I’m not wasting your time here. You just need and want the cheesy facts.
We have three days of fantastic vegan Christmas markets coming up this week in London, so that means plenty of opportunities to grab your festive cheese supplies.
Take note of which brands are appearing where and get there EARLY on the day. The cheese always sells out quickly at this time of year:
Support these independent cheese traders and make your festive table extra special.
Extra note: the markets will be overflowing with hot food, cakes, drinks, and gift ideas so please make an effort to support these traders on the final weekend before Christmas.
Superstar street food trader Greedy Khao had such a great response to their last supper club, they have just announced another… and you can choose from three dates!
Get all the info on Greedy Khao’s Aharn-Jaan-Deaw below. It sounds truly sensational.
Thai food is often enjoyed in the ‘family-style’ of eating, where a range of mouth-watering dishes are placed in the centre of the dinner table for everyone to share. This is a beautiful way to appreciate food while bonding with loved ones, but it isn’t the only way that Thais eat.
Sometimes Thais enjoy individual dishes, similar to the Western style, whether they are grabbing a bowl from a street food vendor with friends, or simply eating alone. As such, some Thai dishes are designed to be one perfect, complete meal, where all components are carefully selected to complement one another, and the goal is one plateful – or bowlful – of pure culinary satisfaction.
This event is a showcase of some of chef and co-owner Faai’s all-time favourite aharn-jaan-daew. Each dish is deeply connected to a special time or place in Faai’s life, from her childhood, to moving to London four years ago, to her life in the UK capital today.
Vegan fried egg
View the menu below:
APPETISER Satay Khun-Ying | สะเต๊ะคุณหญิง Khun-Ying’s Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce and Aa-jaad Relish
Faai’s grandmother, Khun-Ying Uraiwan, was very picky when it came to her Satay platter. Everything had to be right – succulent and well-marinated meat, rich and moreish peanut sauce, a side of perfectly balanced sweet & sour aa-jaad relish, and of course some warm, toasted bread. Yes, Thais eat their Satay with bread, and that’s exactly how they are serving theirs.
MAIN KAA-MOO MANTOU | ขาหมูหมั่นโถว Stewed ‘Pork Knuckle’ with Mantou
An homage to Faai’s memory of the first time she had this combo – at the seaside town of Hua Hin with her best friend Pat and her parents. Five-spiced stewed ‘pork knuckle’ with pickled mustard greens, Chinese broccoli, and chilli & vinegar dip. Served alongside a fluffy Chinese steamed bun.
This is a true street food favourite, and exists in various forms throughout South-East Asia. It’s also the first dish that Faai cooked for her whole family, impressing and surprising them in equal measure! Tender ‘skin-on chick’n’ with ginger and garlic infused jasmine rice, and traditional fermented bean dip.
PAD-KAPRAO NUERSUB KAI-DAO | ผัดกะเพราเนื้อสับไข่ดาว Spicy Stir-fry with Thai Holy Basil, topped with ‘Fried Egg’
Dubbed ‘Aharn Sin Kid’ (lit. ‘food that requires no thought’) by Thais – this dish is a true crowd pleaser & the nation’s favourite. There has been endless debate amongst Thais whether a Pad-Kaprao should have added veggies or not. Greedy Khao side with the Traditional approach – no unnecessary fillers, only beautiful Thai Holy Basil. Topped with their famous and much-anticipated sunny-side up ‘egg’.
DESSERT WOON-MAPRAO-ONN | วุ้นมะพร้าวอ่อน Young Coconut Jelly
Faai’s mum Skowrat loves everything floral, and food is no exception. She shared her creations and they were so jaw-dropping that they just had to share it on this menu! Cool and refreshing young coconut jelly, filled with handcrafted flowers made from coconut cream. Light, delicate – an exquisite way to end a flavour-packed meal.
Young coconut jelly
This is the Thai food of a true Thai foodie, and Greedy Khao can’t wait to share it with you.
Greedy Khao’s Aharn-Jaan-Deaw is taking place at 10 Cable Street on Thursday January 31 2018, and Friday 1 and Saturday 2 February 2018.
