Vegan

What The Pitta weeks away from Manchester launch

by

What The Pitta, recently voted the UK’s number one kebab at the British Takeaway Awards, will open its first site in the North as it brings its vegan kebabs to the residents of Manchester.

The site is set to open on January 8, 2021, with delivery, takeaway and eat-in offerings available subject to local COVID-19 restrictions. The menu will be full of all the bestsellers also available at the London and Brighton locations, making sure to stick to classic, much-loved recipes.

The brand has had its sights set on Manchester, aiming to integrate with the city’s vibrant food scene which already has many popular options available for vegans. In the expansion, What The Pitta have also developed new branding with Manchester-based graphic designer Woody Woods, which will be used throughout the new store.

Cem Yildiz, co-founder of What The Pitta, says of the opening: “Manchester feels like a huge step forward for What The Pitta. The site will be our biggest brick and mortar site yet, and to finally open during what we hope is the tail end of this pandemic fills us with optimism for the future for not just us but hospitality as a whole. Manchester is my favourite city outside of London, with such an incredible food scene and we can’t wait to be a part of that and hope the city welcomes us with open arms ready for their vegan kebabs!”

The entirely vegan Turkish-inspired menu first launched in Shoreditch in 2016, the brainchild of Cem Yildiz and Rojdan Gul. The concept came about after Cem decided to go plant-based and was introduced to Roj’s uncle’s vegan kebab recipe. The two saw the value of the recipe and the gap in the market and set up shop at in a small green shed out of Shoreditch, East London.

The food became immediately popular on Instagram and this is where they attribute their cult following to. Their aim is to reclaim the image of the kebab as a greasy 2am meal, bringing a playful spin on a British classic with an ethical twist.

To be the first to hear details of their soft launch offering text WTPMANC to 82228 or sign up to their newsletter online.

You can see the exact location of What The Pitta Manchester thanks to Google Maps.

Opening Hours for the venue in the Northern Quarter will be 11:30am-10:00pm Sunday to Thursday and 11:30am-11:00pm Friday and Saturday.

Follow What The Pitta on Instagram.

Vegan restaurant chain has explosive expansion

by

San Diego-based Plant Power Fast Food, a chain of 100% vegan fast food restaurants, is announcing seven new locations coming in 2021.

That is impressive growth!

The company’s new locations include their first Los Angeles area restaurant in Hollywood on Vine Street near the Paramount Studios, their first Northern California location in Sacramento, and a new restaurant in Laguna Hills complete with a drive-thru, patio dining and even a geodesic dome dining area.

Since its humble beginnings in the Ocean Beach section of San Diego in 2016, Plant Power Fast Food has built a rabid customer base and has seen impressive growth, even in 2020 when much of the restaurant industry has been adversely affected by COVID.

A sampling of the massive growth Plant Power Fast Food has experienced:

· 2020 brand-wide sales are forecast to hit $14 million
· 2020 sales are an increase of 46% increase over 2019
· 1172% growth since inception

Next time you are in the area(s), do yourself a favour and eat with Plant Power.

I dined with them a few times when I was in Southern California and I still cherish the memories.

Follow Plant Power on Instagram.

Vegan hot sauce from a UK rock band!

by

You Me At Six have announced an exclusive ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ vegan hot sauce in collaboration with Lou’s Brews. The sauce is limited to 200 bottles and available exclusively through pre-orders of the band’s forthcoming new album ‘SUCKAPUNCH’, due January 15th via Underdog Records / AWAL. You can pre-order here.

The ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ sauce is the hottest Lou’s Brews have ever made, and was spearheaded by bassist Matt Barnes who said: “We have always loved our hot sauce, especially when we are on tour. It is an absolute must to spice up the super noodles and microwave meals when travelling on the tour bus. The SUCKAPUNCH sauce is a Habanero based chilli sauce with distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt. It starts with a big punch of spice, before the vinegar and sweetness come through and goes great with anything that needs a little punch of fire!”

Lou’s Brews founder, Lou, said: “I jumped at the chance to collaborate with the guys when I found out they’re all a bunch of spice heads. It’s been awesome working alongside the fellas, playing around with recipe ideas, and I’m stoked for the world to try our delicious little baby.”

