London can you wait?

New vegan cocktail bar for London

by

Here is some news you can drink.

Superstar vegan double decker bus restaurant Just Fab has recently opened a vegan cocktail bar on site. Just in time for the warmer weather, London!

If you can view the menu above, you will notice the bar is serving vegan White Russian as well as London Mule, Vegan Mary, and Espresso Martini.

So now you can eat some of the best vegan food in the capital (including burgers, lasagne, arancini, and more!) that is made on a real double deck London bus AND drink some tempting vegan cocktails all in the same location.

The bar is in the yard at 455 Hackney Road E2 9DY, just a short walk from Cambridge Heath train station. See the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Opening hours are 11:30am until 10:00pm and a bit later on the weekends. The bus and bar are both closed on Monday.

Follow Just Fab on Instagram.

Vegan spot in Hackney extends life

by

The Brook in Hackney has been impressing vegans and the vegan-curious for the past few months, so it is great news to hear they have extended their residency for another six months!

Thea of The Brook told me:

Opening the pop-up in Hackney was a scary leap for us but it’s just been amazing. We’ve been so well received and it’s given us the confidence we needed to really push forward with what we’re doing on a bigger scale. Ultimately, we want to find a permanent site in central London to set up home, and we’re launching a crowdfunding campaign next month to support this, but that will take a while. So for now, at least, we’ll be staying put in Hackney until the end of the year while we search for a home.

How exciting!

The Brook also just won a Love London Time Out award for best restaurant in Hackney after only three months of being open! In addition, on June 1, 2018 The Brook is re-opening their Wallington location (temporary pop-up) on weekends so they can serve their south London crowd over the summer.

Click here to see the location of The Brook thanks to Google Maps.

Follow The Brook on Instagram.

Vegan food at Mighty Hoopla

by

I told you about the fab vegan food line up I have helped curate for Field Day 2018, but now I have even better news!

The food line up is staying on for a third day at the incredible Mighty Hoopla festival in Brockwell Park on June 3, 2018.

As if that food isn’t enough to entice you, the musical line up on the day is phenomenal.

Acts include some of my favourite pop performers of the past few decades including Lily Allen, TLC, Belinda Carlisle, Betty Who, B*Witched, Five, and even Vengaboys!

It is so ridiculously camp!

Imagine an incredible pop fest like that AND a huge range of vegan food traders from which to choose.

This event is going to sell out extremely quickly so grab your tickets now. Book here.

New vegan pizza pockets in London

by

HOLY SHIT!

It is a Hackney Downs Vegan Market exclusive tomorrow Saturday May 12, 2018. Young Vegans are debuting a new Pizza Pie Pocket menu ONLY at our market. Kinda like McDs fritters BUT VEGAN AND FUCKING AWESOME.

Menu:

  • The Barbie: Pan fried chicken pieces with house BBQ sauce and cheese cheesy
  • Red Bianca: Creamy ricotta, broccoli and our family’s signature marinara sauce
  • Willy Wonky: Melty chocolate with peanut butter (warning: messy!)

I’m sure these will be a smash hit, so get used to seeing these on their regular menu in the Camden shop in the near future.

Be one of the first people in London to try at the market. Full details here.

Follow Young Vegans on Instagram.

Vegan taco pop up in Brixton

by

Hey, vegan taco lovers.

Here is a fab menu available for one night only at a super cool bar in Brixton.

The talented people of Jump to the Beet catering are hosting another glorious pop up event at The Sympathetic Ear on Tulse Hill in Brixton.

The taco pop up is taking place on Thursday May 17, 2018 between 6:30pm and 9:30pm.

You can simply show up (see bar location thanks to Google Maps) or contact the venue through their website to book a table.

But what about the menu?

  • Wild mushroom, pasilla chilli salsa, pico de gallo
  • Breaded paprika cauliflower, roasted red pepper & tomato salsa
  • Black beans, roasted sweet potato, smoked chipotle
  • Smoky aubergine, baby sweet corn, ancho chilli, cashew nut

Sounds amazing.

Follow Jump to the Beet on Instagram.

Mushroom masterclass

by

There is a mushroom masterclass coming up this Saturday May 12, 2018 at Made in Hackney and if you can afford to attend, it looks like it will be extremely informative and useful.

“We will share our passion and knowledge of cooking and growing gourmet mushrooms, as well as practical tips and recipes, so that you can bring delicious umami flavours to your meals”

Mark Breen, Professional Chef & Cookery Tutor & César Hernán Rizzo Gómez, Urban Grower & Cook

The class will include:

  • How to cook different types of gourmet mushrooms to intensify their unique flavours and textures
  • How to bring out the delicious ‘umami’ flavour of mushrooms
  • How to grow gourmet mushrooms from used coffee grounds
  • How to store your mushrooms correctly to get the best from them
  • Various cooking techniques which will preserve the nutritional properties of mushrooms
  • Tasty ‘tried and tested’ recipes using mushrooms as a starter, a main or a side dish
  • A delicious organic plant based lunch and recipes to take home

César is an urban farmer and accomplished cook. He is the founder of ‘Article Number 25’, an Urban Farming Company aiming to change the food system, which grows different varieties of mushrooms from used coffee grounds and converts unused spaces into farms.

