Highlights from Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest

Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest was epic yesterday. Actually, it was beyond epic.

Hundreds of revellers descended on Yellow Arch Studios for the first-ever vegan beer event in the city and it was the party to end all parties.

Beer flowed non-stop all day thanks to Bad SeedChorlton Brewing CoHeavy Industry and The Beer Engine. Drinkers were treated to everything from a 10.5% stout to an impossibly easy drinking rose petal and hibiscus creation.

The food was as loved and adored as the beer. V-REVMake No BonesSgaia and Truffle Pig all had a bumper day selling their delicious offerings.

I would like to offer up my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came along to the event. It might very well be the friendliest event that I have ever hosted. Huge love goes to the staff of the venue for keeping everything running smoothly. Thanks to our sponsors Follow Your Heart for unwavering and crucial support.

And, as always, my eternal gratitude and love to my partner Josh for doing hours and hours of behind the scenes work as well as running the door AND finding time to hit the karaoke stage. I wouldn’t and couldn’t do this without you.

Follow Vegan Beer Fest UK on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Next stop? Glasgow!

Let’s check out these photo highlights!

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Karaoke is on fire at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest at @yellowarchstudios right now. #vegan #svbf17

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Alberto from @sgaiaveganmeats cooking up a #vegan storm at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #svbf17

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Look at this #vegan bacon and egg pretzel from @sgaiaveganmeats #svbf17

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Come the fuck on! #Vegan charcuterie board by @sgaiaveganmeats at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #svbf17

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Happy people everywhere at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest! #vegan #svbf17 #sheffield

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The fab @moocylu from @teenvgn is posing in front of our photo wall at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #vegan #svbf17

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All the FABULOUS people are at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #vegan #svbf17

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@fatgayvegan thanks for putting on a great event we had a blast! #sheffield #svbf17 #vegan #beer

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Lauren from @mnbvegan with Lemmy at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #vegan #svbf17

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People AND dogs are having a great time at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #svbf17 #vegan

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People are having an amazing day at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest. #svbf17 #vegan

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Vegan fish and chips

I’m all about Sheffield this week.

Not only am I getting ready to host the first ever Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest this Saturday, I also wrote a piece for Metro UK Online about why this South Yorkshire city is fast becoming known as a vegan capital.

Now there is another small but very convincing reason why I should be excited by all things Sheffield.

Vegan fast food emporium BurgerLolz on Abbeydale Road has announced that every Friday is vegan fish day! Check out this glorious meal they are serving each and every Friday in addition to their regular menu.


That looks perfect.

You should follow BurgerLolz on Instagram to keep updated with their food glory.

Extra note: if you are coming along to Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest on Saturday, you can keep your wristband on to show in BurgerLolz on Sunday for a recovery meal with 10% discount! Buy tickets for the beer fest here.

Beer list for Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest

With all the beer events I put on around the country, you might think I get sick of talking about the stuff.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Check out this amazing list of beers to be served at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest this Saturday.

BAD SEED BREWERY: award-winning brewery from Malton in North Yorkshire

Session IPA – 4.0% ABV – Easy drinking, full on hop flavour. Ekuanot, Cascade & Chinook hops combine to give flavours of orange peel, lime, papaya and pine
Clover Club – 4.1% ABV – Brewed in collaboration with the Star in the City and based on their version of the classic Clover Club cocktail. A Raspberry, Rose Petal & Hibiscus wheat beer: incredibly fruity & neon pink!
Chucklehead: New England Coffee Pale- 5.0% ABV – Collaboration brew with Northern Alchemy. Citra and Galaxy hops combine with a cold steep of Ethiopian Rocko Mountain Reserve Coffee. The cold steeping of the coffee releases lots of fruit character without imparting bitterness which, combined with the tropical fruit notes from the hops
Doctrine: Sacrilegious Belgian Brown- 5.5% ABV – This Abbey style beer is dark and rich; sweet and spiced. Notes of chocolate, caramel and dried fruit
Horizon- 6.0% ABV – A hit of spicy earthiness from the Rye Malt combines with a huge amount of Citra, Cascade, Chinook and Galaxy hops
Electric: Hard Wired Hopfenweisse – 5.0% ABV – A classic German wheat beer style with a monster hop hit. The Comet hop delivers huge flavours of mandarin and zesty grapefruit making this beer a tropical fruit feast
Saint Clement’s – 3.8% ABV – The zesty peel of oranges & lemons bring the bells of St. Clement’s to our refreshing pale ale
Glass Case of Emotion – 8.3% ABV – Collaboration with Wild Weather Ales. An Imperial Stout with almond, cherries and sweet spices. Dark, rich and decadent – dessert in liquid form

