These videos are happening daily to help keep our spirits up within the vegan community and draw attention to independent businesses that are struggling, charities that need our help, and musicians that need support.
Links for everything I mention are below.
Check out this GOOD NEWS story about food outreach being undertaken by a vegan business in Tennessee: https://tinyurl.com/vpat2dg
Hi all. Fat Gay Vegan back again with another video to try and keep spirits high within the vegan community AND draw your attention to independent businesses and charities that need our support.
Links are below for everything I discuss. Please add your own links and suggestions in the comments.
Unicorn Grocery is a vegan coop supermarket in Manchester. They now have special opening time slots for 70+ and vulnerable people. Support this vegan business: https://www.unicorn-grocery.coop/
Here I am with Day 2 of my reach out video series during the global pandemic. These videos are to foster a sense of community for vegans around the world and to bring attention to some of the independent businesses, charities, and even bands that could use our help.
Please use the links below for all the mentions from the video:
Bandcamp is a place to buy and stream music by independent bands. The platform is waiving their revenue share on Friday March 20. Buy music if you can afford it: https://bandcamp.com/
I’m watching a wonderful series on Netflix called Gentefied. I love it. Give it a try!
Support Vegan Business hub created to provide information and advice during Coronavirus pandemic
As the UK government encourages people to self-isolate and avoid restaurants and bars, the hospitality industry is suffering. This is a particularly difficult time for small, independent young businesses, especially vegan businesses which already face the pressure of having a niche offering and a lack of contingency funds to support them in difficult times.
The BRIGHT Club has created a dedicated Support Vegan Business Hub on www.thebrightclub.co which features regular updates and information for businesses and staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The #supportveganbusiness campaign started in 2017 by BRIGHT Zine to support the vegan industry is now specifically focused on how the industry can face the adversity caused by Coronavirus. The hub was launched on Instagram earlier this morning (Wed 18 March).
Other actions taken to Support Vegan Businesses include:
A group of over 50 London-based vegan business owners and influencers has been created to share information and support across the sector that is facing adversity.
A petition has been started by Clare Every (@thelittlelondonvegan) for Deliveroo to cut commission during this time.
A lot of vegan businesses are on the brink of collapse therefore it is vital that consumers support them in whichever way possible. Most food businesses are currently operating delivery and collection services as well as providing vouchers and pay it forward schemes to support the more vulnerable in our communities.
Others ways to support vegan businesses include:
Order delivery or collection from them.
Share your favourite food businesses online and encourage people to continue to support them now and in the future. Use the Support Vegan Business graphic from Bright Zine to draw attention to this campaign.
Donate to local food banks and organisations that support communities including:
Lifeafterhummus who will donating their surplus to those in need if they cannot provide free community cooking classes.
People’s Kitchen who have paused surplus meals but are supporting their local food bank and looking for volunteers to help out in other initiatives or to share recipes and food stories.
Follow the Bright Zine/Support Vegan Business Hub on Instagram.
Vegans. This is your chance to use your compassionate shopping powers for good.
It is emergency time for legendary London vegan bakery, Ms. Cupcake.
As I mentioned a short while ago on my blog, the UK’s first 100% vegan bakery has decided to shut doors forever. If you missed it, you can read my emotional post online here.
Mellissa Morgan and the Ms. Cupcake business have been on the frontline of veganism for a decade and without her efforts, we would have experienced a very different march forward.
Mellissa pushed boundaries as an independent vegan business owner and showed just how much demand there was for plant based foods. Being inundated with vegan food in 2020 is thanks to pioneers just like Ms. Cupcake.
So they are shutting down, but there has been even more devastating news for the bakery and Mellissa just two weeks out from closing date.
The business was booked to appear at the huge Vegan Life Live show in London this weekend (March 14 and 15, 2020) but with last minute notice, the vegan mega show was cancelled due to concerns about large events contributing to the spread of coronavirus.
While this was obviously an extremely tough decision for the show organisers, this has left Mellissa and her vegan bakery holding thousands and thousands of pounds worth of extra stock that was destined to be sold at the show.
Mellissa told me:
We are desperately trying to close on a positive note, but the idea of all of these products going to waste is heart wrenching for the whole team who has been working so hard. Financially, it is quite disastrous for our small business.
Vegans, this is where we need to do one last act of support and compassion for someone who has done so much for us.
Go the the Ms. Cupcake website NOW and up until March 20, 2020 and order delicious vegan cakes and treats to be delivered to your home or office.
You can choose from four categories of sweetness:
Vegan tray bakes
Vegan cookie sandwiches
Vegan brownies
Vegan American-style cookies
Click here NOW to buy one last big bundle of vegan goodies from this legendary vegan business. Help them go out on a high and with a few less bills!
Buy treats for your home, your workplace, a neighbour, a loved one, someone you are trying to expose to veganism, and most importantly for yourself.
If we can join forces to send as much love and cash in the direction of the Ms. Cupcake bakery as possible, we might just be able to help them have a smile on their faces as the doors shut for the final time.
Order from the online store now or before March 20, 2020 for delivery in the UK or for collection in store.
If you can make it along to the shop in Brixton before it closes, please note they have extended their opening times to include Mondays. This means they will be open EVERY SINGLE DAY until March 29, 2020.
Extra note: you can also order a signed copy of the best-selling Ms. Cupcake recipe book. Already got it? Click here to order another. They make great gifts.
Oumph! is launching two new fabulous products into Swedish supermarkets from March 16, 2020 with a UK and Ireland launch taking place later in the year.
The Oumph! Banger and Oumph! Smoky Bits are about to hit the shelves and they are highly anticipated. Especially by me!
