highly recommended.

VxEach VIP bag will contain a sticker and badge pack from London’s first vegan store, Vx.

premaeEach VIP bag will contain one sample from world-class vegan skincare company Premae. Visit Premae Skincare online to view their entire range.

veganicityEach VIP bag will contain one container of vegan Vitamin B12 tablets courtesy of Veganicity. Check out their full range of vegan vitamins and supplements online.

wild trailEach VIP bag will contain one Wild Trail wholegrain bar. These delicious bars are an FGV favourite and you can keep updated with new flavours on their Facebook page.

kettleEach VIP bag will contain one 40g packet of Kettle chips. Visit the company online.

moo freeEach VIP bag will contain one Mini Moos bar made by the market-leading Moo Free Chocolates. Check out their full range online.

20130706_213734Every VIP will contain one box of Fairtrade and Organic raspberry chilli tea bags courtesy of the wonderful London Tea Company. Visit their website now!

Totally Lush!

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Thinking about attending London Vegan Potluck this July 3rd but need another reason? I have got a good one!

The wonderful management and staff of Lush South Molton Street are coming along to pamper and treat potluck attendees with lip balm and cruelty-free make up demonstrations. Attendees can chat with the Lush experts as they try some of the finest vegan personal products on the market.

But’s that’s not all. Of course there is a prize on offer.

Attend London Vegan Potluck, have a chat with the Lush crew, sign up to their email list and you will instantly be in the draw for a fabulous prize to be given away on the night.

And what a prize it is!

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So fresh and so clean

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Before we move forward, we often have to look to the past, so I wanna ask you to cast your mind back to one of my most controversial posts.

My article about The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green is infamous. People still talk to me about it and the content divides many vegans. Heck, somebody even referenced it recently in an article about why vegans should feel comfortable eating oysters and mussels! It is the blog post that won’t go away.

Read the original post here if you like, but in a nutshell I questioned why The Gallery Cafe fried their vegan burger in the same oil as halloumi and if this was a compromise of the vegan status of the food.

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Keep on truckin’

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I need your help.

The unthinkable happened today. I saw a new vegan food truck located in Camden Lock Market and I didn’t buy any food. My stomach was beyond capacity following epic eating sessions at both Mr. Falafel and Cookies & Scream. I simply couldn’t fit in another morsel.

So you see, you need to assist me in getting information out to the vegan masses.

Your task, if you accept it, is to get down to Camden Lock Market and locate Rupert’s Street Food truck. Once you have found the food vending van, buy vegan savouries, cakes and drinks before reporting back on this very page.

Can you handle it?

Rupert's Street Food
Rupert’s Street Food
Tempted?
Tempted?

Visit Rupert’s Food Truck online

Follow Rupert’s Food Truck on Twitter

Like Rupert’s Food Truck on Facebook

 

London Vegan Beer Fest tickets

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London Vegan Beer Fest is a boutique summer drinking event showcasing independent breweries making beer suitable for vegans. In 2013, the festival is taking place in the hall, chapel and grounds of the gorgeous St Margaret’s House in Bethnal Green.

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Join a host of independent breweries serving craft beers and the kitchen staff of The Gallery Cafe as they serve mouthwatering vegan BBQ food. Doors open 1pm on Saturday July 13th, 2013.

The day will be a celebration of vegan drink, food, independent businesses and music.

Visit the London Vegan Beer Fest website for full list of participating breweries, latest news, BBQ menu updates, sponsor lists and more!

On sale time for tickets is Monday 17th June, 2013 at 9am.

Click here for the ticket page

Running time 

Midday:    VIP ticket holders welcomed

1:00pm    London Vegan Beer Fest 2013 opens to all ticket holders

8:30pm    Last orders in the beer hall

10:00pm  London Vegan Beer Fest closes

Ticket types

Hop Head – general admission//£7.50 plus booking fee

  • access to beer hall, vegan BBQ and lawn (beer/food not included in ticket price)
  • entry to the fest from 1pm onwards

Golden Keg – limited VIP//£25 plus booking fee

  • limited to 50 tickets
  • exclusive early entry (midday)
  • access to beer hall, vegan BBQ and lawn
  • access to VIP indoor beer garden & chapel seating
  • 1 London Vegan Beer Fest goodie bag featuring snacks
  • 1 complimentary beer (additional purchases not included)
  • 1 complimentary BBQ item (additional purchases not included)

Swift Half – walk up on the day//£10

  • access to beer hall, vegan BBQ and lawn (beer/food not included in ticket price)
  • entry to the fest from 1pm onwards dependent on capacity
  • wait times for entry likely
  • cash payment only

Cheeky Half – late walk up on the day//£5

  • access to beer hall and lawn (beer/food not included in ticket price)
  • entry to the fest from 6pm onwards dependent on capacity
  • wait times for entry possible
  • cash payment only

Tickets are extremely limited. Bookmark the ticket link and set a reminder.