Vegan

UK-made vegan parmesan now available

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Love parmesan cheese but hate cruelty? Here is some news you will love.

Good Carma Foods have unleashed their range of vegan parmesan products upon the country and the popularity of the three flavours (original, garlic and chilli) is building at a healthy speed.

In addition to a large number of independent health food retailers, the plant based parmesan can also be found in almost fifty Waitrose stores UK wide.

good carma

Get over to the Good Carma website to find out if there is a stockist near you (or shop online!) and be sure to follow the vegan cheese topping brand on Twitter and Facebook.

Have you tried these products? Let me know what you think!

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Newcastle vegan restaurant expanding

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A wonderful, pioneering vegan café is looking to expand in size and vision but they need our collective strength to do it.

The Painted Elephant is a cosy eatery perched in Newcastle city centre. They serve mouthwatering savoury food and ever since it opened, the restaurant has served as a vital hub for the vegan community in the city. The owners even allowed me to bring live music into their gorgeous venue when I passed through with my Vegan Roadshow.

Amazingly, it is the only 100% vegan restaurant in Newcastle.

The owners of The Painted Elephant have done an exceptional job to not only keep a fledgling restaurant open, but to also make it thrive. It now enjoys a solid following of regular diners that allows the restaurant to pay its overheads, but the plans for expansion are going to need a bit extra.

The owners need to raise £20,000 in order to move on with their plans, which include creating:

  • gourmet vegan food powered by local farmers and producers with a weekly changing, seasonal menu and low food mileage
  • a licensed bar serving infused liquors made from our excess fruits and herbs – nothing wasted
  • home grown herbs and salads cut for the plate
  • handmade vegan cheese on the menu and available to purchase and take home
  • all food waste composted to grow more deliciousness
  • locally foraged ingredients
  • regular themed tasting menu events with many-coursed meals, themed music and decor
  • great alternative music
  • up-cycled decor by local artisans

What the money will pay for:

  • the deposit and a couple of months rent on the new property (separate kitchen and bar area, possibly multiple floors!) to get them started – they’re looking at some of the beautiful railway arches near central station
  • a kitchen made from refurbished appliances and up-cycled fittings
  • growing and composting equipment, including an almost-instant (3 hour) composter for all food waste
  • paint and wall hangings
  • plumbing of sinks, etc
  • beautiful plates, glasses, crockery and more from UK artisans and small businesses
  • creation of new jobs for the local vegan community

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This is our chance to support an independent business, help them grow, watch them support local fruit/vegetable producers and celebrate as they create strength, jobs and security in their community.

This is an important campaign and an incredible chance for you to be a part of something very special. Keep a 100% vegan business independent, help people in Newcastle have a vegan centre they can be proud of and, most importantly, save the lives of animals by giving the northeast a truly compassionate alternative.

Click here now to donate to the expansion campaign and help make The Painted Elephant an even more integral part of Newcastle’s vegan scene.

Follow The Painted Elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

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Jammie Dodgers no longer vegan

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All I seem to do lately is report on food stuffs not being vegan and here is another that is going to break a few hearts.

Jammie Dodgers.

These glorious and highly-addictive biscuits with a jam centre were accidentally vegan for many years, but times have changed and the ingredient list now includes milk protein.

I emailed the company to find out why this change has occurred and I got the following statement in return:

We have recently carried out a reformulation of our Jammie Dodgers™ recipe, based on consumer feedback as how best to improve the flavour and texture of the product.

The reformulation has resulted in the addition of milk proteins, in line with our mini Jammie Dodgers™, and is consequently now listed as an allergen in the ingredients.

We take allergen control very seriously and aim to ensure we give the correct information to customers in order to help them make the right choices.

jammie_dodgers1

Well, ain’t that a kick in the teeth?

One concerned citizen is not going down without a fight and has started a petition to ask parent company Burton’s Biscuits to restore Jammie Dodgers to their vegan-friendly status.

You can sign the petition here.

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Vegan hot chocolate

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Public service announcement: the Real Hot Chocolate Co has vegan offerings!

The company does produce non-vegan products (the white chocolate ones) but you can get your hands on some of their completely dairy free lines online and in some shops.

Owner of Real Hot Chocolate Co, Phillip Easton, told me:

There is so much emphasis on quality and range of artisan coffee, micro brew beers and specialist teas, but when it comes to hot chocolate (my drink of choice) 99% of people will reach for the instant powder. Luxury means putting squirty cream and marshmallows on top, and often the manufacturer’s directions aren’t followed, meaning a bad drink.
The Real Hot Chocolate Co changes the perception that this is okay, and pushes the need for quality hot chocolate.
I also developed a unique product specifically for coffee shops, giving a wide range of flavours and serving sizes with all natural gluten-free ingredients, made from real Belgian chocolate.
There’s also a range coming soon which is a bit darker (64.5%), from single-source Costa Rican cocoa which is Rainforest Alliance Certified.  It’s not yet released as I’m looking to distribute that rather than sell through the website – but I do currently sell it if I’m running a stall, and it is being served fresh in some coffee shops – such as Anna Loka, the vegan restaurant in Cardiff.
I sell directly to customers, wholesale to shops and cafes to sell packaged or fresh, and also as party favours and corporate gifts!
The product is truly artisan.  I design and make the moulds, packaging, website, recipes, etc.  The only thing I buy in is actually the Belgian chocolate – all other ingredients are as local as possible.
real hot chocolate co

If you like decadent hot chocolate, you might just want to check out the real Hot Chocolate Co online and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Vegan cakes in Margate

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A new vegan cake shop has opened in Margate, Kent.

