I need to remind you that GreenBay Supermarket in Fulham still exists and as one of London’s best independently-owned vegan businesses, you should take a moment shop with them when you have the funds.
GreenBay has just started selling copies of my first ever book. Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t costs £8.99 and if you buy from them online or in the shop, they get to keep half of the money!
Click here to buy it from their online store. While you are there, grab a basketful of vegan groceries and enjoy next day delivery in the UK!
GreenBay is a fully-stocked vegan grocery store located on North End Road but if you can’t get in there, you can shop online and they will bring the good stuff to you.
The shelves are overflowing with all manner of compassionate products including cheese, meats, pastas, personal care items, drinks, yogurts, chocolates, and pretty much anything you could want or need.
I’m not wasting your time here. You just need and want the cheesy facts.
We have three days of fantastic vegan Christmas markets coming up this week in London, so that means plenty of opportunities to grab your festive cheese supplies.
Take note of which brands are appearing where and get there EARLY on the day. The cheese always sells out quickly at this time of year:
Support these independent cheese traders and make your festive table extra special.
Extra note: the markets will be overflowing with hot food, cakes, drinks, and gift ideas so please make an effort to support these traders on the final weekend before Christmas.
Superstar street food trader Greedy Khao had such a great response to their last supper club, they have just announced another… and you can choose from three dates!
Get all the info on Greedy Khao’s Aharn-Jaan-Deaw below. It sounds truly sensational.
Thai food is often enjoyed in the ‘family-style’ of eating, where a range of mouth-watering dishes are placed in the centre of the dinner table for everyone to share. This is a beautiful way to appreciate food while bonding with loved ones, but it isn’t the only way that Thais eat.
Sometimes Thais enjoy individual dishes, similar to the Western style, whether they are grabbing a bowl from a street food vendor with friends, or simply eating alone. As such, some Thai dishes are designed to be one perfect, complete meal, where all components are carefully selected to complement one another, and the goal is one plateful – or bowlful – of pure culinary satisfaction.
This event is a showcase of some of chef and co-owner Faai’s all-time favourite aharn-jaan-daew. Each dish is deeply connected to a special time or place in Faai’s life, from her childhood, to moving to London four years ago, to her life in the UK capital today.
Vegan fried egg
View the menu below:
APPETISER Satay Khun-Ying | สะเต๊ะคุณหญิง Khun-Ying’s Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce and Aa-jaad Relish
Faai’s grandmother, Khun-Ying Uraiwan, was very picky when it came to her Satay platter. Everything had to be right – succulent and well-marinated meat, rich and moreish peanut sauce, a side of perfectly balanced sweet & sour aa-jaad relish, and of course some warm, toasted bread. Yes, Thais eat their Satay with bread, and that’s exactly how they are serving theirs.
MAIN KAA-MOO MANTOU | ขาหมูหมั่นโถว Stewed ‘Pork Knuckle’ with Mantou
An homage to Faai’s memory of the first time she had this combo – at the seaside town of Hua Hin with her best friend Pat and her parents. Five-spiced stewed ‘pork knuckle’ with pickled mustard greens, Chinese broccoli, and chilli & vinegar dip. Served alongside a fluffy Chinese steamed bun.
This is a true street food favourite, and exists in various forms throughout South-East Asia. It’s also the first dish that Faai cooked for her whole family, impressing and surprising them in equal measure! Tender ‘skin-on chick’n’ with ginger and garlic infused jasmine rice, and traditional fermented bean dip.
PAD-KAPRAO NUERSUB KAI-DAO | ผัดกะเพราเนื้อสับไข่ดาว Spicy Stir-fry with Thai Holy Basil, topped with ‘Fried Egg’
Dubbed ‘Aharn Sin Kid’ (lit. ‘food that requires no thought’) by Thais – this dish is a true crowd pleaser & the nation’s favourite. There has been endless debate amongst Thais whether a Pad-Kaprao should have added veggies or not. Greedy Khao side with the Traditional approach – no unnecessary fillers, only beautiful Thai Holy Basil. Topped with their famous and much-anticipated sunny-side up ‘egg’.