Extra note: Greedy Khao are celebrating reaching 10k Instagram followers by giving away a pair of tickets to this event. Get over to their Instagram account for details.
It is with a mixture of fondness, a little sadness, and a big sense of achievement that I announce the ending of the legendary Hackney Downs Vegan Market.
What started as a special Christmas market collaboration with Eat Work Art at Hackney Downs Studios quickly became the biggest regular food event in the UK.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market has played such an important part in changing the face of veganism in London, across the UK, and even throughout the world. It has inspired countless copycats and made big business take notice of vegan consumers in a way that very little had done before it.
Our community market was featured by the BBC (web, radio, TV) and countless blogs, newspapers, podcasts, magazines, style guides, and social media platforms.
The market has been a special place where we have given a huge stage to businesses owned or co-owned by women, people of colour, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ people. Josh and I have been committed to redressing disadvantage and oppression via the safe space of our market.
Many of our traders used the funds earned at Hackney Downs Vegan Market to go onto bigger and better things. Those early months of the market with record breaking attendances helped independent businesses such as Temple of Seitan and Young Vegans funnel much-needed funds into new shop premises.
The market helped support the financial stability of our vegan scene. It brought in tens of thousands of pounds to the pockets of independent business owners across its lifespan. We made this possible by charging the lowest pitch fees of any vegan market. We worked hard for little return so our traders could earn a living, not feel exploited.
We made global headlines with our record breaking attendances and we forced the city to rapidly recognise the power of the vegan shopper.
In turn, this was our undoing. Ian from Clarkshaws Brewing called it the ‘winner’s curse’.
Veganism is absolutely everywhere and people don’t have to travel for at least an hour on the Overground followed by a 10-15 minute walk in the cold in order to get inventive and tasty vegan food anymore.
It is now on their own doorsteps and to a large extent they have us to thank for that. We showed London how immensely in-demand vegan food was and the city took notice. Vegan food is simply in every nook and crevice of the capital, therefore our attendance figures at Hackney Downs have suffered. Many of our past food traders will now deliver to your door at the touch of an app, making the idea of going to an outdoor market less appealing for people.
Of course it makes me sad to see the market end due to lower attendance but as an activist wanting to see veganism spread far and wide, I have to be secretly happy.
I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude to our regular traders enough. It is impossible in this space to tell you about the countless ups and downs these people went through. Winter at the market is particularly brutal and the World Cup last year almost broke us completely.
These traders spend days preparing food and goods for the weekend, not knowing how many people will show up. Street trading is notoriously unpredictable but people like Chanel of Vegan Delice, Davina and Michelle of Cafe SoVegan, and Ian and Lucy of Clarkshaws always gave it their all in all types of weather.
They didn’t do it just to make money. They tirelessly supported the market because they understood it helped build social capital. It was a home away from home for many of our traders and an adored place to visit for our customers. They did it because they believed it made the world a better place.
They are my idols.
Eternal thanks to Adam of Eat Work Art (who has since moved on to another role) and his replacement Rosie for taking us under their wing and giving our traders a home for two years. Our market manager Robertas is nothing short of a hero and has built stalls and battled extreme weather to make sure everything ran smoothly. When he couldn’t be there, he made sure his friends Laurynas and Nerijus filled in and now they are also part of the market’s legacy and family.
And thank you to all of our customers who have braved the elements and made the market a world-famous foodie destination.
Together, we all did this amazing thing to improve outcomes for animals and our community. We made a difference.
We really, truly did.
Please visit the final ever weekends for Hackney Downs Vegan Market and make sure our traders go out like they started… with a bang!
Final dates for the market are Sat 15 and Sun 16 December as well as Sat 22 and Sun 23 December, 2018. The weekend of December 22 and 23 will be our Christmas market, so don’t miss out.
All details for the market can be seen online here. Get along to these final weekends and be a part of history.
Extra note: the FGV section at Venn Street Market is set to continue every Saturday in Clapham and don’t miss our one-day-only Xmas lunch market at Guildhall in the City of London on Friday December 21, 2018. Details here.
