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.
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.
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.
Do you ever have difficulty deciding what to eat when faced with many options?
One way out of this precarious situation is to buy one of everything. My trip to Whole Foods Market in Kensington a few days ago saw me tempted to do just that. I was entrusted with the task of buying some pre-packed goodies for Josh and myself to devour. The plan was to nab a window seat in the store’s food court, eat ourselves silly and watch frenzied Christmas shoppers collide with each other on the obscenely-busy high street below.
So sit down, relax and enjoy the visual delights of my lunchtime shopping spree. For a FGV, I was actually rather restrained.
Whole Foods in-house vegan yoghurt varieties
I wanted to commence the meal with healthy food that tasted great, so I opted for two tubs of vegan yoghurt with muesli and fruit. Buying both flavours was the only option when I couldn’t decide between mixed berry and blackberry. They weren’t fabulous, but fulfilled my expectations.
Saf is a vegan restaurant located in Shoreditch, East London that has now opened an outlet in the Whole Foods Kensington food court. While I didn’t buy from them directly, I chose one of their pre-packaged wraps from the sandwich case instore.
I promise I’m not being hysterical when I state it
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
When people give me the old line, “I couldn’t go vegan because I would miss cheese too much” I say, “Boo fuckin’ hoo!”.
Then I count to ten and take a few deep breaths before explaining there is now a wealth of cheese options available. You can remove yourself from the suffering cycle associated with dairy industrialisation by choosing plant-based cheeses to grate, sprinkle and melt.
One such product is the glorious Daiya. I have experienced this delightful, cruelty-free cheese during my numerous trips to the USA. Daiya is made from fermented cassava root and I could only hope to taste it whenever I found myself Stateside… until now.
Amy's vegan macaroni and cheeze
Whole Foods Market in Kensington, London shocked me senseless by selling me a fabulous box of frozen macaroni and Daiya. To my knowledge, this Amy’s product isn’t available anywhere else in the UK. If you know otherwise, please educate this FGV.
While I wait for your postcards to come flooding in, I am happy to share a photo of the ridiculously-lovely meal Josh cobbled together around the macaroni.
I don’t celebrate Christmas but I do celebrate eating delicious, cruelty-free food.
Whole Foods Kensington has nut roasts covered
On a recent trip to the Whole Foods Market location in London I spied with my vegan eye a vegan sign near the back wall of the lower ground level. On closer inspection, I discovered a display containing every single ingredient you would require to bake a mouthwatering nut roast. From the yeast extract to the egg replacer, everything needed to create a turkey-free main was on display. What’s more, Whole Food Markets were supplying a recipe card for vegan nut roast with instructions on how to use all of the fine ingredients on show.
I know it is easy to be cynical about Whole Foods exploiting one of their target demographics, but it is still a thrill to see this in a large supermarket in central London. So whether you want to celebrate Christmas without meat or (like me) just want to eat continually in non-believing style, Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street can hook you up.
Whole Food Markets The Barkers Building
London, W8 5SE UK
Nearest Underground station: High Street Kensington
The new Flamed Steak crisps by Kettle - vegan glory!
Fried, mashed or even steamed. I cannot get enough of this most common of common root vegetables. Some people have joked it must be my Irish heritage compelling me to eat barrels of the stuff. I’m not sure there is much truth in that statement (but definitely some thinly-veiled racism), but I do know that potato makes me a happy FGV.
I was avoiding the sudden and spectacular snow shower in London yesterday when my eyes fell upon a glorious sight… a new flavour of potato crisp. Taking note of my aforementioned attraction to pommes de terre, you can imagine the length of time it took for said product to reach my mouth.
For the most part, I don’t have trouble following a plant-based diet. The UK enjoys an incredibly-wide array of products found in supermarkets and health food stores.
There is, however, one area of consumption where I sometimes struggle to have my demand met… and that is booze. I love a drink. Beer and whiskey and wine. Tick ‘all of the above’ please. But I endure the (almost daily) struggle of finding clearly-labeled vegan alcohol. Animal products are often used in the production of drinks and not all companies and establishments responsible for my lack of sobriety are up to speed with letting me know if they are selling animal-free liqour.
But never fear. Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery in Tadcaster, Yorkshire has come to my rescue. This independent brewery has been turning out delectable thirst-quenchers since 1758. They clearly understand what makes a drink vegan and I have fallen in love with their Cider Reserve. Samuel Smith is served only in Samuel Smith pubs. In an attempt to remain fiercely independent, these branded pubs only serve Sam Smith items and maintain a music-free environment as a protest to public performance royalties.
I recently enjoyed several pints of Cider Reserve with friends in a lovely Sam Smith pub located in Tower Bridge, London. The Anchor Tap (located on Horselydown Lane) is a gem from another era. Low ceilings and goblin-sized doorways frame cosy rooms where you can relax with incredibly-inexpensive drinks. London can be slightly overwhelming, but the Anchor Tap and Samuel Smith put it all in perspective.
