Vegan supper club at Cable Street

Beiroot is a vegan Lebanese food business which aims to educate people on the importance of what they are eating. They believe in supporting a region heavily affected by conflict by using Zaytoun (a social enterprise which supports Palestinian farmers) products and donating a percentage of their profits to Kitrinos Healthcare (a charity providing medical relief to refugees along the Greek coast).

To mark the end of Veganuary, Beiroot will be hosting their first supper club at 10 Cable Street on Saturday 27 January, 2018. The evening will feature traditional Lebanese food and will also support a region deeply affected by conflict by using Zaytoun products, to support Palestinian farmers, as well as donating 2.5% of profits to Kitrinos.

The menu for the night is:

Starters

  • Mixed mezze platter of; traditional soured yoghurt i.e. labneh (made with cashew nuts), hummus and baba ghannoush all served with olives, a medley of herbs, vegetables and Arabic flatbread

Mains

  • Shawarma- A traditional pita sandwich made with thinly sliced ‘meat’, veggies, and a tahini and garlic sauce
  • Hindbeh bil Zeyt- Lebanese style sautéed kale drizzled with fair-trade Zaytoun Olive oil and seasoned with Pink Himalayan sea salt
  • Maghmoor served with burghul- Lebanese moussaka made with grilled aubergine tossed in sautéed onions, garlic and chickpeas which will be served with bulghur wheat
  • Fattoush: A classic Middle Eastern salad made with fresh, crispy greens tomatoes, crunchy toasted Arabic flat bread, dressed with a zesty lemon and summac dressing

Dessert

  • Maamoul- Semolina cookie stuffed with fair-trade Zaytoun dates and flavoured with orange blossom
  • Atayef- Traditional Lebanese yeast pancakes stuffed with a medley of nuts and served with orange blossom syrup
  • Mint tea- A refreshing hot drink to end the night and help you digest your meal

This is an absolutely outstanding menu and tickets are going to zoom out.

Please click here now to book your tickets. You can also follow Beiroot on Instagram to stay updated on future events.

FGV cupcakes

Here is a super quick post to say thank you to south London cafe, Cupcakes & Shhht.

The Elephant and Castle cafe hosted an intimate get-together today to celebrate the launch of my book. It was a lot of fun chatting and getting a chance to say hello to a few friends and news faces, but the crowning glory of the evening was the cupcake selection.

The gorgeous vanilla and coconut cupcakes had mini edible front covers of my book on top of the frosting.

Check it out!

Please take a moment to follow Cupcakes & Shhht on Instagram so you can keep updated on their latest news, including an upcoming pop-up in Old Street!

You can join me at one of the book events coming up this week in London and Coventry. See all the dates and events online here.

If you would like a copy of my book, you can order online here.

A non-vegan place turns vegan: Day one

I am super excited about getting down to the newly-vegan Old Street branch of Arancini Brothers tomorrow (Thursday January 4, 2018) for their grand re-opening.

It is also the official launch of my book and they just shared this post of the stock arriving:

I reached out to owner Dave to see how the soft opening went yesterday and he said:

Even though this area is a ghost town at this time of year, we had a queue out the door between midday and 2pm. There were lots of customers loving the FGV Burger and we didn’t get a single complaint from our regular meat eating customers. It has been a great start to our vegan project!

Such good news!

Click here to see the full menu plus some food photos. Hopefully I’ll see some of you at the grand re-opening/book launch tomorrow. If you can’t make it tomorrow, Arancini Brothers Old Street will be 100% vegan for the entire month of January and maybe longer if it works out for them.

You can also order my book online here.

FGV book tour

Join me for some events to celebrate the launch of my first-ever book, Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t. 

 You will be able to buy a copy of the book AND hopefully grab something to eat.

 The dates and venues are:

  • Thursday January 4
  • 11am until 2pm
  • Arancini Brothers Vegan Opening
  • Buy the book, eat from the new vegan menu and say hello to me as the Arancini Brothers Old St location turns completely vegan. This date has its own Facebook event.