CHORLTON BREWING COMPANY: contemporary beers made by this vegan Manchester brewery

Amarillo Oatmeal Sour – 5.1% ABV – Sour pale ale, like our Amarillo Sour but with oats added for a smooth mouthfeel
Mandarina Double Sour – 8.6% ABV – Sour, strong ale heavily hopped with Centennial and Mandarina Bavaria
Hoppy Brett Thing – 4.5% ABV – Tart farmhouse ale hopped with Bramling Cross and lots of Kohatu
Cherry/Orange Sour – 5.5% ABV – Full bodied sour brown ale with cherry and orange peel)
Hemp – 6.5% ABV – Pale ale infused with female hemp buds and natural terpenes found in cannabis

HEAVY INDUSTRY BREWING: award-winning microbrewery in North Wales

77 – 4.9% ABV – CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain 2016 Gold Medal winner (strong bitters category) – A big amber IPA style beer brewed with the finest pale and crystal malts dark – Seville marmalade is backed up by a piney, peppery bitterness
Pigeon Toed Orange Peel – 5.2% ABV – A cloudy orange hefeweissen style beer brewed with the finest Pale and Wheat malts. Featuring Mandarina Bavaria hops. Notes of cloves, pears and pineapple underlay a big freshly squeezed orange taste
Dr Jekyll’s Last Waltz – 5.5% ABV – A big bad bouncy beast of a Black IPA, boasting gladstone bagfuls of toasted coconut and dark roasted chocolate liquorice notes. Brewed with toasted coconut in the copper, along with masses of Columbus, Cascade, Simcoe, Amarillo and Galaxy hops
Le Bulot D’Or D’Amour – 5.4% ABV – A dry hopped fruity saison, pale refreshing and spicy
Blod Wen – 4.4% ABV – Brewed using fresh elderflowers from the Vale of Clwyd and fermented with a mixed culture then dry hopped. Lovely floral aroma and pleasant residual sweetness and a little funk

THE BEER ENGINE: multi-brewery line up from Sheffield’s beer experts (go here for cider)!

ABBEYDALE BREWERY – Voyager IPA #4 – 5.2% ABV – The voyage continues! Unfined and delicisiously murky, chock full and bursting with hop character. Plenty of Citra, Summer and Vic Secret hops to provide a vibrant fruity citrus punch!
ABBEYDALE BREWERY – Reaper – 5.5% ABV – pale cloudy and unfiltered beer is delicately laced with peppercorn and hints of fresh lemongrass
BLACK IRIS – Black Strap & Bourbon – 10.5% ABV – Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. Collab between Reubens Brews of Seattle and Outpost Coffee from Nottingham
BLACK IRIS – Laima’s Luck – 5.1% ABV – Lime & Coriander Hefeweizen, brewed by two brewing students from the International Centre for Brewing Science at the University of Nottingham, as part of the Cuckoo Collaborative project
BRASS CASTLE – Hoptical Illusion – 4.8% ABV – gluten free hop forward pale ale with tropical fruit flavours
FARMAGGEDON – Gorse IPA – 6.3% ABV – Gorse grows all around us, in spring it fills the air with it’s distinctive coconut/pineapple scent. We combined a massive late addition of the painfully picked flowers (literally, serious prickles). Mosaic & Sorachi Ace hops compliment the gorse aroma. It makes a refreshing ‘piña colada’ beer with a golden colour
NEEPSEND BREW CO – Annona – 4.2% ABV – Oatmeal Pale hopped with Mosaic. Mellow bitterness and smoothness and body from the oats with bags of tropical hop aroma
NEEPSEND BREW CO – Sharpshooter – 4.7% ABV – New Zealand Pale Ale brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Jade hops and dry hoped with Nelson Sauvin. Good bitterness, fruity white wine notes with a dry finish
NEEPSEND BREW CO – Waimea IPA – 5.5% ABV – Single hopped IPA brewed with NZ hop variety, Waimea. Pronounced bitterness and a citrus and pine aroma
NORTHERN MONK – Faith – 5.4% ABV – American pale ale with flavours of citrus, mango and pineapple
WEIRD BEARD – Roots Bloody Roots – 3.7% ABV – Fizzy pop red ale, flavours of licorice, sarsaparilla and vanilla
WIPER & TRUE/LEFT HANDED GIANT – Bristol Vice – 4.5% ABV – a sour wheat beer from these two Bristol breweries