DESSERT WOON-MAPRAO-ONN | วุ้นมะพร้าวอ่อน Young Coconut Jelly
Faai’s mum Skowrat loves everything floral, and food is no exception. She shared her creations and they were so jaw-dropping that they just had to share it on this menu! Cool and refreshing young coconut jelly, filled with handcrafted flowers made from coconut cream. Light, delicate – an exquisite way to end a flavour-packed meal.
Young coconut jelly
This is the Thai food of a true Thai foodie, and Greedy Khao can’t wait to share it with you.
Greedy Khao’s Aharn-Jaan-Deaw is taking place at 10 Cable Street on Thursday January 31 2018, and Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February 2018.
Extra note: Greedy Khao are celebrating reaching 10k Instagram followers by giving away a pair of tickets to this event. Get over to their Instagram account for details.
It is with a mixture of fondness, a little sadness, and a big sense of achievement that I announce the ending of the legendary Hackney Downs Vegan Market.
What started as a special Christmas market collaboration with Eat Work Art at Hackney Downs Studios quickly became the biggest regular food event in the UK.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market has played such an important part in changing the face of veganism in London, across the UK, and even throughout the world. It has inspired countless copycats and made big business take notice of vegan consumers in a way that very little had done before it.
Our community market was featured by the BBC (web, radio, TV) and countless blogs, newspapers, podcasts, magazines, style guides, and social media platforms.
The market has been a special place where we have given a huge stage to businesses owned or co-owned by women, people of colour, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ people. Josh and I have been committed to redressing disadvantage and oppression via the safe space of our market.
Many of our traders used the funds earned at Hackney Downs Vegan Market to go onto bigger and better things. Those early months of the market with record breaking attendances helped independent businesses such as Temple of Seitan and Young Vegans funnel much-needed funds into new shop premises.
The market helped support the financial stability of our vegan scene. It brought in tens of thousands of pounds to the pockets of independent business owners across its lifespan. We made this possible by charging the lowest pitch fees of any vegan market. We worked hard for little return so our traders could earn a living, not feel exploited.
We made global headlines with our record breaking attendances and we forced the city to rapidly recognise the power of the vegan shopper.
In turn, this was our undoing. Ian from Clarkshaws Brewing called it the ‘winner’s curse’.
Veganism is absolutely everywhere and people don’t have to travel for at least an hour on the Overground followed by a 10-15 minute walk in the cold in order to get inventive and tasty vegan food anymore.
It is now on their own doorsteps and to a large extent they have us to thank for that. We showed London how immensely in-demand vegan food was and the city took notice. Vegan food is simply in every nook and crevice of the capital, therefore our attendance figures at Hackney Downs have suffered. Many of our past food traders will now deliver to your door at the touch of an app, making the idea of going to an outdoor market less appealing for people.
Of course it makes me sad to see the market end due to lower attendance but as an activist wanting to see veganism spread far and wide, I have to be secretly happy.
I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to our regular traders enough. It is impossible in this space to tell you about the countless ups and downs these people went through. Winter at the market is particularly brutal and the World Cup last year almost broke us completely.
These traders spend days preparing food and goods for the weekend, not knowing how many people will show up. Street trading is notoriously unpredictable but people like Chanel of Vegan Delice, Davina and Michelle of Cafe SoVegan, and Ian and Lucy of Clarkshaws always gave it their all in all types of weather.
They didn’t do it just to make money. They tirelessly supported the market because they understood it helped build social capital. It was a home away from home for many of our traders and an adored place to visit for our customers. They did it because they believed it made the world a better place.
They are my idols.
Eternal thanks to Adam of Eat Work Art (who has since moved on to another role) and his replacement Rosie for taking us under their wing and giving our traders a home for two years. Our market manager Robertas is nothing short of a hero and has built stalls and battled extreme weather to make sure everything ran smoothly. When he couldn’t be there, he made sure his friends Laurynas and Nerijus filled in and now they are also part of the market’s legacy and family.
And thank you to all of our customers who have braved the elements and made the market a world-famous foodie destination.
Together, we all did this amazing thing to improve outcomes for animals and our community. We made a difference.
We really, truly did.
Please visit the final ever weekends for Hackney Downs Vegan Market and make sure our traders go out like they started… with a bang!