 

  • Saturday January 6
  • 6pm until 8pm
  • Cupcakes and Shhht
  • Come and hang out with me at this newly vegan cafe in Elephant and Castle.

 

  • Sunday January 7
  • 3pm until 5pm
  • Veganhq
  • Stop in for a bite to eat and buy a copy of my book at this South Ealing location.

 

  • Monday January 8
  • 5pm until 7pm
  • The Green Unicorn Vegan Store
  • Join me in this fabulous Coventry grocery store. They will be selling the book and the event even has its own Facebook event: click here!

 

  • Wednesday January 10
  • 6pm until 8pm
  • Ms. Cupcake
  • Buy the book AND buy some special FGV themed baked goods at the Brixton shop.

 

  • Thursday January 11
  • 7pm until 9pm
  • The Canvas Cafe E1
  • Hosted at this Brick Lane newly vegan cafe, you will be able to buy a copy of the book from my publishers who will be on hand especially for the event.

If you are unable to make any of these events but still want a copy of the book, please click here or on the banner below to buy online. Also look for the book in your independent book stores, health food stores and major book retailers. If they don’t have it, you can ask them to order it for you.

The Facebook event for the tour can be seen here.

Introducing the FGV Burger

News you can eat.

As you have probably heard, Arancini Brothers Old Street location is turning 100% vegan for January 2018.

The entire menu is becoming plant-based for Veganuary (and hopefully longer) and to celebrate, they have added a burger they are calling the FGV Burger.

Check it out.

The FGV Burger features the famous mushroom zucchini risotto patty inside an organic bap plus double cheese, pickles, crispy onion, ketchup and mustard.

I’m absolutely drooling.

This is the burger of my dreams and I’m thrilled to see my name on their new vegan menu.

You can get your hands on the FGV Burger at Arancini Brothers Old Street location all month long. See the full vegan menu online here.

The soft launch for Old Street turning vegan is January 2, 2018 with the grand vegan re-opening in conjunction with my book launch is Thursday January 4. I’ll be there on January 4, so please say hello.

Hope to see you in store where you can grab an FGV Burger and an FGV book!

If you would like to buy the book but cannot make it to this celebration, you can buy a copy online here.

Another FGV book reading

Here is book reading number 3 from my VERY SOON to be released book, Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t  (you can see readings number 1 and 2 online as well).

You can order your very own copy of my book online here.

Stay tuned for more readings and book launch events such as the official launch at the Arancini Brothers vegan reopening celebration on January 4, 2018.

Vegan NYE in London

Are you in London with no plans for New Year’s Eve?

Gabriel Moreno and the Intrepid Bard Society are hosting a New Year’s party to remember with some of the top performers from The Lantern Society London and Poetry Brothel London.

They will entertain you until 11:45 pm performing the most refreshing music and poetry in the London Underground Alternative folk, troubadour, singer songwriter scene.

Headline performances by:

  • Adam Beattie
  • Gabriel Moreno
  • RADIO PICTURE
  • Holly Augustine

After midnight they will have top music from the darkest and most vibrant corners of the human psyche with a DJ set including music by Arcade Fire, Nick Cave, Calexico, Marc Ribot, Wilco Bill Callahan, The National Congreso, Band of Horses, Patti Smit, Warren Zevon, Franco Battiato, Neil Young, Morphine, Georges Brasens, tindersticks, Tom Waits, and more dark and upbeat classics.

£10 entry (CASH ONLY)

They will also take requests for their New Year’s Playlist but you need to let them know in advance. Place your requests on the Facebook event page.

The venue will be open from7pm, serving vegan food (tapas style) and prosecco for a very moderate price.

To reserve a place for this night send an email to with your name, amount of people coming and a telephone number to gabrielangelmoreno@gmail.com and then have a fab time!

Vegan supper club West London

My buddy Mark is hosting his first ever supper club at The Dodo Micropub in Hanwell, West London on January 15, 2018 and you should all book tickets!

Mark will serve a 4-course, nut-inspired menu with a welcome drink upon arrival and a take home goodie bag with samples for you to try at your leisure. This has all been made possible with the support of some wonderful brands including artisan cheese producers Essential Vegan and Raw Food Rosie’s, while Aqua Esse, Raw & Wild and The Happy Snack Company have provided him with your take home goodies.