The hot sauce follows new single and title track from the band’s forthcoming album ‘SUCKAPUNCH’, described as “transformational” by the Metro, “epic” by the NME and “absolutely huge” by Rock Sound. Their eagerly anticipated seventh studio album will also include ‘MAKEMEFEELALIVE’ and ‘Beautiful Way’, the perfect introduction to their shape-shifting new record, already tipped as “their most radical record to date” by The Sun with DIY confirming, “this is a version of You Me At Six we’ve never seen before”.

You Me At Six are one of the biggest and most prolific British rock bands of recent times. Their 15 year career has seen four UK Gold Records and five Top Ten Albums in the UK, including Number One record ‘Cavalier Youth’. An unparalleled 17 consecutive A-List singles on BBC Radio One, multiple sold-out US headline tours, and a Number One rock song in the UK & Australia, and Top Five Rock Radio track in North America, in ‘Room To Breathe’.

Undoubted heavyweights in the live arena, the summer of 2019 saw You Me At Six play their biggest outdoor headline show to date infront of 15,000 fans at a sold-out Gunnersbury Park. Their most recent UK tour saw 40,000 ticket sales, including three nights at Brixton Academy, selling-out four months in advance in just twenty minutes. May 2021 will see the band celebrate the release of ‘SUCKAPUNCH’ with a string of underplay shows across the UK, including London’s O2 Kentish Town Forum, with support from Saint Phnx. A series of intimate album launch shows across the UK will begin on July 6th at Pryzm in Kingston Upon Thames, preceded by a special socially distanced album release show at Pryzm on January 14th. All tickets are on general sale HERE.

2021 Album Launch Show

14th January, PRYZM, Kingston (Socially Distanced Event)

2021 UK Headline Tour Dates

19th May, Barrowland, Glasgow

20th May, O2 Academy, Bristol

21st May, Academy, Manchester

23rd May, O2 Academy, Newcastle

24th May, University Great Hall, Cardiff

25th May, O2 Forum, London

2021 UK Album Launch Shows

6th July PRYZM, Kingston

7th July Metronome, Nottingham 

8th July Chalk, Brighton

9th July O2 Academy, Oxford

10th July Leadmill, Sheffield

11th July Brudenell Social Club, Leeds 

12th July Blitz, Preston 

13th July Liquid Room, Edinburgh 

14th July Fat Sam’s, Dundee 

Follow You Me At Six:

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SPOTIFY

Festive vegan baking class online

by

Do you need some baking inspiration for the festive season?

Join Made in Hackney Community Kitchen on Sunday December 13, 2020 between 10am and 1pm for a sensational vegan baking class online (will take place via Zoom with class details sent the day before).

The cost of joining the baking class is £25 (£12 concession) and all funds raised go towards the Made in Hackney community meal service, providing free nutritious, tasty meals to households who need them during these challenging times.

So you’ve got the basic facts and now you want the finer details, right?

Join Bee Berrie (a twice published recipe book author, small business founder (@beesbakery) and expert plant-based baker) to learn how to create incredible plant-based Christmas bakes that look and taste stunning, to enjoy whenever you like during the festive season.

  • Learn how to make a gorgeous spiced vanilla chai cake
  • Techniques for making a dreamy vegan white (or dark) chocolate ganache to frost your cake
  • Make mouth-watering traditional mince pies
  • Learn how to make your own healthier homemade mince meat with apple and beetroot
  • You can freeze and enjoy your chai cake whenever during the festive season
  • Your mince pies will last up to a week in an airtight tin
  • Opportunity to ask Bee questions
  • Recipe handout
  • For ingredients and equipment needed see below

About Bee Berrie

Bee is a twice-published author (Bee’s Brilliant Biscuits and Bee’s Adventures in Cake Decorating), an ex-microbiologist, and the brains behind the best biscuits in London. Bee has supplied bakes to Selfridges and Harrods, become an expert plant-based baker, and transitioned her business to plant-based. She’s also a mother to a bouncy 3-year-old called Joey.

Click here to book a space and check out the ingredients/equipment you will need below.

