New vegan spot for London

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I’m trying with all my might, but I simply cannot keep on top of all this vegan news coming out of London.

I’m happy to let you know about a 100% vegan juice bar and plant-based café in (where else?!) East London.

This isn’t technically the first time I have mentioned MOTHER of Hackney Wick but it is the very first time I am celebrating some of their gorgeous food and drink photos.

Check this out:

Recipe testing – say no more. #independentmakersmakingadifference

A post shared by MOTHER (@mother.works) on

MOTHER – everyday we take the best natural ingredients and create delicious food and drink.

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So enticing!

You can click here to see the exact location of MOTHER thanks to Google Maps.

You should also follow MOTHER on Instagram and Facebook.

Truffle Pig in Sheffield

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Here’s a snappy little post to get you acquainted with a cute-as-a-button treat business called Truffle Pig.

This Sheffield-based chocolate artist has so many reasons why I think you should be excited by her, I’ve gone ahead and listed them:

  • Truffle Pig founder Lily has dedicated the business to her chocolate-loving Nanna, Doris Gaskill
  • Lily is a musician and roller derby athlete
  • DIY underpins pretty much all she does
  • A portion of profits from Truffle Pig is donated to animal charities

OK. I’ve sung Lily’s praises enough and you wanna see the good stuff, right?

Well, before I post some tasty photos I want you to know you can order these handcrafted delights online from Lily directly. Get to the Truffle Pig website to shop for delights that will be posted straight to you!

A post shared by Truffle Pig (@trufflepigvegan) on

A post shared by Truffle Pig (@trufflepigvegan) on


It all looks superb. Did you see that chocolate bar with crunchy golden pieces?!

Follow Truffle Pig on Facebook and Instagram for all the glorious photos and for info on where Lily will be trading in Sheffield and further afield.

And for the love of vegan independent business run by rad people, buy some truffles online now!

What’s up, Manchester?

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Have you noticed the vegan revolution taking place in Manchester?

The city is being swept up in a plant-based frenzy, so I thought I would tell you about five vegan places I think you NEED to know about in the Northern city.

Let’s take a look.

#1 Unicorn Grocery – this legendary workers cooperative has been serving animal-free groceries, produce, household products, deli items and more for decades. If you have never stepped inside, do yourself a favour soon. It’s the UK’s original vegan supermarket.


#2 V-REV Vegan Diner – what’s left to say about this beyond-fucking-righteous diner with the finest junk food you’ll find in the UK? They care about animals. They care about people. They tell fascists to fuck off. They pay Living Wage. I love them.

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#3 Teatime Collective – this café is a hidden gem in Hulme, nestled away in a nondescript park. The chick’n sandwich I devoured here was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten and top marks for leading the charge of vegan ice cream parlours in the area!


#4 Ice Shack – this dessert parlour is a recent vegan convert and is electrifying Withington Village with LOTS of ice cream flavours, including one named after Fat Gay Vegan! Enjoy a milkshake, enjoy some cake. Ice Shack has it all.

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#5 Manchester Vegan Beer Fest – I know this is a bit cheeky as it’s one of mine mine but last year almost 1,000 people descended upon the first ever Manchester version of this event. It is back bigger and extremely better on September 16, 2017. Manchester, you had a lot of fun last year so I’m super-sizing it in 2017 because I adore you so very much. There will be plenty of beer and some surprise food vendors. RSVP to the Facebook event page to stay updated for ticket information.


What else would you recommend in Manchester? I know Aladdin’s has recently gone vegan but I’ve yet to try it. Any other 100% plant-based wonders around the city?

More vegan options in Hackney

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If you find yourself struggling to find something vegan to eat in Hackney (HA!!!!!!), you might decide to make your way to this new(ish) vegetarian café where you find a whole lot of vegan options.

Say g’day to Lele’s on Lower Clapton Road.

I’m not sure why a vegetarian business with a handful of animal-derived ingredients wouldn’t just launch as vegan instead, especially in Hackney. It seems so much easier to get press and attentions as a vegan place, too. Lele’s is going to have a tough time drawing the plant-eaters away from 100% vegan Black Cat and Temple of Hackney, which are both within strolling distance.

Anyway, my job is to show you the vegan food and where to find it so take a look at this scrumptious food.

A post shared by LELE’S 🌱 (@leles_london) on

A post shared by LELE’S 🌱 (@leles_london) on

A post shared by LELE’S 🌱 (@leles_london) on

Click here to see the exact location of Lele’s thanks to Google Maps.

You can follow Lele’s on Instagram.

Extra note: I’m not just talking shit about vegetarianism for fun. Click here to read my blog about why vegetarian isn’t really that much of a compassionate choice.

New treats from Vegan Tuck Box

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Here’s a fab new idea from decadent subscription box heroes, Vegan Tuck Box.

While their regular subscription and available-to-buy-just-once boxes are always packed solid with amazing treats, you have to take the risk that nobody will steal it if left on your doorstep or be on the safe side by arranging someone to be in for collection.

Vegan Tuck Box has found a way around this dilemma by creating a box that fits through a standard UK letterbox.

Check out the new Letterbox Snacks box below.

Each box comes with between five and six snacks, including a tea bag!

The snacks will rotate each month depending what Vegan Tuck Box have in stock.

