Taking the long way around

Join me for a vegan desert adventure

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Times are changing and the way we do a lot of regular activities has to change, too.

As you probably know, I recently co-created Vegan Culinary Cruises to host 100% vegan cruise vacations with our first departure was set for New Year’s Eve 2021/2022.

Everything was set and bookings were coming in and then… yep. The global crisis happened.

All cruise lines around the globe have put everything on hold. Our VCC departures will be back in the future, but in the meantime I wanted to help people plan vacations for 2022 so we came up with the idea to host land tours and vacations.

Say hello to VCC Adventures.

VCC Adventures showcases our land-only-based adventures for vegan and vegan-curious travellers looking to enjoy a 100% plant-based adventure holiday filled to the brim exciting exploration coupled with our signature delicious vegan cuisine. With exciting itineraries taking in some of the most beautiful, fun-filled destinations on the planet, VCC Adventures is the perfect vacation for compassionate travellers looking to get the most out of a vegan travel experience.

WHAT ABOUT THE 2022 ADVENTURE?

Join FGV and VCC Adventures for a vegan desert vacation in Utah, one of the most naturally breathtaking locations on the planet.

Our hotel-based adventure scheduled for May 15-20, 2022 is the perfect way to ease back into vegan travel as we all patiently wait for the cruise ships to hit the waters again.

Our 5-night, 6-day getaway is packed full of food, fun, and unforgettable sightseeing.

Nature set Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon ablaze with copper-hued chasms and theatrical formations. Explore the diverse symphony of forest, desert, plateau, and canyon in this spectacular combination of National Parks. No postcard could possibly prepare you for the chiseled vastness of the Grand Canyon, the monolithic oddities of Bryce Canyon, or the stunning cliffs of Zion.

Explore the wonders of the USA‘s Southwest, known as Colour Country, with our travel experts at VCC Adventures. Through the eons, the wind and water’s harsh power has created the red-rock formations, deep canyons, and towering cliffs that have become many of the world’s most famous natural attractions. This enormous geological playground features nature’s intricate forms and brilliant colours combine to offer a Western landscape getaway of incredible diversity and some of the most exhilarating outdoor adventures on earth.

Activities include park walking, bus and hiking tours, outdoor nature and wildlife lecture series, vegan inspired evening programming, and a special behind the scenes day and actives at the world-famous Best Friends Sanctuary.

THE PROGRAM

Our exclusive VCC Adventures tour program is perfect for every activity and ability level. On touring days clients can choose from two levels of walks/hikes in the National Parks:

  • Moderate: Easy walks and/or park bus tours with guided interpretation perfect for all ability levels
  • Adventure: More adventurous hikes with guided interpretation over varying terrain and elevation gain

You will also enjoy:

  • Education & Guiding: All tours are accompanied by our full-time naturalists and educators who bring to life the natural wonders, geology, ecology, Native American history, and so much more!
  • Special Guests: Sean O’Callaghan of Fat Gay Vegan oversees a unique line up of special guests. These experts and personalities from the vegan world will be on hand to regale guests via up close and personal storytelling, Q&A sessions, and insights into everything plant-based. These special guest sessions are unique to VCC Adventures and will conveniently take place during our bus trips, making our time on the road fun, informative, and engaging.
  • Vegan Cuisine: Our VCC Adventures staff bring to you our 100% plant-based signature vegan dining experience all from our very own on-site private kitchen and meeting dining facility, all included for the duration of your tour. Just as we do on all Vegan Culinary Cruises and VCC Lite journeys, our culinary team ensure the highest standards of vegan cuisine. All products are specially sourced, and our menus are created to be fun, unique, nutritious, and delicious.
  • Accommodations: We are based at our hotel in St George, Utah for the duration of the stay so there is no need to pack and unpack. St. George is the perfect location, centrally located for all nearby National Parks. We will enjoy our own beautiful private meeting space for all meals and programming.

If this desert land tour adventure sounds like the vacation for you, click here to find out more information about the itinerary and book your spot.

