Argyll’s first vegan fair

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In case you still doubt the march of veganism, please take note that the region of Argyll in Scotland is set to host its first ever vegan fair in May 2018.

Taking place in the town of Oban, Argyll’s First Wee Vegan Fair is going to see the best of the region’s plant based lifestyle and food businesses under one roof.

The May 19 event boasts free entry and will feature food, clothing, entertainment, personal care products, information stalls, and more.

Superstar vegan cheese company Bute Island Foods (makers of Sheese) will be supplying samples and action group Go Vegan Scotland will be on hand to raise awareness of their campaigns.

To keep updated with all the news related to the fair, follow the official Facebook page.

Gorgeous pop up event for London

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Do you know Greedy Khao?

If you do, you will understand that this pop up event is not to be missed.

If you are unfamiliar, this March 31 food event is the perfect opportunity to get acquainted.

‘A Plant-Powered Journey through Thailand’ will take diners on a culinary tour from the Southern provinces, famous for seafood and spiciness, through the melting pot of Bangkok, and up to the fresh, zesty North East.

Faai of Greedy Khao says, “North Eastern (Isaan) Thai food has seen increased popularity in recent years, so we want to shed the spotlight on some of Thailand’s other regions, while proving that vegan Thai food can be just as bold, complex, and moreish as its meaty alternative”.

They have the tickets up on Eventbrite (here) so get buying. Don’t miss out!

LA book reading

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This is a super quick post to say thank you to everyone who came along to my book reading event at Stories book store in Los Angeles this week.

It was a wonderful feeling to see so many happy faces and we enjoyed some truly fantastic conversations.

It has been a dream of mine to have a book out but I never thought I would be presenting it to such wonderful people in a store in Echo Park. I’m still smiling.

It was also exciting for me to find copies of my book available in legendary book store Book Soup in West Hollywood.

This shop is one of the most loved and famous places for books in LA, so I am truly honoured to be in there.

If you are in LA, please visit either of these independent book stores and help keep them alive!

Lord of the Fries goes vegan

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Legendary Australian and New Zealand fast food chain Lord of the Fries has just announced that ALL of their outlets are now fully vegan.

This is absolutely huge news.

I’ve spent a few drunken nights chomping into their luscious fries and nuggets in Melbourne and in my absence from Australia, the chain has grown and grown.

Lord of the Fries now has outlets all over including two in Sydney, nine (!!!) around Victoria, solo stores in Parramatta, Perth, Glenelg, Adelaide and the Gold Coast plus two more over the water in Auckland, New Zealand.

This place is unstoppable and now it is fully vegan. Burgers, fries, nuggets, hot dogs, breakfast items, shakes and more are ALL VEGAN.

Follow Lord of the Fries on Instagram.

Vegan meat in Tesco

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Superstar vegan meat brand Oumph from Sweden has finally secured a huge retail deal in the UK and us plant-eaters are celebrating.

You’ll need to check back here later this week for finer details but what I know for the moment is that Oumph will be available in 400 Tesco stores around the UK.

This is gigantic news.

This is one of the finest vegan meat products on the market.

I was fortunate to attend the UK launch last year and was blown away by the versatile nature of the food.

Follow Oumph on Instagram to stay updated on the Tesco news and get ready for some good eating. See the full Oumph range online.

UK vegan food businesses head to LA

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The HUGE Eat Drink Vegan beer, food and wine event that takes place in Los Angeles each year is simply legendary.

What started in a parking lot in West Hollywood as the Los Angeles Vegan Beer and Food Festival (the inspiration for our little old beer events in the UK, BTW) is now a super-sized mega event held at the Rose Bowl once a year.

If you ever have the chance to get along to this event, it is mind blowing and you should do it. It is taking place on May 26 in 2018 so you still have time to plan your trip.

For extra incentive, the food line up this year (which usually runs to about 100 food businesses!) includes some of our favourite UK traders as well.

Included in the line up:

I’m super thrilled to see these businesses invited to trade at what is surely the most fabulous and respected vegan event on the planet.

All of these people above have worked relentlessly to promote veganism and have shown deep kindness, commitment and love for our vegan community in the UK.

They deserve their place in the sun.

Click here to get all the info on Eat Drink Vegan and follow the event on Instagram.

New vegan products for the UK

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I’m currently in Anaheim, California attending a massive food trade show.

ExpoWest is the biggest event of its kind that I’ve ever seen and the number of new vegan products on show is staggering.

I’ll be doing a full wrap up post soon but there is some news I discovered here that just can’t wait.

Follow Your Heart showed me the three new products they are set to launch into the UK this year.

They include Medium Cheddar Style Slices, Garlic Aioli Vegenaise, and Vegan Coleslaw Dressing.

That aioli is next level amazing and I just know it is going to be a smash hit when it arrives in May.

Another exciting product set for UK shores is the Violife feta. I didn’t quite catch the arrival date but let me assure you it will be worth the wait.

Are you excited for these new vegan goodies?

New at Ms Cupcake

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The crew at Ms Cupcake never stop working to bring you new seasonal treats and this delight they have launched today looks exquisite.

Say hello to the Jam Doughnut Muffin!

I think they should call it a duffin.

So, it’s like a muffin and a jam filled doughnut?!

That’s my kind of hybrid!

In case you don’t know, Ms Cupcake is an absolutely old school legendary vegan business in London ad was the first all-vegan bakery.

The store has been going from strength to strength over the years and the business has even expanded to include sales of packaged cupcakes in Whole Foods Market stores and a home delivery service for online orders.

Check out the Ms Cupcake website for more info and follow them on Instagram.

Vegan in Earlsfield

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If you think all the best London vegan food is in Hackney, I’m about to hip you to some news you can use.

Say hello to Amrutha Lounge.

Amrutha started life as a mobile food truck (which I wrote about here) but recently opened this permanent eatery in Earlsfield, SW London.

What do the founders say about their food?

Innovative vegan dishes and heart-warming classics are lovingly prepared on the premises by our chefs on a daily basis. The food is made from scratch with an emphasis on taking simple ingredients and elevating them to extraordinary levels, that’s our version of ‘Vegan Soul Food’.

You can follow Amrutha on Instagram. See the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Now, let’s check out some food shots.

Vegan food in Tynemouth

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I absolutely love when independent vegan businesses reach out to me in order to let me know what they do.

How else am I supposed to find out stuff?!

Check out this fabulous story sent to me by Jo and Matt of Square Roots in the northern England town of Tynemouth:

We are Jo and Matt (wife and husband team) and Square Roots was born in November 2015. Matt started off baking square muffins packed with vegetables which were really popular and were vegetarian. Then a friend of ours asked if we had ever thought of creating vegan dishes. At the time we knew nothing about veganism so the research began.

We are so pleased that we did. There is no going back for us now as we are now both vegan and it’s fantastic to see more and more people waking up to the horrors of what goes on in the meat, fish and dairy industries. Square Roots is now 100% vegan and loving it.

We are passionate about using more planet friendly packaging. We have had so much support from fellow vegans (and non-vegans too).

We trade at Tynemouth Weekend Market and are starting to supply cafes, too. We are also converting an old horse trailer and will soon be selling vegan friendly alcohol. Oh… we are also in the process of offering a mid-week three-course meal delivery service in our local area which is very exciting.

This is absolutely fabulous news for the vegan and vegan-curious of Tynemouth.

Follow Square Roots on Instagram.