This weekend at Hackney Downs Vegan Market is your chance to try the award winning meat alternative by superstar brand Oumph!… for free!
Oumph!, a favourite in Sweden and the Nordic countries, is made from soya beans and organic herb and spice mixes. It’s plant-based and free from gluten and dairy… and it is taking the UK by storm.
Oumph! is versatile and easy to cook. It’s suitable to grill, boil, sauté, deep-fry or even heat over an open BBQ. In addition, it’s high in protein and fibre and a source of iron and folic acid, as well has having a low climate impact.
And no animals were harmed to bring it to your table!
Oumph! is absolutely delicious so it comes as no surprise that the brand has been busy sweeping all the awards in 2018, including:
• Oumph! Kebab Spiced – awarded ‘Best Food Product of the Year’, Food Matters Live.
Oumph! The Chunk – awarded Gold ‘Food For Food Service’, FreeFrom Eating Out Awards.
• Oumph! The Chunk – awarded Silver in the ‘Food Innovation’ category, FreeFrom Food Awards 2018.
If you are curious to see what all the fuss is about, get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market to taste the incredible Pulled Oumph! for free.
Pulled Oumph!
On Saturday December 15 and Sunday December 16, 2018, you can try hot samples of this groundbreaking products served on crunchy corn chips with pickled onion.
Truly sensational.
Pulled Oumph! on crunchy corn chips with pickled onion
Oumph! is a part of Food for Progress. Food for Progress is a Swedish food company producing tasty, nutritious and climate-friendly food that everyone on the planet can eat.
Black Cat Hackney is one of the finest places to eat vegan food in the UK so you know you don’t want to miss out on their exclusive one-night-only Christmas supper club.
The exciting menu consists of a mix of classics and new items:
Starter (to choose from):
Caramelised cauliflower bisque topped with grilled seasonal mushrooms and served with garlic sourdough bread
OR
Wild mushroom croquette, whipped cashew chevre cheese, salt baked heritage beets, Hackney leaves and balsamic reduction
Main (to choose from):
House made seitan steaks, steamed seasonal greens, roast potatoes, lemon white wine shaved brussels sprouts, pastrami seasoned carrots and parsnips ribbons. Served with Black Cat’s gravy
OR
Blue corn crusted tofu cutlets, sweet potato and pumpkin mash, braised cabbage and roasted red pepper, Mexican chiles and peanut sauce
Desserts (to choose from):
Lemon thyme yoghurt cake, rhubarb compote, caramelised figs and coconut sour cream
OR
Peanut-butter chocolate cheesecake with bourbon biscuit base and salted candied nuts
The dinner is taking place at Black Cat on Clarence Road, Road on Saturday December 15, 2018.
Book now your tickets to spend this great evening with Black Cat. Choose from two time slots:
6pm until 8pm sitting
8:30pm until 10:30pm sitting
This event is BYOB meaning you are welcome to take your own drink.
Have you been curious about the vegan Baileys drink called Almande?
If you are interested in sampling the drink for no charge, get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday December 8, 2018.
Baileys will be on hand to impress market goers with their popular dairy-free drink.
Almande by Baileys is a liqueur made from sweet almond oil and almond essence (extracted from crushed almonds), cane sugar and purified water with a touch of real vanilla. It has a creamy feel, but is light in taste.
I enjoy mixing Almande with chocolate milk for a fun drink, while blending it with soya milk, ice, agave syrup, and peanut butter is a dream come true.
The sampling team will be serving tasters from 2pm until 4pm so get along early (the market opens at 11am) for lunch and then stick around for some free Baileys! It is also a great time to start some of your vegan Christmas shopping as we will have cheese, vegan fish, gifts, and more. Full market line up is here.
Extra note: Chanel of our resident bakery stall Vegan Deliceis planning some special vegan Baileys themed treats on her stall this Saturday to coincide with the tasting session. Eat cake and be happy!
Are you in London during the week before Christmas and are you interested in delicious vegan food?
Get the facts below and book!
Superstar food creators Phung Kay are staging a very special pop up at Craving Coffee Tottenham this year.
