HUGE Newcastle Vegan Festival this week!

Do you live in Newcastle? Do you live near Newcastle? If you fall into one of these two camps, you have ZERO excuse for not being at the Newcastle Vegan Festival this weekend (Saturday May 7, 2016).

If you are a little further from the Northern city, start thinking about how you are going to get there.

This third annual outing for the festival looks set to be packed solid with chocolate, takeaway treats, free samples, vegan cheese and probably too much good stuff to write about here.

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As well as all things food the Newcastle Vegan Festival will be the place to hear informative talks, meet compassionate friends and watch demos.

All of this fabulousness will set you back only £2 if you are a big person. If you are a younger version of a human, your entry price will be £1.

Get over to the Facebook event for more info, to buy tickets and to let them know you are coming. You can also invite friends via Facebook. Do your part and help make this the biggest and best Newcastle Vegan Festival ever.

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Bwyty Fegan Newydd – New Vegan Restaurant

Post by:

josh panel

Forgive the (possibly dodgy) Google translation in Welsh, but I was really excited about a new 100% vegan restaurant in Bangor, Wales. I reached out to the owners to find out what it was all about and here’s what they had to say:

We decided to open a vegan restaurant simply because it’s the right thing to do. We were tempted to hide behind the vegetarian safety net but decided to be brave and follow the heart. The support has been amazing and it turns out that there is certainly a demand for this modern cuisine. People are most certainly waking up to the effects our meat and dairy consumption is having on the planet. Also the health implications that processed meat is having and the disgraceful treatment of animals is appalling and needs to stop. We can’t always barge into slaughter houses or testing labs to protest but we can produce businesses that oppose such things. We can create easier ways for people to find cruelty free food.

Voltaire is vegan food but not typical vegan style, the food is actually more in keeping with regular restaurant food, it just happens to be vegan. Our meals are fusion, worldly and totally delicious! We wanted to create indulgent food, not just healthy. Food to treat yourself with! Creamy mushrooms and crispy battered cauliflower. Summer fruity curry with warmed naan, or Tibetan fried noodles with a choice of caramelised parsnip or non meat pieces. We love comfort food at Voltaire and our customers are our family.

I’m so pleased that they decided to take the 100% vegan route and the food sounds right up my alley. Check out the picture they sent me and another one I found on Instagram. I can’t wait to make my way to Bangor and get some of that beer-battered cauliflower!

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Like Voltaire on Facebook.

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Personalised vegan meal plan in Leeds & Sheffield

This news slid into my inbox a few days ago and I didn’t pay a lot of attention. I get a ridiculous amount of emails and press releases every day, so much in fact I find it difficult to really soak in the content of everything I see.

But for some reason I went back to this email for a closer look and I’m sure glad I did because now I can share news with you of this unique vegan meal plan service offered in both Leeds and Sheffield!

Nourish is a company with two outlets, one in Bond Street Leeds and the other in Pinstone Street Sheffield. Although not vegan restaurants, the Nourish outlets feature an impressive number of vegan-friendly menu items and everything plant-based is clearly marked.

But wasn’t I talking of a vegan meal plan service. Yes. Here it is.

Nourish has just launched a service where you take a meeting with their nutritionist and have your very own vegan meal plan developed just for you.

The meal plan provides clients with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and supplements. You don’t go shopping, you just have to eat! Check out this sample three-day meal plan supplied to me by Nourish:

SAMPLE VEGAN MEAL PLAN (1) (1)

This appeals to me due to my laziness. I’d love all my meals prepared by a chef. I also love how it changes every day.

It would also appeal to vegans looking to explore their own personal nutrition, I suppose!

Get on over to the Nourish website to find out more info regarding the vegan meal plan program. You can also find the address for both restaurants in case you would like to pop in to try their vegan menu items before committing to the meal plan.

Nourish are also on Twitter.

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Goat Café update: guest review

You all remember a few months ago when Josh told you about The Goat Cafe’ in Huddersfield, right?

Now you can read an actual review of the café thanks to our friend Sammy who lives nearby. Sammy popped in for a quick bite and was kind enough to share this review with us.

Thanks Sammy!

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This café opened its doors a few months ago and it is so exciting for Huddersfield which didn’t even have a vegetarian café, let alone a vegan one.

I have eaten at The Goat Café twice and have to say the food is top quality. This is the place for healthy food or total indulgence, whatever turns you on.

I recently had sweet potato dhal with parathas as a main. The helping was huge, wonderful in the tradition of Yorkshire Fayre!

The dish was delicately cooked with perfect spices and was a surprisingly light dish. Perfect. Five stars as far as I am concerned. The only comment on this was there could have been a tad more mango chutney and yoghurt.

I took my pud home. It was a wonderfully rich chocolate cake with a chocolate pastry crust and a wonderful mousse-y filling. My partner thought it was bliss, as reluctant as I was to share it with him.

