Provincial towns you jog round

Vegan in Aberdeen

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Two things I would like you to consider.

  1. £1 or £2 is not a lot of money. You can spare a few quid right this very moment, most likely.
  2. We have the collective power to help bring independent, community-focussed vegan businesses to life if we work together.

OK.

I would like to ask a favour of each and every person who reads this post. Please click here right now to donate whatever you can to the Bonobo Kickstarter campaign. The team behind Bonobo are opening the ONLY vegan cafe in Aberdeen, Scotland. It’s a big deal.

Bonobo has been running as a series of pop up events for one year, but now the founding group has decided to transform their business into a cooperatively owned and operated vegan cafe that will also function as a community hub for gigs, meetings and events.

To help with first month rental, kitchen equipment and other associated costs, Bonobo needs to raise £12,000.

They have already raised just over £3,500.

It is crucial that we put our money where our mouths are and support endeavours like Bonobo. This cafe is allowing six people to be employed in vegan work within their community, on their own terms and with so much scope to benefit local people.

Throw some money in the pot. Can you spare £1. Most people I know can afford £1. If you have more money at your disposal, put £5 or £10 forward to help strengthen opportunities for vegans in Aberdeen.

C’mon. Let’s get them financed and fighting fit. Donate now and spread this link.

You can also follow Bonobo on Facebook.

Goat Cafe

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I got a message from my friend Anna this morning saying, “Sue, have you seen the Goat Café drama?” to which I responded, “No, Sue. What going on?”.

Firstly, we call each other Sue. It’s an Abigail’s Party thing.

If you are not aware, Goat Café is possibly the only fully vegan eatery in the northern town of Huddersfield.

But the drama?

In a bizarre Facebook exchange with a handful of customers, the person in charge of their social media abused and berated some customers.

By abused, I mean:

  • asking how soon someone will die
  • calling names such as ‘fucking control freak’
  • responding to criticism with ‘fuck you and fuck your plans’

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Reports are online of the Goat Café social media person also taking the argument and name-calling onto personal Facebook pages of customers including one instance of them using the term ‘fucking cocks’ to describe people voicing their concerns.

The backlash from the local and online vegan community has been swift and brutal.

The café has seen it’s star approval rating on Facebook plummet with more than 300 one star reviews being posted since the conflict commenced.

I don’t completely understand what started the tirade of abuse, but a lot of the conflict seems to surround a post by the Goat Café in which they expressed their plans to stop accepting credit cards and social media in their business.

This somehow turned into a particularly nasty exchange with a customer who had previously complained about a meal that wasn’t to her liking. You can see references to all of this on the Goat Facebook page (it might take a bit of sifting through as I believe the café has started deleting its older posts related to the situation).

The Goat Café serves an incredibly valuable purpose for Huddersfield and the surrounding area. I hear of vegans travelling from nearby towns once a week as it is the only place where they can be assured a 100% vegan menu.

My two visits to the café have been welcoming with solid food choices.

Whatever is happening to their team internally to result in this situation, I genuinely hope they sort it out not only for their own sake but for the valuable contribution their café and food make to the community.

Also, I don’t like seeing people attacked verbally. It’s not OK and rightfully people won’t stand for it. I have concerns for the owners who have always presented as kind and approachable. This behaviour appears completely out of character. I have concerns for the workers at the café and their job security.

Abusing people and name-calling on the Internet doesn’t fly in this day and age, least of all when the abuse is directed at your customers. People will shut your business down or at least work extremely hard to make it happen.

Hoping for the best but fearing the worst for Goat Café. Another drink, Sue?

Vegan store now delivering

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There are so many things to love about Sheffield and home delivery from this wonderful vegan grocery store can be added to the list.

The Incredible Nutshell is one of the most well-stocked vegan stores I’ve seen. I’ve picked up some fabulous plant-based food from them that I haven’t seen anywhere else on my travels.

Sheffield is an extremely fortunate city to have this store and things just got better with the launch of their home delivery service.

Yes, that’s right.

If you live in Sheffield, you can shop online with The Incredible Nutshell and have your groceries delivered. The line up of products is impressive and includes chilled, frozen, cleaning products, snacks and so much more.

