London vegan news, reviews & events
There are certain nights in London that make you feel like you’re in exactly the right place at the right time. A room full of friendly people. Outstanding food. Conversation that reminds you you’re not alone in wanting the world to be just that little bit better.
This is one of those nights.
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A decade ago, a friend of mine moved to London and quickly realised something was missing. They wanted to go out. They wanted to eat good food. And they didn’t want to do it alone.
So they started a little group called Drooling Vegans.
Read more below.
How about gathering around a table with like-minded people, sharing stories, and eating seasonal vegan food?
FGV (that’s me!) will be a guest speaker for a special charity organisation during a vegan dining event in North London this month.
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These semi-regular dining events I’ve been hosting at DAUNS Scandi cafe to raise funds for Made In Hackney have quickly become a favourite for London foodies.
The cosy and social atmosphere couple with some of the finest cuisine in the capital is a winning combination.
If you want to find out what all the fuss is about, the next event planned for Friday May 2nd, 2025 is the perfect opportunity.
Read about the special menu below.
Fifteen years ago when I started this very blog, if you wanted to be social as a vegan in London you had to make it happen yourself. There were no vegan pubs and certainly no high street chains with dedicated plant-based menus.
This wilderness forced me to launch London Vegan Drinks, a monthly gathering where we carved out a space for ourselves in a world that barely acknowledged we existed. London Vegan Potluck was another community-driven event I curated, where people cooked and shared food because there weren’t many places to eat out.
Back then, if you wanted a vegan meal, you might get lucky at Pogo Café in Hackney (if they were open and serving something edible) or a measly number of eateries that weren’t always great. Other than that, it was whatever scraps you could cobble together from independent health food stores and Holland & Barrett. There were no vegan ready meals, hardly any supermarket own-brand plant milks, and certainly no Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls.
Then the independent vegan revolution happened. Slowly at first and then rapidly.
I don’t know a lot about Scandinavian food.
As a person originating from outside the region known as Scandinavia, I’m not even sure how effective it is to use a coverall term such as Scandinavian to describe all the food developed across a handful of countries with diverse geographic landscapes and historic influences.
To develop an understanding of what really constitutes Scandinavian food, the best I can do as a non-Scandi living in London is to defer to a chef who is happy to use the term to describe the food they create.
And if this plate of deliciousness is the norm, sign me up as a Scandi fan!
If you sniff around these parts of the Internet often, you’ll undoubtedly be aware that I work with food security charity Made In Hackney.
Made In Hackney does a lot of work around food security, education, and access however it most well-known in London for the free community cooking classes hosted inside our Clapton Common kitchen.
These classes are designed to help empower the community to eat nutritious and delicious cuisine that is culturally relevant. Often the classes will have a wellbeing focus such as ‘cooking to combat diabetes’ or low cost recipes for people struggling with the cost of living.
These classes are open to anyone and are not income tested. Check out the image below to see some of the upcoming community classes.
This is a call for anyone looking for an exclusive Scandinavian dining event on February 14, 2025 in central London.
It doesn’t matter if you attend with a partner/s, friends, or on your own. This meal is suitable for people in all types of romantic entanglements.
Celebrate Veganuary’s Finale with Purpose and Flavour
Join me for an exclusive, one-night-only dining experience at E3 Vegan, a proudly independent and celebrated restaurant nestled on Roman Road, East London.
This special supper club is your chance to savour an inventive three-course plant-based menu created by Head Chef Marc Joseph, formerly of the iconic Vanilla Black, London’s first vegetarian and vegan fine dining destination.
Born out of a love for sustainability and a passion for exceptional cuisine, E3 Vegan’s hyper-local, seasonal approach has made it a standout on the culinary map.
If you need two middle-aged gay vegan men complaining about a film released a decade ago, you’ve come to the right spot.
In the latest episode of Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast Josh and I cover diverse topics, starting with my journey with dentures and their impact on my self-image. Heavy stuff! We explore societal perceptions of body image, especially the stigma around weight, before shifting to Hollywood’s power dynamics and how appearance influences success.
We also delve into the Jurassic Park franchise, with a focus on Jurassic World. Our discussion highlights issues like sexism, the male gaze, and the problematic messages around motherhood and fat characters.
Such a horrible movie!
Additionally, we address themes of racism, toxic masculinity, and the appropriation of the term “woke,” critiquing how these elements shape the film’s messaging.
In addition to watching/streaming on YouTube, you can also listen on Spotify via the link below.