Vegan

I long to nibble your ears

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My love of Moo Free Dairy Free Chocolates is well documented and I jump at any opportunity to sing their praises. The confectionery company are unparalleled when it comes to making a vegan product that tastes like milk chocolate.

I have often proclaimed it the best vegan chocolate in the world, so obviously every new product must be chronicled. It is my FGV duty.

Wanna know what they have up their crafty sleeves for Easter this year? It is an organic Bunny Bar and it is delicious.

The Bunny Bar by Moo Free is perfect. It is just the right size for a snack, it is the same fabulous Moo Free taste we adore and it retails for a lot less the a pound. The recommended shop price is only 69p.

How terrific is that?! Get to a store or order online. Then I suggest starting with the ears…

Moo Free Bunny Bar
Moo Free Bunny Bar
It was made for my hand... & belly!
It was made for my hand… & belly!

Follow Moo Free on Twitter

Visit Moo Free online

 

 

Got a nice package, alright

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Do you like the idea of food swaps? You know… it is when you get a box of goodies together and send it to a stranger and they send you a box back with specialties they have picked out for you. If you are a fan of such activities, surely you are also excited about vegan food swaps. Who wouldn’t be?

But I have just discovered parcel and package swapping is being taken to the next level. I received some very exciting news from my friends over at All About Vegan Food and you will want to be quick to get involved in this special scheme.

Tell us what we need to know…….

VeganPackageSwap_AAVF

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Vegan comedian on UK tour

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Here is some exciting news that will brighten your pedestrian start to the week.

US Comedian Jamie Kilstein is gracing the UK with his irreverent presence this month during a live stand up tour that will make stops in London, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester and Edinburgh.

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Jamie is well-known for his political comedy podcast Citizen Radio that he runs out of his Brooklyn apartment with his partner Allison Kilkenny. He has been featured as a comedian on many cable and TV shows including Conan O’Brien and these UK gigs come hot on the heels of two wildly successful shows in Seattle and Portland.

He is a funny person and many people love him for his social justice-charged brand of comedy, but you are probably wondering why a chubby, queer, food-obsessed blogger is hipping you to this news on a vegan blog.

Not only is Jamie Kilstein a progressive comedian resisting oppression of people, he is also a fierce advocate for non-human animals as a longtime vegan. Check out this excerpt about being vegan from one of his shows before checking below for dates and ticket details for the upcoming UK tour.

Be quick. Jamie is truly a sensation and tickets are already moving swiftly.

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Or probably more like hanging around

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If you follow my ramblings online, you could not have missed the news of your friendly neighbourhood Fat Gay Vegan hosting a Google+ Hangout a few days ago.

Kip from Messy Vegetarian Cook and Laura from VeganSaurus joined me and a handful of other interested people to talk about living life as a vegan, eating out in London and why we choose plant-based diets.

The Hangout was a lot of fun and it has given me the idea to make it a regular event. What sort of guests would you like to see me interact with and what are the main topics you would like to see covered? It should be noted I will never agree to swimming pool/topless interviews.

To give you some inspiration to answer those questions, here is the full video of my recent Google+ Hangout, originally streamed live online. Enjoy!

BIG news about Vegfest UK

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I like to break big news when I can get it and it rarely comes bigger than this.

As you know, Vegfest is a wildly successful food, music and lifestyle festival that takes place every year in Brighton and Bristol. Well, that used to be true. The huge news released just today by the organisers involves the festival expanding to a third location. London.

That’s right, people. One of the biggest and best healthy living events in the world is setting up shop this October 5 and 6 in London. The sprawling Olympia site will be taken over for the two day event featuring cookery demos, celebrities, live music and much more.

And if that isn’t enough to impress your vegan socks right off your feet, more staggering news has been leaked concerning the Bristol Vegfest event taking place on 24-26 May, 2013.

Legendary Mancunian band The Happy Mondays have been confirmed to appear at the Bristol stop of the festival, which is officially the world’s biggest vegan event. Also joining the Mondays will be Peter Hook (New Order), The Farm, 808State, Caravan Palace, The Abyssinians and Macka B.

Get all the finer details from the official press release below. If you are planning on attending the London leg of Vegfest, tickets go on sale February 13. If you are interested in hosting a stall at the event, be SUPER quick in contacting the organisers as the availability is sure to shrink rapidly.

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Who knows you can’t be replaced

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I’m in love and for once it is something other than vegan food. Welcome to a music post with a vegan twist!

One of my hobbies is to troll around the Internet looking for music that tickles my fancy. I adore finding songs that speak to me. During my latest round of musical exploration I stumbled upon a track that was so instantly catchy, I had to walk out of the room and re-enter to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. The song I am referring to is Somebody Loves You by the artist Betty Who.