“Our aim is that The Oumph! Banger and Oumph! Smoky Bits will raise the bar for the plant-based category in Sweden”, says Victoria Norviit, Brand and Category Manager at Oumph! and Food for Progress.
“The Oumph! Banger is a unique plant-based sausage for the next generation of products. The Oumph! Banger has been created combining traditional sausage making, craftsmanship and innovation with state of the art techniques”.
The Oumph! Banger is made from soya beans. It has a smokiness which means it works well as a hotdog, or in pasta dishes and stews. The sausage casing is made from algae and has the crisp bite you’d expect from a good sausage casing.
The Oumph! Banger is suitable for frying, cooking in the oven, barbecuing or grilling on an open fire.
Oumph! Smoky Bits is a wheat based product which is suitable to fry and serve in plant-based carbonara dishes, pies, omelettes and range of other dishes.
“Oumph! Smoky Bits is a versatile product for anyone who’s been looking for a really good plant-based alternative to bacon or ham, and it’s works in a range of classic dishes, such as pasta, or for other breakfast, lunch, dinner and party food occasions”, says Hans Mathiason, Head of Taste and Texture at Oumph! and Food for Progress.
The Oumph! Banger and Smoky Bits are sold frozen, and are available in Swedish supermarket chains ICA and City Gross from the week commencing March 16, 2020.
Stay watching for UK and Ireland distribution news soon.
On Monday March 23, 2020 Club Mexicana, the home of Mexican and Californian inspired street food, is opening the doors to its very first restaurant.
Five years on from their street food beginnings, following a successful Hackney residency and the launch of The Spread Eagle (London’s first 100% vegan pub), founder Meriel Armitage and her team are beginning an exciting new chapter amidst the hustle and bustle of Soho.
Inspired by the street side taquerias of Los Angeles and Mexico City, Club Mexicana will dedicate itself to a concise menu of expertly-made tacos and small plates, designed to be enjoyed with a margarita (or two) in hand.
Guests can watch the open kitchen hard at work, as Meriel and her team slice into the star of the show: a sizzling vegan al pastor trompo (or spit) made in-house from seitan, smothered in Meriel’s homemade marinade with tropical favours from the fresh pineapple that sits on top of the spike.
The menu will feature cult favourites such as the beer battered Tofish Taco and the Cheezeburger Taco loaded up with ‘beef’ burger, red pepper queso, dill pickle and annatto mayo. New dishes will see the Al Pastor taco with shawarma style ‘pork’ from the trompo with charred pineapple, salsa verde, onion and coriander, and punched potatoes with chipotle mayo, spring onions and sea salt.
For those looking to feast, Club Mexicana will be slinging nachos, tostadas and its new Queso Flameado – essentially a Mexican fondue of gooey melted vegan cheese topped with spicy ‘chorizo’, ready to be dipped into.
There’s also a line-up of Club Mexicana’s much-loved burritos, including the Jackfruit carnitas burrito loaded with salsa verde, pink onions, pico de gallo, sour cream, salsa negra and chipotle oil.
For something sweet, guests will be invited to take their pick from blood orange granita with a hint of margarita, rich chocolate mousse or a deep-fried ice cream sandwich from Happy Endings.
To counter the heat, the bar will shake up a curated menu of cocktails, wines, and Mexican beers. Guests can grab a stool for chilled margaritas from East London drinks company black-lines and grapefruit Palomas poured on tap, or opt for a true taste of Mexico with something spicier like the beer-led CM Chelada and pickle juice-spiked Michelada. Club Mexicana’s favourite frozen margaritas, a collaboration with Square Root Soda, can be ordered in classic sour lime, pink hibiscus, or juicy agua fresca.
Interiors will be decorated with Club Mexicana’s signature tropical neon pink signs and bold colour-pop artwork. The stool-lined bar is the perfect spot for a cocktail and a quick bite, while tables and chairs that have been sourced from young emerging London-based producers and craftpeople will invite diners to keep those tacos coming. When the days get warmer, guests can also grab one of the outdoor tables to soak up the sunshine with tacos and a few chilled Mexican beers.
Meriel says, “We’re so excited to open our very first restaurant in the heart of Soho. We’re looking forward to doing what Club Mexicana does best – great vibes, lots of tacos and banging cocktails. We’ll be dishing up more tacos than ever before, as well as our biggest street food hits and favourite dishes. It’s going to be a lot of fun!”
“We are delighted to welcome Club Mexicana to Carnaby’s food hub, Kingly Court. The Mexican-Californian inspired vegan street food restaurant will enhance Carnaby’s ever-increasing, global dining offering,” says Shelley Webb, Head of Group Residential & Kingly Court.
Club Mexicana at Kingly Court will open on Monday March 23, 2020.
You can see the exact location of Kingly Court online thanks to Google Maps.
Have you seen this incredible vegan comfort food spot in Jacksonville, Florida?
Murray Hillbilly is a much-loved independent vegan restaurant in the Murray Hill neighbourhood of Jacksonville, a city that sits about 5-hours drive time north of Miami.
I don’t know a lot about Jacksonville, except that the major sports team is called the Jaguars and I only know that fact because it was mentioned many times by a character on drama/comedy series The Good Place.
However, I am starting to get a lot more interested in Jacksonville thanks to the food photos coming out from Murray Hillbilly.
This multi-award winning restaurant opened in late 2017 and has since built up a huge number of loyal locals who can’t get enough of their cuisine.
My friend Steven and his husband Nate live in Jacksonville and can’t say enough great things about this place. In particular, they rave about the weekend brunch.
I need to visit soon. For food and friends.
You can see the exact location of Murray Hillbilly online thanks to Google Maps. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
