Listen to my book cheaply

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It has been over three years since my very first book was published, so I thought it might be a good time to revisit and take stock of where things stand with the paperback. My little baby is all grown up.

Happy 3rd birthday to Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t.

It had been a dream of mine to publish a book ever since I was a child. I grew up in a family with not a lot of money and books were my only escape. It was pre-Internet and pre-cable TV, so most of my education of the world came from books.

The day I opened my email account as a chubby, hairy adult pushing middle age to find an invitation to meet with Nourish Books was a wonderful day.

The months after I signed my contract were a whirl. I was writing so much. Daily word count targets kept me on my toes and I loved the journey of mapping chapters and filling in the framework of the book.

I think the writing process took more or less six months and then there was a few ‘colourful’ discussions with my copy editor in order to beat the text into a presentable final product.

I loved seeing the cover take shape ( I asked for the colours to be gayer) and when the book was finally in the world, I took it on a mini book tour which included a reading in Los Angeles.

The UK mini tour was fabulous fun and I was blown away by how many people showed up to the Coventry stop. We even had the BBC on hand to interview me and some of the attendees for a radio show on veganism.

One memory that will stay with me always is getting to present the book and take questions at the event at Stories bookstore and cafe in Echo Park, Los Angeles. Standing up in front of a few dozen people in a courtyard in California to chat about a book with my name on the cover really happened!

Another highlight of my book experience was being asked to record the audio book version in my own voice.

Two full days in a Central London recording studio left me with a sore throat and plenty of unforgettable memories. My producer regaled me with stories of famous people he had recorded in the past and I was chuffed to discover insider tips, gossip, and secrets.

And what about all the money I made? That wasn’t really the case, but I’m happy enough with that part of the process. The desire to spread my message of compassion was my main drive.

I was paid a small (but typical) advance to write the book. It wasn’t a lot of money (let’s just say my understanding is that first time authors get paid an advance between £1,500 and £2,500 usually and mine was within that range) and my contract stipulated I couldn’t earn any further royalties until my advance was recouped.

Recouping that investment doesn’t sound too tough, right?

The tricky part is that my advance needed to be repaid from MY share of profits on each copy sold. This amounts to a few pennies per book.

Three years later and I just got word that my advance has been paid back in full! If for any reason my book climbs to the top of the best sellers list, I’m going to get some cash. I won’t plan my future around it but it’s nice to think it COULD happen. Maybe! LOL

The audio version of my book is currently number 670,364 in the Audible chart and 496,762 on the regular Amazon book chart. If you want to help me inch a little higher to celebrate finally settling my advance debt, Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t is available for less than £5.00 in both paperback and audiobook at time of writing this blog post.

If Amazon is not your cup of tea, many independent bookstores around the planet would be so very happy if you ordered my book via them. HIVE is a UK web shop that fulfils book orders via independent retailers. Click here to see my book and ebook on their platform. Or shop with your fave local bookstore. They will order the title in for you.

Three and a bit years after my book was published is a strange time to reflect. I don’t owe any money to the publisher, veganism is EVERYWHERE, and the world is still in the midst of a global emergency. It feels like a million years since my book hit the shelves but it was only three years.

So much has happened since my childhood dream came true. Maybe it’s time to start putting another dream into action.

Follow Fat Gay Vegan on Instagram.

Vegan pizza restaurant launches in Manchester

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UK’s first plant-based pizza restaurant Purezza set to open in Manchester’s Northern Quarter!

Purezza, the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, is launching its Manchester branch in May 2021. Following a year of growth, having also launched branches in Bristol, Brixton, and Hove, Purezza’s 6th branch will open in Manchester’s Northern Quarter at 75-77 High Street, M4 1FS (this was previously the site of Dough Pizza Kitchen).

