Truly disappointing

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I don’t have a lot to say about this quote from recently-celebrated recipe blogger and cookbook author Ella Woodward:

ella quoteActually, I have a few things to say.

Ella. My veganism is not fired by a desire to make people feel bad or judged. My veganism is a lifelong commitment to improving outcomes for non-human animals. My choice to not eat meat, dairy, eggs or honey has nothing to do with wanting to feel superior and everything to do with a desire to reduce harm.

It is incredibly disappointing to see you use your newly-acquired platform to take a swipe at compassionate people.

You are quoted in your Telegraph interview as saying “I’m not sitting here judging anyone” when the opposite is clearly true.

You are sitting in judgement of tens of thousands of vegan people who have pre-ordered your book, along with many of your non-vegan readers who have been considering transitioning to a full time plant-based diet (and possibly lifestyle) thanks to your inspirational recipes.

My hope is one day soon your world view broadens to include compassion for animals and also the people making everyday decisions to save them. Selling recipes based on your own personal wellbeing success story is not the only positivity your situation could bring to the planet.

Don’t sell your legacy short with out-dated stereotypes of judgemental vegans. It makes you appear close-minded, ill-informed and divisive.

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Vegana en la ciudad

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I included my favourite urban area on the planet in recent my top ten list of cities for vegans. I absolutely adore Mexico City, which is quickly becoming one of the hottest destinations for compassionate eaters.

I awoke this morning to a dreary London day, so the last thing I needed was a reminder of what I’m missing on the other side of the world.

Cue my pal, Kay.

Kay is currently working in Mexico City and making me extremely jealous with food photos, including shots of this vegan taquería called Por Siempre.

For anyone not familiar with Mexican street food, a taquería is a food stand serving tacos with freshly cooked fillings and sauces. I don’t think I could even hazard a guess as to how many taquerías there are in the Mexican capital.

Of course the overwhelming majority of taquerías in Mexico City serve mounds of horrendous meat, but Por Siempre is the glorious exception. It is a vegan taco stand!

Por Siempre is just one more reason why Mexico City is a must-visit destination for vegan travellers. Check out the photos sent by Kay and ‘like’ the vegan taco stand on Facebook.

It looks like it is doing a roaring trade!

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All the ice cream

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Here is a super quick post to let London people know where to find all four flavours of the Almond Dream ice creams.

Waitrose in Richmond. That is where I saw the Velvety Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Mint Chocolate Chip and Praline Crunch varieties in one freezer. I have seen individual flavours dotted around but this was my first experience of the entire range in one shop.

20150122_171227Have you seen all four flavours in one spot? Share your sighting in the comments below for other vegan ice cream lovers.

Extra note: the Praline Crunch is the best of the range.

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Get into Vx

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Do you need convincing to get into vegan grocery store Vx this weekend? Because I’ve got some compelling arguments for you to hurry down there right now, London.

Check out my solid reasons for making a speedy trip to this King’s Cross retail outlet ASAP.

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Guest hosts

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I am incredibly proud of London Vegan Drinks.

This party has been running since 2011 and has established itself (with a little bit of help from me) as one of the biggest and best monthly social events for vegans on the planet.

The current location (Kabaret @ Karamel) welcomes in excess of 100 vegans and their friends on the first Saturday of every month. With a 100% vegan venue, lots of friendly faces and late night sets from a rotating line up of DJs, London Vegan Drinks is a party not to be missed each month.

But I am missing it in February!

My insatiable desire for off-Broadway theatre and overeating is taking me to New York City on the day I should be hosting London Vegan Drinks in February, therefore I have sourced the finest guest hosts in the capital. Only the best for the best.

IMG_9616Meet Bob. Bob is a party planner not to be underestimated. She has had a hand in some of the biggest fashion events in the capital and (as she proved at my roller disco last year) is an extremely competent roller skater.