Wow. That is one hell of a beer lineup if I do say so myself.

A reminder that vegan wine will be available from the Yellow Arch Studios bar as well in case you have a wine drinker sitting on the fence about coming along.

Cheap advance tickets are online for just £4 plus a tiny booking fee. Book now. If we have space on the day, tickets will be £7 at the door. Invite friends via the Facebook event page.

See you at Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest!

New vegan kitchen in Kent

Finally!

After years of working hard at making and selling her delicious food, my friend Steph is opening her vegan kitchen residency THIS weekend (Saturday July 29, 2017) and you all need to get along for gorgeous eating opportunities.

Drakes Pub is a historical coach inn building located in Maidstone, Kent and Steph’s Ponga Foods is perfectly at home in this charming pub and live music venue. I’m certain she is is going to attract a large following in no time at all.

The kitchen residency will be serving a small menu including the amazing (no, really. OUTSTANDING) Cheeze Board as well as Burgers, Pizza & Desserts with ‘Allotment’ specials that change regularly depending on what produce is fresh and in season at the time. Steph is working closely with a local veg supplier to source as much Kentish produce as possible. She has also taken on an allotment to grow her own chillies, herbs and veg.

Following on from the launch party on July 29, the kitchen will be open midday until 10pm every day. Knowing Steph’s food very well already, I’m confident in saying this is going to be a not-to-miss eatery for anyone visiting or living in the region.

Click here to see the exact location of Drakes Pub thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Ponga Foods on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

RSVP to the launch party event page and follow Drakes Pub on Facebook.

Vegan in Blackpool

Given the rate at which veganism is spreading in popularity around the UK, I’m not often surprised when I hear of a new plant-based restaurant popping up.

But something about this latest news has me rattled in a good way. I never thought I would see the day that Blackpool was celebrating the addition of a 100% vegan restaurant focussed on eco-friendly practices, hearty cuisine and even live music in the dining room.

Yep, Blackpool is now on your vegan bucket list.

The menu at Faringo’s sounds like the sort of food you want when you are looking to be well fed.

You can marvel at the menu on their website but let me tell you it includes stone fired pizza, spaghetti bolognese, freshly baked breads, desserts, and a fabulous vegan alcohol list including wine, beer and more!

The food at Faringo’s is obviously heavily slanted to an Italian vibe but you won’t be served dishes exclusively from that country. Meals such as veggie burgers and Sunday roasts make an appearance, as well as child-friendly selections such as nuggets, chips and beans.

On top of this restaurant being committed to not hurting animals, the owners of Faringo’s are also on a journey to make their restaurant as environmentally responsible as they can.

They design their menu to use as little gas and electricity as possible, source local and organic produce, buy bulk and loose ingredients to reduce plastic packaging, and are aiming to become a zero waste business in the future.

Faringo’s is currently open Tuesday until Saturday from 6pm until 9pm and Sundays from 1pm until 9pm. Closed Mondays. You can see the exact location of the restaurant thanks to Google Maps by clicking here.

You can follow Faringo’s on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Best in the UK gets better

If you haven’t been there, you will just have to take me at my word when I tell you Make No Bones is one of the best vegan food providers on the planet.