The wonderful Jez who works in the store told me the first orders are set to roll out from Monday February 13, 2017 and if the service proves popular, they will look into offering the service to nearby towns.

This is great news for anyone with access requirements that make store visits difficult and for people with work hours that don’t match store hours.

Click here to browse the online shop.

Vegan afternoon tea for Valentine’s Day

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There is a cute tearoom in Exeter called The Hidden Treasure Tea Room and the big news you need to know about is the Vintage Valentine’s Sharing Menu taking place on February 14, 2017 between 4pm and 9pm.

The Hidden Treasure Tea Room is not a vegan establishment but if I had a quid for every time a reader raved about their plant-based options, I’d be a retired blogger trying to realise his dreams of becoming a Mexican wrestler.

This Valentine vegan menu sounds superb and you can’t even think about complaining for the price of £45 per couple for 5 courses!

Check this out:

1) Setting the table – pea and mint spoons, olive and rosemary forks, blue “cheese” and grape knives and a tropical granita.

2) Three tasty morsels – tiny tomato soup with a desert island, Mediterranean stuffed pepper and crispy rocket.

3) Take a break – herb broth-in-a teapot with savoury popcorn.

4) Sticky fingers – three delicious dips with a selection of interesting things to dip and share.

5) Divine decadence – a selection of desserts and two spoons! Including sparkling Prosecco and elderflower jellies, melting chocolate pots, brown sugar custard hearts, mini fruit pavlovas and fizzy fruits.

You will need to book a spot for this incredible vegan meal. The Hidden Treasure will understandably be packed on the day.

Call 01392 274134 or email hiddentreasuretearoom@gmail.com to reserve space.

You can also get more info on the Facebook event page.

Vegan food in a pub

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Have you ever found yourself driving the A1(M) between Leeds and Newcastle only to think how grand it would be if you could come off the motorway for vegan pub food.

I know we’ve all been there, right?

Worry no more, weary travellers. Baydale Beck Inn has a brand new vegan menu to fill you up and it’s kinda really impressive.

Baydale Beck Inn is a family-run pub on the outskirts of Darlington, County Durham.

Alongside their regular non-vegan menu, the Baydale vegan menu is now available all the time. Check it out below.

I don’t know about you, but that is one of the finer vegan pub menus I’ve seen.

You can check out Baydale Beck Inn on Facebook and see where they are located on Google Maps.

Non-profit vegan clothing company

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Did you know there is a 100% not-for-pofit vegan clothing company in Sheffield?

This news is too important to put through the FGV word wringer, so I have asked HeartCure to give me the precise rundown on what is taking place in their neck of the woods.

Based out of Sheffield, HeartCure are the only completely non-profit vegan clothing company in the UK. They donate everything they can to Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary and in their first 6 months they raised over £1,000 for the sanctuary.

They have recently relaunched their website with all new designs including an all new kids range! They always try to be more design based than just text and ignite curiosity in those who see the clothing to help spread a positive vegan message.

HeartCure plan to support more Sanctuaries this year and donate all they can to help the vegan movement grow, involving collaborations with activists.

They started HeartCure as a way to help raise money for animals while also supporting fair wear and ethical trade standards. It’s always been about making change, not profit.

The owners are officially Jordan & Georgia but HeartCure is made up of everybody involved, from the photographers to the models and everyone who has supported the brand.

They are also launching the UK’s first vegan social centre which will be launched this year called HeartCure Collective. The social centre will be at a warehouse in Sheffield and will include a cafe and bar, ethical clothing store, weekly activist meet ups, youth meet ups, a stage for speeches and live music. You can get involved via the Gofundme campaign by clicking here.

They are aiming to make the warehouse space a social hub for all vegans. It will be a place they can hang out during the day, meet friends in the evening, a space to organise their own events and discover more about activism.

The collective will welcome vegans and non-vegans as they believe it will be a great place for anyone interested in veganism to find out more about living ethically and sustainably.

That is a lot to take in, right?

Brief overview? HeartCure is a rad clothing brand raising money to save animals.

Visit their online shop here, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and follow them on Instagram.