Manchester’s pizza lovers will find plenty to get excited about at Purezza. The pizzas are renowned globally, having won National Pizza of the Year in 2018 and received awards at the World Pizza Championships in 2019.
Purezza is also a 100% plant-based and vegan restaurant, for which it holds further accolades including Vegan Restaurant of the Year 2020.

Purezza’s range of creative Neapolitan-style pizzas feature its own signature plant-based mozzarella, a unique whole grain sourdough, and carefully selected organic ingredients. The menu consists of classics such as the Margherita, to unique pizzas like the award-winning Parmigiana Party which uses aubergine parmigiana and vegan sausages as toppings.

The restaurant also serves a full gluten-free menu, including pizzas which are indistinguishable from regular sourdough. There is a wide range of creative cocktails and organic beers and wines. Food will also be available via local delivery services.

Sustainability is at the forefront of Purezza’s values, and this comes across in more than just the food. The restaurant is fitted out with reclaimed and upcycled furniture, and decoration has been completed with eco-friendly and organic paints.

Tim Barclay, co-founder and co-owner of Purezza has said, “Manchester has been on our agenda for years now. We’ve had more requests to open in Manchester than any other city in the UK, and it’s truly a pleasure to honour those requests and to finally make it happen. We’re really excited about this, and we can’t wait to welcome you through our doors.”

Purezza’s Manchester branch will be opening in May 2021. Address: 75-77 High Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1FS.

Purezza has been operating in Brighton since November 2015, and opened a London branch in March 2018. It subsequently tripled the size of its Camden restaurant in February 2020. Purezza went on to launch branches in Bristol and Hove in Q3 2020.

The restaurant has become a household name among vegan and vegetarian foodies, with diners travelling from all over the world to eat there. The restaurant has won multiple awards, including National Pizza of the Year 2018.

Purezza specialises in plant-based alternatives to classic Neapolitan pizzas. Purezza is renowned for developing its own range of vegan cheese exclusively for its restaurants. Purezza has also launched a factory in Brighton & Hove to provide its cheeses and pizzas to retail later this year.

Purezza also launched its first recipe book in January 2020.

Find out more information about Purezza on their website and follow them on Instagram.

New vegan drumsticks for the UK

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BIG NEWS! 

Like Meat have just released their Like Mini Drumsticks in the UK and they sponsored me to share news with you.

Now available in Tesco stores, these crunchy delights are soya based and, just like all Like Meat products, gluten free. What I love about products like this (apart from deliciousness) is how versatile they are. You can eat them on their own, in a wrap, or as the star of a tasty dinner plate.

Last night my partner served them with rice and tangy, stir-fried vegetables.

You can fry or oven bake the new Like Mini Drumsticks. The recommended retail price is £3.

Eat up!

You can see the full Like Meat range on their website and be sure to follow them on Instagram.

How NOT to run a social media account

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It has not been a good run for Rudy’s Dirty Vegan Diner lately.

Firstly, there has been the very public and slightly mysterious departure of the London restaurant’s founders. For their part, the investors currently in charge of operations claim no ill will or underhandedness has gone on, however this post from co-founder Matthew doesn’t make it sound like a bed of roses.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLU0HXKJyZE/

In the instance you are unable to view the above post, I have copied the text below:

Dear All,
Rudy and I have decided that we need to issue a short statement about our current situation.
– We cannot go into details at this time, but I can confirm that Rudy and I are no longer affiliated with Rudy’s Dirty Vegan Diner, or Rudy’s Vegan Diner, or Rudy’s Vegan Butcher and we have not been involved with the businesses since the beginning of January 2021.
– As we are sure you know we set up these businesses and we put our heart and soul into creating the business and all of its associated products. We were very sad to leave behind our creation, but as many of you know, we were never in it for the money, our driving force was always the welfare of the animals and the planet. We would like to extend our eternal thanks to all of our customers who have supported us so loyally over the years.
It’s our hope that one day in the future we will start again from scratch and open a business which can continue to make a difference.
Much love to all,
Matthew and Rudy

It is sad news.