Betty Who 1

I am quickly discovering that the Australian-born, USA-residing Betty Who writes and delivers tunes that are smart, poppy, loveable and catchy as all get-out. Her powerhouse vocals take her songs to a level above the current cache of throwaway dance tracks and her Aussie twang instantly sets her apart from other vocalists.

Check out the song that has got me going weak at the knees for Betty Who (available as a free download!) before scrolling down to read my interview with the talented singer in which she shares her love of Kylie Minogue, vegan cupcakes and being an independent artist.

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When they’re halfway down your gullet…

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Loving Hut in Camden is a good place to go for cheap, tasty food. Like all of the Loving Hut locations worldwide, the food is plant-based and the menu never breaks the bank. I have written about it previously here and here.

So, how could this vegan eatery with cheap prices and tummy-filling vegan food get any better? Read on and then start planning your next trip…

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What does a FGV sound like?

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Here is an interesting turn of events for the coming week.

On Tuesday January 29, 2013 at 7:00pm (London, UK time) you will be able to watch me host a global video chat on Google +. That’s right! No matter where in the world you are situated, your Internet connection will allow you a front row seat so you can see and hear a real life FGV in action.

But what’s it all about?

Google + Local in London have asked me to host a Hangout (video chat) for new vegans and people considering trying a vegan diet on for size. They didn’t have to twist my chubby arm too much, especially when they agreed I could bring two friends along for the ride.

Helping me field questions on the evening will be Catherine ‘Kip’ Dorrell of Messy Vegetarian fame. As a lot of you already know, Kip’s blog is one of the best on the entire planet for creative plant-based cuisine and recipes.

Also joining us will be vegan blogging megastar and all round publishing busy person Laura Hooper Beck. Laura is probably best known to readers of this blog as the founding editor of one of the most popular (and awesome) vegan blogs out there today…. Vegansaurus!

How does the Hangout work?

If you have a Google account, head on over to the event page and sign up. Once there, you can add questions you would like our panel of vegans to answer.

If you don’t have a Google account but would still like to be involved, visit the event page as the Hangout is taking place and there will be a link for the live video stream. Anyone can watch, with or without a Google account.

Click here for the event page on Google +

Hope to see a lot of you in cyberspace!

Eat and be charitable

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I love announcements and I especially love announcements featuring a whole lot of vegan food. If the news can also contain a bit of info about a cool animal charity too, I am giggling with delight.

This month, London Vegan Potluck will be hosting a raffle on behalf of Moo Free Chocolates. The company is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for new chocolate making equipment in order to expand their business.

Any money gathered from the raffle will be added to the Kickstarter fund. Moo Free are supplying us with a selection of their delicious and tempting treats for the competition. Read about my love for Moo Free Chocolates here and here and here and here.

FGV approves
FGV approves

As Kickstarter requires fundraisers to reach their full target before collecting any of the money, Moo Free have indicated they would like the raffle funds to go to The Farm Animal Sanctuary in the instance of their target not being reached.

Find out about and donate to the Moo Free Kickstarter campaign here

Follow Moo Free on Twitter

Discover The Farm Animal Sanctuary here

Like The Farm Animal Sanctuary on Facebook

Come along to the February London Vegan Potluck. You could win some tasty vegan chocolate. You might just raise some funds for a compassionate company. There is a chance your money will support a wonderful animal sanctuary. And you are certain to eat a whole lot of delicious, homemade vegan food. Winners all round!

No horsing around

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Horsemeat fever has taken over the UK as major retailer Tesco became embroiled in a scandal concerning their beef burgers.

If you feel like being disgusted on multiple levels, check out some of the news stories and exposés surrounding this topic. It is truly disgusting. Horses and pigs rendered into powder before being added to beef burgers. Revelations that beef burgers only need to contain slightly less than 50% beef to be legally named a beef burger. Approximately ten thousand live horses are shipped out of the UK every year once they are at the end of their working lives, destined to be chopped, pulverised and rendered into ‘food’.

The horror goes on and on and on.

Thankfully for people who choose to opt out of this death and despair cycle, vegan companies such as The Redwood Wholefood Company are here to make sure tasty treats are never off the menu just because someone rejects horrific cruelty.

My life got a whole lot tastier a few days ago when I picked up the new frozen beef style pasties by Redwood from a local retailer. I must admit, lately I have been a bit skeptical of the consistency of Redwood products. For every four products I adore, there seems to be a straggler that comes along that doesn’t do them any favours. I won’t name names as I’m not here today to criticise. It’s a big food love in.

Frozen beef style pasties
Frozen beef style pasties

However, the beef style pasties are vegan food perfection. Crunchy, flaky pastry gives way to a stunning filling consisting of beef style chunks, herbs, gravy, swede and potato. I was delirious with joy. I haven’t had a pastie in a very long time and certainly can’t recall ever experiencing one as tasty as the Redwood variety.

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