Vegan venture

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There are some fabulously exciting things happening for vegans in London and most of them are pop up ventures. What’s behind this drive to sell food in temporary locations?

London is surely one of the most expensive cities in the world for real estate. It was announced this week that the average house price in London is £514 000 while the average house price in central London is £1.6 million. The increase in property prices in London over the past year has been at a rate of 19%. This is staggering.

The cost of renting commercial space in Camden Stables Market is upwards of £1000 a week. You can see why vegan start ups can only afford to run temporary events and pop ups are the new trend of getting food to the masses. Vegan businesses cannot get permanent premises unless they have a hell of a lot of money behind them.

Get up and get out of the house this weekend and support a vegan pop up venture. Show the people making cruelty free food for the masses that you care.

You might very well start with the brand new Club Mexicana pop up in east London. The taco masters have set up temporary shop in The Convenience, an inventive and quirky cafe near Chatsworth Road with a roof terrace for dining.

The Club Mexicana pop up runs from 6pm Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and from 4pm on Sundays. See the current menu below but be warned it will be rotating so not everything will be available every night. Rumour has it they are working on a Mexican seitan burger and that chocodilla on the menu sounds fabulous.

The pop up will run until October 12. Follow Club Mexicana on Twitter.

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Vegan for miles

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Just over a week ago I visited the Specialty & Fine Food Fair held in London Olympia and I am now only getting around to sharing photos of some of the fabulous vegan products I encountered.

I have included social media links for each company, so please feel free to reach out to them and let them know how keen you are to see their products in stores. Some of the products are even available to order online so make sure you do some investigating.

Here we go.

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Chocolate biscuit spread update

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Don’t put a jar of chocolate biscuit spread in front of a vegan, tell them it’s vegan and then tell them it isn’t vegan. We will cut you.

Ever since I posted this story about a supposedly vegan bourbon biscuit spread sold by Tesco, my social media has been blowing up with folks telling me they had been informed by the chain that it contained non-vegan ingredients. I decided to dedicate a couple of hours of my life to finding out the truth.

Here is what I was told via a phone message left by a Tesco customer service operator:

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Milk in Marks and Spencers

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Have you seen the range of vegan milks now available in Marks & Spencer stores all around the country?

I recently spotted the ‘Made Without Dairy’ packaging in the M&S on Chiswick High Road and was happy to see not just soya but also oat, rice and coconut varieties.

Check them out below.

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Cake liberation front

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If you have been following me on Instagram and Twitter these past few days, you would have seen I have been eating everything vegan I could get my hands on in Manchester.

One thing related to veganism that I didn’t eat was this very interesting poster hanging on the notice board of V Revolution.

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Begging for votes

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If you visit my blog even occasionally, you will be aware I have been nominated in the Best Vegan Blog category in the VegfestUK Awards 2014.

The voting closes on Monday September 15th, 2014 and since I am posting this blog late at night on the 14th, you probably have only a few hours left to vote.

Here are some reasons I think my blog is worth voting for:

  • I have dedicated countless hours to creating content for this blog since 2010
  • My blog shares information with people all over the country and planet
  • I work hard to let people know the latest vegan product and event information
  • My blog helps support new and long term vegans
  • The huge London Vegan Drinks and London Vegan Potluck sprung up out of this blog giving support to hundreds of vegans
  • I give crucial exposure to independent vegan businesses

I would be thrilled and honoured to win the Best Vegan Blog award.

You can click here to vote now. Please share this post widely.

Cakes ‘n’ Treats update

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It appears the owner of Cakes ‘n’ Treats in Camden has been arrested along with her boyfriend following a violent altercation outside the vegan business.

Video footage has been posted online showing a man attacking another person on Pratt Street. The article on ITV refers to the man as the boyfriend of a local business owner who has recently been the target of an anti-fascist campaign. Even though the article doesn’t refer to the owner or her boyfriend by name, it is evident it is referring to the Cakes ‘n’ Treat owner following recent coverage of the topic.

You can view the full article here. Please be warned the article contains violent video footage.

The ITV article states that the man shown being violent has been arrested for possessing an offensive weapon while his girlfriend has been arrested for obstructing police.

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1066 victory

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The reader tips I receive are invaluable. As much as I try to eat every vegan item in the UK, a Fat Gay Vegan can only spread so far.

One of the longest-serving reader contributors to my blog is the wonderful Jeanette. She has often sent me little snippets of information and has been a solid contributor with comments as well.

The latest piece of news sent my way by Jeanette is all about the fabulous 1066 Cake Stand in Hastings.

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Vegan beer in Leeds

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Here is some wonderful news for the vegans and beer lovers of Leeds.

Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club has announced the return of its beer festival, showcasing some of the best in Yorkshire breweries. A hit in last year’s heatwave, the event is going ahead on 19-20th September at the club on Wharf Street, Leeds offering a selection of 25 beers across the spectrum.

10310102_686816841412158_4374693498351204262_nAmong those returning are last year’s favourite, the award winning Golden Salamander from Bradford, along with new offerings from the likes of other favourites Brass Castle, Marble and Two Roses. The festival is also including beers from in and around York, such as the Great Yorkshire, Rudgate and Harrograte Breweries as well as the York Brewery itself, with a few from further afield such as Wold Top from outside Scarborough. In addition to casks there will also be a selection of keg beers from Golden Owl, Northern Monk and Brass Castle.

There will be over twenty casks and several kegs in the selection with cider lovers also being catered for. All beer and food will be suitable for vegans so everyone can get stuck in.

To make sure all attendees are having the best time possible, local DJs will be spinning tunes throughout the event and into the night. I am upset that I won’t be able to make it to Leeds for this event but thrilled to see such wonderful vegan happenings in the Northern city that holds a special place in my heart (once you have lived in Armley, you never really leave Leeds).

Entry to the Wharf Chambers Beer Festival will be £4, which includes a free half pint and souvenir glass.

Get over to the Facebook event page now to RSVP and invite friends.

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