Celebrate anniversary of a London vegan Landmark

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How time flies when you are having fun being compassionate!

The legendary London vegan pub The Spread Eagle is getting ready to celebrate its two year anniversary.

The birthday party for the vegan pub is taking place on Saturday January 25, 2020 between 9pm and 2am.

Facts you should now:

  • Onsite food experts Club Mexicana (who run the regular kitchen at the pub) will be serving
  • Spread Eagle will be handing out 50 free margherita shots (be early)
  • The event is FREE ENTRY
  • A DJ will be spinning fab tunes

See the exact location of The Spread Eagle in Homerton thanks to Google Maps.

If you can’t get along for the birthday party, be sure to follow them on Instagram and visit ASAP.

The power of saying you are vegan

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Here’s a blast from the past!

Every month I write a column for Vegan Life Magazine and sometimes I re-share the content on here.

Today I am sharing my column from way back at the end of 2017. I hope you enjoy it!

You can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The power of saying “No, thanks. I’m vegan”

We’ve all been there. That awkward moment when you are out with friends, work colleagues, family members or even people you don’t know all too well and somebody offers you something to eat or drink that isn’t vegan.

There can be an uncomfortable silence and you can often feel a huge desire to not want to offend people or come across as a difficult vegan.

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s OK to say no to non-vegan offerings with a friendly confidence.

Actually, it’s more than just OK.

Learning to love saying “I’m vegan” gives you confidence in your beliefs, affords people a super quick insight into the type of person you are (i.e. kind!) and acts as a form of outreach to help spread your compassionate message of caring for animals.

For some people, becoming confident and comfortable with the decision of going vegan and being vocal about it takes time. One of the best ways to become assured of your own veganism is to talk about it and this can include something as simple as turning down non-vegan food.

I strongly believe a confident vegan is an attractive friend prospect to most people, not just other vegans.

When it comes to picking my friends and the people around me, there is nothing more important or admirable than a person who believes strongly in something positive and takes an unwavering stand on that topic.

You are going to look like a person of your convictions to those around you if you employ a zero-tolerance approach to non-vegan food items. I’ve been vegan for twenty years and one of the things my friends say they love about me is my commitment to the causes in which I believe.

A confident person who can be unapologetically vegan with a smile on their face is not only an admirable person, they are also the best form of activism.

When a kind and approachable vegan stands firm and friendly in their convictions, it is the best advertisement for veganism. When people see you sticking to your beliefs yet still getting on with life and enjoying the company of those around you, it can be the inspiration they need to start thinking about taking that step themselves.

It’s not being preachy to say “No, thanks. I’m vegan.” It’s being true to yourself and it is just one of the ways you are working to improve outcomes for animals.

The majority of vegans you know haven’t always been vegan, so they must have had a first time hearing about the lifestyle.

Think of how many people’s first time you can be if you find a way to say no to non-vegan food. By politely but assuredly turning down non-vegan food and drink, you might just be positioning yourself as the seed that will one day sprout and take someone on their compassionate journey.

Seeds sprouting into compassionate journeys? Yes, even my metaphors are vegan.

Of course it isn’t always plain sailing when you are the only vegan in your social group. People can sometimes take your vegan stance as an attack on their choices or even come to see you as a ‘sanctimonious inconvenience’ (yes, that happened to me and still stings).

It can be a tricky balancing act to manoeuvre within certain groups of friends and family, but it is completely OK to stand your vegan ground even when some individuals will see your lifestyle choice as a challenge.

It’s completely understandable how the concept of veganism will be met with some resistance when you consider how ingrained the use of animals is in our society. Heck, they are even in our money!

But that is exactly why we are vegan. We want to help enact a change in these attitudes and practices in order to cause less harm. A little social awkwardness is surely a small price to pay as we find our vegan feet and save the planet.

You can gently yet firmly reassure people that your choice to not consume animal products is based on how you feel about the world around you (and animals!) and is not an attack on their personal consumption of ribs, rumps and legs. You can do this in a good-natured way that doesn’t have to lead to offense being taken.