Independent vegan business can be brutal and this past year has stretched many owners beyond their emotional and financial limits.

I don’t know what has gone on between the founders and the investors, so I won’t speculate.

I just hope it all works out for the best for them. They have done so much to promote vegan lifestyles in London and they deserve professional and personal success.

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s move onto problem the second.

What the heck is going on with the Rudy’s Instagram account?!

I have no idea who is running the show over there but they need some crucial emergency interventions around inclusive language, sexism, and customer interactions.

Check out this Instagram post from yesterday, International Women’s Day 2021 (the post has since been deleted by the account following customer complaints):

In the instance you can’t see the post, it features a photo of a vegan burger and the text, “Happy Women’s Day to all the beautiful women out there that look as gorgeous as this Dirty burger’.

Right. Are you ready? Let’s begin.

This is one of the most inept and inconsiderate social media posts I have ever seen from a vegan company. It is simply contemptable.

I struggle to understand how a brand can miss the mark so badly and in follow up comments even go further to dig themselves into a hole. The screen grab above shows an interaction between the account and a customers in which their point of view is defended because their delicious burgers are, just like women, fundamental.

I am not often left speechless but this had me staring at my screen for a long time, mouth agape.

What does internationalwomensday.com say about the day?

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women’s achievements or rally for women’s equality. 

So, nothing about celebrating gorgeous women and comparing them to juicy vegan burgers then? No?

This type of bullshit needs to be called out, especially in the London vegan community.

Many of us work hard to challenge this sort of harmful nonsense because we care about women. Our compassionate lifestyle choice is not a platform from which to launch misogynistic missives in order to sell food for a profit.

I haven’t seen an apology or statement of understanding from the people currently running Rudy’s.

The brand removed the offensive post and replaced it with this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKNjNvhfLt/

Happy International Women’s Day? This date is the publicly recognised collective front for global women’s movements to redress violence, sexism, economic disparity, and misogyny. It is a day to raise the voices and achievements of women.

It is not a catchphrase to help you shift plant-based protein.

This post reads like a lazy attempt to fix the previous terrible take. Kind of like piling a spoon of sugar on top of a steaming shit.

You don’t have to look too far to find further evidence of how women are framed in the world of Rudy’s social media. Take a look at this atrocity of an Instagram post from yesterday (yes, also on IWD 2021).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMHgAU1BVal/

I will admit this one is as confusing as it is offensive. Is the cow giving a look that things are about to get Dirty AF? Is this the sexualisation of a dairy cow statue in order to sell vegan cheese sticks?

Carol J. Adams, where are you? This one is too much for me.

London, if you are going to spend your money with companies like Rudy’s you need to also hold them accountable for harmful advertising tactics. It is the VERY LEAST we can do. The bare minimum.

We don’t need to accept the use of sexist advertising in our community. We really don’t and we shouldn’t.

Rudy’s. Get it together. If you are unsure of how and why you can do better, listen to your customers when they tell you… and they have been telling you.

FGV on a podcast

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Just dropping by to share some fun news with you all.

I was the guest on the latest episode of Two Vs & A Pod podcast!

It was a great chat that left me longing for future travels and food adventures. I can’t wait until I can get back on the road.

Here is the overview of the episode:

Join Issy and Ben this week for all things Travel! Earlier this week it was announced that we should be able to go and visit some of our favourite countries this summer, and for some of you it might be your first time going abroad as a vegan. Issy and Ben share their travel stories and top tips for eating abroad. They’re also joined a real travel expert; Sean O’Callaghan (AKA @FatGayVegan) to discuss his vegan cruises and vast experience around the world as a vegan.

Listen to the episode online here!

Vegan store celebrates one year

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Imagine opening a vegan store and then the world economy… well, the entire world itself, goes into shutdown.

Iwtopia in Wales did just that and they are still here to tell the tale.

They are survivors.

