Vote for a chubby gay

How lovely! My blog has been nominated for an award.

Last year I was honoured to be the recipient of the Best Blogger award, voted by visitors to the VegFestUK website, and the nominations have been announced for the 2014 version. I am thrilled to be nominated again.

You can visit the awards page here to cast your vote for Best Blogger. Of course I would be incredibly appreciative if you voted for me. It’s always nice to get a pat on the back.

While you are there, have your say in all the remaining categories as well.

Vote NOW!

My award in 2013
My award in 2013

Follow VegFestUK on Twitter to keep updated with all their news.

Ghosts in our machine

The wonderful activist and outreach group Animal Equality are hosting a film event you do not want to miss.

Grab your friends, buy your tickets and help pack out the Hackney Picturehouse on July 15th for the UK premiere of The Ghosts in Our Machine.

I asked Laura Gough from Animal Equality to say a few words about why the group is hosting the screening.

Laura stated, “The Ghosts in Our Machine is an inspiring and powerful documentary that will invite viewers to consider animals as individuals. Sometimes it’s easy to forget about what really happens to the animals in our society, and we believe that this documentary will change perceptions and help people care more about this issue.”

So what is this highly-anticipated film about? Watch the trailer below before scrolling down for the ticket buying link.

As you can see, this film looks to be an extremely emotional piece of work. The film website includes this synopsis: The Ghosts in our Machine is a multi-award winning documentary by Liz Marshall that illuminates the lives of individual animals living within and rescued from the machine of our modern world. Through the heart and photographic lens of the acclaimed photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, we become intimately familiar with a cast of animals. The film follows Jo-Anne over the course of a year as she photographs several animal stories in parts of Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Each story is a window into global animal industries. Are animals property to be owned and used, or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?

  • Book your tickets for the UK premiere of The Ghosts in Our Machine (featuring a Q&A with the director) on July 15th in Hackney by clicking here now.
  • In addition to the film screening, Animal Equality is hosting a pre-film reception where you will have the opportunity to mingle with the director and members of Animal Equality. Buy tickets for the pre-film reception by clicking here now.

 

How very

Has it been a month already?

My season of free film screenings known as FREE WINONA is coming to an end. I have shown Beetlejuice, Mermaids and Reality Bites. What do all of these films have in common? You are correct if you noticed they all star Winona Ryder.

All of the above films went down a treat but I have certainly saved the best for last.

how very

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What is your glitch?

The FREE WINONA film season has reached the halfway point and I am now pulling out the big guns. Get ready for Reality Bites on Tuesday June 17, 2014.

If you wanna know what teenagers and 20 somethings were losing their minds over in the 90s, come along to this free film screening. Of course it features the main reason for this season of movies, but it also stars the awesome Janeane Garofalo and the brooding Ethan Hawke. In addition, the film was directed (and stars) Ben Stiller!

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Love Like Hate

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.

Love Like Hate B&W

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.

Follow Love Like Hate on Twitter

Like Love Like Hate on Facebook

Visit Love Like Hate online

Free Winona again

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.

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Free Winona

Do you want Winona to be free? You got it!

I am teaming up with The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green for a season of free films starring the one and only Winona Ryder.

Join me in The Chapel (access through the cafe) every Tuesday evening in June for these free movie events. Of course vegan food and drink will be available from The Gallery Cafe kitchen, however purchase is not required to enter the event.

free winona

All you have to do is book a ticket to secure a seat. So simple.

We are kicking off the FREE WINONA season on Tuesday June 3, 2014 at 7pm with a screening of the 1988 classic Beetlejuice. Book your free ticket now.

Stay tuned for further film announcements.

Three whole years

Did you plan on coming along to London Vegan Potluck last night but didn’t make it? These photos are your punishment.

I started this event three years ago and I have watched it grow in popularity since our humble beginnings in Brixton. I think we started with 20 attendees in May 2011 and now our numbers vary between 60 and 100.

I often find the event to be extremely tiring and a lot of work to pull together, but people love it and that is what keeps it going. People get to explore veganism in a friendly space and many attendees have been inspired to take up compassionate eating on a full time basis due to the support and camaraderie they get from events like the potluck.

Many thanks again to the following companies that came on board for our celebrations last night. It would be fab if you let them know via social media how much their support means to the vegan community.

  • Ms Cupcake donated a pile of brownies for the potluck table as well as a £10 gift voucher for the raffle
  • Vegusto supplied us with their amazing vegan cheeses as prizes
  • Moo Free Chocolates handed over some samples for the tables and raffle prize
  • Veganicity are experts in vegan supplements and they sent some along as prizes
  • Mr Prempy’s came along to talk to us about their raw cakes as well as hand out samples
  • The Rabbit Hole Vegan Hair Salon generously donated a voucher for a wash, cut and style as a raffle prize

Check out some of my Instagram photos from our 3rd anniversary celebrations last night and let me know in the comments what it is you love about London Vegan Potluck. Do you have any fond memories? Has it helped you? Did you meet new friends? Why are events like this important?

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Cool rider

I make no secret of how much I adore the Cool Chile Co. This London based business is my main supplier of essential ingredients needed to get my Mexican food fix.

They sell it all. Kits that take the mystery out of cooking the perfect black bean dish. Chiles that are chopped, diced, dried and powdered. Spicy chipotle ketchup. Sweet salsa verde. Their enormous tortilla machine churns out thousands of the soft, round things every week (I wrote about the machine here). They even have a chorizo spice kit that comes with instructions explaining how you can use a meat substitute if you like. I love it!

But something makes the Cool Chile Co. extra special. The people who run it.

Director Dodi and General Manager Kelly are some of the most down-to-earth, unassuming and outright friendly people I have met in London. Even if their Mexican products weren’t the best in the country (which they are by a mile), I would still want them to be a roaring success because of what decent people they are.

Mexican ingredient champions
Mexican ingredient champions

It makes it all the more enjoyable to announce that I am partnering with the Cool Chile Co. for my huge vegan Mexican dinner taking place this week. Dodi and Kelly are getting behind UNA CITA by making sure we have the freshest tortillas in the country to make my three taco plate a dish you do not want to miss.

Cool Chile Co make this possible
Cool Chile Co make this possible

As a thank you to the company for coming on board with my event, I am giving them a pair of tickets for UNA CITA to give away to one fortunate Twitter follower. You need to follow them and retweet THIS tweet to be in with a chance to snap up the tickets for this Friday’s event.

Love Cool Chile Co. and be in with a chance to win!

Limited tickets for UNA CITA also available to buy here.

Ticket info

Can you believe it has been almost a year since London Vegan Beer Fest first stormed into our lives? What an event!

Beer was guzzled. BBQ food was devoured. Merchandise was snapped up. Karaoke classics were gloriously murdered. We certainly had a lot of fun and now it is time to do it all over again.

LVBF Logo 2014 550pxFat Gay Vegan (that’s me) is thrilled to present London Vegan Beer Fest 2014.

When I decided to put this event together, it was difficult to imagine getting through the first year but now here I am ready to celebrate the second edition in 2014.

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