London can you wait?

Vegan pop up event

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If you were one of the thousands of people at Hackney Downs Vegan Market this past weekend, you would have seen the fabulous Cafe SoVegan serving up their delicious cuisine.

It’s looking fairly likely that Cafe SoVegan will be back at April’s market but if you can’t wait that long, or you missed out on the market, you are in luck.

Cafe SoVegan is hosting an exquisite pop up event at legendary The Royal Sovereign on Northwold Road between Stoke Newington and Clapton on Monday March 27, 2017.

The food line up for this Moroccan-inspired dining experience sounds stunning:

  • Starter: Harira Soup
  • Main: Mixed platter of Baba ganoush, Seitan Kabab, jewelled cous cous, tomato and roast pepper salad all served with houmous, olives and bread
  • Dessert: M’hanna, a sweet filo pastry and ground almond dish lightly flavoured with rose water

That is one dreamy menu.

When you book your ticket, you get to choose the time you dine on Monday night. Of course you are welcome to relax in the bar with a drink or two before your meal. Cafe SoVegan will let you know when it is your time to dine.

You should book your ticket now for this exclusive food event. Tickets are limited to just a handful for each sitting.

You can RSVP and invite friends on the Facebook event page.

Click here to book your ticket now. Just £15 plus small booking fee which is incredible value for a handcrafted three-course vegan meal in London. Enjoy!

Autumn Yard is vegan for a day

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If you are planning to be part of the first monthly Hackney Downs Vegan Market, you now have another option for dining.

As if all of the amazing street food wasn’t enough, you can now also plan on sitting down for a meal with onsite restaurant Autumn Yard. Like they did for the Christmas Market, the restaurant is switching to a 100% vegan food menu for the day.

Isn’t that fab?!

Would you like to see the menu?

That looks like a tasty line up!

Autumn Yard is a gorgeous setting inside an old warehouse and the perfect place to relax with a warming meal if the March weather is a little on the grim side. The food is exquisite and you might even be tempted by a cocktail or two.

You can visit Autumn Yard online and follow them on Instagram.

Check out the line up for Hackney Downs Vegan Market here.

Vegan capital of the world is not a city

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To be honest, I’ve spent a lot of time moaning about London and how it always seemed behind other world capitals when it came to vegan food. It always felt 5-10 years behind NYC, LA and Berlin.

However, things are now changing rapidly for the UK capital and nowhere is heralding in this plant-based revolution faster than the north London Borough of Hackney.

To celebrate it rapidly becoming veganised, I wanted to give you my top ten reasons why Hackney is the most-vegan neighbourhood/district in the UK and one of the finest plant-based destinations in the world.

10 Essential Vegan – Vanessa lives in Hackney and now has launched a six-week kitchen takeover with her Essential Vegan goodness in trendy neighbourhood bar, Haunt. If you love seitan burgers and cheesecake, head here as soon as possible.

9 Redemption Bar – I’ve never been to this venue but it does seem to be a popular choice for a lot of vegans on Instagram. Diners can get their fill of wholefoods and non-alcoholic drinks.

8 What The Pitta – if you need something to fill you up, this is the place. Actually, the kebab wraps are so huge you might actually struggle to finish one. What The Pitta now have a second location in Croydon, but the original location at the PUMP food court in Shoreditch means Hackney will not have to miss out.

7 Club Mexicana – this street food vendor has become a legendary staple of the London food scene and now with this ongoing residency inside Kingsland Road bar Pamela, Mexican-inspired cuisine is in Hackney to stay. While at their street stands you can enjoy tacos, burritos, loaded nachos and fried cheese sticks, this residency is taking things up a notch with handmade tortillas and fancy desserts. All drinks and cocktails served by host venue are vegan, too.

6 FED by Water – this Italian gourmet dining restaurant changed London forever when it switched from a meat and dairy laden menu to one that is now 100% vegan. Last time I checked, they even had a pizza named after me!

5 Made in Hackney – a crucial component of Hackney’s plant-based revolution, this charity funds community education and support work centred around vegan eating by hosting paid-for cooking lessons that can be attended by anyone.

4 Black Cat Café – this café is one of the food champions of the UK. If comfort eating is your thing, you will adore the regular and rotating dishes including burgers, cakes and breakfasts.

3 CookDaily and HOME – imagine two of the best vegan eateries in London being 10 metres apart. Both of these fast food outlets are packed solid with bowls of irresistible cuisine created by genius Chef King. Located upstairs at Boxpark Shoreditch.

2 Temple of Hackney – nothing has taken the UK by storm quite like this vegan fried chicken shop. The shop frequently sells out completely before the end of the day and you’ll often find a line of hungry customers down the street.

1 Hackney Downs Vegan Market – I know it’s a bit unfair to put my own new monthly market at number one, but it really does feel like such a big deal. This is the very first vegan monthly market in London and it is packed solid with some of the best vegan traders in London. The third Saturday of each month at Hackney Downs Studios with plans to have 10 or so food vendors on site each time we fling open the gates.

