London Vegan Events

New vegan chicken twister

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I share this news with a full heart and a smile on my face.

London, you can get your hands on a vegan version of the chicken Twister wrap.

Take a look at this supreme piece of food art.

There is only one place you can get this wrap in London this week and that is the Temple of Seitan stall at Hackney Downs Vegan Market on Saturday May 20, 2017.

The Vegan Twist wrap comes with your choice of chipotle or lemon pepper mayo.

Of course there will be hundreds of people trying to get their hands on one of these savoury delights, so get to the market early. Full vendor line can be seen here and you can RSVP to the Facebook event.

Vegan in south east London

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Vegans and vegan-curious of south east London. Get ready.

Two fab-looking vegan happenings are taking place in the Peckham/Nunhead area in an event location called Space at 61.

Space at 61 is available to hire for parties, art galleries and now it seems even vegan pop-up food events. Two vegan events are taking place before the end of April, so let’s get stuck into the details.

Event the first.

Yep. The flyer above says it all but to recap…

This is a two-day takeover by Core of Life featuring smoothie bowls, waffles, breads, cakes, and plenty of drinks.

The takeover is set for Tuesday April 25 and Wednesday April 26, 2017. Food is served between 10am and 4pm both days.

And the next pop-up at Space at 61?

The V Spot is showcasing a new spring menu featuring some of their favourite seasonal British vegetables on Saturday April 29, 2017 between 7pm and 10pm.

The 3-course, all vegan homemade menu is as follows:

Starter-Aparagus & sorrel salad with mustard aioli
Main- Garlic Fried Samphire, Courgetti & Chilli Pasta
Dessert- Rhubarb Cheesecake

There will be a welcome drink served and you are permitted to bring your own beverages for the main meal. The V Spot will have herbal tea and water available.

Tickets are not refundable, but they are transferrable. You can buy them online here.

There you have it. Two reasons to get involved in Peckham/Nunhead.

Click here to see the exact location of Space at 61 thanks to Google Maps. Follow Space at 61 on Facebook to find out more about future vegan events.

Vegan afternoon tea event London

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How often do you wish for a queer event in Camden with drag performers AND a vegan afternoon tea?

If you answered ‘often’, this event at Her Upstairs is the answer to your prayers.

This event is brought to you by Piab, one of the talented chefs working with Big V London, and Jen of superstar rad band Colour Me Wednesday.

Get along to LGBTQ venue Her Upstairs this Sunday (April 16) from 2pm for delicious sandwiches and cakes. See the exact location via Google Maps.

There will be gluten free options and lots of top flight entertainment.

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.

Monthly vegan market in London

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This news is long overdue.

I am proud to announce Hackney Downs Vegan Market, a brand new monthly vegan market showcasing amazing plant-based food and goods.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market is a collaboration between Fat Gay Vegan and Hackney Downs Studios/ Eat Work Art, the site of my now infamous Vegan Christmas Market. On the third Saturday of each month, the vegan market will come alive with some of the finest street traders in the capital.

We will feature some regular, well-known traders in addition to a rotating line up of visitors.

As this is a collaborative project with Hackney Downs Studios, I am responsible for curating 75% of the stallholders.

In the spirit of inclusion and for the promotion of people often overlooked/sidelined at mainstream vegan events, I have earmarked my percentage of stalls for those traders who identify as BME, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and/or as women.

To clarify, this policy ensures that at least nine out of the twelve stalls each month will be owned or co-owned by someone who identifies as BME, LGBTQ, a person with a disability and/or a woman.

The remaining stalls will be filled with resident artists and manufacturers located within Hackney Downs Studios. This will allow for local, onsite traders to access the space even though they might not identify within the above outlines.

The very first Hackney Downs Vegan Market is scheduled for Saturday March 18, 2017. You can RSVP and invite people over on the Facebook event page. This is where I will be posting stall updates and news of available trading space.

If you identify as BME, LGBTQ, a person with a disability and/or a woman and would like to feature your market at Hackney Downs Vegan Market, you can email me at sean@fgvpr.co.uk to find out more information.