Final dates for the market are Sat 15 and Sun 16 December as well as Sat 22 and Sun 23 December, 2018. The weekend of December 22 and 23 will be our Christmas market, so don’t miss out.
All details for the market can be seen online here. Get along to these final weekends and be a part of history.
Extra note: the FGV section at Venn Street Market is set to continue every Saturday in Clapham and don’t miss our one-day-only Xmas lunch market at Guildhall in the City of London on Friday December 21, 2018. Details here.
This weekend at Hackney Downs Vegan Market is your chance to try the award winning meat alternative by superstar brand Oumph!… for free!
Oumph!, a favourite in Sweden and the Nordic countries, is made from soya beans and organic herb and spice mixes. It’s plant-based and free from gluten and dairy… and it is taking the UK by storm.
Oumph! is versatile and easy to cook. It’s suitable to grill, boil, sauté, deep-fry or even heat over an open BBQ. In addition, it’s high in protein and fibre and a source of iron and folic acid, as well has having a low climate impact.
And no animals were harmed to bring it to your table!
Oumph! is absolutely delicious so it comes as no surprise that the brand has been busy sweeping all the awards in 2018, including:
• Oumph! Kebab Spiced – awarded ‘Best Food Product of the Year’, Food Matters Live.
Oumph! The Chunk – awarded Gold ‘Food For Food Service’, FreeFrom Eating Out Awards.
• Oumph! The Chunk – awarded Silver in the ‘Food Innovation’ category, FreeFrom Food Awards 2018.
If you are curious to see what all the fuss is about, get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market to taste the incredible Pulled Oumph! for free.
Pulled Oumph!
On Saturday December 15 and Sunday December 16, 2018, you can try hot samples of this groundbreaking products served on crunchy corn chips with pickled onion.
Truly sensational.
Pulled Oumph! on crunchy corn chips with pickled onion
Oumph! is a part of Food for Progress. Food for Progress is a Swedish food company producing tasty, nutritious and climate-friendly food that everyone on the planet can eat.
City Spice in Brick Lane has been awarded for their new vegan menu and their business is booming!
City Spice restaurant was recently named London’s Best Vegan Indian Restaurant option at the prestigious Bangladesh Caterers Association Awards.
The awards are considered to be the ‘Oscars’ of the curry-house awards and City Spice was selected as the winner of their category in a vote involving the 12,000 member restaurants of the Bangladesh Caterers Association.
But what is all the fuss about and why is the restaurant being honoured?
City Spice recently launched Brick Lane’s first ever purposefully-vegan menu in a curry house, resulting in a 170% increase in bookings for the restaurant in the two months following the launch.
Yes, that’s correct. A 170% increase. That’s the power of plants, people!
The Michel-Indian inspired vegan menu comprises of 14 dishes and was perfected after the restaurant attended a culinary masterclass with Michelin-star chef Rupert Rowley in Sri Lanka.
Some of the vegan dishes that grabbed my attention include:
Palani Potatoes (£9.95)
Fresh cubed pieces of potatoes are cooked with zesty cumin seeds and curry leaves, to provide a distinct, medium flavour, exemplified by a thick mouth-watering sauce.
Shobji Kufta Bhujon (£9.95)
Lightly spiced mixed vegetable balls cooked in a spicy sauce with mushrooms, baked tomatoes and capsicum. Garnished with spring onions and coriander.
Mixed Vegetable Jalfrezi (£8.95)
Seasonal vegetable cooked with an original recipe with an emphasis on the flavours extracted from fresh green chillies, fried onions and green peppers.
Mixed Vegetable Rogan Josh (£8.95)
With its distinctive tomato flavour, this is the perfect go-to for newcomers to Indian cuisine. Medium spiced, tomatoes make up the base of this delicious dish, being built up with a selection of fine herbs as well as our own secret recipe, to give the Rogan it’s aromatic flavour.
Restaurant manager Abdul Muhaimen, 19, who created the menu, commented:
“Brick Lane is an incredible institution, but every institution needs a kick up the bum once in a while! Palates are changing, and the street needs to catch up.
While we’re delighted to have been recognised by the BCA, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for our family run restaurant. Since its launch we’ve now sold more than a thousand vegan dishes!”.