The recipes at The Goat Café have been gathered from a wide range of sources but with their own ideas infused into the meals. There is a good choice of mains, snacks and soup of the day. All are very reasonably priced and are a very good deal for a decent meal. The menu changes daily. They will be adding sandwiches to the menu now that they have sourced wonderful bread from a local independent baker called Roger’s Bakery. His crusts are to die for!!

The coffee is sourced from a Huddersfield  company called Bean Brothers. I had an excellent black Americano. I would have liked a larger cup, or the option to buy a larger coffee, as you can see from the photos the cups are a bit small.

The café is now serving alcohol, craft beers and wine, and has a good range of cold drinks and smoothies.

The ambience is good with vintage 50s/60s tables and chairs and a comfortable homely feel. The walls have a bit of an odd collection of art works as if they have come from home and I think a little more co-ordination would work better. There are tons of local artists that would be happy to have their work hung there. The people running it and staff are very helpful and friendly and the café has a lovely atmosphere. I got the impression they love what they are providing local people and want to encourage non-vegans to use the café.

So, excellent food and drink and I highly recommend it. It is serving the faithful well but it will need to attract the mainstream meat eaters to survive and I think their food is definitely up to it. In fact, one customer who had been brought to the place by someone for lunch went up to the till afterwards and said that the food had been so wonderful he “could almost become a vegetarian”.

Definitely a great addition to eating out in Huddersfield and as it is close to the main big park, it could well be a very pleasant way to spend some time in town. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes good food.

 

Visit The Goat Café online.

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Vegan business busting sales targets

When I congratulated Fortify Café of Maidstone on their transition from a vegetarian to vegan eatery way back in April 2015, I was fairly certain they would enjoy surging sales as vegans from all over surrounding Kent flocked to dine with them in a show of support.

The initial sales were strong in Fortify‘s first vegan month, but how has business been since the initial excitement wore off? Did people stay loyal? Were vegetarians and omnivores running for the doors in droves because they couldn’t get dairy cheese or milk?

I spoke with owner James Hooper exactly one year on from the big vegan switch and I think it’s safe to say the information he shares is nothing short of inspirational.

See what he had to say about his restaurant’s first year as a vegan eatery below:

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FGV: Congratulations on Fortify reaching one year as a vegan café. How has the experience been overall?

JH: Thank you! On a personal level, it’s been amazing. I remember getting to the end of our first day as a fully vegan business and being wiped out after such a busy day but I had such a strong feeling this was what we were meant to be doing. At least a few times a week we hear customers getting a little bit giddy that they can order anything off the menu and not worry about the ingredients – those moments are the most rewarding for us. We’ve so many non vegan customers that responded positively to the change too.

FGV: You mentioned online that this vegan year has been the busiest year out of your 7 years operating as a business. Why has vegan food been so popular for you? How much better has business been?

JH: We actually seem to have attracted more omnivore customers who are interested in cleaner healthier food – vegan food often has that label even though we don’t shy away from naughty treats! People also visit us from further afield now too, we believe because it’s still a challenge to find a 100% vegan eatery and they don’t mind traveling to have that experience.

Compared to the previous year, our turnover has increased by 25%.

FGV: Have there been any negative experiences due to the vegan switch?

JH: This has been a ‘no negatives switch’. We know a couple of customers who stopped coming because we were no longer using cows milk but we gained a whole load of new customers and believe that in someway, our actions will have even touched those people who no longer visit.

FGV: Some vegetarian cafés worry that they will lose customers in droves if they don’t serve cow milk for hot drinks and cheese in sandwiches. What has your experience been with non-vegan customers asking for dairy?

JH: Our signage says we’re a vegan eatery but people do still ask, mostly when they’re wanting to order a ‘skinny latte’. We just explain that all our milks are very low fat and that they’re all plant based. We’ve gained great confidence in what we serve and I think this comes across to the customers. If someone usually has cows milk, we suggest soya professional and let them know how it’s the closest thing to the dairy taste and texture and that we’re sure they’ll love it!

Our best selling toastie was always sausage, mustard & cheddar – we just switched the cheddar for vegan smoked gouda. A good sandwich usually has a combo of ingredients and swapping dairy cheese for vegan does nothing to take away the appeal of a sandwich made with quality ingredients.

FGV: Can you give a piece of advice to a business considering switching to a 100% vegan menu?

JH: If you’re considering it, the universe is already whispering in your ear that you should and can do it! Give out samples of what you’d like to serve instead (we gave samples of our vegan cheeses a few weeks before our switch and started to include them in menu specials). Do the same with milks. Give people a challenge to try their latte with another milk and offer to swap it if they don’t like it (no one ever asked us to swap a drink so they could have cows milk). Use a selection of milks and cheeses (the Mouth Watering Vegan cookery book got us started with our cashew cheeses). Be upbeat about the change and don’t be afraid of the occasional frown when you deliver your awesome news!

