London vegan news, reviews & events
If you have visited these pages recently, you wil be well aware of my current trip around the USA in search of vegan food.
These travels landed me in New York City, where Josh and I have been hitting up food trucks, cafes, grocery stores and restaurants all in our quest for tasty treats. Josh has decided to take the controls for this post and tell you all about our experiences with a vegetarian Thai food outlet in the East Village.
Take it away, Josh.
My previous posts detailing my vegan over eating throughout the USA were nothing compared to this installment.
Since we last spoke I have been on a food consumption journey. I ate in Bend, Oregon. I ate in Redwood forests. I ate in the rental car. I ate in the mountains. But most importantly, I ate during a three-day conference for vegan bloggers in Portland.
Hold on tight as I power through this list of vegan delights.
My consumption of vegan snacks during this trip through northern California and Oregon is nothing short of staggering.
All of the brands and products MUST be consumed as and when they catch my eye, otherwise I will return to the UK full of remorse and thoughts of ‘if only’. This over eating marathon is not simply a product of my greedy temperament, it is also a necessary process to ensure I don’t feel too depressed back in London.
Don’t laugh. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Following is a short collection of photos of the vegan snacks that have found their way into my belly over the last few days. Of course I am also eating fruit, but I assume you didn’t come here to stare at a banana.
Enjoy!
As I enjoy a short stay in the glorious city of San Francisco, I am proving beyond a shadow of a doubt why I possess the name Fat Gay Vegan.
Here is a super quick post highlighting the vegan snacks that have kept me company during my first few days in the USA. You will notice the lighting is terrible. Obviously I am photographing these snacks on the bed in a dimly-lit hotel room. Is there any other way to overeat in solitude?
Enjoy the photos and if you are a food importer in the UK, I want all of these available by the time I get back.
When you put a lot of time and effort into something, it’s nice to get some recognition. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy, right?
I have been plugging away at this blog and its associated activities for two and a half years. How time flies when you are guilt-tripping yourself into meeting self-imposed publication dates. Seriously though, I feel I have been consistent in sharing my thoughts on vegan food, products and events throughout the UK and the world. I’m proud of this little corner of the Internet.
It would seem the pride I have in my own abilities isn’t completely unfounded as my blog has been nominated for an award.
VegfestUK is a series of huge vegan festivals that take place in Brighton, Bristol (happening this weekend May 24-26, 2013) and London. Running for ten years, the events are a celebration of all things plant-based and are hugely popular outings for vegans and non-vegans alike.
To celebrate their tenth year, VegfestUK organisers want to recognise vegan businesses, personalities and products with their own award show. Thankfully, they have included a vegan blog category meaning I was able to sneak in with a nomination.
Please visit the voting page and pop a little tick next to my name (if you feel I deserve it). If you do vote for my blog, please let me know in the comments section below. I would like to include you in my acceptance speech at the award ceremony taking place in London this October.*
*This might not happen in reality
Read to the end for a free Ms. Cupcake recipe!
I thought sitting down to write a blog post about the release of the Ms. Cupcake cookbook would be a simple process that involved reviewing the book, saying how much I adore her food and sticking in a few photos.
However, on reflection the idea of simply talking about the book as just another collection of recipes seemed beyond insufficient. This book acts as distinct marker in the timeline of vegan London and Mellissa Morgan is more than a mere cupcake maker. She has been one of the guiding forces in the veganisation of the UK capital and walks at the forefront of a plant-based wave sweeping the country.
No, this isn’t just a cookbook. It is historical evidence of how an independent baker helped change the way London and the UK think about veganism.
The story of the rise of Ms. Cupcake is especially poignant and personal for me. It wasn’t long after I started this blog that Mellissa moved her well-loved market stall business into her very own bakery on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton. It was the story about this move that went on to become one of the most read posts of all time on my blog.
When I had the idea of creating London Vegan Potluck, it was Mellissa and the Ms. Cupcake crew who welcomed my crazy idea with open arms. The potluck has since moved to larger premises, but I will never forget or take for granted what the bakery did for me and my event. Mellissa’s commitment to the vegan community in London helped me create one of the most enduring and loved social events in the country.
The Ms. Cupcake bakery is a focal point for vegan London. The rise of such a successful vegan business lit a spark that has grown to an inferno and inspired all manner of events, food providers and support networks. Many of the people who work or have worked in the bakery have become my dear friends. The cookbook tells Mellissa’s story and the recipes are testament to her creativity and persistence, but it also acts as reminder for vegans everywhere how we can change the world around us if we decide to act.
Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you would like to know how to create mouthwatering cookies, cupcakes, muffins and loaves. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want a invaluable guide to vegan icing, stockists and methods. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you enjoy owning recipe books brimming with colourful and stylish artwork and photos. But most importantly, buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want to own a piece of the story of how London truly became an international vegan city.
Order now online from Amazon.
As a special treat, Ms. Cupcake and her publisher have given me permission to include the following recipe taken from the new book. I followed the easy recipe to make my own batch of Nanaimo bars and the process was completely hassle-free, even for a non-baker like me.
My whole thing is vegan junk food, so it might surprise some of you to know I actually enjoy eating raw snacks and meals.
The problem is, however, I don’t know how to prepare a decent raw meal for myself. Of course I can make a salad or fruit platter, but I’m talking about raw creations that are inventive, delicious and well-balanced.
If you are like me and lack confidence in your skills as a raw food creator and would like to know how to improve, you will be interested to know you can win a high quality raw cook book from one of the most-respected people in the field.
Read on to enter!
I understand I can be somewhat dramatic at times, but my blog isn’t just a place to share factual information in a calm and level manner. The food reviews on here would be nowhere near as enticing without my verbose posturing and over-the-top declarations of love for newly-discovered vegan eats.
My hope is this enthusiasm appears balanced and you can tell that when I say something is fabulous, it really means I think it is fabulous. I know I can be taken by positive histrionics when I love something, but I am also capable of dishing the dirt when I feel a product or restaurant isn’t up to scratch. This honesty hopefully makes me believable.
With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the best vegan restaurant I have experienced in Europe.
One of my favourite places on the planet is Mexico. I adore the people I have met in Mexico. I love the flavours used to enhance food. The countryside is mesmerising and I am obsessed with the dynamic energy of Mexico City. It is one of the only locations on Earth where I feel completely at ease.
Given my acute fondness for the country and culture, you can imagine how distant Mexico feels from my current home in London. Thankfully, there is a company doing their very best to make sure I get an authentic taste of Mexico right here in the UK.
Please rise for the Cool Chile Company.
I was recently invited to visit the Cool Chile factory in North London and what I witnessed was enough to bring a rumble to the belly of even a well-seasoned foodie like myself. The premises were stacked floor to ceiling with the most mouth-watering spices and condiments this side of Xalapa. Chipotles were whole, diced, powdered, tinned, bagged and presented in almost any way you can imagine. You think of any Mexican ingredient and rest assured the Cool Chile Company have got you covered.
But surely the crowning glory of the company is the stunning piece of equipment they call El Monstruo. This wondrous example of engineering is responsible for the staple of all Mexican cuisine. The tortilla.
El Monstruo works like an independent tortilla factory. It takes the dried masa harina, mixes it into dough, presses and cuts the tortillas before cooking them on a long chain conveyor belt that loops back on itself inside the giant machine.
Workers collect the finished product at the end, weigh the bundles and shrink pack them for greedy consumers just like me. The machine works at the output of 3500 tortillas an hour and chugs away five days a week. That’s a lot of tortillas.
I have not been able to source any other corn tortillas in the UK and even with that fact aside, the Cool Chile Company tortillas are some of the best I have consumed anywhere. We use them frequently in my kitchen and they even took pride of place at my Mexican supper club last year.
If you bulk buy from one food company this year, I couldn’t recommend highly enough that you make it Cool Chile Company. From their corn tortillas to their easy black bean soup mix, the company has everything you need to make delicious and authentic Mexican food.
Shop online via the Cool Chile Website
Visit their stall at Borough Market
Follow Cool Chile Company on Twitter
After I visit a city, it always takes me a long time to work through all the food I consumed and convert the tasty memories into blog posts. I have that well-known vegan condition that involves eating every single possible vegan dish available to me during a vacation. Almost like I’ve never seen food before. What’s wrong with us?
My recent Edinburgh trip was no different. Working out where vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner were to be enjoyed took precedence over getting to the castle or visiting the museum. The walks along the Royal Mile or down historic closes were planned with precision to ensure vegan food options took centre stage throughout my time in Edinburgh.
In addition to my baked potato experience, one of the most memorable frenzied pit stops for food involved vegan fudge. Thick, creamy and irresistible vegan fudge. The Fudge Kitchen located on the Royal Mile isn’t a vegan food outlet but they certainly know how to make plant-based eaters feel welcome.
The store has at least one vegan fudge option on show each day. My visit coincided with the overwhelmingly-scrumptious toffee variety made with soya cream.
I am trying to be a less food-driven tourist. Not as many of my trips are planned around the food available at the destination but it will be a long while until I am comfortable moving through a town without devouring every vegan dish on offer.
Find all Fudge Kitchen UK locations online
Follow Fudge Kitchen on Twitter
Like Fudge Kitchen on Facebook