Vegan

Short and sweet

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No messing about here with witty remarks. When it comes to vegan sweets, there is no time for being verbose. It gets in the way of eating.

Vegan candy from Sainsbury's

Sainsbury’s is a leading UK grocery retailer that is ever-increasing its range of vegan items. Two of the latest additions to their cruelty-free repertoire are exactly the sort of foodstuffs that keep me worthy of my name. Strawberry Lances and Strawberry Pencils are sugar delights that will do nothing for your health but plenty to satisfy cravings. I was especially  smitten with the lances. These sweet and sour straps are my new favourite candy and will definitely become a staple product in the Haus of FGV pantry.

Grab a bag (or 3) today.

When I’m with you, I feel Nakd and sacred

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I’m not opposed to eating healthy food, I just need it to be delicious as well as good for me.

Nakd gluten free and vegan bars

I love snacks. Bite-sized morsels and finger foods are always within my chubby reach. But sometimes a FGV has to show some self-control and opt for a healthy selection when shopping for in-between meals. It was this sentiment that inspired me to pick up a couple of Nakd bars. This healthy range of snacks are available in 7 flavours and are vegan, gluten free and almost all completely raw. You can choose between Cashew Cookie, Berry Delight, Cocoa Delight, Cocoa Mint, Cocoa Orange, Ginger Bread and Pecan Pie. Sound fantastic, yeah? Well, I don’t mean to be a sour cherry, but the two flavours I was tempted to purchase weren’t my style of eating at all.

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You can even bring your baby

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Sheffield has given humanity a lot. Pulp. ABC. The Human League. Heaven 17. Moloko. Def Leppard. Arctic Monkeys. Seemingly, the stream of musical output doesn’t end. But now this northern city has expanded its gift-giving into the fields of vegan food and roller derby.

Last weekend Stuart, Baby Bobby and I decided to go on a bit of a northern road trip. We packed up the car with vegan sweets and our warmest winter accessories and hit the road. It was my first trip to Sheffield and I was keen to discover what it had in store besides an eclectic musical history.

The Blue Moon Cafe in Sheffield

First up was lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe. This vegetarian eatery sits in the shadow of the main cathedral and is housed in a huge, stunning room featuring a skylight. Bobby was right at home as the cafe supplied a number of high chairs for patrons and was buzzing with babies and infants. The food is pre-made and displayed in glass cases along the counter. Most of the dishes are vegan and anything containing dairy is clearly labeled.

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My black cab rolls through the neon disease

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Vegan beer, vegan cider and a view of one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in the world. It is all available in Soho’s White Horse pub.

View of Shaftesbury Avenue from the White Horse

There are a few select places in the world that can evoke a sense of excitement, mystery or wonder by name alone. Mention Sydney and it conjures scenes of huge passenger ferries chugging past the Opera House on their way under the Harbour Bridge and beyond. Silver Lake, Los Angeles is all about vegan eateries, cruisy gay bars and California Palms reaching for a brilliant blue sky muted by pollution. Madrid is late, late nights of drinking strong drinks in bustling bars before waking just in time to exploit the siesta tradition. And then there’s London’s West End.

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Chang chang chang-it-ty chang shoo-bop

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Some things are simply destined to be together. A triple shot of vodka and a glass of cola. A ferocious hangover and oven chips with gravy. There are countless combinations of perfect matches like these examples out there.

During a recent shopping adventure, I picked up two products that seemed to scream ‘combine us’ from my grocery basket.

Linda McCartney sausage rolls

First up we have an old faithful in Linda McCartney sausage rolls. Vegans do need to be careful when purchasing from this company as some products in their range contain milk and/or egg. The sausage rolls however are suitable for a cruelty-free diet and are crispy perfection when you follow the cooking guidelines carefully. You recieve 6 per box and the frozen snacks are free from artificial preservatives and flavours. They make a quick, simple snack and are available in shops all over the UK.

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Vegan cupcake champion of the world

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From NYC to Sydney and from Barcelona to Los Angeles people just can’t get enough of a certain sweet treat. Yep, the world is obsessed with vegan cupcakes.

Cherry Dream by Ms Cupcake

As a well-travelled FGV, I have devoured my fair share of cupcakes all around the globe. I’ve dined on Babycakes in New York, slobbered over frosted sponges in Gopal, Barcelona and licked the sugar off my fingers in Loving Hut, Brisbane. Cupcakes are everywhere and I thought I had eaten the best a cupcake can get. That was until Ms. Cupcake crash landed into my life. My entire cupcake appreciation framework is being forcibly re-imagined.

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In the corner of my bar with your high heels on

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A gay-friendly pub with a no music policy and vegan booze? Welcome to The Old Red Lion, friends.

**UPDATE BELOW**

Queer and vegan friendly pub

Tucked away in a dim corner of the Leeds city centre is a pub with charm, grime, unique characters and cruelty-free alcohol. The Old Red Lion is a well-worn drinking hole branded by the Samuel Smith Brewery. If you are up to date with your FGV reading, you will know Sam Smith are responsible for some of the most delicious vegan cider, lager, ale and cherry beer you will ever guzzle. Add to this scenario a distinct lack of music, wallpaper torn and drooping, rough but friendly punters and truly hilarious conversations and you have the wondrous world of The Old Red Lion. I get giddy whenever the burly bartender calls me love as he pulls another pint of vegan cider for me.

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Shoes, shoes and shoes

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Look good, feel gorgeous in a shopping mall up north.

Vegan shoe display at The Third Estate

There is a shady looking shopping mall in Leeds called the Merrion Centre. Strolling through the front door you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back a few decades. Retro fittings and gaudy shop fronts showcase discount grocery stores and tacky accessory outlets. It’s stunning. Additionally, this mall of the fantastic and grotesque houses two of the best kept secrets in Leeds; a run down bowling alley with a full bar and Morrissey songs on the jukebox and; a clothing store called The Third Estate featuring one of the largest collection of vegan shoes I have seen in the UK.

The Third Estate is an ethically-minded retail outlet that is a dream come true for vegan shoe

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Chocolate is my drug

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Gluten free, wheat free and dairy free chocolate can be obtained by strolling into your nearest Sainsbury’s supermarket. It’s that simple.

Vegan chocolate/candy bars readily available throughout the UK

High Street grocery retailer and all round mega-chain Sainsbury’s are constantly expanding their freefrom range. These products are designed to cater for diets requiring the absence of ingredients such as egg, dairy, wheat and gluten. While not all items under this branding are suitable for vegans, you will certainly discover a few cruelty-free surprises when you browse the freefrom section.

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My name is FGV and I’m a Shake’a’holic

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Every vegan usually has a product, service or item of food they miss.

Vegan peanut butter milkshake from Shake'a'holic in Leeds

I don’t mean we aren’t committed to our cruelty-free stance, but sometimes you can find yourself daydreaming of more accessible foodstuff. How fantastic would it be to stumble out of a bar at 2am and devour a vegan kebab or a bag of chips? It is my dream to be able to walk into any pub in the world and order a pint of vegan cider. I am sure every vegan out there would have a different answer if poised with the question, but surely on demand milkshakes would rank favourably in a ‘what do you miss’ quiz.

Vegan milkshake lovers in the north of England, be prepared for this discovery. During a somewhat-hungover wander through Leeds city centre yesterday, my FGV eye was drawn to a colourful and cheery establishment known as Shake’a’holic. Being in a fragile state, I wholly intended to keep on until I spied the small print on the shop sign that sent my heart aflutter: “Ask us if you’d prefer vegan”.

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