Sue from Iwtopia reached out to me from her independent business in Aberystwyth to let me know they are still hanging in there. I was so bowled over, I just had to share with you all.

Iwtopia is a vegan shop and deli, meaning you can stock up on all your essentials AND treat yourself to some gorgeous-looking vegan treats.

Head on over to the Iwtopia Instagram account to see photos of all the fab stuff Sue and the team are serving up.

If Facebook is more your speed, be sure to follow the shop to stay updated and be inspired.

If Aberystwyth is home for you (or nearby), you can even shop online for delivery. Head on over to the Iwtopia website to find out opening times and delivery details.

You can see the exact location of Iwtopia thanks to Google Maps.

Plant Based Planet recipe collection

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Plant Based Planet, curated by vegan chef and writer Sareta Puri and content creator and blogger The Vegan Food Fiend, is being released in the next couple of weeks (date to be announced soon).

The book features 150 plant-based recipes from contributors representing over 100 countries.  

But Plant Based Planet is more than just a collection of recipes. It is a social action project with two core aims:

  1. To highlight the diversity in plant-based cuisine and the importance of honouring those from other nations, cultures and diaspora who share their heritage through food.⁣
  2. To support Food Empowerment Project, a food justice charity working to build a fairer and more equal food system for all. 

Curators and editors, Sareta and Kym (The Vegan Food Fiend), came up with the idea after becoming frustrated at the lack of diverse stories and voices in plant-based cooking. The book showcases and amplifies the breadth of plant-based cuisine around the world, with recipes and food stories from a range of contributors from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. 

Belgian co-curator Kym said “Food is such a unique and meaningful form of communication and sharing. It’s important for us to celebrate and amplify a diversity of voices and stories, especially when it comes to plant-based eating, which has been practiced by cultures and religions around the world for centuries.”

Scottish-Indian co-curator Sareta said “The foods we make, share and eat represent us and our food histories. However, the most visible people sharing foods from across the world are often not from the communities or cultures which they are cooking the food of. We want this book tochange that and for people to become more aware of the political nature of food.”

Recipes include Filipino kare kare, Palestinian maqlouba, South African chakalaka and Swedish ‘meatballs’. The book features contributions from well-known chefs such as Tomi Makanjuola (Nigeria), WoonHeng Chia (Malaysia) and Liz and Joe from Eat Chay (Vietnam and Hong Kong), as well as other chefs, cookbook authors, bloggers and home cooks.

Each contribution includes a guided recipe, an introduction to the creator and a personal story about their dish and/or food heritage. 

The book has also been created to raise awareness of and raise funds for Food Empowerment Project (www.foodispower.org), a food justice organisation that aligns with both editors’ values. Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) seeks to create a more just and sustainable world by recognising the power of the food choices we make. Their work includes vegan outreach and education, tackling unfair working conditions and addressing lack of access to healthy foods in communities of colour and low income areas. 

All profits from the book will go to F.E.P. and the curators hope to raise at least £5,000 for the cause. 

All contributors to the book – including the editors – have participated on a voluntary basis, and the only costs incurred are for the digital hosting/sales platform and a limited print run. All profits after these minimal costs will go directly to the charity. ⁣

The book will be available to order from plantbasedplanetcookbook.com. To make it affordable for everyone, the e-book is priced at a sliding scale, from £5-15, and there is also a limited edition print run of just 200 copies available for £25 each. 

To find out more about the project and all contributors, visit plantbasedplanetcookbook.com or instagram.com/plantbasedplanetcookbook.

Free vegan things I was given recently

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I haven’t done one of these posts in a while!

I’ve popped onto the blog today to share photos of vegan products I have been gifted recently by brands and PR people.

Take a look below and be sure to click through to individual posts on Instagram if you want to scroll to see all photos and get more information.

Three Mills wine sent me a few bottles! UK-produced vegan wine available in chain stores around the country.

There is another stand alone post about the Oumph! products I was sent but I wanted to include it here because I love this main photo.

