2020 has been an indisputably tough year for everyone and nobody knows this better than independent vegan businesses.
And the latest news to back this up?
News broke yesterday of legendary London food hot spot Young Vegans Pie Shop closing in Camden.
Cue a flood of tears.
Young Vegans Pie Shop was the pride of its owners, Carla and Marco.
For anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting these enterprising vegans, Carla and Marco are not just a force of nature when it comes to business but also two of the nicest people on the London vegan scene.
Young Vegans pies were always the star attraction when they appeared at Hackney Downs Vegan Market and their Camden Pie Shop was a magnet for plant-based eaters from all over the planet.
I reached out to Carla to ask for her to clarify exactly why her Pie Shop in Camden Market is closing and she said:
Our Pie Shop in Camden Market was great as it allowed us to learn a lot and grow our brand. But with uncertainty around COVID it makes sense for us to pivot and focus on expanding our online store and to make Young Vegans a household food brand.
As sad as we are for the Young Vegans Pie Shop to disappear, we can celebrate the fact that we can still buy their delicious pies via their online store.
Click here to shop for Young Vegans pies for UK delivery and be sure to follow them on Instagram to stay updated on future plans.
It’s my favourite food no matter how it is served, but I am particularly in love with crisps.
Of course I never called them crisps until I moved to the UK. Growing up in Australia we called crisps chips and what UK people call chips, we called hot chips.
Ha!
Anyway, back on track.
Mr Singh’s is a family-owned company from London. Known for their hot sauce, the company has branched out into crisp production!
At the moment, the crisps from Mr Singh’s are available in three flavours:
Times are changing and the way we do a lot of regular activities has to change, too.
As you probably know, I recently co-created Vegan Culinary Cruises to host 100% vegan cruise vacations with our first departure was set for New Year’s Eve 2021/2022.
Everything was set and bookings were coming in and then… yep. The global crisis happened.
All cruise lines around the globe have put everything on hold. Our VCC departures will be back in the future, but in the meantime I wanted to help people plan vacations for 2022 so we came up with the idea to host land tours and vacations.
Say hello to VCC Adventures.
VCC Adventures showcases our land-only-based adventures for vegan and vegan-curious travellers looking to enjoy a 100% plant-based adventure holiday filled to the brim exciting exploration coupled with our signature delicious vegan cuisine. With exciting itineraries taking in some of the most beautiful, fun-filled destinations on the planet, VCC Adventures is the perfect vacation for compassionate travellers looking to get the most out of a vegan travel experience.
WHAT ABOUT THE 2022 ADVENTURE?
Join FGV and VCC Adventures for a vegan desert vacation in Utah, one of the most naturally breathtaking locations on the planet.
Our hotel-based adventure scheduled for May 15-20, 2022 is the perfect way to ease back into vegan travel as we all patiently wait for the cruise ships to hit the waters again.
Our 5-night, 6-day getaway is packed full of food, fun, and unforgettable sightseeing.
Nature set Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon ablaze with copper-hued chasms and theatrical formations. Explore the diverse symphony of forest, desert, plateau, and canyon in this spectacular combination of National Parks. No postcard could possibly prepare you for the chiseled vastness of the Grand Canyon, the monolithic oddities of Bryce Canyon, or the stunning cliffs of Zion.
Explore the wonders of the USA‘s Southwest, known as Colour Country, with our travel experts at VCC Adventures. Through the eons, the wind and water’s harsh power has created the red-rock formations, deep canyons, and towering cliffs that have become many of the world’s most famous natural attractions. This enormous geological playground features nature’s intricate forms and brilliant colours combine to offer a Western landscape getaway of incredible diversity and some of the most exhilarating outdoor adventures on earth.
Activities include park walking, bus and hiking tours, outdoor nature and wildlife lecture series, vegan inspired evening programming, and a special behind the scenes day and actives at the world-famous Best Friends Sanctuary.
THE PROGRAM
Our exclusive VCC Adventures tour program is perfect for every activity and ability level. On touring days clients can choose from two levels of walks/hikes in the National Parks:
Moderate: Easy walks and/or park bus tours with guided interpretation perfect for all ability levels
Adventure: More adventurous hikes with guided interpretation over varying terrain and elevation gain
You will also enjoy:
Education & Guiding: All tours are accompanied by our full-time naturalists and educators who bring to life the natural wonders, geology, ecology, Native American history, and so much more!
Special Guests: Sean O’Callaghan of Fat Gay Vegan oversees a unique line up of special guests. These experts and personalities from the vegan world will be on hand to regale guests via up close and personal storytelling, Q&A sessions, and insights into everything plant-based. These special guest sessions are unique to VCC Adventures and will conveniently take place during our bus trips, making our time on the road fun, informative, and engaging.
