This is a first for my blog.
Book a ticket for the theatre and see vegan-friendly meat props used on stage!
London can you wait?
Get it straight
An article by Rosamund Urwin for the Evening Standard titled ‘Green is the new black: how veganism became sexy in London‘ is problematic for many reasons (for starters, stop reducing compassionate people and decisions to sexiness), but one glaring omission stands out above the rest of the article’s faults.
I feel Urwin has invisibilised the real, everyday people who have helped drag veganism into the London mainstream.
Urwin attempts to unpack the reasons behind the explosion of plant-based food options in London and comes up with what I view as the typical and shallow reasoning of ‘it’s now sexy’ and ‘ because Beyonce’. She has omitted to name some of the groundbreaking people and events that have massively contributed to the widespread acceptance of veganism in London and the UK.
These people are not pushing plant food choices as a sexualised commodity (most of the time!). They are instead working themselves to the bone to put compassion front and centre. These people are a huge part of the reason why vegansim is a force to be reckoned with in the UK.
I present to you my list of people and organisations I feel were erroneously left out of the Evening Standard article.
Dogs in war
There is a series of events and talks relating to dogs during wartime and I think some of my readers might very well find it interesting.
The Bishopgate Institute located in the City of London (you all know what I mean by that, right?) is host to this fascinating collection of presentations and conversations about canines during the First World War.
Topics covered include:
Make tofu
I’ve never been the best vegan I can be because I’ve never taken the time to make my own tofu.
This could all change thanks to an exclusive ‘make your own tofu’ class being staged soon (April 11, 2015) by Korean BBQ restaurant, Yijo.
Check out what they have to say about the class:
Cook Italian
Have you got plans for this Thursday? You have now!
Check out this message from celebrated vegan chef Sara Mittersteiner.
Best sandwich in London?
I think we need to hand over the title of best vegan sandwich in London to a new champion and I haven’t even tasted it yet. The photos are deserving of platitudes all of their own.
A non-vegan eatery has popped up on the South Bank and it is good to see vegan food is very much on the agenda.
The Green Room is an eatery housed just behind the National Theatre, with all profits from the restaurant channeled back into the theatre and the local community.
So, what of this amazing vegan sandwich of which I speak? Check it out below.
An entire cake
It happens all the time, right?
You are in Central London and suddenly you are in desperate need of an entire vegan chocolate cake. What a dilemma!
Killer view
Is a great view worth the cost of a meal?
I think this outlook just might justify any expense.
London Vegan Beer Fest 2015
I am thrilled to announce the return of London Vegan Beer Fest to the capital on July 18, 2015.
After two incredibly-successful years in Bethnal Green (during which attendance grew by more than 100% year on year) London Vegan Beer Fest is set to stamp its indelible beer stain on King’s Cross.
That’s right. London Vegan Beer Fest is moving to Zone 1.
The 2015 version of London Vegan Beer Fest is set to be an explosion of vegan beer, cider and food. An exciting day-long schedule of events is being planned to give attendees an immersive beer experience like no other.
Full details coming soon.
Subscribe to the Fat Gay Vegan email newsletter to receive exclusive alerts about ticket sales, brewery line up and more.
Email newsletter subscribers will get access to an exclusive early bird ticket offer prior to the general public.
Closing time
Have you noticed the Just Falafel fast food outlets have been shutting down in London.
The picture above shows the locked store front in Fulham and I noticed the outlet near Shaftesbury Avenue closed months back. It seems plans for expansion of the vegan-friendly food providers have hit a serious road block in the UK, even moving backward.
In contrast, the parent company is pushing ahead with rebranding and expansion in Australia. Just Falafel stores are planned for railway stations in capital cities down under, with the first one launched last year in Sydney’s Central Station.
This news article reports plans to open 160 Just Falafel locations across North America within five years. That’s a lot of falafel!
It seems the UK’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain.
Do you have a Just Falafel outlet near you? What do you think of the vegan offerings?