You can visit Fortify Café online, like them on Facebook and follow on Twitter and Instagram. Get over to one of these social media platforms and say congratulations on a job well done!

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Vegan ice cream in Bristol and London

You would think being a groundbreaking vegan shop with two locations would be enough, but apparently not. Vx has gone and raised the bar by making and selling their own vegan ice cream.

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If you drop by either the new Bristol location or the original Kings Cross store front, you will find a rotating selection of enticing flavours all hand made by the Vx crew.

Recent flavours have included Vego Caramel, Mint Chocolate with vegan After Eight bits, Blueberry Lemon, and Rum Coconut with raisins. All flavours are also gluten free, if that is a concern of yours.

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The team are also open to suggestions so make sure you put a word in for you favourite combination when you stop by to pick up a few tubs.

Yay for vegan ice cream!

Visit Vx online and follow the Bristol and London stores on Instagram.

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Vegan pizza in a Sheffield pub

Did you know there is a pub and live music venue in Sheffield that is now serving vegan pizza and vegan real ale?

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I was contacted by Dave from fab vegan food provider Make No Bones as he wanted to let me know that he has taken over The Cremorne, a drinking establishment in Sheffield that also doubles as a live music venue.

Dave was thrilled to tell me he is now serving decadent vegan pizzas in the pub, as well as vegan real ale.

In other good news, Dave has plans to turn the entire pub vegan by the end of the year. Let’s hope he can pull that huge feat off. Make sure you pop in for a pizza and a pint soon and let Dave know what a bang up job he is doing in raising the profile of vegan food in Sheffield.

Follow The Cremorne on Facebook to see photos of tasty pizzas and to keep updated on the pub’s vegan transformation.

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Vegan pub food by the seaside

Fancy a trip to the seaside but worried about finding vegan food to devour?

The answer is The Railway Hotel in Southend-on-Sea.

I have been hearing excited chatter about The Railway Hotel for a couple of years, but it was only today that I visited their website to see what they had on offer for plant-based pub-goers.

Check out this amazing list of vegan dishes lifted from their Spring 2016 menu:

Mains

  • Handmade pizza/calzones
  • Crass Burger (mixed bean/veg) with Chips/Wedges and salad
  • Falafel wrap + Sundried & Peppers + Chips/Wedges & Salad
  • Wild Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil
  • Aromatic Thai Tofu Curry with sticky Rice
  • “Ham”, Leak & Cheese Pie with Mash, Root Veg & Gravy
  • “Fish” & Chips with Pea Puree & Tartare Sauce

Sides

  • Olives
  • Coleslaw
  • Bowl of Homemade Chips and dips
  • Garlic Bread
  • Wedges with Chilli Dip
  • Dough Balls with Garlic Mayo

Desserts

  • Pear and Apricot Cheese Cake
  • Apple Tart
  • Chocolate Calzone

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The vegan choices make up about 99% of the menu, so it would be fantastic to see the hotel take that last little leap to having a completely plant-based menu.

Everything sounds scrumptious and I think I will have to make this place one of my first stops when I get back to the UK later in the year.

You can get directions to The Railway Hotel on their website and you can follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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UK village gets a vegan fair!

Thinking of hosting a vegan festival or fair in your town but unsure of getting a good number of people along?

The UK village of Lyndhurst  in Hampshire is making sure you have no excuse. If they can do it in a village with a population of between 3,000 and 4,000 people, anyone can do it anywhere.

If you are anywhere near Hampshire and the New Forest on April 30, 2016, make sure you get along to support this wonderful initiative being undertaken by Dorset Vegan and New Forest Vegans .

There will be approximately 40 stalls and plenty of delicious vegan food to consume at the first ever New Forest Vegan Fair. It is the perfect place to drag non-vegan friends along to and there will be lots of persuasive and informative fact sheets for you to slip into their bags.

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The cost of entering is just £3 but if you are under 14 and are hanging out with an adult, you get in for free. Do show up early on the day. I know I said it is hosted in a village, but thousands of people will be coming from all over the region.

Click here to RSVP to the New Forest Vegan Fair 2016. Let them know you are coming!

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Best vegan Sunday roast in the UK?

I think my buddy Kay likes to tease me.

There I was minding my own business in Mexico, considering what I should put on my tortillas for Sunday brunch, when Kay taunts me with a photo of one of the best vegan Sunday lunches I’ve ever seen.

Check it out.

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For those of you unfamiliar with a Sunday roast in the UK, this one appears to have all the crucial elements. Right down to a Yorkshire pudding!

Get along to Loving Hut in Brighton so you can let me know if this is the best vegan Sunday roast in the country.

You can find the location of Loving Hut Brighton on their website.

Extra note: Londoners can check out this Sunday roast option while people in Leeds might want to try this.

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