INGREDIENTS LIST

Homemade mince pies

For the homemade fruit mincemeat:

200 g apples, chopped into small chunks
1 small raw beetroot, finely grated
50g sultanas, currants or raisins
50g dried cranberries
50g dried blueberries
30g chopped almonds
the zest and juice of 1 small orange
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp seeds / nuts of your choice (e.g. chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, millet)
For the pastry:

72 g unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
160 g coconut oil (scoopable // not liquid)*
45-90 ml ice cold water
For the glaze:

50g vegan butter / other vegetable fat
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
Spiced vanilla chai cake with chocolate ganache

The recipe works well as a layer cake (makes 2 x 8 inch rounds, OR 4 x 6 inch rounds (per image), as cupcakes (makes around 14 – 16) or muffins (10 or so), whatever takes your fancy.

HALVE FOR A SMALLER BATCH!

Ingredients:

300 ml soya or oat milk
3 tsp vinegar
200 g plain (not flavoured) soya yoghurt
380 g caster sugar
250 ml plant, nut or vegetable oil
480 g self raising flour (if GF, use 1/4 ground almonds and 2 tsp xanthan gum)
2 tsp vanilla extract
The contents of 2 high quality tea bags, decaf if you prefer
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves / allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tsp baking powder
Two ingredient chocolate ganache / icing (make ahead of class)

Makes enough to fill the middle and ice the top of 1 x 6 inch layer cake or 16+ cupcakes

Ingredients:

135 ml soya milk
200g dark chocolate OR 200g white, dairy free chocolate (available from health food shops or online)
Method:

Melt the ingredients together over a low / medium heat, stirring gently until you have a smooth glossy mixture, do not allow to boil.
Chill until needed, for a few hours or overnight for a firmer, spreadable texture.
EQUIPMENT LIST

For the cake:

Weighing scales
Large bowl
Wooden spoon / spatula
Whisk
Measuring jug
Smaller bowl (to mix milk / yoghurt / vinegar)
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
2 x 6 inch cake tins OR cupcake tray with cases
Parchment / oil / pastry brush (for oiling tins)
Small pan (for melting ganache)
Cooling rack (optional)
Cake board (6 in) or serving plate
Palette knife
For the mince pies:

Weighing scales
Large bowl
Medium sized pan
wooden spoon
chopping board
Knife
Tablespoons and teaspoons
Grater / zester
Cupcake tin (mini or small is fine)
Pastry brush (for oiling tins)

Vegan chocolates shaped like things!

by

Wow! Chocolate lovers are going to love this post.

The friendly people of The Amazing Chocolate Workshop sent me a gift and I was blown away.

First up, the box housing the chocolates can be personalised and the UK company picked a photo of me for my box and included a sweet message.

And then I moved onto the INCREDIBLE life-like chocolates inside the box. I was speechless.

They were replicas of salami, cheese, and utensils!

Every single chocolate made by The Amazing Chocolate Workshop is vegan and you can select from a great range of shapes and re-creations.

Perfect for gift giving! Follow them on Instagram and order online.

Vegan roast dinner cooking class

by

Get ready for a tasty-looking class!

Join Made In Hackney on Sunday November 29, 2020 from 11:30am until 1:30pm for a lesson in cooking that is arriving just in the nick of time.

The two-hour online class will showcase a parsnip and cranberry nut roast (plus all the trimmings) with a flavoursome miso gravy.

That’s Christmas dinner sorted!

The cost of joining the class is £20 (£10 concession). All funds raised go towards supporting the Made In Hackney community meal service providing free nutritious, tasty meals to households who need them during these challenging times.

The class will take place via Zoom with a link being sent prior to the class (recommended to check your junk folder).

Want a little more information about the event?

Join chef Steve Wilson to learn the skills to make a stunning vegan roast dinner with all the trimmings!

The class will include:

  • How to make a next-level Parsnip and Cranberry Nut-Free Nut Roast using roasted seeds and meaty puy lentils, bursting with umami flavours
  • Learn how to make fluffy and crispy yet healthier roast potatoes, using just the right amount of oil
  • Make delicious trimmings including roasted carrots, garlic & mustard sprouted broccoli, and flavoursome miso gravy
  • Opportunity to ask Steve questions
  • Recipe handout
  • For ingredients and equipment needed see below

About Steve

Chef Steve Wilson is an extremely popular Made In Hackney cookery teacher (he was also a hit with Jamie Oliver when he visited Made In Hackney!). Steve is the former Head Chef at The Russet, founder of People’s Kitchen community feasts and founder of The Dalston Cola Company.

Refunds: Made In Hackney require a minimum of 24 hours notice for any cancellations or transfers once you have booked onto a class.