The owner of Seaside Cake Parlour will probably look familiar to a lot of readers as the same person who owned, operated and baked for Cakes ‘n’ Treats in Camden (yes, the place with this history here, here and here).

Click here or on the photo below to read the full article about the new shop on the Isle of Thanet Gazette website.

thanet vegan cake story

The article states the baker Sarah (did her name used to be Kim?) also creates non-vegan wedding cakes in addition to the menu at her completely vegan cafe.

You can find Seaside Cake Parlour on Facebook and Twitter.

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Probably not vegan. Stop eating them!

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UPDATE

Wall’s have now confirmed to multiple people via social media and email that the new Swedish Glace ice creams ARE suitable for vegans. They have also apologised for the confusion caused by saying the opposite a few days ago. Buy them all, eat them all.

END UPDATE

I wrote about my bewilderment caused by the new Swedish Glace chocolate coated strawberry ice cream sticks not saying ‘vegan’ on the box when all other Swedish Glace products do have vegan written on them.

Well, straight from the source (with the source weirdly being Walls ice cream) we have been told that these products ARE NOT VEGAN.

walls

I am not 100% sure that this is true. People running social media accounts have made mistakes before but this matches up with Sainsbury’s listing the products as only vegetarian on their website.

swedish glace

I am still waiting to get a response to my email from parent company Unilever but I think it is safe to say that all vegans in the UK should STOP buying this product.

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New Swedish Glace in Sainsbury’s

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UPDATE

Wall’s have now confirmed to multiple people via social media and email that the new Swedish Glace ice creams ARE suitable for vegans. They have also apologised for the confusion caused by saying the opposite a few days ago. Buy them all, eat them all.

END UPDATE

This news is blowing up everywhere so you have probably already seen it, but in case you haven’t…

Sainsbury’s are now selling boxes of strawberry flavoured soya ice cream treats made by Swedish Glace. The chocolate covered delights come five to a box.

swedish glace

Exciting news, but weirdly the Sainsbury’s website lists this new product as suitable for vegetarians but not vegans. A quick search reveals they use ‘vegan’ to describe other Swedish Glace products such as this tub.

I’ve emailed Unilever (yes, that is the company in charge of Swedish Glace) to ask if the strawberry and chocolate sticks are made with only vegan ingredients but am yet to hear back.

Please fill us in if you have any information on the veganicity of these ice creams. I can’t get my chubby hands on a box from here in Mexico but I thought someone reading would have a closer look to see if the box is labelled vegan.

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Vegan bakery selection box

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Get your credit card ready. You are about to order the following box of vegan treats for home or office delivery.

vegan box

The Twice As Nice Bakery in Staffordshire has quite a bit of food on offer for vegans, but I particularly like this variety box that can be ordered via their website.

The ‘vegan bakery selection box’ contains the following:

  • 2 individual brownies (one topped with peanut butter swirls, the other with smoked sea salted caramel)
  • 3 ANZAC biscuits,
  • 2 baked doughnuts (shown with cinnamon sugar)
  • Hello Sunshine – a gorgeous lemon cake with a surprise marmalade filling and topped with candied peel.
  • A couple of vegan friendly chocolate bars.

The cost of the box is £18 and that includes delivery within the UK.

Click here to view and order the vegan box online.

You can follow Twice As Nice Bakery on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

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InSpiral has a new name

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Remember this post about InSpiral Lounge of Camden maybe closing? Well, it did.

InSpiral as a wholesale food business still exists, making excellent kales chips and raw cakes, but the canal-side café serving food with extremely mixed results is gone.

In its place?

It sounds like exactly the same thing, just with a different name. Now called Campbell’s Canal Café, reports on social media suggest not much has changed with the place. Some of the same staff, still serving cow milk. Mixed reviews on the food.

If you are interested in finding out more about the new incarnation of InSpiral Lounge, you can like the new Facebook page.

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Vegan ice cream shop in London!

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London, I know I haven’t been the kindest to you when it comes to celebrating your vegan credentials. I’ve said you are behind the times. I’ve moaned about your lack of plant-based eateries. I’ve jetted off to all manner of glamorous locations in order to have my compassionate consumer needs met.

And now you do this. I feel so guilty, like I didn’t believe in you.

On Wednesday March 2, 2016 you are getting your very own 100% vegan ice cream, froyo and shake shop right in the middle of Soho. Can you handle this news?!

Yorica! is a revelation. This Wardour Street space is set to serve decadent ice cream flavours, mountains of toppings, frozen yoghurt tubs and some of the most outrageous shakes you will see anywhere. The toppings include gummy bears, marshmallows, cookies and sprinkles.

Every single thing served by Yorica!, from the cones to the cream, will be vegan. The company is crafting their creamy treats with rice milk and the entire range in store will be nut and gluten free.

Check out some of the photos being posted by the company on social media in the lead up to the grand opening.

Stunning.

Here is what you need to do:

  • Follow Yorica! on Twitter and Instagram
  • Attend the opening of the store this week (location on their website)
  • Take photos
  • Make me insanely jealous by tagging me on social media

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