London is about to lose one of its most beloved vegan institutions as Unity Diner has announced it will soon be closing its doors. By the time you read this blog post, it might already be gone.
This place wasn’t just a restaurant. It was a beacon of compassionate eating, a sanctuary for plant-based food lovers, and a shining example of what a mission-driven, independently owned vegan business can be. Unity Diner was founded with a purpose beyond profit, to actively support animal rights through phenomenal food.
I imagine a lot of people feel the way I feel about Brighton.
Brighton, UK is one of those places that we think of as being more exciting and alternative than perhaps it really is. The seaside town has always held a certain sense of excitement, mystery, and creative energy, long being a beacon for cultural outsiders.
Queer people, punk rockers, and hippies would converge on destinations such as Brighton to look for likeminded personalities in order to create meaningful community.
In 2025 it now appears impossible to escape capitalism and gentrification, as a visitor to the city finding a Brighton overflowing with expensive tourist trap businesses as the independents get increasingly pushed out. The outsiders who made Brighton an desirable and exciting place are now in turn being rejected by soaring rents and a landscape unfriendly to independent business owners and community groups.
The latest episode of Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast finds us chatting all things David Lynch, especially our memories of the acclaimed Twin Peaks series.
I was the perfect age to become completely obsessed with Twin Peaks back in 1990, falling in love with the hypnotic storytelling and the incredibly talented cast. Sherilyn Fenn and Billy Zane became true icons for teenage me.
A bit later in life, Lynch’s Mulholland Drive film cemented itself in my list of top ten films and I’ve now seen this in the cinema multiple times. There aren’t many movies for which I would use the term masterpiece, but Mulholland Drive is more than deserving of that accolade.
The podcast also finds us chatting about teeth issues we experience as we grow older and why young people seem to not want to use condoms anymore.
Seven years ago, a lifelong dream of mine came true. I published a book. Not just any book, rather a book that poured every ounce of my heart, values, and hope for a better world into its pages. Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t wasn’t just about veganism—it was about compassionate consumerism, social justice, and the belief that the choices we make can ripple out to create real change.
I worked hard on this book. Every word, every anecdote, and every call to action. To see it in print was a true moment of pride, but to have people still connecting with it seven years later? That’s a gift beyond anything I could have imagined.
If you need two middle-aged gay vegan men complaining about a film released a decade ago, you’ve come to the right spot.
In the latest episode of Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast Josh and I cover diverse topics, starting with my journey with dentures and their impact on my self-image. Heavy stuff! We explore societal perceptions of body image, especially the stigma around weight, before shifting to Hollywood’s power dynamics and how appearance influences success.
We also delve into the Jurassic Park franchise, with a focus on Jurassic World. Our discussion highlights issues like sexism, the male gaze, and the problematic messages around motherhood and fat characters.
Such a horrible movie!
Additionally, we address themes of racism, toxic masculinity, and the appropriation of the term “woke,” critiquing how these elements shape the film’s messaging.
In addition to watching/streaming on YouTube, you can also listen on Spotify via the link below.
I am trying to get into more nutritious cooking at home and it’s like learning a new skill from scratch.
Yes, I can cook but I haven’t been very focussed on cooking for health. Ive been more of an instant gratification kind of fellow.
But a recent high cholesterol warning from my doctor has me trying to take control of my carb, salt, and sugar intake. Yes, a vegan can have high cholesterol if their diet is not balanced and does not lean towards whole foods.
If you want to see some of my creations, be sure to follow my Instagram account where I will be sharing some of my homemade recipes.
I’m copying the recipe below in case you are unable to see it above.
Penne with Beluga Lentils, Spinach, and Leeks (serves one)
100g uncooked wholemeal penne pasta (1 cup)
100g frozen spinach (1 cup)
100g fresh leeks, sliced (1 cup)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
100g cooked beluga lentils (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
Method
Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced leeks and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the frozen spinach to the pan and continue to sauté until the spinach is heated through and any excess water has evaporated.
Add the garlic powder, cooked beluga lentils, chipotle powder, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and five spice powder to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Add the cooked penne pasta to the pan and toss to combine with the lentil and spinach mixture.
