London vegan news, reviews & events
I’m not sure how much more I can take of my favourite vegan food suppliers disappearing or retreating from public life. If I start losing weight, you will know who to blame. Come on vegan food makers, this FGV needs you.
First Saf closed up for good, then The Mighty Fork stopped trading and now I find out one of the best vegan bakers in the city is set to stop trading in Brixton.
London Vegan Beer Fest is rapidly approaching and plans are well underway. Super cool breweries are locked in, the 100% vegan BBQ menu is being devised and early bird tickets are flying out the door.
It is all terribly exciting, I’m sure you will agree. But hold onto your sun hats because that’s not all.
London Vegan Beer Fest is giving you music.
I am thrilled to have just confirmed Australian band Love Like Hate as performers at this year’s event.
Brisbane-based (FGV’s hometown!) band Love Like Hate are a duo combining post punk electric guitars with free form piano melodies to create a sound described as dark pop. Currently touring Europe on the release of their single Electric Ships from the upcoming second EP, Heather and Sonja have made special arrangements to be part of the biggest vegan party of the year.
Check out the music video for their fab song Electric Ships below then buy your super cheap London Vegan Beer Fest early bird tickets now.
Beer, food, summer and music. We all win.
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I have delightfully-good news for the vegan cake lovers of London.
Remember when I lost my mind over the fact Lujuria Vegana cakes were being sold in Whole Foods Market Fulham? Check this post for all the glorious photos.
Since that blog post, it appears Lujuria Vegana creations have spread to Whole Foods locations all across the capital. On tweeting about seeing them in the Kensington store, I have received responses from people telling me they had also seen them in Piccadilly and Camden.
Toni of Lujuria Vegana had mentioned to me the vegan desserts would be creeping across London later this year, so it appears later is now!
Get out and get the best vegan cake in Europe.
Remember when I wrote about this tasty-sounding cooking demonstration? No?
Well, here is the quick recap.
Angela Malik is a celebrated food creator who has just opened a brand new cooking school in West London. This Thursday she is hosting a vegan Chinese food cooking demonstration class where attendees will learn some nifty food prep skills and eat some delicious plant-based food.
Sounds fab and the news gets even more enticing if you read on.
I am just putting the finishing touches together for the first night of the FREE WINONA film season. You know the deal, right? A month of free movie screenings starring everybody’s favourite girl interrupted, Winona Ryder.
If you missed out on tickets for this week’s screening of Beetlejuice, you will want to be extra fast when securing a place for the second instalment on Tuesday June 10, 2014.
It hasn’t even been a year since I first blogged about the glorious vegan food vendor The Mighty Fork so it is with great sadness and shock to find out that the people behind it have no future plans to trade.
London has lost one of its only world class, 100% vegan food providers. The Mighty Fork were a shining light in a slate grey Victorian sky filled with hummus and falafel. Their gourmet dogs were loved by many and the capital is a decidedly less adventurous food landscape without them.
Owner and founder Rita sent the following tweet this morning to her devoted fans via Twitter.
I followed this tweet up with an email to Rita, asking if this really is the end of her vegan hot dogs on the streets of London.
She replied that there are no plans for The Mighty Fork in the future and she has no plans to return to street food. Rita also stated it was important to her to get word out to the people who have supported her business. She loved meeting the thousands of people she served vegan street food to and is thankful for all the new friends she made along the way.
It turns out that the final outing for The Mighty Fork was the roller disco I held to raise funds for Sea Shepherd. I’m glad I had the good sense to eat two of their delicious creations on the day.
Much love to The Mighty Fork for the brief enjoyment they gave to London vegans.
A curious press release made its way to my inbox this morning. Curious because it concerns the British Library and Ms. Cupcake.
Intriguing, right?
Along with a lot of other west London based vegans, I often complain that not a lot happens for plant eaters on this side of the city.
Well, here is one event.
Angela Malik has just opened a culinary school in Ealing and is set to host a vegan cooking demonstration next week on June 5, 2014. The event will be a chance for attendees to watch a vegan Chinese meal be prepared from scratch before diving in for some tasting.
The event website states that you will observe the creation of wood ear salad with coriander, pock marked old woman’s tofu and stir fried Chinese greens with sizzling oil. Then you will eat it!
The tickets are available now. I would love to hear what this event is like if you go along.
Let’s hope this is just the start of more vegan events in the forgotten western part of the capital.
If you are in London this week and are not attending London Vegan Drinks, I have two questions for you.
Question the first: why the heck not? Question the second: it’s because you are going to this fabulous vegan Italian supper club, right?
My pal Sara is a much-loved food creator and she has once again put together an eating experience for hardcore foodies. Sara has just arrived back in the UK following a vacation in South Africa and she is fired up, ready to put some serious food on the dinner table this week.
Check out the menu.
STARTER – Farinata – baked chickpea pancake with red onions served with handmade vegan garlic mayo
MAIN COURSE – Handmade Beetroot Ravioli filled with Fava Beans in cheesy cream
SECOND COURSE – Artichoke and Asparagus Gratin
SIDE – Blood Orange, Beet and Fennel Salad served with handmade sourdough
DESSERT – Caramel Tiramisù
Sounds lovely, right? If you are reading this soon after I posted it, you need to act quickly to book your ticket.
All details can be found here.
A little while back, Josh took over with a blog post about a vegetarian cafe in the heart of the Bloomsbury neighbourhood that serves up tasty meat-free meals during academic term time. Read about his love of the place here and then scroll down below for a shot of my tasty lunch there today.
The Mary Ward Centre Café is a long-standing favourite of students, staff and visitors to this learning complex, as well as visitors and staff from the nearby Great Ormond Street Hospital. The prices are maybe some of the lowest you will find for vegan options in central London.
Here is an Instagram snap I took of my lunch today. I thoroughly enjoyed the borlotti bean pie topped with creamy mash and the lentil stew with crispy potato wedges. Both plates of food just over £4 each.
So cheap and so nutritious.