I got the new Fry’s vegan burger and I made a tasty meal! I love (and have even worked with!) Fry’s throughout the years, so this one was a pleasure.

Frank Dale Foods launched a bunch of new vegan frozen products including quiches. Click through to the post to see how their quiches looked when cooked.

Swizzels hooked me up with lots of sugary treats recently. They also included a stuffed avocado holding one of their Love Hearts. So sweet!

Sweet Yourself Vegan send gorgeous vegan pick n mix boxes out from their super sweet headquarters and I was a fortunate participant. Get over to their Instagram account to see more.

OmniPork is finally making waves in the UK after creating a lot of hype around the world. The plant-based pork alternative arrived very welcome to my kitchen.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my recent haul. Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’ve been consuming.

Oumph! asked me to Plant It Forward

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One of my favourite things to happen during Veganuary 2021 was being asked by Oumph! to take part in their Plant It Forward campaign.

Being sponsored to cook with (and eat) food you love is the dream, right?!

If you don’t know, Oumph! is an award-winning business making delicious meat alternatives that are helping people go vegan and stay vegan.

The product range from Oumph! includes seasoned and unseasoned meat alternatives, making them versatile and suited for every occasion. If you are looking to make a gourmet meal, pack a quick snack, or fore up a BBQ, Oumph! has got a product for you.

Check out two of my recent Oumph! creations below.

The Pulled Oumph! worked perfectly in this warm potato salad.

You can ignore the cheeky lettuce in the first image. I’m really not sure what I was thinking, but I swapped it out for parsley in the final dish.

The creaminess of the potatoes and vegan mayo was the perfect accompaniment for the tangy Oumph!.

The Smoky Bits made from wheat are what you need for a solid pasta dish.

I upgraded some penne with broccolini, tomato, mushroom, and Oumph! Smoky Bits. I would eat this meal every single day.

Big thanks to Oumph! for getting me involved in this campaign for Veganuary. My tastebuds had a great time.

You can see the full Oumph! UK range on their website and follow them on Instagram.

Califia Farms milk in the UK

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I’ve been a HUGE fan of Califia Farms products ever since I first tried them during my trips to the USA. I’ve been consuming even more of them in Mexico over the past few years, so I was thrilled when they offered up a sponsorship opportunity to showcase them and shout out about their products being in the UK.

Califia Farms asked me to try two of their drinks available in the UK and spread the good word to you all. They said I was free to come up with my own approach and this is what I wanted to show.

Being vegan is not a compromise. Everything you love as a non-vegan, you can love as a vegan. Plant based is not second best. If you care about animals, the environment, or yourself, cutting dairy out of your life is something you have probably considered. I know most people reading this have already taken the leap, but some of you are still considering.

This blog post is my way of showing you how simple, accessible, AND NORMAL life is when you use a brand such as Califia Farms instead of dairy milk.

Every day I have a bowl of granola with fresh fruit and nuts. It is my one constant in life and I swing between fresh bananas and berries as my fruit of choice, but walnuts are always in there and pumpkin seeds from time to time. The Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond was the perfect topper. I was so impressed by this plant based drink, I wanted to see if I could use it in a cake recipe and… well, take a look. It worked a treat.

The Unsweetened Almond also was flawless in my 3-ingredient bechamel sauce served with vegan bacon, steamed broccoli, pan seared mushrooms, and gnocchi. I added black pepper and sweet paprika to take it up a notch.

Finally, I really wanted to show how plant-based milk alternatives such as Califia Farms can be part of celebration eating. I used their Chocolate Coconut Almond Blend to craft my dream shake topped with vegan whipped cream and cake sprinkles.


If you are looking to make the world a better place for animals and people, I suggest you ditch the dairy and stock up on vegan alternatives such as Califia Farms.

Click here to explore the full Califia Farms range online. Follow Califia Farms UK on Facebook and Instagram.