Two vegan pop ups are set to take over the space at Cafe Chula in Camden Market next week!
Are you ready for some exclusive vegan eating?
On Monday January 28, 2019 The V Spot will serve a menu starting with a trio of tacos: banana blossom ‘fish’; pulled chipotle butternut squash, and mole black bean. This will be followed by tortilla soup with jackfruit and a green salad with creamy pepita dressing. To finish, guests will be served a vegan tres leches cake with fresh fruit.
On Tuesday January 29, 2018 Ol’Factory will run their first ever experimental dinner as a conversation salon where guests will be guided through discussions at their tables.
The four course menu includes a tostada of field mushrooms, charred avocados, chia caviar, algae seaweed, and passionfruit. Tacos on the night will feature jackfruit mole poblano with Yucatan pickled onion and seitan ‘chicken’ al pastor with pineapple puree & smoked garlic.
Tickets for each night are £30 plus booking fee for all food courses and a welcome drink. You can book online here.
A drinks matching menu will available during both events for an additional £15pp and will feature speciality drinks and cocktails designed by the venue.
Blank of Brixton is already loved for its gorgeous brunches, coffee, and cakes but now they are taking things to the next level by adding vegan cocktails to their repertoire.
The Acre Lane location is celebrating their cocktail launch with a special night of games, nibbles, and a lot of Jameson.
On January 25, 2019 between 6pm and 9pm, as well as London’s best vegan Irish coffees and cocktails, there will be retro gaming, a cocktail class run by Jameson London, appetisers, vegan desserts, and a tonne of freebies.
Tickets are just £15 on the door and include two cocktails, appetisers, and a vegan dessert.
Need more to drink? Extra cocktails will be available to buy on the night.
We’ve seen plans for cat cafés and owls in bars, now we have Queens Skate Dine and Bowl in West London promoting an ice skating event featuring live penguins.
I believe most fair-minded and compassionate people understand that live animals are not ours to use for entertainment and penguins do not belong inside a skating rink that doubles as a bar/restaurant in Central London.
The venue describes the event as follows:
To celebrate Penguin Awareness Day 2019, QUEENS will be making a donation to birdlife.org and we need your help! We feel that the best way to understand how wonderful these flightless birds are is, to get to meet them & their loving handlers – so we’ve invited a raft of penguins to join us on on SATURDAY 19TH JANUARY from 4pm till 8pm.
Penguins are amazingly adapatable creatures, some are at home on beaches of South-Africa and others rule over the Antarctic ice. We are excited to see them make QUEENS ice rink their home for the afternoon!
All profits going to birdlife.org – look at what amazing job they are doing.
Enough is enough of this bullshit.
Live animals do not belong inside entertainment venues, they do not belong in a London skating rink, and they deserve to not be used by a for-profit business as a form of greenwashing in order to get publicity.
How will be the penguins be displayed? The venue website states:
The area the penguins will be situated, will a purpose made 20 metre x 4 metre insulated platfrom sitting atop of the ice.
barriers will be around the the penguin at all time
These animals are endangered in their natural habitat. The birds who will visit your educational encounter have a special CITES exemption that allows them to be exhibited.
Being a highly intelligent animal, the penguin responds very positively to regular training. This provides good behaviour enrichment and reduces stress.
There have been no recorded instances of stress in this company’s keeping of penguins.
These birds are regularly inspected by specialist zoo vets.
It is this company’s belief that exhibiting these fantastic animals in this way draws attention to their plight in the wild. They are the ambassadors for their wild cousins.
To suggest that the penguins will be guaranteed to not feel any sense of distress or upset as people skate around them is simply disingenuous. There is no way the organisers can know this.
To add insult to this flimsy attempt to claim these animals are being cared for in the name of entertainment, the on site restaurant at Queens features a menu filled with numerous animals including chickens, cows, and pigs.
The idea that the lanes are claiming penguin welfare as a priority while turning a profit from the death of other animals is hypocritical and completely diminishes their so-called concerns for looking after penguins.
Promotional images used by the venue
Circuses and shows featuring live animals are rightfully becoming a thing of the past all over the planet as humans become more aware of the trauma associated with putting animals on display for entertainment.
Queens need to be dragged into 2019 by being reminded that raising money for penguins is not a good enough excuse to exploit them. Live animals are not entertainment, not even when it is in the name of fundraising.
You can ask Queens to reconsider hosting this event via their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts. You can see their page about the penguin event online here.
Update:
The venue has now cancelled this event as a result of public pressure. See their tweets below.
Superstar vegan restaurant chain Arancini Brothers now has a fourth location in London, this time south of the river!
The 100% vegan restaurant chain is famous for its Sicilian risotto balls, flavoursome wraps, and decadent burgers. With much-adored outlets in Old Street, Kentish Town, and Dalston this fast and nutritious food chain has already established a solid hold north of the river.
Owner and founder Dave told me:
“We are opening our fourth location at Arch 34 Maltby Street, Bermondsey. We have come such a long way since we started with a simple street food concept in Brick Lane Market almost ten years ago!”
You can eat with Arancini Brothers at their Maltby Street location between 9:30am and 9:30pm, 7 days a week. The location is good for dining in, taking away, or having food delivered.
In other huge news, Arancini Brothers has become the first ever UK chain to offer a franchise opportunity.
Yes, it is your chance to franchise a vegan restaurant!
Arancini Brothers are now looking for franchise partners to open and run versions of their wildly successful business all over the UK and the planet.
If you think you have what it takes (including the funds!) to open a location of this popular vegan food business in your area, click here to read more about the franchise opportunity.
Be sure to get into the Bermondsey location as soon as you can in order to eat some amazing vegan food and congratulate Arancini Brothers on their deserved success.
Extra news: to help Arancini Brothers celebrate the opening of their fourth London restaurant, I am running an Instagram follower drive. I am trying to get them to 15,000 followers! They are just short of 10k so we need to work hard to get them there. Follow them on Instagram now.
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.
