Burger with a view

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I’m about to break the vegan Internet.

London. Rejoice.

You can buy one of the nicest vegan burgers in the UK and consume it in one of the most glorious settings in London. This is happening right now in the capital and it is fabulous.

What the heck am I babbling on about? Check out this vegan burger.

20150406_180034Yep. That is a handmade burger patty in bread with cashew cheese and beetroot slices, served next to a bundle of crunchy fries. I can’t even.

This burger was one of the best meals I’ve enjoyed in London. I bet you wanna know where I got it, right?

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Chocolate recall

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Hotel Chocolat in the UK have actioned a recall of their ‘milk free milk’ products. Here is the main statement from the company as posted on their website:

Clarification on the dietary status of ‘Milk Free Milk’

We are very sorry that we haven’t made it clear enough who can eat our Milk-Free Milk and who can’t. We did take advice (including labelling advice from Trading Standards) before we launched it, but the fact that some misunderstanding exists shows us that we were not clear enough. Please have a look at our comprehensive Q&A. Thanks to dietary groups who have made contact and offered advice, which we are using.

The full Q&A statement about the recall can be seen here.

It is that old argument about calling something dairy free when there is a small possibility of trace elements of milk proteins due to dairy being used in the same factory.

Of course this could be problematic for people with allergies, but Hotel Chocolat want vegans to know there are no dairy ingredients added to this milk free range.

How do you feel about the ‘may contain traces’ labelling? Does it stop you from buying a product?

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Well fed

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My pal Liam got in touch to ask if I would like to hear his views on Fed by Water. I recently featured news of their extensive vegan offerings but haven’t had a chance to get over to Dalston to try for myself.

Thankfully, Liam loves food as much as I do. Maybe even more.

Take it away, Liam.

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New vegan ice cream

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Do you come here often?

If the answer is yes, you will be familiar with my recurring post category known as Vegan Ice Cream Wars. This is the part of my blog were I risk life and limb to bring you the very best from the frozen dessert frontline.

Put on your standard issue boots. We are going back into battle as stunning vegan ice cream The Nude Spoon launches in central London tomorrow.

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New vegan cheese in UK!

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Nothing gets a plant-based motor running quite like news of new vegan cheese.

Buckle up, kids. This is a good one.

Probably the food highlight of Vegfest Brighton, Tyne Chease is a product range that is long overdue in the UK. This brand new company selling handmade vegan cheese is set to explode on the food scene following their official launch in May.

Tyne Chease, as the name would suggest, originates in the northeast of England. Varieties sold at Vegfest included Garlic & Herb, Aged Cashew, Original, Mustard & Ale and Smoked Paprika. People all over the show were raving about these vegan cheeses.

See our Garlic & Herb cheese wheel below. We showed little restraint once this had the first wedge carved from it.

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This is it

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Stick a fork in London Vegan Potluck. It’s done.

There has never been a vegan community event like London Vegan Potluck and it will be a long time until we see the likes of it again, if ever. It stands unrivalled.

final potluckAt its height, more than 100 people were filling our central London location with a wide range of plant-based dishes every month. We started with just 20 people back in May 2011 in Brixton and we are finishing with a bang in May 2015 in Holborn.

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Vegan beer article

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The brand new issue of Vegan Life magazine features an impressive story about vegan beer. As a lover of compassionate drinking, of course I pushed my snout into the article with my views on drinking kindly.

veganlife issue 4What is not fab is the more-than-unfortunate subheading for the story on the magazine cover. Drink up, lads? Really? I’m not going to try and explain why this is problematic. You get it, right?

The publishers have been grilled on social media about the blatant sexism and rightly so, with the author of the article even expressing his disappointment with the choice of words.

If you can get past that gruesome mistake, Oliver Coningham has compiled a nifty introduction to vegan beer and I want to thank him for including London Vegan Beer Fest in his article.

You can check out Vegan Life online.

Read more about London Vegan Beer Fest 2015 here.

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Eat, drink and dance

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Quick announcement.

If you come to London Vegan Drinks on Saturday April 4, 2015 you will be able to order from the following plant-based menu:

  • Curry pasties
  • Giant samosas
  • Thali
  • Fry’s Chicken-style burger
  • Fry’s Traditional burger
  • Moroccan tagine
  • Patatas bravas
  • Flat bread pizza

Of course we also have our 100% vegan bar all night and DJs Supa B and Swagatha Fistie keeping the crowd dancing until 2am.

Come early from 6pm for a table and food. Full details and directions here.

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Vegan spotting

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Last week found me working at the massive trade show known as IFE. This international exhibition for food and drink manufacturers showcased approximately 1500 stands and was spread across two giant halls at the ExCel centre in east London.

I took time out of working to have a sniff around the halls to discover some vegan products.

Check out the photos below. Anything take your fancy?

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