Click here to book your ticket now.

INGREDIENTS LIST

Parsnip and Cranberry Nut-Free Nut Roast

Makes 1 very small roast loaf (2 slices)

80g Sunflower seeds
20g Sage and onion stuffing mix
60g Puy lentils (dried)
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
20g Miso paste
1 tsp Yeast extract (try to use a low salt version, e.g. Natex or Meridian) or otherwise Marmite
½ teaspoon veg stock powder
1 tablespoon Potato flour (or other thickener like cornflour or tapioca)
pinch Maldon salt (or any sea salt)
Topping (Bottom)

50g Cranberry sauce (try to get a low sugar version if possible e.g. Meridian which uses apple juice to sweeten)
1 Parsnips
Crispy Fluffy Roast Potatoes (serves 2)

500g Potatoes (use a fluffy rather than a waxy variety, like Maris piper)
50ml Cooking oil
Sea salt and pepper
Roast Carrots (serves 2)

2 Carrots
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
Garlic & Mustard Greens (serves 2)

8 pieces Sprouting broccoli (or you can use regular broccoli)
1 clove Garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
Miso Gravy (serves 2)

300ml Vegetable stock
20g Miso paste
10g Dijon mustard
25g Cranberry sauce (try to get a low sugar version if possible e.g. Meridian which uses apple juice to sweeten). You can also use a heathlier raspberry jam (e.g. St Dalphour uses apple juice intsead of sugar)
5g Balsamic vinegar (or other vinegar)
½ Onion
1 clove Garlic
1 tablespoon Olive oil
EQUIPMENT LIST

● 1 baking tray
● 1 small Loaf tin (to use for nut roast) – note if you would like to make for more than 2 people you will need to scale the recipe, and the size of your loaf tin appropriately
● 2 frying pans (preferably non-stick)
● 2 mixing bowls
● 2 saucepans with lids (you can wash between uses)
● 1 colander
● 2 wooden spoons
● 1 blender
● 1 chopping board
● 1 knife
● 1 gravy jug

Vegan feast for Xmas delivered to your door

by

For a merry meat-free Christmas opt for a cruelty-free festive spread thanks to Rudy’s. The vegan hotspot behind the cult Camden diner and the UK’s first Vegan Butcher is spreading Christmas cheer across the UK with deliciously different Christmas Vegan Feast Boxes.

Paving the way for plant-based innovation, Chef Matthew Foster has done all the hard work for you as each box is packed with all the classic Christmas dishes and a few extras thrown in because, well, it’s Rudy’s!

Customers are spoilt for choice with Rudy’s famous pastrami, seasonally spiced Christmas ham, marvellous meat-free meatballs, and not forgetting their American roots, the festive meatloaf en croute. This meatloaf, wrapped in crisp, flaky pastry, is a special nod to the USA with a virtuous vegan twist.

A spectacular plant-based centrepiece for festive tables across the UK, dine on the Christmas Turk’y roll with cranberries and hazelnuts – an impossibly succulent seitan Turk’y packed with soysage stuffing accompanied by a generous serving of Turk’y gravy with fresh rosemary, thyme and garlic. And of course, each feast comes with all the traditional trimmings for the ultimate Christmas dinner including King Edward potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussel sprouts with baycon bits, all perfectly seasoned and ready to roast.

Not forgetting seasonal snacking, each box is also packed with popped water lily seeds in three delicious flavours; dark chocolate and raspberry, paprika and Provençal herbs, or the Cheezy vegan – nutritional yeast and black pepper.

For £55, the festive feast will feed four people (or two hungry vegans). Limited stock available for delivery Wednesday – Friday across the UK, so catch ‘em while you can! Order yours online now.

Follow Rudy’s on Instagram.

New monthly vegan subscription box

by

I love getting free gifts and I love it even more when those gifts are in the form of boxes filled with vegan treats!

Vegan Junk Box is a new monthly subscription box out of the UK focussed on plant-based sweets and treats that are sometimes difficult to locate in stores.

The company gifted me with a box in the hope that I would like it enough to share the news with you all… and guess what?

I’m sharing the news with you!

And you can even get a discount on your first box as an FGV reader.

The monthly box costs £13.99 but you can get £5 off your first box by using code ‘FATGAYVEGAN’ at checkout.