The restaurant was even recently featured on ITV News to talk about the runaway success of the vegan menu.
This isn’t the first time the restaurant tasted success in the BCAs. In 2017 the East End restaurant won London’s Restaurant of the Year at the Bangladesh Caterers Association Awards, and Best Asian Restaurant at the Asian Curry Awards.
Click here to see the new vegan menu online. You can see the exact location of City Spice thanks to Google Maps.
Customers can try the vegan menu, which also includes vegan wines, by booking a table. Simply visit city-spice.london/contact, dial 020 7247 1012, or email reservations@city-spice.london to secure your dining experience.
Black Cat Hackney is one of the finest places to eat vegan food in the UK so you know you don’t want to miss out on their exclusive one-night-only Christmas supper club.
The exciting menu consists of a mix of classics and new items:
Starter (to choose from):
Caramelised cauliflower bisque topped with grilled seasonal mushrooms and served with garlic sourdough bread
OR
Wild mushroom croquette, whipped cashew chevre cheese, salt baked heritage beets, Hackney leaves and balsamic reduction
Main (to choose from):
House made seitan steaks, steamed seasonal greens, roast potatoes, lemon white wine shaved brussels sprouts, pastrami seasoned carrots and parsnips ribbons. Served with Black Cat’s gravy
OR
Blue corn crusted tofu cutlets, sweet potato and pumpkin mash, braised cabbage and roasted red pepper, Mexican chiles and peanut sauce
Desserts (to choose from):
Lemon thyme yoghurt cake, rhubarb compote, caramelised figs and coconut sour cream
OR
Peanut-butter chocolate cheesecake with bourbon biscuit base and salted candied nuts
The dinner is taking place at Black Cat on Clarence Road, Road on Saturday December 15, 2018.
Book now your tickets to spend this great evening with Black Cat. Choose from two time slots:
6pm until 8pm sitting
8:30pm until 10:30pm sitting
This event is BYOB meaning you are welcome to take your own drink.
My first ever book was published back in January and I’m here to give you two good reasons why you should by it right now.
Well, one of the reasons is just an OK reason while the second idea is the very good reason.
Idea the first: my book is a fabulous Christmas or festive present to give a loved one. Even if you think the person has little chance of switching to a vegan lifestyle, the book is an engaging read packed with funny and touching personal stories.
There are also plenty of arguments for why we can be kinder by choosing veganism, as well as how we can also make choices to challenge racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and worker exploitation.
Reason the second and the best reason?
You can buy my book directly from the Shoreditch, London cafe Essential Vegan.
It is crucial that we support independent vegan businesses such as this cafe founded and operated by my dear friends Vanessa and Neni. You won’t find two people working harder to put veganism on the map and their food is sensational.
Grab a copy of Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, drink and live like you give a sh!t from the shelves of Essential Vegan for £8.99 and 50% of this money stays with the cafe.
Yep! You can eat some of the best vegan food in the UK, do some Christmas shopping, and ensure that more of your hard-earned cash is staying in your vegan community.
If you aren’t able to get along to Essential Vegan but still would like a copy of my book, you can order online from Amazon, WH Smith, or Foyles. You can also buy the audio version via Audible.
Have you been curious about the vegan Baileys drink called Almande?
If you are interested in sampling the drink for no charge, get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday December 8, 2018.
Baileys will be on hand to impress market goers with their popular dairy-free drink.
Almande by Baileys is a liqueur made from sweet almond oil and almond essence (extracted from crushed almonds), cane sugar and purified water with a touch of real vanilla. It has a creamy feel, but is light in taste.
I enjoy mixing Almande with chocolate milk for a fun drink, while blending it with soya milk, ice, agave syrup, and peanut butter is a dream come true.
The sampling team will be serving tasters from 2pm until 4pm so get along early (the market opens at 11am) for lunch and then stick around for some free Baileys! It is also a great time to start some of your vegan Christmas shopping as we will have cheese, vegan fish, gifts, and more. Full market line up is here.
Extra note: Chanel of our resident bakery stall Vegan Deliceis planning some special vegan Baileys themed treats on her stall this Saturday to coincide with the tasting session. Eat cake and be happy!