Vegan Cuisine: Our VCC Adventures staff bring to you our 100% plant-based signature vegan dining experience all from our very own on-site private kitchen and meeting dining facility, all included for the duration of your tour. Just as we do on all Vegan Culinary Cruises and VCC Lite journeys, our culinary team ensure the highest standards of vegan cuisine. All products are specially sourced, and our menus are created to be fun, unique, nutritious, and delicious.
Accommodations: We are based at our hotel in St George, Utah for the duration of the stay so there is no need to pack and unpack. St. George is the perfect location, centrally located for all nearby National Parks. We will enjoy our own beautiful private meeting space for all meals and programming.
If this desert land tour adventure sounds like the vacation for you, click here to find out more information about the itinerary and book your spot.
This is going to be a dream vegan vacation in the desert and a trip of a lifetime that you (and I) will never forget. I hope you can join me for a wonderful week.
Legendary London community kitchen Made in Hackney is set to host an online class teaching you everything you need to know about vegan samosas.
Taking place via Zoom, the class will take place on Saturday July 25, 2020 between 2:00pm and 4:00pm.
The suggested donation for joining the class is £20 but any donation amounts accepted. All funds raised go towards the Made in Hackney community meal service providing free nutritious, tasty meals to households who need them during these challenging times.
Details for the Zoom class to be provided via email (usually the day before the class). Click here to find out how to to register.
Need more details about the event?
Back by popular demand, plant based chef, Sareta Puri, will show you how to make a healthier version of one of India’s popular and famous street food snacks, based on a recipe handed down to her. You’ll also learn how to make two delicious dips: coriander chutney and cucumber raita, as well as a lovely cuppa Chai.
The class will include:
How to make healthier versions of popular Indian street food samosas
Discover how to make a classic Indian dough which can also be used for breads
Making plant based versions of classic Indian dips: coriander chutney and cucumber raita
‘Chai ‘n’ Chat’ about food traditions and culture across India
Recipe handout
All levels of spice preference will be catered for. See below for ingredients and equipment lists
Who is Sareta?
Sareta Puri is a Scottish-Indian plant based chef who learned how to cook as a child from her chef father and has been mainly self-taught since. Sareta became a chef through hosting supper clubs and has expanded her repertoire to include street food, retreat catering and private catering, as well as recipe development and food writing. Sareta is passionate about creating positive experiences through food and teaches for a range of community-based organisations including Made in Hackney, Life After Hummus, and People’s Kitchen.
Ingredients you will need for the class:
Dough
150g plain flour 100ml water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 0.25 tsp sea salt 0.5 tsp kalonji (Nigella seeds) – optional
Filling
3 medium sized potatoes (approx 300g) 125g frozen peas 1 tablespoon vegetable oil + oil to brush 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 1/2 green chilli 1/4 inch ginger (1 teaspoon) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
Raita
50g soya yoghurt 1⁄4 cucumber Handful of fresh coriander (optional) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Coriander
Chutney
1 cup of fresh coriander (stalks and leaves) Half a lemon, juiced 1⁄2 inch ginger 1 green chilli 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Chai
Black tea bag Plant milk (oat, almond or coconut – not soy as it curdles!) Fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, green cardamon pods, black peppercorns (or whatever you can source) Date syrup to sweeten (optional)
Equipment list
Rolling pin 2 large mixing bowls Pestle & mortar (or rolling pin will do) Chopping board Knife 2 pans Baking tray + paper For the coriander chutney: a blender
The above list gives you enough of a head start to make sure you are ready for the class.
Click here for full details of the class and be sure to follow Made in Hackney on Instagram.
This isn’t new information but I thought as I just received a gift box of these gorgeous Yorkshire puddings from Mabel’s, I should give you all a reminder.
If you are not from the UK or haven’t spent much time here, you might just be a little bit confused about Yorkshire puddings.
I can recall when I first came to the UK back in 1998 how completely confused I was by the concept of Yorkshire puddings. They are doughy like cake but you eat them with gravy?!
A lot of vegans have told me just how much they miss eating Yorkshire puddings as traditionally they are made with egg and milk.
Thankfully, Mabel’s have come along with these vegan beauties.
How good do they look?!
My plans for this weekend include a giant roast dinner with Mabel’s Yorkies as the centrepiece, dripping in gravy.
You can order your own vegan Yorkshire puddings from the Mabel’s online store.
Let’s have a round of applause for vegan food company Follow Your Heart and their new listing deal with Tesco stores around the UK!
So what can you buy from the Follow Your Heart range in Tesco stores?
Vegenaise is the best vegan product on the planet (in my fat, humble opinion) and the plant-based mayo is now in over 550 Tesco stores.
You will also be able to find the Smoked Gouda slices and Medium Cheddar slices in 300 Tesco stores.
The Californian brand launched in the UK in 2015 after decades of selling their products around the world and are now available via Ocado, Holland & Barrett, Sainsbury’s, Whole Foods Market, Planet Organic, The Vegan Kind, and independent retailers.