This is going to be a dream vegan vacation in the desert and a trip of a lifetime that you (and I) will never forget. I hope you can join me for a wonderful week.

Book now.

Vegan International Film Festival

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VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FREE ONLINE FILM STREAMING ON EARTH DAY, PHOTO CONTEST NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES

Films that could once only be seen by attending one of the festivals’ world tour dates are now available online for streaming until at least June 30, 2020.

Ottawa, Canada (April 20, 2020) — With the spread of COVID-19 and the international quarantine, the International Vegan Film Festival – World Tour has come to a halt. Starting on EARTH DAY, April 22, 2020, until June 30, 2020, eleven of the twelve short films that were available on the world tour will now be free to watch and can be viewed online at the festival’s website.

For the last two years, the International Vegan Film Festival has brought some of the world’s most relevant vegan-themed stories and visual artistry to theaters around the world and in these uncertain times, the International Vegan Film Festival is proud to bring the festival’s world tour to everyone, everywhere.

Most of the films that were scheduled for touring—the only exception being “Planet Vegan”— are now available for free viewing online with no purchase necessary. The total screening time is approximately 90 minutes in length with films covering all of the four Festival categories. 


Festival Director Shawn Stratton said, “Connecting with friends and strangers alike at our theater screenings is at the heart of the World Tour, however, with the current cancellation of the Tour we don’t want our audiences to miss out on viewing these important films. So we are adapting and responding to “social distancing” to offer 90 minutes of films from our World Tour screening, free of charge. This is our hometown, feel-good, theater experience, streamed into the comfort of living room’s around the world.”

The International Vegan Film Festival is an annual film event. Now in its third year, the festival kicks off every October in Ottawa, Canada. The festival showcases vegan-themed films from around the world covering a wide variety of topics. Some of these include animal rights, food choices, ethics, sustainability and climate change.

Since 2018, the International Vegan Film Festival has embarked on a world tour. Anyone can sign up to be a host and then pick where and when they would like to have their own Vegan Film Festival screening. It is a great way to build the local vegan community, interact with friends, and raise money for a cause all while watching great independent vegan films.

Note: The International Vegan Film Festival screenings are primarily intended for older audiences and may include coarse language, mature subject matter, intense scenes, and other adult content. Viewer discretion is advised.

Vegan Photo Essay Contest

While the world tour has been cancelled, the IVFF Vegan Photo Essay Contest is on! Until August 31, 2020, applicants can submit a series of 3-5 images depicting vegan lifestyle, health and nutrition, animal welfare, or environmental protection. Winners will be announced during the festival in October and will also receive a $250 CAD cash prize.

The jury is seeking a sequence of images that conveys a compelling story or message – with each image strong enough to stand on its own while conveying a greater narrative when viewed in the photographer’s desired sequence.

Stratton says “The Vegan Photo Essay Contest is a great way for anyone with a camera and a story, not just professionals, to be involved in the festival.” The contest even has a Youth category to encourage young people to become more involved in sharing vegan-themed stories.

CATEGORIES:

  • Lifestyle – Vegan choices in clothing, travel and highlighting the ways that vegans spread their message through activism, art, community etc.
  • Health and Nutrition – Exploring the positive benefits of a vegan diet, what’s involved in “going vegan”
  • Animal Welfare – How eating plants can break the chain of suffering that is endemic in factory farming and the role of animal activists
  • Environmental Protection – How meat production harms the planet, and how plant-based eating can help to save it
  • Youth – Any vegan-themed subject shot by a person under 18 year of age as of August 31, 2020

Note: During COVID-19, the IVFF does not advise applicants to take photos anywhere that may pose a risk of spreading the virus. Social distancing is still strongly recommended.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

http://www.theivff.com/

http://www.theivff.com/photo-essay-contest-info.html

http://www.theivff.com/photo-essay-winners.html

Award winning vegan food in Jacksonville

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Have you seen this incredible vegan comfort food spot in Jacksonville, Florida?