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of the dish as a garnish before serving.
Extra note:
An Instagram follower suggested adding the lime juice and apple cider vinegar after removing the mix from the heat. Apparently heating the acids too much can make them taste bitter.
I’m all for these cooking tips. I’m on this journey to learn, so the more tips the better. Get involved in the comments if you have anything to add!
Your £5 entry goes straight to madeinhackney.org, a local plant based cookery school and food kitchen helping some of East London’s most vulnerable people. It also entitles you to 1 free beer and free pizza all night!
NXT LVL’s master chef will be cooking up a storm in our courtyard, showing us the secrets of making food so good, you don’t notice it’s saving the planet. Come down, try some next level pizza, talk about the future of food and get to know your community.
@ HWK – 29 White Post Ln, London, E9 5EN
Thursday 12th May: 7pm – 11pm
£5 entry – free pizza + 1 beer* – 100% of proceeds go to Made In Hackney
CLICK HERE to buy your ticket now. Numbers are strictly limited.
*Pizza will be served by the slice. Beer tokens will redeem 1 alcoholic or 1 non-alcoholic beer. A soft drink option will also be available. Please check bar listing for more information.
Here is a super rapid Instagram competition where you can win some food and hang out with a bunch of vegans and vegan-friendly peeps.
On the first Wednesday of each month, I host a London’s best party for compassionate people. Get excited for London Vegan Social!
London Vegan Social is the place to meet people, sing karaoke, eat delicious food, and sip refreshing cocktails. Spread across three floors of the Old Crown Pub at 33 New Oxford Street. It’s perfectly located halfway between Tottenham Court Road and Holborn Underground stations.
The monthly party runs between 6pm and 10pm on the first Wednesday and this month I am giving away a food and drink package for two. The event is tomorrow (May 4) so get reading below about how you can win!
This food and drink prize is supplied by resident vegan kitchen Vetomeato and host pub The Old Crown.
Ever since I adopted a vegan lifestyle over 20 years ago, I’ve been searching for the best plant-based pepperoni pizza.
We didn’t have a lot of pepperoni pizza opportunities in Australia when I was younger and by the time I got to the UK where they were more popular, I was vegan!
But hey, guess what, people? I think I’ve found the vegan pepperoni pizza of my dreams… and you can invest in the company responsible for bringing it to the UK capital.
NXT LVL PZA is a fast food concept that was pretty easy to fall in love with.
I stumbled upon the NXT LVL pop up restaurant in Soho just over a month or so back and was swept up by excitement and greed. The brand is all bright colours and video game imagery while the menu is 100% plant-based.
The idea of the concept is to give hungry people (like me) the food they desire while doing good stuff for the planet and animals. I saw so many people getting excited about the pizza before they realised it was plant-based and that excitement didn’t let up when they started eating.
The pizza from NXT LVL is extremely tasty.
I think what NXT LVL PZA has got right is not trying to invent the wheel when it comes to ingredients that other people do incredibly well already.
The brand has created partnerships with leading plant-based companies such as Beyond Meat to create pizzas with toppings that can’t be, er.. topped!
This is why the pepperoni pizza has got me all hot and bothered.
The Spice Invaders pizza (see photo above) features the mouthwatering pepperoni slices of Verdino Foods. This is by far the best plant-based pepperoni I have ever enjoyed. My childhood dreams are coming true!
Following on from a trial delivery kitchen near Battersea over the past few months, NXT LVL PZA is ready to take their delicious vegan menu across London via a series of delivery kitchens. I think they plan on opening ten delivery kitchens as a starting point!
And if you like the sound of getting a slice of the action (get it?), you can invest in their expansion via a crowdfunding campaign. Of course you need to know that any sort of investment opportunity carries risk, no matter how much some chubby Australian blogger loves vegan pepperoni pizza.
Click here if you want to discover more info about investing in a chain of vegan pizza kitchens.
Extra note: keep a close eye on my social media announcements in the coming week. I love NXT LVL so much, there might just be an FGV pizza party sponsored by the brand coming to London and you will definitely want to be a part of it.