Mark is a professional chef and cookery tutor, working with various cookery schools across the capital. He also runs Seasonal Kitchen, a company offering unique dining experiences and private chef services.

Fee*: £70 (£55** Concession) includes a delicious organic plant based meal

  • This fee is used to fund the programme of free courses to vulnerable and low-income community groups. By attending a Made In Hackney masterclass you get a great day of learning AND you’re providing the charity with essential funds for them to continue their work with vulnerable community groups.

** Concessionary rate available for students, pensioners, unemployed and low waged

Click here to book a spot at this mushroom masterclass now! At the time of posting, their were only 8 spaces remaining.

New vegan coffee shop in Dalston

by

I simply cannot keep up with vegan news flying out of London.

I adore hearing it all, but there is too much!

I’m thrilled to announce that a brand new 100% vegan coffee shop and deli is opening tomorrow (Tuesday May 8, 2018) on Kingsland Road.

Happy Cat Coffee has been trading for a while as a market stall and pop up concern, but the Dalston spot marks their first ever permanent shop.

The first 20 people to visit on opening day (7am until 7pm) get a free dairy-free coffee to celebrate!

Happy Cat offers oat, coconut, soya, almond and cashew milks, and while you are there you can pick up some bean-to-bar chocolate. Everything is vegan and in the next week or so customers will be able to grab vegan steaks, vegan sausage rolls, and pasties.

Happy Cat is located at 374a Kingsland Road Dalston E8 4AA in a super cute space next to a tailor. You can see the exact location on Google Maps.

You can follow Happy Cat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Final market for The Sunny Spoon

by

This is an emotional post.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market is more than a place to buy food. For many of our traders, it has become an extended family.

Every single week I receive messages from market visitors who want to tell me that they loved the friendly, community feel of the event.

We work hard to make sure our traders feel happy, comfortable and cherished, which in turn helps create a positive atmosphere that flows onto the punters.

So, it is one big happy family but sadly sometimes people leave home.

Saturday May 5, 2018 is going to mark the final appearance of Clarisse and her superstar vegan patisserie The Sunny Spoon.

Clarisse has decided to follow up with a career opportunity which means she will no longer be able to trade at Hackney Downs Vegan Market.

Of course the food from The Sunny Spoon is spectacular, but it is the human behind the brand which is making us really feel the loss.

Clarisse has been more than just a friendly trader. She has worked tirelessly to make Hackney Downs Vegan Market a destination to which people want to return. The Sunny Spoon was one of the businesses to show up through the brutal winter months and Clarisse never stopped smiling.

Clarisse is not a person to rest on past glories. Her patisserie was already exquisite when I first met her but it is proof of Clarisse’s dedication to her profession that she never stopped working to take it all to the next level.

And as sad as I am to be saying goodbye, I know it is exactly these wonderful qualities that will take Clarisse onto even more rewarding and amazing adventures.

Thank you, Clarisse. You have been an important part of our market and you will be missed dearly.

Visit Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday May 5, 2018 to say thank you and goodbye (for now) to Clarisse. Please follow The Sunny Spoon on Instagram to keep updated with her adventures.

Help the LGBTQ+ centre get established

by

You know life in London is tough, right?

Now take that level of difficulty and consider how much more tough it gets for members of LGBTQ+ communities.

We face isolation. We experience high levels of alcohol and drug dependency. We live with threats of violence. We are marginalised by mainstream media and politicians. We are often rejected by families.

A fabulous collective of humans in London wants to help redress some of these hardships and oppressive forces by opening the London LFBTQ+ Community Centre.

Check out this video:

Queer spaces in London are traditionally based around drinking and spending money (and even these spots are being removed), so it is crucial that LGBTQ+ people have a safe space that doesn’t cost them the Earth to access.

The centre is to be set up in east London and a fundraising campaign is underway to ensure the launch is successful and leads to a long life for the centre.

The centre will be a drop in space, a social space, and a activism space.

If you know anything about London you will not need me to tell you that it is a ridiculously expensive city. This is why the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre needs your support.

Cold, hard cash is going to get this crucial community space secured for our people.

Please click here to visit the campaign page and donate what you can.

Share this campaign widely. Lives are on the line and you can make a difference.

London cafe going vegan

by

A little piece of news just arrived and I thought a few of you would like to know.

There is a new, completely-vegan café opening in north London!

Room 29 is currently undergoing a refurbishment and is due to throw open its doors in May in the heart of Holloway.

I am yet to see the menu but some of the teaser posts being shared ahead of the launch look tasty.

You can like the Facebook page of the café online here and RSVP to the Facebook event page for the grand opening.

The message behind Room 29 sounds extremely heartwarming. They want to make a difference for animals and their local community, so I say they are a fabulous addition to London’s vegan scene.

Let’s get behind them!