Murray Hillbilly is a much-loved independent vegan restaurant in the Murray Hill neighbourhood of Jacksonville, a city that sits about 5-hours drive time north of Miami.

I don’t know a lot about Jacksonville, except that the major sports team is called the Jaguars and I only know that fact because it was mentioned many times by a character on drama/comedy series The Good Place.

However, I am starting to get a lot more interested in Jacksonville thanks to the food photos coming out from Murray Hillbilly.

This multi-award winning restaurant opened in late 2017 and has since built up a huge number of loyal locals who can’t get enough of their cuisine.

Check out some photos below:

My friend Steven and his husband Nate live in Jacksonville and can’t say enough great things about this place. In particular, they rave about the weekend brunch.

I need to visit soon. For food and friends.

You can see the exact location of Murray Hillbilly online thanks to Google Maps. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

Vegan restaurant makes cheesecake deal with Whole Foods

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I recently discovered with my own tastebuds that Plant Power Fast Food is one of the best places on the planet to buy vegan food.

The fast food chain with locations scattered around Southern California is almost without peer when it comes to plant-based comfort food. Their burgers, breakfast sandwiches, fries, and shakes are all the stuff of legend.

And let’s not overlook their decadent cheesecakes.

The cheesecakes by Plant Power are such a standout item, the chain has recently inked a deal with Whole Foods Market stores.

You can currently buy the cheesecakes by the slice in the following locations across Southern California:

  • Hillcrest
  • La Jolla
  • Del Mar
  • Laguna Niguel
  • Irvine
  • Jamboree
  • Huntington Beach
  • Brea
  • Redondo Beach
  • Torrance
  • El Segundo
  • Newport Beach
  • Long Beach

Plant Power has announced that this list is just the start and more Whole Foods locations will be added soon.

If you live in Southern California or are visiting soon, grab some vegan cheesecake from Whole Foods and visit one of the Plant Power Fast Food restaurants for exceptionally good eating.

Follow Plant Power on Instagram and see all locations on their website.

Vegan pub in Australia impresses

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I grew up in Australia and I do miss some of my family members and friends, however I think I feel the distance mostly because I can’t eat at The Green Lion vegan pub bistro.

We all have those places that we admire from a distance, hoping and scheming to one day eat with them.

The Green Lion in Sydney is my ‘bucket list’ place.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8m2CV6gEvf/

I’ve just about stopped looking at their food photos because I can’t cope knowing that I’m missing out on all this great eating at this vegan pub eatery.

The Green Lion says this about themselves on their website:

The Green Lion is Australia’s only 100% plant- based pub bistro and was established in 2016 by co-founders Sacha Joannou and Bhavani Baumann. The concept is traditional Aussie Pub food done vegan. From Burgers and Chicken Schnitty’s to a seafood basket and lasagne, The Green Lion is excited to be able to offer your favourite foods veganised. Desserts are not forgotten including our vegan Pavlova and many different cheesecakes.
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Located on the first floor of an Old Australian Pub in Rozelle, The Green Lion is designed to feel like a lounge room where all are welcome. The wrap around balcony is very popular boasting a beautiful sunset.
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The Green Lion has spaces for all events from big parties to intimate dinners and prides itself on our in-house events such as all you can eat pizza pasta nights and 10 course tastings.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8C0YbBA07d/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8yKxsMHrMh/

If you find yourself in Sydney, visit as soon as possible. You can see the exact address of The Green Lion thanks to Google Maps.

You can also follow The Green Lion on Instagram and check out their gorgeous menu on their website.

Ten years of FGV celebration cruise

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Ten years is a long time for a blog. A really long time.

I can hardly believe that in December 2020 I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of being Fat Gay Vegan.

It has been a wild ride of a decade and to look back in a positive way, I am hosting a week-long vegan cruise on the gorgeous Danube river.

Wanna celebrate ten years of FGV with me?!

Prices start from $1,499 USD per person.