Bob won’t be on roller skates on Saturday February 7th, 2015 but she will be armed with name stickers and a giant smile.

You can follow Bob on Instagram.

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London Vegan Drinks is such a massive party, it needs reinforcements. Enter James and Angela of ethical boutique and vegan shoe store, The Third Estate.

The Camden/Kentish Town store run by James and Angela is a vegan landmark. People come from all over the UK and the world to shop with the compassionate duo. The blog post I published about The Third Estate is still one of the most viewed in the history of this site.

If you are new to London Vegan Drinks on Saturday February 7th, 2015 then cosy up to these two and they will make you feel like an old friend. Also marvel at the unrivalled song selection prowess of James as he takes to the DJ decks later in the evening.

You can like The Third Estate on Facebook.

London Vegan Drinks is going to be one heck of a party in February. Makes me kinda wish I wasn’t missing it.

Get all the details about the location and transport options here.

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Green Party film screening

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If you are interested in progressive politics and improving outcomes for everyone on the planet, this news will be of interest.

February 17th, 2015 is the date to pencil into an empty page of your diary for a fundraising screening of environmental documentary, Cowspiracy.

Never heard of Cowspiracy? Watch the trailer.

Screening organiser, Rachel, reached out to me with this comment:

The screening will be on 17th February at Whirled Cinema, Loughborough Junction (very close to Brixton). Tickets are £10, with all profits going to Lambeth Green Party. The aim is for it to be an informal evening that should be a great opportunity for people attending to meet other like-minded people, as well as learning about the environmental impact of the meat and dairy industries. I’m hoping some people will arrive from 6PM, and then stick around after the film for a bit of a discussion about the points raised (the film will be shown at 8PM). We’ll be providing some vegan nibbles, and the cinema has a bar should people wish to buy drinks.

To repeat the basics again: tickets for the screening taking place at the Whirled Cinema in Loughborough Junction are priced at just £10, with funds raised going to the Lambeth Green Party.

Click here to buy your ticket.

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Bank on it

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As a vegan living in the modern world, it is near impossible to not contribute in some way to the exploitation of animals. We can lessen our contribution by supporting ethical companies, especially those with a clear statement on animal welfare.

Meet The Co-operative Bank.

The bank just released its updated Ethical Policy and I am thrilled to see animal welfare receive a mention.

One of Co-operative‘s seven goals at the heart of its Ethical Policy is:

– Protecting animal welfare
We will not provide banking services to organisations which are involved in animal testing of cosmetics or household products or whose activities significantly degrade endangered animals’ habitats.

I don’t know about you, but I find this to be incredibly heartening reading in a bank document.

You can read the rest of the Ethical Policy by clicking here.

Who do you bank with? Does veganism inform your banking choices?

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End of Millennium

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A Facebook announcement today heralds the closure of one of the most celebrated vegan restaurants on the planet.

The highly-regarded Millennium of San Francisco will cease trading on April 30th, 2015. In a statement on their Facebook profile, owners Larry and Ann Wheat advised their devoted followers of their decision to retire from the restaurant business following the termination of their lease. If Muriel’s Wedding taught us anything (it taught us plenty BTW), it schooled us in the knowledge that you can’t stop progress.

The new owners of the hotel housing Millennium have refurbishment plans that do not include one of the most celebrated meat free establishments in the world.

In part, Larry and Ann say:

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100% vegan up North

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There is no news quite like the news of a vegan food establishment opening. It fills me with such joy to let people know of another compassionate eatery on the planet and the buzz is even bigger when the location isn’t somewhere instantly recognised as being a vegan hotspot.

Newcastle. Are you ready to eat vegan?

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Vegan startup

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OK. This is my favourite post in the history of my blog and I’ve only just started writing the thing.

A few days ago I was contacted by someone asking if I would help promote their vegan cookbook. Nothing strange or special about that as I can receive dozens of similar requests during any given week.

The request I got this week was unique and I had no choice but to write about the book.

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