Vegan pop up in Sheffield

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You can’t keep vegan Sheffield contained and this latest plant-based pop up food event is just more proof.

Have you heard of FANFARE?

FANFARE will be bringing mouth-watering tacos, fresh crunchy salads and flavourful fluffy rice to a one day only pop up café in co-working space, Union St. Don’t miss out on Friday January 27, 2017 between 11:30am and 2:00pm.

All dishes can be served with a selection of toppings and sauces while mouthwatering delights await hungry customers, such as beer battered aubergine and smokey pulled jackfruit. Gluten free eaters won’t be overlooked, either.

FANFARE will also offering range of cakes by Rawkus which, you guessed it, are raw. Diners will also be able to buy hot and cold drinks.

I’m super excited to see the photos that come out of this event and with whispers of FANFARE getting a permanent location soon, Sheffield is one of the hottest vegan spots on the planet.

Keep updated with FANFARE on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can RSVP to the Facebook event here.

Click here to see exactly where Union St is located thanks to Google Maps.

Eat vegan in Taunton

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If you keep updated with vegan UK news, you won’t need me to tell you about The Planet Café in Taunton, Somerset.

I asked owner Wendy to give us an update on what is happening and it sounds as though locals are loving the plant-based offerings:

My little cafe is tucked away in Paul Street, Taunton. I’ve been running it with my daughter Anneliese since April 2016, and neither of us has done this before. Opening and working with a very tight budget, I wanted to show people they can eat vegan for not a huge amount of money. So far it seems to be working.
We cook/create everything onsite with fresh ingredients, including the vegan cheese, but excluding the puff pastry because there’s better things to do than make pastry everyday!
We sell a couple of different pastries. The ‘Not Sausage roll’ and a Spinach & Almond Feta roll both fly out during lunchtime. We currently serve two homemade burgers and a few main dishes that change regularly.
We have a solid range of freshly made cakes/slices everyday plus there is always a gluten free and/or nut free option available.

Thanks for the update, Wendy.

Now, let’s take a look at some photos.

You can like The Planet Café on Facebook and follow them on Instagram.

Click here to see the location on Google Maps.

Walsall goes vegan

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Wikipedia tells me that ‘Walsall is an industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located 8 miles north-west of the City of Birmingham and 6 miles east of the City of Wolverhampton.’

What Wikipedia doesn’t state is that Walsall is set to host its first ever vegan fair on Saturday February 18, 2017.

The Facebook event page for Walsall Vegan Fair informs us that there will be more than 60 stalls as well as informative talks and tempting cooking demonstrations. Follow that page for full list of vendors soon.

It’s free to get in, so you have little excuse not to be there if you are in the area.

Yay for vegan events in Walsall!

Vegan Restaurant Week

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Here is some first-class consumer activism.

Emma of blog Canny Food has started a fantastic initiative to make non-vegan restaurants and cafés in her area more aware and inclusive of veganism.

Vegan Restaurant Week is a simple idea but certainly one that can pack a lot of punch.

Restaurants in the Newcastle and north east region are being encouraged to develop and promote purposively vegan menu items for the week of January 23 – 29, 2017.

While some completely-vegan eateries are taking place, Emma has been more focussed on getting the non-vegan outlets on board, encouraging them to raise their game when it comes to plant-based food offerings. Establishments that previously had not given vegan food a second thought are lining up to make plant-based options a priority for this campaign.

Vegan Restaurant Week is getting a LOT of attention around Newcastle including mainstream press and there is no shortage of food venues wanting to get involved. I think the count is edging close to 40!

You can see the full list, including what their vegan week specials are, over on the official Vegan Restaurant Week website.

Congratulations to Emma on a campaign that has the potential to make real change in her community. We all know a lot of people who don’t eat vegan because of availability and ease, so this campaign is valuable in helping to redress those shortcomings across non-vegan venues.

Campaigns such as Vegan Restaurant Week need to take place everywhere. Come on, people. Be active participants and let’s get busy changing the world for the better. We want people to go vegan so it is up to us to make it possible.

A seemingly-small change of a few additional dishes on a menu is often the start of something a lot bigger for non-vegan restaurants. Well done, Emma.

Follow Vegan Restaurant Week on Twitter.