UK has a new vegan fish and chips truck

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This news is the type of news I absolutely ADORE.

The UK has a vegan fish and chips truck called Battered. I want everything they serve and I want it now!

Take a look at these fab photos they sent through to me for this blog post.

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Can you see that menu?!

Vish and chips, mushy peas and battered sausage all have me feeling anxious. I need it all. They even have battered pies. What the fuck is a battered pie? Goodness, give me a battered pie right now.

Battered describe themselves as not only a vegan food business but also people who give a shit about the oceans and their community. Well, they didn’t swear but you know how I love to sass it up. They distribute literature for ocean conservation groups and when possible, they donate 10% of takings from an event to local grassroots activist groups.

You need to follow Battered on Facebook and Twitter to keep in the loop about upcoming appearances.

You can email Battered via bookings@getbattered.com if you want to ask them to cater at your event or appear at your festival. I think they are willing to go most places in the UK, or at least consider it!

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Vegan Quorn recalled for not being vegan!

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Remember when I wrote about new vegan soups by Quorn?

Check out this press release/product recall notice just released by the company.

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This notice was originally posted online here.

That’s right. They accidentally put the non-vegan Quorn pieces in the vegan soup instead of the vegan Quorn pieces.

It goes without saying that this is a monumental fuck-up from not only a pissing-off-vegans point of view, but more importantly for customers with allergies.

I haven’t eaten any of the Quorn vegan range as of yet and this is certainly not inspiring me. I’m really not feeling this company at all.

How about you?

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New vegan dishes at Zizzi

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Grab your pleather coin purse and start running now. Get to your nearest Zizzi as soon as humanly possible for these new vegan menu items.

Are you ready?

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Zizzi is probably at the forefront of showcasing how a non-vegan company caters for and wins over vegans. I’ve blogged about them here before but these new additions to the menu have me feeling all sorts of emotions.

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Yes, the above is a reenactment of my reaction to seeing that lentil ragu and dessert calzone.

Anyone else feeling all the feels over this?

You can see the full vegan menu from Zizzi online here and be sure to choose the ‘vegan’ filter option on the left hand menu.

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New vegan ice cream by Alpro

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One of the biggest dairy-free brands in the world has just released three flavours of vegan ice cream.

Are we excited?

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This new line of dairy-free desserts is available only in Tesco stores in the UK, although I am struggling to find them. I have been to half a dozen larger outlets and still am unable to locate them.

The tubs retail for £3.50 each.

Good price point but where are they?! Have you found these tubs yet? The chocolate looks like it will be my first flavour but what is your favourite?

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Make agua de Jamaica

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You can support the making of these videos and get early access and downloadable PDF copies of the recipes by becoming an FGV patron – click here.

Here’s the recipe!

Makes approximately two litres

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried Hibiscus/Jamaica flowers
2 cups of water
1 Cinnamon stick
1⁄2 a cone of Piloncillo (or approximately 1⁄2 cup of other sweetener)

Method:

● Wash the Jamaica flowers well
● Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan
● Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for approximately 10 minutes ● Strain and allow the liquid to cool for a few minutes
● Pour into a large jug and dilute approximately 1 part syrup to 10 cups of water
● Serve over ice
● ¡Salud!

You can try many variations of this water. Fruit is often used instead of the Jamaica flowers and you could experiment with different spice combinations such as ginger and star anise.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

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Vegan sandwiches to go

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We are making big leaps and bounds when it comes to plant-based foods in the UK, but one area that needs development is ready-to-consume sandwiches. You know, the pre-packaged wraps and boxes you get everywhere from Tesco to your local café.

Thankfully, superstar food company Tofurky has set its glare on this very area.

The North American plant-based pioneer set up a vegan sandwich shop in London this week at the giant catering and food trade show called LUNCH.

This show is a coming together of food industry leaders and Tofurky wanted to demonstrate to them what they were missing out on by not selling ready-to-consume vegan sandwiches and snacks.

Check out this incredible selection they put on display.

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Could you even imagine seeing a vegan fridge like that in a UK shop?!

I asked Tofurky to elaborate on what they are trying to achieve with this new way of packaging their delicious plant-based meats, and they told me the following:

After the successful launch of our products in the UK retail market, it has occurred to us that there is a large gap in the huge UK Grab and Go sandwich market which lacks tasty plant based protein options for vegans, vegetarians and the 4 in 10 Brits who are now reducing their consumption of animal based proteins. We were impressed and amazed by the tremendous response to the 6 vegan Tofurky sandwiches and salads displayed in this chiller at the LUNCH show this week and hope to soon be offering these throughout the UK. For more information: info@tofurky.com.

Oh, yes.

How amazing would it be to start seeing these options pop up around the country?

Tofurky have been hard at work convincing UK companies to run with the concept in their stores but we as consumers can also help.

Share this blog post via social media or email with as many food retailers as possible. We can let them know that we want vegan choices in supermarkets, motorway services, cafés, universities and anywhere ready-to-consume food is sold.

