Big vegan food announcements don’t come along often enough for my liking and when they do, they rarely have anything to do with one of my events.
Here is some glorious news, London. I am giggling with excitement.
London Vegan Events
The big one
You know we are only a week away from one of the biggest (the biggest?) vegan events anywhere, right? Approximately ten thousand vegans, vegan friendlies and curious carnivores will descend upon London Olympia for VegfestUK on September 27 and 28, 2014
This show is the result of the tireless dedication shown by organiser Tim Barford who is a rare breed in the vegan community. He works himself ragged getting these monumental shows together and reaches countless people every year with a compassionate message. His shows have been staged for over ten years and he rallies against adversity and financial hardship to put together events packed with information, education, entertainment and food.
It would be wonderful to see how many non-human animals have been saved directly by the influence of these shows. I would imagine the number would be emotionally overwhelming.
Following are some reasons I think you will love this year’s event at London Olympia:
- it is a fab place to take non-vegans so they can see what it’s all about in a friendly and fun environment
- there is SO much tasty vegan food
- meet the people behind some of your favourite vegan brands (and thank them for their hard work)
- it is wonderful to be in a building with THOUSANDS of other vegans
- meet inspiring vegans from the worlds of sport, education, activism and entertainment
- grab some show day deals and specials on your favourite vegan brands
- get inspired to take action by signing up with organisations fighting for animals
You can buy tickets online now and download the programme here. Make sure you follow VegfestUK on Twitter and don’t forget to give Tim a shout out online to thank him for his dedication to improving outcomes for animals.
vegana – an exclusive Italian experience
Vegan dining in the capital rises to a previously unseen level as Fat Gay Vegan collaborates with legendary Caffè Caldesi of Marylebone. Sunday 5th of October, 2014 is a date for dedicated food disciples.
Caffè Caldesi is located in London’s Marylebone and is the flagship of the Caldesi group of Italian restaurants and cookery schools. The restaurant is known for its un-comprising dedication to creating authentic Italian regional food under the watchful eye of patron Giancarlo Caldesi. Giancarlo, a Tuscan by birth, has been running Italian restaurants for 40 years in the UK and along with his wife Katie has written many books on the regional food of Italy. The couples latest book ‘Venice – Recipes lost and found’ is due to be launched in October 2014.
Caffè Caldesi is a favourite haunt of Italian ex-pats in London given that it truly is the ‘real Italian’ – you won’t find chequered tablecloths or packet grissini here. The restaurant is split into a downstairs bar/cafe and an upstairs fine dining restaurant, the dishes served in both are seasonal, regional and authentic providing the customer a choice of the classics and less well known.
When Giancarlo and Katie considered delving into the (for them) unexplored world of vegan fine dining they called on the experience of Sean O’Callaghan, known throughout the UK as blogger and event planner Fat Gay Vegan.
Sean has pulled together an exquisite menu utilising the skills of Italian-born vegan chef Sara Mittersteiner. Sara, of vegan supper club Pomodoro E Basilico fame, has lovingly crafted a selection of dishes perfectly matched to an autumnal fine dining experience in this stunning Marylebone setting.
The menu is as follows:
Primo Piatto – Main Course
Tagliatelle al Cacao con Crema di Noci, Fave e Fave di Cacao – Chocolate Tagliatelle with Walnut cream, Fava Beans and Cacao Nibs
Secondo Piatto – Second Course
Erbazzone – Spinach Quiche
Contorno – Side
Insalata di Finocchi allo Zafferano – Saffron Fennel Salad
Dolce – Dessert
Tiramisù al Caramello – Caramel Tiramisù
In addition to this peerless plant-based menu, diners will be treated to a glass of peach Bellini and an amuse–bouche on arrival as well as tea or coffee following dinner. A selection of vegan beer, wine and spirits will be available for purchase from the bar.