What do you think? Is Hackney the vegan capital of London? Is there another borough with more plant-based options crammed inside its borders? Have I missed any vegan Hackney landmarks?

The list above features only 100% vegan outlets. There are of course many more that are vegan friendly. There are also vegan places just blocks outside the Borough of Hackney boundaries, such as the wonderful Just Fab.

Get busy in Hackney!

Huge vegan show heading for Wembley

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Exciting news for anyone in West London.

Animal rights champions Viva! have announced a huge event in September 2017 that will take place in the London suburb of Wembley. As a matter of fact, the venue is right next door to Wembley Stadium.

What does the line up of the show look like?

  • Over 200 stalls
  • Catering area
  • Cooking demos
  • Talks
  • Clothing, toys, chocolates, treats

It’s great to see a show like this NOT in central London.

Viva! Vegan Festival London is set for Saturday September 16, 2017. Click here for all the details.

Art for animals

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Up to forty artists are set to show their work in a London gallery to advocate for animal rights.

Here are all the details you need.

Artist Aisha Eveleigh has organised an art exhibition in central London to raise awareness of animal exploitation and its consequences.

The name Behind Closed Doors refers to the way our mistreatment of animals is hidden from the general public. Most of us have little idea what happens to animals behind the doors of factory farms, slaughterhouses and vivisection labs.

The exhibition seeks to bring these issues into the light, changing the way we think about animal rights.

For this reason, Aisha views the Behind Closed Doors exhibition as a form of activism. Vegan artists like Dana Ellyn and Sue Coe will be exhibiting their work, whilst YouTubers Earthling Ed and Vegan Geezer are among those giving talks.

The exhibition will take place at the Strand Gallery in London. It will be open from the 26th to the 29th of May, with an open event day on the 27th. On this day, there will be a variety of talks and performances, along with creative workshops to get involved in.

If you’d like to support this inspiring project, make a donation via the Indiegogo fundraising page. Donating £5 gets you unlimited entry into the exhibition, while donating more gets you added perks. Even if you can’t make it to the event, donations will no doubt be very much appreciated!

For more information on the exhibition, visit the website.

You can also RSVP and invite friends on the Facebook event page.

Vegan Peasant back again

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I love bringing you news of London vegan events and pop ups, especially when I know how popular they are going to be. I get all tingly and excited.

Last month I wrote about my buddies Diana and Adrian of Vegan Peasant hosting a glorious one-night-only food affair and I think the tickets sold out in about 48 hours.

Vegan Peasant is back in March with another canapés and bowls pop up event and you will have to be super quick to secure your spot.

 

Just like last time, the pop up is located near Hackney Central. You are given the exact location 48 hours out from the event.

Check out this glorious menu being prepared for Vegan Peasant guests:

Canapés
– Beetroot Rösti, Horseradish Cream, Carrot and Mizuna
– Sea Salt & Rosemary Puff Twists, Smokey Chipotle Aioli
– Basil & Sunseed Arancini, Basil & Rocket Pesto Mayo

Bowls
– Artichoke Hearts, Red Pepper, Broad Beans over Olive Oil dressed Linguine, Fried Garlic Shards & Baby Leaf
– Saffron Carnaroli Risotto, Shallots & Sweet Mange Tout Finished with Shredded Radicchio & Snipped Chive

Sweet Bites
– Three Layer Boozy Trifle with Whipped Coconut Cream
– Brownie, Meringue & Ice Cream Sundae

Vegan Peasant is responsible for some of the finest plant-based cuisine you will find in London. That menu is world-class.

Tickets are £25 and all guests will be presented with a welcome drink on arrival. Don’t show up without a ticket. Advance ticket purchases only at this exclusive event.

Click here to buy your ticket now and RSVP/invite friends over on the Facebook event page.

Make and sell vegan donuts

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Super quick post to tell you about a part time vegan job with one of London’s most-loved street food vendors.

If you’re an experienced baker and have worked with enriched dough, shoot an email over to peanutbutterbakery@gmail.com with your CV and a little bit about you. This is a part time position mainly on weekends.


Yes. Everything Peanut Butter Bakery makes is incredible and you could be a part time component of this winning team.

Extra note: exclusive announcement regarding my Hackney Downs Vegan Market on March 18, 2017… Peanut Butter Bakery will be trading!

Vegan burger at London kitchen takeover

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You all know about my buddy Vanessa and her delicious food business called Essential Vegan, right?

Over the past few years, Vanessa has taken her incredible brand of hand made plant-based cuisine to all corners of London and beyond. She works so incredibly hard.

Remember her triumphant pop up café on Portobello Road? Or may you dined with her at her stand in PUMP Shoreditch. Of course a lot of you ate Vanessa’s food at VegFestUK London.

Now Vanessa has announced her next food adventure and you should put this one in your diary.

