Glasgow forever

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I have fallen in love.

This weekend has been a special time. It has helped me realise I don’t just like Glasgow, I love it.

The best vegan city in the UK welcomed me with open arms this weekend and it has been fabulous. Let me give you the rundown:

Friday night – I hosted a one-night Queer Vegan Disco special at The Flying Duck vegan bar and it was brilliant. More than 120 people crowded in as Josh played camp tunes and we handed out vegan sweets. It was beyond fun. Thank you to the incredible staff at the venue and all the party people.

Saturday and Sunday – Tim Barford of VegfestUK did it again. Tim and his team launched a Scottish version of their incredibly successful event at the SECC in Glasgow. Thousands and thousands of people flowed into the venue for what turned out to be the best vegan event I have attended in the UK. I gave a talk on how to start a vegan blog and people crowded around the door when they couldn’t get into the room. Thanks for the love and for making me feel valued.

Thank you to The Vegan Emporium for the photo

All weekend – Glasgow has got vegan food on lock. It is by far the most superior city in the entire country when it comes to plant-based food. We consumed burritos, cheesecakes, alcoholic milkshakes, seitan burgers, pasta, salads, sautéed kale and so much more.

Glasgow is number one. I’m dreaming of my return as I drive south into the rain soaked hills and windswept terrain.

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London restaurant closed

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Another day, another London restaurant closure.

Vegetarian’s Paradise has long been a favourite destination of London vegans, mostly thanks to their incredibly good value all-you-can-eat Indian buffet. While not a vegan restaurant, the majority of food on the buffet table was vegan.

I could never understand why they didn’t just make the switch to 100% vegan. They were so close.

Anyway, here is a photo of the windows papered over of the Marchmont Street premises.

Vegetarian Paradise closed

I’m not particularly sad to see this go, but Josh enjoyed it as a handy lunch option as he works nearby.

What do you think? Is this a sad loss or will Londoners not really care?

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Vegan summer camp

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Oh wow!

Is it that time again already?

If you are a vegan or vegan-aspiring teen (or you know one), you really want to seriously consider setting a reminder that TeenVGN Summer Camp 2016 tickets go on sale tomorrow (Saturday December 5, 2015). The 2015 event sold out in record time.

The summer camp is a week long extravaganza of interactive sessions and cruelty free eating. It is the perfect setting for young, compassionate people to explore what being vegan means while also having the chance to make new and lasting friendships.

I went along as a special guest on the final evening and was blown away by the hard work all the camp workers put in to make sure the teens had a summer to remember.

Click here to get all the details on the camp.

THE RUN DOWN

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Better and better

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Some vegan places are happy to rest on their laurels, serving up the same quality of food and the same menu month after month.

But not Black Cat Café in Hackney.

I have been incredibly impressed by the food served up by Black Cat over the past two years. The menu changes regularly to reflect seasonal availability and old menu items are brought back with slight tweaks and improvements.

Check out these glorious dishes served to me recently.

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Scotland

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This is a big weekend coming up in Glasgow and I’m thrilled to have plans to be there.

If you haven’t heard, the first ever Vegfest Scotland is roaring to life on both Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December, 2015.

Like all VegfestUK shows, the Glasgow version in the SECC is set to be rammed with tasty food vendors, vegan companies, educational talks, debate panels and more.

I have my own FGV stall across both days of the show where I will be selling t-shirts and postcards. 15% of sales from the t-shirts is being donated to vegan community kitchen Made in Hackney.

If you are visiting the show on Sunday, you can also join me for an informal talk on how to begin a vegan blog. I will be discussing my tips for getting an online platform up and running and I’m looking forward to answering questions.

You can join in this session from 1:30pm Sunday December 6th, 2015.

Click here to buy entry tickets.

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Also…

You can join me at legendary vegan venue The Flying Duck for a one night only Scottish version of my London club night, Queer Vegan Disco.

Kicking off at 11:00pm, we will be pumping a few hours of pop, indie, rock, alternative, 80s, 90s, top 40 and more.

Tickets are £5 on the door or only £3 if you buy in advance online.

RSVP and invite friends on the Facebook event and buy tickets online now.

See you in Scotland!

queer vegan disco artists

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Vegan gravy in a tub

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Does the idea of being able to buy a tub of ready-made vegan gravy fill you with joy?

Today is your lucky day!

You can pick up this vegan mushroom gravy in Whole Foods Market stores around the UK.

This is perfect for showing up at a non-vegan’s house for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. How awesome would it be to pull this out at the table and annoy everyone else? I’m so vegan, I bring my own gravy.

Ha!

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Being vegan and medicine

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You might remember the sad news I featured on my blog a short while ago about my friend, Indira.

Indira is one of the most compassionate people I have had the pleasure of meeting and I was deeply saddened to learn she had been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer of the liver.

You can read my original post here.

Indira reached out to me this week to ask if I would allow her to post a piece of writing she has compiled on the emotional struggle of being a dedicated vegan faced with medication which has undoubtedly been tested on animals.

Here are Indira’s thoughts:

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Vegan restaurant closed

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Sad news reached me this weekend regarding the closure of a London vegan restaurant.

Greenz is actually a destination I never got to before it closed. I don’t know if it was the location near Tulse Hill station that kept me from making the journey or a lack of interest in their menu, but I never was inspired to get along.

I can’t put my finger on why I didn’t get there, but I was never intrigued by what I had read or been told.

Now it is too late.

This message is currently posted on the Greenz website:

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