Join me and Vegan Culinary Cruises for a week-long 100% vegan cruise on the Danube traveling from Budapest, Hungary to Passau, Germany between December 31, 2020 and January 7, 2021.

Full details of the cruise are online here.

As the cruise is a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Fat Gay Vegan, it is set to be a vegan experience like no other.

The cruise will feature:

  • morning yoga classes
  • incredible vegan cuisine served across three meals a day
  • special guests involved in cooking demos and panel discussions
  • disco and karaoke nights in the lounge
  • 100% vegan toiletries in each cabin
  • Wi-Fi access
  • 24h coffee and tea station
  • Teatime and cake
  • Midnight snack in the lounge
  • All day water and ice-tea in the lounge
  • Electrically assisted bicycles

Optional extras on the cruise will include:

  • city and vegan food tours
  • drinks packages
  • airport transfers

Cruise schedule

  • Day 1 December 31 Budapest
  • Day 2 January 1 Budapest
  • Day 3 January 2 Bratislava
  • Day 4 January 3 Vienna
  • Day 5 January 4 Villages of the Wachau Valley – Durnstein & Melk
  • Day 6 January 5 Linz
  • Day 7 January 6 Passau
  • Day 8 January 7 Passau: Depart

We take over the complete ship meaning this is a fully vegan cruise.

Help me celebrate my 10th anniversary as Fat Gay Vegan. I have met thousands of vegans and vegan-friendly people over the past decade and it would be wonderful to share this huge milestone with familiar faces.

Click here to get all the details and if you like what you see, book a cabin!

Follow Vegan Culinary Cruises on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

RSVP and invite friends via the Facebook event page.

FGV favourite vegan restaurants on the planet

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With all the intense and feverish attention given to mainstream non-vegan restaurant chains serving vegan options, I wanted to take a step back and give some space to the true legends of the vegan food scene.

I’ve compiled a list of my top ten favourite vegan restaurants and eateries on the planet as a way to celebrate the people who put animals first.

This list is current as of February 2020 and is as accurate as I can recall. Some places would have made this list had they not sadly closed. I also am aware that I am missing a whole bunch of amazing vegan spots that I haven’t had a chance to visit, so please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.

Are you ready for FGV’s Ten Favourite Vegan Restaurants On The Planet?

Por Siempre Vegana Taqueria (Mexico City, Mexico)

Tacos are more than just food in Mexico. They are an inextricable part of the culture. Late night and early morning taco stands are on every corner, making this cuisine the most popular and most eaten in the city.

Por Siempre launched a vegan version of a traditional taco stand six years ago and it quickly became one of the absolute must visit locations for vegans. The business has recently expanded and now boasts a second spot featuring chairs and tables.

Temple of Seitan (London, United Kingdom)

Temple of Seitan is more than just a place to get irresistible comfort food. It is a food company that has become world-famous and unquestionably legendary.

The first location of this fried vegan chicken powerhouse turned the world of plant-based eating upside down when it opened in Hackney, East London. With a second spot in Camden and more expansions soon to follow, Temple is set for world domination.

Vedge (Philadelphia, United States of America)

If you haven’t dined with Vedge, I promise you haven’t dined with the best vegan restaurant on the planet.

Until Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau launched their super swanky (yet still incredibly welcoming) Vedge restaurant, I wasn’t certain that I had ever truly eaten exceptional vegan cuisine. My multiple trips to the Philadelphia-based restaurant have forced me to reconsider everything I know about good food.

Eating at Vedge is bucket list material.

Tian Ran (Gold Coat, Australia)

This restaurant located at Mermaid Beach on Australia’s Gold Coast means more to me than I can effectively express. Living in nearby Brisbane wasn’t always amazing for vegans (it has changed BIG time) so Tian Ran was my sanctuary.

Their menu is overflowing with some of my favourite dishes on the planet including olive fried rice, crispy bean curd, noodles, and drumsticks. I adore Tian Ran and I miss them deeply.