They are serving a four-course meal and the menu sounds sensational. Check it out below:
Course 1: Hoisin “Duck” and Yam in Netted Roll with juniper berry, cranberry and plum sauce.
Course 2: Chickn & Chestnut bao with pickled daikon.
Course 3: Pi Pa Tofu & sage stuffing served in a fried potato bird’s nest served with steamed rice in lotus leaf and braised red cabbage and pan fried brussels sprouts.
Course 4: Goji berry & Chrysanthemum jelly with lychee ice-cream and black sesame tuile
I am BOWLED OVER by those gorgeous food photos taken by the talented Sara of Shisho Delicious.
Dates for this very special dinner are from the 20th until the 22nd December, 2018. They have added a new sitting on Thursday 20th at 6pm and only a handful of seats remain for Friday 21st at 6pm.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market is on the lookout for vegan cheese traders.
Are you a new vegan cheese producer looking to expand your business? Are you ready to take your products in front of the public?
Our weekly market has been the launching pad for many vegan cheese brands that have gone on to bigger and better things and now we are looking for tomorrow’s superstars.
Traders who have been featured at Hackney Downs Vegan Market over the past few years include I AM NUT OK (now stocked in Fortnum & Mason), Kinda Co (now working out of a professional kitchen), and Black Arts Vegan (about to launch their online store).
All of these traders will tell you that our local community market helped them establish public awareness of their brand while they developed and improved their products.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market is low cost for traders as we only charge a percentage of takings. We support and encourage traders who identify as women, non-white, disabled, and/or members of LGBTQI communities to apply as traders.
The market is currently on every Saturday and Sunday with winter hours of 11am until 4pm both days. We have market stalls for you to hire if needed.
If you are interested in coming on board as a vegan cheese trader to take your business up a notch, please email josh@fgvpr.co.uk to express your interest.
Extra note: joining our market is also a great way to build your social media following. As a trader you will be included in my social media announcements and market blog posts, reaching thousands of people each week.
If you’re interested in an evening of hearty, wholesome, and fresh food served in an informal, soulful space you are in luck.
That Sloppy Vegan has crafted a menu that fuses Indian and European styles for her FIRST EVER supper club. The freshest ingredients and flavours will be combined to create four courses of hearty, vibrant food.
WHAT:
4 courses of fresh, delicious, Indian-fusion food cooked by That Sloppy Vegan (that name though!!!!!!).
WHEN:
5th December, 2018 – 7pm until 10pm
WHERE:
Eleven, Balham, 5 Fernlea Road, SW12 9RT (only a 2-minute walk from Balham Station)
TICKETS:
£35 for four courses and a drink. Click here to book.
Join That Sloppy Vegan for what is set to be a gorgeous night of tasty food and socialising.
You can also follow That Sloppy Vegan on Instagram.
Do you like vegan chocolate? How about FREE vegan chocolate? How about free vegan chocolate in the shape of Santa?!
The wonderful people at Moo Free Chocolates have given us 200 chocolate Santas to giveaway at Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday and Sunday (November 24 and 25, 2018).
There will be 100 vegan chocolate Santas given away for free each day!
These organic chocolate Santa bars are always a favourite at this time of year, alongside the Moo Free advent calendars which have been known to completely sell out across the UK.
Moo Free Chocolates just won the Best Vegan Chocolate category at the VegFestUK Awards so they are excited to share their award-winning chocolate with our market visitors.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market starts trading at 11am on both Saturday and Sunday, so please arrive early if you would like to get your hands on a Santa. Only one per person until they run out.
Two of our fabulous traders are taking charge of the giveaway so this is who you need to say hello to in order to collect your free chocolate:
Saturday – Vegan Delice– our superstar resident baker with cupcakes and hot donuts
Sunday – Pason’s Pots– our regular baby food maker selling locally made food for young people!
If you would like to see the full range by Moo Free Chocolates, please visit their website and be sure to follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Moo Free Chocolates can be purchased in stores everywhere including supermarkets, health food stores, and independent vegan shops.
See full Hackney Downs Vegan Market details and trader line up for Saturday and Sunday online here.