Visit the Vegan Junk Box website now to investigate now and decide if this monthly box is for you.

You can also follow Vegan Junk Box on Instagram.

Festive vegan beer delivered around UK

by

I think you would be hard-pressed to find an industry struggling as much as independent brewing right now.

What an absolute sack of shit year it has been.

The bars and pubs that breweries rely on for moving most of their stock have been closed or are themselves on the verge of closing forever. Taprooms at breweries, normally a direct line of selling, have been closed on and off all year.

I decided to treat myself to a delivery from my favourite vegan beer producer as an act of solidarity during this unprecedented time… and I’d like to think of few people reading this will do the same thing!

Brass Castle is an independent brewery in Yorkshire.

If you ever attended any of my Vegan Beer Fest events around the UK, you’ll remember Brass Castle as a regular trader. They even ran the jumbo bar at the London outing of the event a few years running.

Every single beer produced and sold by Brass Castle is vegan, including all the gorgeous cans in their 12 Days of Christmas beer advent calendar!

This box is a 12-can selection pack of various Brass Castle faves, hidden behind advent calendar-style doors. All the beers are vegan-friendly and certified gluten-free.

The pack comprises:

  • Pilsen Thrills 3.9% Pilsner (440ml can)
  • Hoptical Illusion 4.3% Citra/Comet Pale Ale (330ml can)
  • Well Wisher 4.5% Citra/Columbus Golden Ale (440ml can)
  • Dune Bug 4.7% Lemon & Samphire Gose (440ml can)
  • Fruit Lupe 4.8% Mosaic/Blueberry Pale Ale (440ml can)
  • Brewtalism 5.2% Grapefruit Wit Beer (440ml can)
  • Bad Kitty 5.5% Vanilla Porter (330ml can)
  • Christmas Kitty 5.5% Festive-spiced Vanilla Porter (440ml can)
  • Sunshine 5.7% West Coast-style IPA ( 440ml can)
  • Hygge Figgy 5.7% Fig, Blueberry & Almond Porter (440ml can)
  • Burnout 5.8% Beechwood Smoked Porter (440ml can)
  • Wallop 7.4% wood-aged Yorkshire-style Stingo (440ml can)

This box is available for pre-order now and will begin to ship out of Brass Castle from November 26, 2020.

This is the perfect gift for yourself or any other beer lover in your life, as well as a great way to support an independent vegan business.

Click here to order the vegan beer advent calendar now.

Follow Brass Castle on Instagram.

Vegan cheeseboard for Christmas

by

I have extremely fond memories of running Hackney Downs Vegan Market, especially when I think of all the wonderful independent traders we helped nurture and grow.

The market was a real hotbed of innovation and vegan advancement.

One brand that I particularly recall as both original and stunningly popular is Kinda Co.

Kinda Co took vegan cheese to another level and it has been exciting to watch their growth ever since. The company combines the familiarity of your favourite cheeses with plant-based innovation/vegan trickery to make products that are simply exceptional.

Think I’m overselling Kinda Co? Then find out for yourself by ordering one of their exclusive cheeseboards for Christmas.

The cheeseboards from Kinda Co are available in three sizes. Choose from The Mini, The Middle, and The Magnificent. Prices range from £27.50 to £68.50.

I was really taken by the look of The Magnificent (pictured above).

The Magnificent includes:

  • Farmhouse 120g
  • Cranberry 120g
  • Summer Truffle 120g
  • Garlic + Herb 120g
  • Smoked Farmhouse 120g
  • Paprika Chilli 120g
  • Red + Black Pepper 100g
  • Sour Creme + Chive Spread 130g
  • Nacho Dip 240g
  • Faux Lox + Dill Creamy Spread 130g
  • Rosebud Preserves Spiced Plum Chutney 198g
  • The Fine Cheese Co. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crackers 125g

It’s a vegan cheese dream come to life!

All Christmas cheeseboards from Kinda Co will be delivered on December 22 and 23, 2020. Someone will have to be at the delivery address to take the parcel. They ship UK wide.

All Christmas cheeseboards are also available to collect in person from the Kinda Co kitchen in Hackney Wick between December 17 and 22 if you are in the area.

Extra note: all block cheeses can be frozen and all cheeses should be kept in the fridge until served.

Click here to order now. They will sell out quickly so don’t think about it for to long!

Follow Kinda Co on Instagram.