Caffè Caldesi, Fat Gay Vegan and Chef Sara are the ingredients guaranteed to bring London a night of magical vegan eating never before seen in the capital.
Book early to avoid disappointment.
Tickets are priced £35 plus booking fee and are non-refundable. Seating is unreserved however we will endeavour to meet emailed seating requests prior to the evening.
Visit Caldesi online. Follow Caldesi on Twitter. Like Caldesi on Facebook.
Best news ever
There is so much good news to cram into this blog post, I can barely sit still due to my excitement levels.
I’m just going to have to give it to you in bite size chunks in order for you to be able to take it all in.
Here goes:
London Vegan Festival
London is just a week away from the return of its longest running vegan event as London Vegan Festival descends on Kensington Town Hall on Sunday August 17, 2014.
This much-loved event is a showcase of vegan food, companies, caterers, activists, educators and charities. Visitors can eat themselves happy, get educated at one of the informative talks on offer or sign up to lend a helping hand to an animal rescue sanctuary.
Festivities kick off from 11:00am and run right through to 8:00pm. A measly £2 will get you through the door and if you are younger than 12, you get in for free. It is an eye-opening experience for anyone considering transitioning to veganism and a completely celebratory day for us old timers.
Some extra info for people considering heading to London Vegan Festival this week…
Portobello after hours
Get ready for one of the rarest occurrences on the London vegan scene. That’s right. I am hosting a vegan pop up supper club in West London! Join me on August 28, 2014 at 8:00PM for a 3-course meal that will leave your taste buds in a spin.
Portobello After Hours is an incredibly special food event on one of the most visited and revered thoroughfares in London, Portobello Road. This bustling street is home to one of the most famous markets in the UK and people flock from all corners of the planet to stroll its length.
Our event is set in in a gorgeous shop front on Portobello Road, just a few minutes on foot from Ladbroke Grove Underground station. Diners will be seated at both inside and outside tables unless it rains, hails or snows. In the instance of wet weather, diners will be seated in both the inside and downstairs dining areas.
Portobello After Hours is a collaboration between Fat Gay Vegan and LOTUS Cucina Vegan. LOTUS chef Marta has crafted a hearty and delectable menu that will surely excite all vegan food fanatics.
The menu includes:
Hummus Bros love
I was totally blown away by the fabulous people who came along to my pop up vegan event in Clerkenwell last night.
Everyone was super friendly and chatty. That could have possibly had something to do with the mass amounts of Asparagasm beer being guzzled in between tasty bowls of savoury food served by Hummus Bros.
Buy a bag
The fun and glory of London Vegan Beer Fest will long be remembered by the almost 500 attendees. We had sun, beer, food and music. Everyone felt like a winner. (see the photos here)
If you couldn’t be with us on the day, here is your chance to take home a little piece of the magic.
You can now buy on of the limited edition London Vegan Beer Fest tote bags. Your friends will be jealous as you strut through town with this organic cotton bag draped over your shoulder.
The logo is printed with vegan ink and you can choose from red or white cotton.
Get buying!
I only have a few of these bags remaining and I will ship anywhere in the world (price is inclusive of shipping/postage). Every order will also get a physical copy of the London Vegan Beer Fest programme.
Choose your bag colour and finalise your order below! (contact me for multiple bag orders for combined shipping)
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EAT. DRINK. MEET. with FAT GAY VEGAN
Fat Gay Vegan has teamed up with much-loved express food experts Hummus Bros to bring you a vegan dining event with a twist.
Attendees at the EAT. DRINK. MEET. with Fat Gay Vegan evening will enjoy luscious food prepared especially by Hummus Bros chefs as we take over their entire Exmouth Market location in central London. Yes, that’s correct. The restaurant will be closed for our private party.
Almost forgot
Preparations for London Vegan Beer Fest have kept me so frantic, I almost forgot to tell you about this incredible vegan dining experience taking place in Brixton this week.
You all know about Asparagasm, right?