This would be a fabulous surprise for a loved one or someone you are giving a vegan nudge. They don’t even need to be in for delivery and will get a thrill on arriving home.

Have I forgotten the best part of this lovely box?

It costs only £5. FIVE POUNDS!

Click here to order one (or more) right this very second and be sure to snoop around their site to see what else Vegan Tuck Box has on offer.

Leicester gets into the community spirit

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As someone who puts a lot of time and effort into running community events, I love hearing about other activists undertaking similar projects in their areas.

Take the Leicester Vegan Community, for example.

This group is a not-for-profit collection of local vegans who promote veganism through a series of special events, markets, meetups and fairs.

Their events have a no-fee policy for vegan charities and are powered by the strength of local volunteers.

The next big event on the Leicester Vegan Community calendar is the third edition of Leicester Vegan Market coming up on Sunday June 11, 2017.

This is a totally vegan takeover of Leicester’s market space, so it will be well worth the journey if you are in the surrounding area.

Like the Leicester Vegan Community group on Facebook and RSVP to the market Facebook event.

And for the love of carrots, get inspired by these humans and start this sort of thing in your area!

Vegan pop up in City pub

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Hey London.

As if you didn’t have enough amazing vegan food options already!

Check out this wonderful plant-based bonanza happening for just one night only in a gorgeous pub situated a few blocks north of The City of London and just below Old Street.

Kristóf Steiner is a chef from Budapest who has lived and cooked in Tel Aviv for many years, as well as running a food truck in Hungary.

Now it’s London’s turn to sample some exquisite cuisine handcrafted by Kristóf at this exclusive event at The Windmill in the City gastro pub on Saturday May 6, 2017.

The mouthwatering menu for this special pop up is as follows:

  • Mini burger in my gluten free soda bun, with sweet corn patty, avocado, and home made spicy mayo, with the perfect, crispy fries and home made ketchup
  • Aubergine shepherd’s pie topped with root veggies mash, served with green salad with beets and cherry tomatoes, with “vegan cottage”
  • Cashew baked cheesecake with salty caramel sauce

Tickets are available right now by clicking here.

You can also RSVP and invite friends via the Facebook event page.

Enjoy!

Brookie now available in London

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Ms Cupcake is one of the true pioneering vegan businesses in London, so it makes perfect sense for them to be the first place to launch the vegan Brookie.

If you don’t keep up with delicious, faddish vegan food trends, you might not know that a Brookie is a brownie with a cookie baked on top.

The Ms Cupcake version launched today (May 3, 2017) so you you best get down to the Brixton bakery ASAP if you want to be one of the first people to sink your teeth into a Brookie.

Wanna see the Ms Cupcake Brookie?

Check it out!

Sounds like a treat that I would appreciate. Yay for the Brookie!

If you are in the UK, you can order online here.

You can follow Ms Cupcake on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Vegan Cheese Revolution at Orchard Grocer, NYC

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You may have seen my post from last week about all the amazing vegan food that I sampled in New York City during my 48-hour visit earlier this year… but there was one place that was so impressive that it deserved a blog post of its very own!

Orchard Grocer in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is one of the best-stocked vegan stores I’ve ever been to in my life, which just happens to share a retail space with a vegan shoe shop. It is filled to the brim with incredible products that are hard to find anywhere else. I was so full from my previous eating that I didn’t even get to try the house-made sandwiches but I’ve heard REALLY good things about them from others. Anyway, enough chit-chat… check out these photos:

Orchard Grocer, NYC

It was so overwhelming seeing this many incredible vegan products in one spot. Check out my Instagram video of the cheese selection:

My visit to @orchardgrocer in #NYC earlier this year #vegan #vegancheese #vegannyc

A post shared by joshleuner (@joshleuner) on

For those who have visited Moo Shoes in NYC previously, you’ll be interested to know that Orchard Grocer actually takes up half of the store. Moo Shoes is now using just half of its original space while Orchard Grocer takes up the rest. Read more about Orchard Grocer on their website and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Happy drooling!

Another online vegan shop for the UK

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Dear UK vegans. You are getting too much choice.

I’ve recently posted about Greenbay of London launching their online shop, as well as Veganubi.

Now Plymouth-based vegan grocery store Ethica has joined the party and you can order plant-based groceries from them for delivery anywhere in the UK.

Just visited this super awesome 100% #vegan grocery shop in Plymouth. Yay for Ethica!

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What I love about the Ethica online shop is the sustainable policy underpinning everything.

Check out the following statement on the Ethica website:

We’re really conscious of making our packing process as eco friendly as possible.

All of our boxes that we send out are re-used. They’ll either be ones we’ve been sent by our suppliers or, when we run out, we buy in used boxes and give them a second life (so no new material or energy has gone into producing them!).

We’ll also never send out any packaging material that isn’t completely biodegradable. All materials are either 100% recycled paper/cardboard or wheat based degradable nuggets (for cushioning). Even our packing tape is made from just paper and starch, so no non-biodegradable acrylics or PVC!

As we’ve just started our online ordering, we’re pretty limited with our post options but as soon as we can we’ll be switching to a carbon neutral courier!

Click here to get shopping now (orders over £50 won’t cost a penny in shipping) and follow Ethica on Facebook and Instagram.

And of course visit the physical shop when you are in Plymouth.