London vegan news, reviews & events
A fun night out in a Parisian gay bar yesterday turned into an important and stark reminder about what goes on behind the doors of laboratories all over the world.
Sounds like a bit of a bizarre link, right?
Warning: this blog post does not contain graphic images but the content may still upset some people.
My pal Joe in Berlin wanted a platform to complain about something.
I thought it would be a good opportunity to give you all a break from my self-righteous posturing, so below you will find the unabridged moan by Joe about the phenomenon of vegan restaurants not opening when they are supposed to open.
I can’t say it happens all that often in the UK, but Joe deserves to be heard!
Read on.
Paris is famous for a lot of things. The Eiffel Tower. Louvre. Notre-Dame. Arc de Triomphe. I could go on and on and on. The city is packed solid with world-famous landmarks and attractions.
Paris has been referred to as the most visited city on the planet and it is believed the area welcomes in excess of 30 million visitors each year. It is a destination that has been celebrated in countless films, books and songs.
2014 has seen the city come into another kind of renown as veganism has seemingly swept all before it to make Paris one of the must-visit hot spots for compassionate tourists.
This explosion in plant-based eating has been painstakingly documented in the brand new Vegetarian Paris – The complete insider’s guide to the best veggie food in Paris.
Compiled and written by Aurelia d’Andrea, this compact book is the perfect guide for vegan travellers. It contains maps, shopping information, event listings, colour coded vegan listings of almost 20 establishments, dozens of vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants and cafes, transport information, accommodation tips and even a handy basic language and phrase guide.
The book is small enough to be taken out for a day of sightseeing and packed with enough useful information to make you glad you did.
You can buy your own copy of Vegetarian Paris online here or read on for a chance to win a copy.
Just before Josh and I departed Berlin, we paid a visit to the wonderful Veganz grocery shop on Warschauer Straße for a spot of shopping.
The idea was to buy a few things to bring back to London. The reality of the situation was slightly different to the plan.
Check out our haul.
Do you like the idea of camping in an exclusively vegan environment? If you answered yes, you are in for one heck of a treat.
We all have a friendship in life that is unaffected by distance and time. A person you have known for decades and another decade can pass without your relationship spark flickering in the slightest even though you don’t see each other as much as you would like.
Let me introduce you to Steven.
Steven has been an integral part of my life since my teenage years. To say our friendship has seen some outrageous moments would be selling it to you softly.
We have danced until daylight in tacky gay bars in Brisbane. We have supported each other through emotional turmoil and romantic drama. Steven has given me a place to live when I had nowhere else to go. We have laughed at and with each other. We have fought with each other. We have splashed through the surf under the blazing Australian sun. We have propped each other up and dragged each other down.
My life wouldn’t be what it is without this friendship.
Where am I going with this blog post? I am asking you to support Steven in his campaign to raise funds for Farm Sanctuary, the legendary rescue home for farm animals. This group has been advocating and educating for decades, giving comfort to countless creatures.
Steven and his husband Nate are taking part in the Walk for Farm Animals fundraiser in San Diego and I would be so deeply moved if readers of my blog could help them reach their fundraising target of $1000. I am incredibly grateful and appreciative that one of my dearest friends is taking action for animals. It would make me proud to know we helped Steven and Nate help animals.
Please click here to donate to their fundraising effort. Your money will directly help improve outcomes for rescued farm animals. Make sure you leave a comment on their team page saying hello from FGV!
My visit to Berlin was a race against time. The city is crammed solid with restaurants and cafes selling vegan food and my five day long vacation didn’t afford me enough time to even scratch the surface of everything on offer.
I will be detailing a few of my culinary adventures in Berlin over the coming days, but I wanted to start with one of my favourite food memories from the city.
There is a trend in travel for tourists to book entire homes for the duration of their stay, as opposed to paying for a hotel room.
I have used several of these services in the past, most notably AirBnB, for trips all over Europe and North America. I enjoy the freedom of having my own apartment with full cooking facilities, which is a necessity for vegans on the road in most cities around the world.
I was recently asked to contribute some of my top vegan picks for a guide to London, hosted on one such vacation platform. HouseTrip is a booking service for travellers wanting something a bit more out of a holiday than just a hotel or hostel bed. You can book an entire house or apartment and it is always cheaper than a hotel room. Plus you get the added benefits of being in a real house such as Wifi, a washing machine and a fridge.
I very rarely stay in a hotel when in a location for more than a few days. I like my creature comforts too much.
I seemed to have strayed from the point of this blog post, so let me get back on track.
I am thrilled to have some of my tips for eating vegan in London included in the HouseTrip veggie guide. The company told me they aimed to create a resource for vegan and vegetarian customers who book with them, making it easier for them to decide on which neighbourhood is best for their visit.
You can head on over to the HouseTrip Vegetarian & Vegan Food Guides by clicking here.
Visit HouseTrip online
Follow HouseTrip on Twitter
Like HouseTrip on Facebook
*Disclaimer: HouseTrip paid me a fee in exchange for use of my vegan picks for London.
I know you love these photo heavy posts. I know because they always get a whole lot of traffic. Forget about me pouring my heart out, you greedy so-and-sos want food photos and you want them now.
I won’t stand in your way.
Following is photographic evidence of my first ever trip inside a Veganz store (Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg branch). As all plant-eaters know, Veganz is a chain of mini grocery stores and delis, founded in Germany, where every single item for sale is vegan.
OK. Here goes.
As you know, my mates Joe and Jess relentlessly taunt me with photos of their vegan conquests in Berlin.
All the pics they send over get me hot and bothered but I must admit this latest treat takes the cake. Check it out below.