Essential Vegan is launching a 6-week kitchen takeover in Hackney at popular food and drink venue, Haunt, from March 14, 2017.

Haunt is a super chilled out bar that is beautifully decorated and only a short stroll along Stoke Newington Road from either Dalston Kingsland or Stoke Newington Overground stations. Click here to see where Haunt is located thanks to Google Maps.

Look at how beautiful this venue is:

Not only will you be able to devour and savour gorgeous, gourmet vegan food made by Essential Vegan, but it will be the ONLY food being served inside Haunt for this 6-week period. So you won’t have to sit next to anyone chomping down on animal products.

Ready to see the menu?

Vanessa is adored for her seitan burgers and as you can see in the menu, she is launching her new Essential Gourmet burger.

It’s like her original burger but taken to the next level with aged vegan cheese and special sauces. Check it out:

I’m drooling.

The menu also features a special line up for weekend brunch, served between midday and 3pm.

If you have the means to enjoy this food, make a special effort to join Essential Vegan for this limited kitchen takeover. As it is less than a 10-minute walk to Hackney Downs Vegan Market, I predict that area is going to be EXTREMELY busy on March 18.

Visit Essential Vegan online (super rad recipes), like them on Facebook and follow via Twitter and Instagram.

Find more info on Haunt on their website.

Tegan the Vegan London

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Being half a world away in Mexico City for half of every year means I miss out on a lot of incredible vegan food developments in London.

Of course I’m reporting as much as I possibly can, but I can’t physically get my greedy hands on a lot of the new and interesting stuff. If I’m completely honest, it does lead to a slight case of FOMO.

Take Tegan the Vegan for instance.

Tegan has been burning up the east London vegan scene for a little while now, but I’m yet to taste any of her amazing-looking food due to my globetrotting ways.

You can find Tegan the Vegan getting involved in all manner of events around the UK capital (and sometimes slightly further afield) and everyone I know who has tried her treats can’t stop raving about her skills. Tegan seems to have something very special going on.

There is often a weekly cake and vegan cheese menu posted via the Tegan the Vegan Facebook page and if you live in her catchment area, you can place an order for home delivery.

Check out this sample menu below.

OK. Before I make myself completely starving and jealous, let me give you a few links so you can get involved with this vegan food business on the rise. Get in on the ground floor before Tegan is recognised as London’s next vegan superstar!

Like Tegan the Vegan on Facebook. Follow Tegan the Vegan on Twitter and Instagram.

Now I’m going to spoil you with one of my favourite photos from Tegan’s Facebook page. Enjoy.

Extra note: Tegan’s incredible logo was created by Alex Bertram-Powell. See his art here.

All photos and images are property of Tegan the Vegan and reproduced here for publicity purposes.

Review of Sanctuary London

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The talented, funny and fierce-as-fuck Tatum has written a guest blog post for me today. After you read it, you really should follow her on Instagram.

Sanctuary review by Tatum:

Sanctuary sounds like a spa but it’s actually a ridiculously delicious vegan restaurant.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been seeing beautiful Instagram pics of burgers and milkshakes. I became a bit nervous that my time spent drooling over the pictures had raised my expectations ridiculously high. What could live up to that? Sanctuary did. Several times over.

The restaurant is about a five minute walk from Fulham Broadway station and only ten minutes away from GreenBay vegan grocery store. We went early on a Friday evening and were in luck to get a table. The restaurant has a casual vibe and is decorated with cute pics of animals, I particularly liked the lamb with the sweater called Ismael.

From the tapas menu we ordered the croquetas filled with Shiitake and portobello mushrooms which came with a tartare dipping sauce. They were delicately fried and the mushrooms had a creamy consistency. It made me think of how well the chef at The Sanctuary could also make a jalapeño popper.


For the mains we had to have the much-pictured burgers. After some deliberation, because it all looked so good, we settled on the Hippo Rampage. It had bacon, guacamole, cheese and smoky onions on a beef style burger with a bun that looked like a pretzel roll. It was a transcendent burger eating experience. The Hippo Rampage had every flavour you’d ever want with a burger plus that special x factor quality, when your tastebuds are perfectly sated and at the same time ravenous for more.

We didn’t get just one main dish we also got Saving Nemo which is the fishiest fish burger I’ve ever had. The first bite was heavenly but some kind of magic happened because with each subsequent bite the flavours got even better. I’d recommend getting the sweet potato fries option over the regular.

The desserts were almost sold out but we got the last brownie and ordered a blueberry cheesecake milkshake. It was a a brilliant way to end the meal. The milkshake had cream cheese in it which is why it ricocheted off the scale of creaminess.

There is so much else to try on their menu and we are planning to eat our way through all of it. For the next visit I have my eye on their croissant sandwich and the Vegan Fish and Chips. Oh and the vegan chorizo melty sandwich, now thats made me hungry all over again, ok I’ll have to stop now but in conclusion go to The Sanctuary. At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably see you there.

Follow Sanctuary on Facebook and Instagram. Visit their website.