Veggie Grill (multiple locations, United States of America)

The first time I actually adored a salad instead of eating it out of duty was probably at a Veggie Grill location.

This chain of casual quick service restaurants is consistently high quality. They serve the perfect mix of comfort dishes (wings, burgers) with decadent salads packed with kale.

Veggie Grill is expanding rapidly around the USA. Eat with them when you can for pure happiness and satisfaction. Extra note: make drinking their strawberry lemonade a priority.

Plant Power Fast Food (multiple locations, United States of America)

Vegan junk food (junk is not a bad word!) is a reality thanks to Plant Power Fast Food. With seven locations and a food truck spread out across Southern California, the chain is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the fast food industry.

Plant Power recreate all your favourite foods of pre-vegan times without hurting any animals, including breakfast muffins, shakes, fries, and stacked burgers.

Young Vegans (London, United Kingdom)

Not only are Carla and Marco dear friends of mine, they are also bloody talented food creators. Their pie and mash outlet in Camden, London is unquestionably one of the best places to eat on this planet.

Crispy pie shells, hot savoury fillings, creamy mash, and decadent gravy will be your reward if you make the effort to visit the shop. I would eat there every day if I could.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6fcYzjHbZi/

Napfényes Étterem (Budapest, Hungary)

During my first visit to this Hungarian restaurant and gourmet bakery, I almost started crying from the pure joy. Seriously. It was an intensely emotional experience for me.

Traditional Hungarian cuisine turned vegan by their impossibly talented chef makes this the finest vegan restaurant in Europe. The glass cases near the restaurant’s entrance are piled high with pastry items that cannot be bettered in my opinion.

So What? (Rome, Italy)

Imagine traditional Italian food bursting with flavour. Imagine gnocchi. Imagine creamy tiramisu. Fried pasta. Ravioli. Now imagine this all done vegan.

So What? is the restaurant of your dreams if you adore Italian food. I was so shocked at how utterly delicious everything was during my visit, I kept pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo0_FhaiNme/

Doomie’s Home Cookin’ (Hollywood, United States of America)

Imagine being the happiest you can be. Imagine your happiest of happy places. Where do you see yourself?

When I close my eyes and think happy thoughts, I picture myself sitting at a table in Doomie’s with a vegan chicken basket in front of me and a jumbo soda off to the side.

Comfort food rarely comes more delicious than at Doomie’s.

This list is of course my own personal opinion. Feel free to assert your thoughts and opinions in the comments.

A few notable mentions that didn’t make the top ten but came extremely close include:

V-REV Vegan Diner (Manchester, United Kingdom)

Wulf & Lamb (London, United Kingdom)

Sage Bistro (Los Angeles and Pasadena, United States of America)

What The Pitta (multiple locations, United Kingdom)

Arancini Brothers (London, United Kingdom)

Vinh Loi Tofu (Los Angeles, United States of America)

Grassfed (Brisbane, Australia)

Disney star invests in vegan fast food company

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One of the fastest growing fast food brands in North America just got a financial boost and vote of confidence from a Disney star.

As more and more people come to understand the value of a vegan lifestyle, a lot of people are also investing in plant-based companies. 2019 is the year that saw a whole bunch of celebrities and influencers associating themselves with leading companies focussed on the vegan and plant-based field.

Mena Massoud, the start of Disney’s Aladdin live action remake, has announced he has become an investor in San Diego-based Plant Power Fast Food.

Although best known as an actor, Massoud is recognised by his fans and social media followers as a passionate advocate of a plant-based diet. He is the founder of the travel show Evolving Vegan and is also known to regularly share photos of vegan cuisine or his thoughts about the vegan lifestyle with his 2.4 million Instagram followers.

Photo by Kathryn Page

Since opening their first location in San Diego in January 2016, Plant Power Fast Food has grown to a five unit chain with four additional locations in current development. They also have a new food truck operation in Los Angeles.