Unfortunately we won’t have space for every interested trader, but we will of course be keeping a waiting list and will work hard to include as many people as possible.

Vegan pop up event

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UPDATE This event completely sold out in about 48 hours. The organisers have added five extra tickets to give people a chance who missed out. Click here to book QUICKLY! Also look for this to become a more regular event with changing food themes.

One of my favourite chefs in London is Adrian of Vegan Peasant Catering.

Together with his partner Diana, Adrian has built a peerless reputation as one of the finest vegan food caterers in the UK. I’ve collaborated with them on a few events and the food always leaves people raving.

Now is your chance to take part in the Vegan Peasant fine food experience for yourself.

I know I say this about a lot of things, but honestly if you don’t book a spot for this dinner as soon as you read this there is a HIGH chance it will be booked solid.

Thursday February 23, 2017 from 7pm until 10pm. Admission is £25.

Menu

Canapés

  • Smokey Aubergine Ganousch, Candied Lemon Zest & Sage Crisp Crostini
  • Cream Cheese, Pink Grapefruit & Garlic Chive on Buckwheat Blini
  • Black Pepper & Sea Salt Shortbread, Ricotta & Candied Fennel

Bowls

  • Sauté Wild Mushroom and Spinach with Oregano and Cherry Tomato Concasse over
    Gnocchi, finished with curly Endive and Basil oil
  • Balsamic Glaze Roasted Beetroots, Red Onion, Carrots and Toasted Walnut over Bulgur
    Wheat Salad finished with warmed Horseradish Sauce and Parsley

Sweet bites

  • Frutti di Bosco (Italian Fruit of the Forest)
  • Chocolate Chocolate Brownies

A welcome drink is provided on arrival and additional drinks will be available to purchase. This exclusive event is in the Hackney Central area close to Hackney Central Overground and Homerton Station. Attendees will receive directions and details within 48 hours of the event.

Click here to book now.

Follow Vegan Peasant on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You should also get in touch with them for any large scale vegan catering needs you have as they have fed up to 300 people with mouthwatering plant-based food.

Vevolution topics

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If you like to hear other people share ideas and knowledge, this series of events could be of interest.

You might know that Vevolution is an annual information event designed as a platform for vegan people to share expertise or insights within their chosen fields. But of course the problem with an annual event means you have to wait a full year for it to come around.

There is some good news for fans of the Vevolution set-up and that good news is the short series of events being lined up by the festival founders. You don’t have to wait that full year!

The sessions (called Vevolution Topics) are split into four categories that include Food Innovation in February, Health & Wellbeing in March, Activism & Campaigning in April and Inclusivity & Diversity in May.

The February session costs £10 (plus booking fee) and speakers will include:

  • Ian Theasby & Henry David Firth – Founders of Facebook vegan video food channel BOSH!
  • Sarah Bentley – Founder of plant based community kitchen Made In Hackney
  • Jonathan Petrides – Founder of plant-based home delivery vegan meals allplants

If you can’t afford the £10 entry or you are not within the London area, the organisers assure me the sessions will be filmed for sharing online in the near future.

You can click here to get more information and book your tickets.

How about a vegan potluck?

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I’ve got some news for all those people who reminisce of the days when we had London Vegan Potluck.

No, the much-loved monthly event that ran for four years is not returning. Instead, you can get along to this one-off fab potluck feast event being hosted by MOTHER in Hackney Wick.

MOTHER is a brand new plant-based juice works and café, so you need to know about them to start with before we even get to this potluck feast.

The potluck feast on January 21, 2017 means whether you’re a vegan or a non-vegan you can enjoy an evening of shared food, culinary inspiration and entertainment at MOTHER.

The principle is simple. Bring your own vegan dish and share with your fellow diners.

MOTHER will be providing the organic vegan main, but it obviously become a feast with all your starters and desserts.

You need to buy tickets for this event in advance, so click here to get yours.

RSVP to the Facebook event and be sure to like the MOTHER Facebook page.