Want some more photos?

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Get hassling those retailers, people. We need this! Animals need this!

You can visit Tofurky online, follow them on Twitter, follow them on Instagram and like them on Facebook.

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New vegan cheese launch

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London, hold steady when you read this news.

One of the best vegan cheeses I have ever tasted is launching in the capital tomorrow (Saturday September 24, 2016) and you will be kicking yourself if you don’t make an effort to get some.

I first tried Mouse’s Favourite at the Viva! show in Brighton a few weeks back and was beyond blown away. Their Camembert is probably one of the finest vegan cheeses on the planet.

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Rarely do you get a plant-based product this outstanding and now you can buy some of the good stuff for your very own.

Get along to GreenBay Supermarket on Saturday for a world exclusive as the makers of Mouse’s Favourite cheese set up a tasting station from midday and sell their finery in a retail setting for the first time ever.

Check out what the company had to say about the launch event:

This Saturday at GreenBay we are giving out samples of Mouse’s Favourite for customers to try. The samples on offer will be our newest cheese, Camembert, as well as our Cider Washed Rind, Almond Pyramid, Original Cream and Smokey Cream. This is almost our complete range except for the Rich Aged Dulse which won’t be aged in time.
We are very excited about Saturday because it will be the first time ever that our cheese is available in a shop, and not just any shop, we couldn’t be more delighted that it’s in GreenBay the newly opened 100% vegan store. All the above cheeses will be available for purchase (again except for the Rich Aged Dulse – but it will be in the future).
Having Mouse’s Favourite in GreenBay is the culmination of 5 years of research and development by Gabrielle to produce the finest quality ‘cheese’ made from the best possible ingredients. The production processes and techniques mirror the traditional craft of hand made cheesemaking wherever possible.  We have both been vegan for ten years and believe that you don’t have to sacrifice anything or feel like you are missing out. As well as perfecting the taste and texture, we have tried to make a product every bit as alluring and beautiful and varied in range as dairy cheese. Vegetarians often cite cheese as the one food that they couldn’t do without, the one thing stopping them becoming vegan. It’s a gratifying thought that our cheese could help people along on their journey.

Wow. Let’s take a look at some of those other cheeses.

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From top: Almond Pyramid, Cashew Cream Cheese and Washed Rind Cashew Cheese.

Be one of the first people in London to get your hands on Mouse’s Favourite at GreenBay Supermarket tomorrow from midday. Be quick. This stuff is going to fly out the door, especially that Camembert.

You can visit Mouse’s Favourite online, follow them on Instagram and like them on Facebook.

You can also get details about GreenBay online and follow them on Twitter or Instagram, as well as like them on Facebook.

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Indian cooking class this weekend!

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If you want to learn how to cook gorgeous, mouthwatering vegan Indian food, I’m sure your first point of call in London should be Nishma Shah.

This Saturday (September 24, 2016) you can join Nishma for a wonderful culinary adventure as she teaches you the ins and outs of Indian home cooking.

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The following is lifted from the event description:

This is a prime opportunity to learn some authentic Indian home cookery, from Shambhu’s chef Nishma Shah. Nishma is of Indian heritage, has been immersed in Indian culture all her life and is proud of it, and importantly loves making and teaching delicious plant-based Indian food.

The class price is £40 and includes refreshments, food tasting and even a container of leftovers (if you all don’t eat everything there and then).

The class is limited to 12 people and can be booked online here.

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Vegan cake in the country

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Wanna try and stop the vegan food revolution sweeping the UK? I pity the fool!

There is now a vegan cake and coffee shop in the Yorkshire village of Mytholmroyd in Hebden Bridge!

My Kind of Cake is now serving all manner of sweet bakes including cheesecake, Victoria sponge, coffee & walnut plus so many more. It sounds like cake heaven.

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The shop is a 40-minute drive west of Leeds (just past Halifax) so it might feel a little off most radars, but the area is gorgeous and well worth a sightseeing weekend. Keep driving another hour after Hebden Bridge and you’ll find yourself in Manchester, so there is plenty to see and do in that part of the world.

You can visit My Kind of Cake online and like them on Facebook.

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Hollywood actor proudly vegan

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I spend far too much time reading Hollywood gossip sites but sometimes I get a little bit more than procrastination out of the activity.

I’ve just read an interview with actor Harley Quinn Smith in which she talks about her veganism.

My favourite part of the interview (which you can read in full on Just Jared) reads:

Initially, it was very difficult to say goodbye to cheese and ice cream, but honestly there are SO many amazing vegan options that at this point in the game I don’t even really miss non vegan food! If you stop thinking as vegan food as a replacement, but instead you start thinking of it as it’s own thing, it will become a lot easier to commit.

Great advice!

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Harley Quinn Smith has starred in several feature films written and directed by her father, Kevin Smith. This includes the comedy Yoga Hosers released this year.

You can follow Harley Quinn Smith on Instagram.

Yay for Hollywood vegans!

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