It is definitely in the top 5 for Europe.

I wanted to update you with some of their cuisine from my visit yesterday. I have never eaten anything with them that wasn’t superb. Even their fries are a work of art.

Follow Make No Bones on Instagram and the check out the photos from my visit below. The seitan BBQ ribs are otherworldly.

Extra note: Make No Bones will be serving food at the first ever Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest next week. Click here to buy cheap advance tickets and visit the Facebook event page to RSVP and invite friends.

Vegan café in Hebden Bridge

You need proof that vegan food and the vegan lifestyle are both sweeping the UK?

Check out this incredibly cute vegan café that has recently opened in the West Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge. The population of this gorgeous location is around 4,500.


The food menu sounds like a dream come to life.

There are full English breakfasts, main meals, pancakes with syrup, drinks, cakes, and so much more. I need to shift some plans around to make space for a trip to this new vegan business as soon as possible.

Follow Humblest of Pleasures on Instagram and Facebook, then check out the food photos below.

Full english and pancakes with bacon berries and maple syrup 💗😍

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Superstar vegan food line up

I know I get easily excited about vegan food, but I can be forgiven for hyperbole when I have four of the finest vegan food providers in the country under one roof.

Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest is taking place on Saturday July 29, 2017 and it’s not just the drink people should be excited about. This food line up has never happened anywhere on the planet previously.

Attendees will be treated to this special food court:

  • Make No Bones – Sheffield’s very own decedent cuisine experts
  • V REV Vegan Diner – one of the true superstars of the vegan UK food scene visiting from Manchester
  • Sgaia – famous vegan meat company from Glasgow bring hot sandwiches to Sheffield
  • Truffle Pig – Sheffield’s very own truffle and handmade chocolate hero

In addition to this outrageously-fabulous food line up, we will have a packed beer hall plus a karaoke stage for the brave.

Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest is set to be a party like the city has never seen before.

You can RSVP to the Facebook event page and buy cheap advance tickets online.

Vegan cafe in Kent

There really are quality vegan cafés popping up everywhere, even in seaside towns in Kent.

Say hello to The Wallflower Café in Herne Bay!


This plant-based eatery just around the corner from the town pier must surely be doing more than a few things right because I’ve had multiple messages from Herne Bay locals wanting me to give it a shout out on the blog.

The daily menu looks absolutely packed with delicious and nutritious food, including decadent brownies and muffins as well as solid savoury plates.

If you are in the area this week, you will probably want to book a table for their vegan seasonal tapas pop up dining event. It sounds fabulous and you can check it out on the Facebook event page.

Before we look at some more food, follow The Wallflower Café on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Now the food.

New vegan café for Southampton

If you go to Southampton often or you happen to be based there all the time, you have now got a new reason to smile.

Say hello to the soon to open Café Thrive. Yes, it’s all vegan!

With an opening just weeks away (or maybe days by the time you read this), Café Thrive is going to be a very welcome addition to the Southampton vegan food scene with a location just off Queensway below Houndwell and Hogslands Parks. Actually, click here to see the exact location.

The menu for Café Thrive is absolutely stiunning and is packed solid with all day breakfasts, sandwiches, burger meals, stone baked pizza, Sunday roast dinners and milkshakes. They even have a separate menu for children!

Prepare yourself before you click here to view the menu online. You are not going to cope. (Warning: menu loads as PDF)

Let’s have a sneaky look at some of the food they have been posting on social media.

Our waffles come with a scoop of #dairyfree Ice Cream and your choice of toppings. Pictured: Chocolate sauce & banana.

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Introducing another 2 of our Vegan Milkshakes: Matcha Green Tea, and Biscoff Caramel Biscuit.

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Introducing two of our vegan sundaes, chocolate brownie and banoffee fudge. 🙂

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Love pizza? So do we! And we have lots of toppings to choose from to create your perfect pizza!

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Yes. It all looks amazing.

You need to follow Café Thrive on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay updated on exact opening times.

Yay for vegan Southampton!