Describing his love of the brand, Mena states, “I’ve spent a great deal of time touring North America visiting a lot of plant-based restaurants. Plant Power Fast Food immediately stuck out as a big player. They have massive ambitions in the space, and they don’t just outsource their products like many of the other companies in the marketplace. There is great attention to detail, and we share the same outlook, that in order to cause real change, we have to make plant-based living accessible to the masses.”

He added that a vegan diet is much more than a fad or passing trend: “It’s about evolving in the right direction so that we can help save our planet, our bodies and our fellow living souls.”

You can follow Mena Massoud on Instagram.

You can follow Plant Power on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Visit the chain’s website online here.

New vegan butter made with macadamia nuts

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Vegans in the USA just got a fab festive gift.

There is a brand new vegan butter alternative made from macadamia nuts and it has just launched in Whole Foods Market stores across the country.

The new plant-based, 100% palm-oil-free creamy buttery spread is from dairy alternative company milkadamia.

This revolutionary non-dairy buttery spread replicates butter’s delicious creamy taste and texture while also allowing consumers to enjoy the taste of butter without the damaging effects on animals, the planet, the soil, and rainforest lands in areas like Indonesia where a lot of palm oil is farmed unsustainably.

As I stated above, the product is only currently available in Whole Foods Market stores but will be spreading to Sprouts and other USA retailers early in 2020.

There is no word yet on distribution outside the USA but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

You can visit the milkadamia website here.

7 amazing vegan dishes I recently ate

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If you have been taking notice of my ramblings lately, you’ll know that I have teamed up with a Seattle-based travel company to launch a brand new vegan cruise company.

Vegan Culinary Cruises is dedicated to luxurious 5-star travel. Everything about the cruises we design is for vegans and vegan-curious people and our adventures are 100% vegan.

The alcohol we serve. The toiletries in the cabins. The shore excursions we organise. And of course the cuisine. It’s all designed to be 100% vegan.

I recently teamed up with our chef Tobias for a week of workshopping our menus and I have to say it was not exactly tough work for me. I got to eat some truly delicious dishes.

I’ve picked my top 7 items Tobias and I developed (and my contribution was mostly tasting) for your viewing pleasure. I’d love to know your favourite:

First up in my cavalcade of deliciousness is this stunning omelette. I haven’t eaten a non-vegan omelette in more than 20 years so I can’t place myself as an expert, but this vegan version was incredible. It was so good, we are considering having an omelette bar at breakfast on our upcoming cruises.

Dense and sweet. That’s how I like my brownies and this one didn’t disappoint. The gooey topping was perfect.

If fried spring rolls are on a menu, I order them. I’m so happy Tobias put this starter together for me and the slightly charred bok choy was the perfect accompaniment.

When Tobias told me that he wanted to cook something for me that featured multiple types of beans, I was a bit suspicious. Beans aren’t that exciting, right? I was wrong! This casolette served with crunchy garlic bread and fresh radishes was one of the highlights of the week.

Moussaka is a little bit rare to come across when you eat vegan, so I was thrilled to be served this plate during our menu workshop week.

Here is my favourite dish from the week. Seitan strudel is now the love of my life thanks to this gorgeous creation. The flaky pastry was perfectly matched by the savoury seitan filling. Not shown were some crunchy roasted potatoes in a side bowl. I mean, come on!

I couldn’t possibly end this list without the inclusion of this delicious and decadent Crêpes Suzette. I am a sucker for fancy desserts and this knocked it out of the park. The ice cream you can spot in the photo was caramel flavoured and I fell in love with it.

There you have it. What do you think about these dishes we workshopped for Vegan Culinary Cruises?

You can see both of our 2020 cruises on the VCC website. First up is the LGBT-focused (although all are welcome) cruise on the Mekong through Vietnam and Cambodia in July, followed by a Rhone cruise through the South of France during the first week of November.

We currently have a huge special for early bookers of a US$1,000 discount per person for bookings before January 31, 2020.

Click here for all cruise information.

Follow Vegan Culinary Cruises on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.