Given cheese is at the heart of the menu, Mark has paired the main course and starter with vegan and organic wines from Spain. These are optional, so you can choose the ticket you want to purchase – with the paired wines or without. On the evening, should you wish, you will also be able to purchase alternative drinks from a vegan drinks menu featuring wines, beers and a selection of soft drinks including a limited number of the Aqua Esse intelligent aromatics spring water. You will be able to pay for your drinks by cash or card.

When purchasing your ticket also choose whether you wish to be greeted upon arrival with a mulled wine or a mulled kombucha. It will be mid January so both are assured to warm you up after your journey.

Mark’s mission is to constantly aspire to serve healthy and wholesome plant based food and with this in mind, only the highest quality organic ingredients will be used in all the dishes he personally prepares.

The menu for the evening is below:

Arrival

  • Mulled wine or kombucha
  • Air popped savoury ‘Doritos’ style popcorn

Starter

  • Roasted cauliflower and chestnut soup
  • Optional wine pairing – Lorenzo Bianco (a clean, fresh, natural wine with expressions of grapefruit and almonds. Trebbiano grapes, San Lorenzo, Abruzzo, Italy, 2015)

Main

  • Cheese board & accompaniments:
  • Soft cashew cheese trio – sundried tomatoes, basil and black olive
  • Baked garlic, rosemary and black pepper camembert
  • Flaked almond coated cheddar ball
  • Guest artisan cheeses from Essential Vegan and Raw Food Rosie’s
  • Aged smoked cashew
  • Smoked chipotle cashew brie
  • Baby bleu cashew brie
  • Cracker selection
  • Homemade bread selection (oregano and sea salt focaccia, granary and poppy seed)
  • Mixed olives, activated walnuts, celery, cherry tomatoes, grapes and sweet balsamic onion chutney
  • Optional wine pairing – Pinoso Tinto (a deep, black fruits, spicy wine from Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot grapes. Organic, vegan wine from La Bodega De Pinoso, Alicante, Spain, 2015)

Dessert

  • Roast pecan topped warm brownie with chocolate ganache and whipped coconut cream

Take home goodie bag

  • A selection of plant based products for you to sample at home from Aqua Esse, Raw & Wild and The Happy Snack Company

This is set to be a wonderful event so click here to book your ticket.

For delicious food photos and to stay updated with events, follow Mark on Instagram.

Adored vegan eatery relocates to London

The Brook in Wallington, Surrey is one of those places that I never stop hearing about.

People who love this eatery REALLY love it. It definitely ranks in the top ten restaurants that I am contacted about by people wanting me to mention it.

The Brook has been a vegan staple of its community but that very community is now feeling sad due to the planned relocation from Wallington to Hackney.

Yes, bloody Hackney! LOL.

I asked owner Thea to give me a little info about the move. This is what she said:

We’re moving to Hackney in the new year (opening 18th Dec). We have a temporary space for 6-12 months. After four years in Surrey we’re itching to bring our food and drink to the London peeps. And from there we’re planning world domination… naturally.

We are also the headline sponsor at Vegan Life Live at Alexandra Palace in February, running the main bar, a catering stand and the live music stage, so it’s going to be a busy new year!

Take a look at some of these food, cake and cocktail photos below and be sure to follow The Brook on Instagram and Facebook.

And here is a cheeky little graphic to show you the new Hackney location for The Brook.

One year down

I’ve only just recovered from the mammoth three-day Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market held at Hackney Downs Studios.

Not only was the market a great opportunity for people to buy some of the best street food in the UK, it also marked our one year anniversary of hosting the market in this location.

I want to say a massive thank you to Eat Work Art for giving this market a home.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market has become one of the most iconic and loved destinations for vegans and their friends on the planet.

Thank you to all the attendees who have visited during 2017 and of course extra special thanks to our traders. Until you have done a day on the market, you can’t imagine how hard they work to bring fresh and exciting food to thousands of people each week.

The market returns weekly on Saturday January 6, 2018.