It’s your decision and your life being affected, not theirs. Being self-assured and happy with your choices is one of the best parts of living vegan. Learn to enjoy it.

Temple of Seitan sold in bars UK wide

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This is huge (and conflicting) news. 

Beer company BrewDog has announced an exclusive deal with vegan fried chicken pioneers Temple of Seitan to feature their signature seitan wings and burgers in BrewDog Bars across the UK available from Tuesday January 14, 2020.

I’m thrilled to hear my friends at Temple of Seitan are experiencing this phenomenal success.

But I’m not a BrewDog fan.

I genuinely hope BrewDog has morphed into a much more considerate and compassionate company following on from some of their thoughtless and unkind marketing campaigns and controversies of the (not too distant) past.

See examples here (sexism) and here (using dead animal bodies as promotional tools) and here/here (transphobia) and here (they were taken to an employment tribunal) and here (they sold a half meat/half meat alternative burger) and here (sexism mixed with misogyny) and here (explicit sexism and misogyny) and here (pay disputes and suggestions of intellectual property mishandling).

I will never personally drink a BrewDog beer again in my life however I wanted to report this news on behalf of my friends at Temple. I do not support the BrewDog company due to ethical and political reasons, but I love and support Rebecca and Patrick of Temple of Seitan even though I personally would have made a very different decision.

I wish they had found a less problematic beer brand for a partnership. I know this blog post makes me sound like a hypocrite by saying I don’t support BrewDog but here is some information about BrewDog.

I’m not the boss of vegans so I’m giving you the info and you can do what you want with it. Perhaps you can walk into a bar and only buy the Temple food? LOL.

And perhaps by reporting this news spliced with commentary on their shitty marketing, I might get BrewDog to take a little bit of notice. Perhaps it will encourage other vegan consumers to say ‘thanks for the vegan wings from a legendary vegan company but please be better people as well’.

If you are a BrewDog customer and are excited to dine with Temple of Seitan while in one of the bars, perhaps you can also take the time to voice your opinions to the company whenever they do something shitty.

Patrick from Temple of Seitan said they were sold on the deal due to BrewDog paying Living Wage to their employees.

BrewDog is launching this partnership with Temple of Seitan in their UK bars before expanding the supply to their European locations soon.

Temple of Seitan has been featured in ‘best of’ lists across numerous publications – from Time Out to Easyjet Traveller. In 2017 Temple of Hackney won the best UK restaurant in the public voted VegFestUK Awards and in 2019 the ‘Nashville Hot’ burger was the number one selling vegan item on Uber Eats, London.

You can follow Temple of Seitan on Instagram.

New vegan takeaway in Covent Garden

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YEDA just told me that they serve food that is good for you and the planet at their Covent Garden location.

The grab and go restaurant opened its doors just before Christmas, in the vibrant Seven Dials in Covent Garden, London. The full address is 55 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PJ.

YEDA focuses on delivering good food on the go. They serve delicious satiating food that is good for you, the environment, and the planet. The place was developed by Elena, a 27-year-old UCL graduate, who felt London was missing delicious vegan food available on the go.

On the menu YEDA has loaded salads, several tasty sandwiches and wraps that can be toasted in a grill, and an already popular Breakfast Burrito. The selection of hot mains includes shakshuka, creamy mac and butternut squash, chickpea and coconut curry, and a sweet potato jackfruit waffle.

There are two elements to the YEDA space: the ground floor that is all-hands-on-deck for quick grab and the lower ground floor lounge with comfy seating and a relaxing atmosphere. The shop itself is bright and vibrant with natural woods, terrazzo tiles, and modern chic fittings.

The food is not the only passion YEDA wants to share with the city. They are trying to do their bit to be kind to the planet by using recyclable and compostable packaging that is both practical and Earth-friendly.

Follow YEDA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Smokehouse vegan ribs in the UK and Ireland

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Oumph! are launching their new plant-based Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! into select Tesco stores, in the United Kingdom and Tesco Ireland, this month.

Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! are rib style fillets, covered in a richly flavoured sticky, smoky barbecue sauce.

Like the other popular, award-winning Oumph! products at Tesco, such as Pulled Oumph!, Oumph! The Chunk, and Oumph! Kebab Spiced, the Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! is sold in the frozen section.

“Following the phenomenal success of the Oumph! Sticky Smokehouse in Sweden we are delighted to be launching in the UK and partnering Tesco. We know this will be a great hit with all customers and Veganuary is a perfect time to try it, whether your new to Oumph! or trying for the first time, our feedback suggests you’ll be amazed with the great taste and it’s perfect for those Big Nights In”, said Laura Weadock, Account Manager at Oumph! and Food for Progress.

You can follow Oumph! on Instagram.

South London pub gets a vegan kitchen takeover

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The White Hart is the legendary beer-focussed pub in South London that is turning its kitchen vegan for January 2020 with a little help from a gorgeous street food business.

What The Fattoush? is well-known for serving up delicious plant-based food inspired by Palestinian cuisine, culture, and people. The compassionate foodies started their business in order to support charities and groups working to improve lives of the people of Palestine.

For the entire month of January 2020, you can buy and devour the delicious cuisine of What The Fattoush? and drink beer at The White Hart in SE14.

What does the vegan food menu feature?

  • Hummus and Chilli confit £6.5 – Creamy hummus topped with smoked chilli oil (mulato, pasilla, ancho), chargrilled sweet peppers and smoked paprika served with warm Arabic bread
  • Fatteh (Middle Eastern style nachos) £10.5 – Pitta chips loaded with a chunky tomato, pepper and aubergine stew, Gazan guac (avo, sumac & sesame seeds) and pickled chillies
  • Imam bayildi and vermicelli rice £9.5 – Slow cooked aubergine. Red pepper and chickpea stew in a rich and silky tomato sauce served with vermicelli rice and chopped salad
  • Black lime ‘lamb’ and courgette with vermicelli rice £12.5 – Chunky ‘lamb’ pieces, courgette, and our 7 spice mix served with vermicelli rice and chop salad
  • 9″ Loaded Arabic flatbread with either falafel / seitan shawarma ‘meat’ £10.5 / £12 – Arabic bread topped with hummus, chopped salad and pickles with either falafel or seitan
  • Mezze plate £11 – Falafel, chopped salad, stuffed vine leaves, Arabic bread, hummus, olives & pickles
  • Tempura okra s/w a date and tamarind sauce £6 – Beer battered okra with a sweet and tangy sauce
  • Cauliflower poppers £6 – Spiced cauliflower florets in breadcrumbs served with harissa yoghurt
  • Fries £4

You can follow What The Fattoush? on Instagram and see the exact location of The White Hart thanks to Google Maps.

Eat up, London!

New vegan pop up in East London

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Tendril is a brand new vegan pop up restaurant starting its residency at The Hive in Bethnal Green from January 10, 2020.

Tendril is the brainchild of Chef Rishim Sachdeva and there more plans to spread his tasty food far and wide around the capital in 2020. Tendril is just the first stop.

So what exactly will Chef Rishim be serving at Tendril in Bethnal Green?

A sample menu highlights the following:

  • Zucchini Pancakes with creamy turmeric puree and chives
  • Homemade crispy potato terrine, smoked ketchup, Butter beans, scallions and roasted mushrooms
  • Purple sweet potato fritters with pea puree and burnt cabbage salsa
  • Crispy Salt and Pepper Mushrooms with sweet chilli dipping sauce and shaved almonds
  • Roasted brussel sprouts with chilli oil, hazelnuts and black garlic
  • Cauliflower and leek XO with cacao nibs and hazelnut
Purple potato fritter
Mushroom and leek truffles

You can follow Tendril on Instagram and see the exact the location of The Hive online thanks to Google Maps.

New vegan joint in York

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How many reasons do you need to adore the northern English city of York?

There are pubs named after torture devices. They have haunted buildings all over the place. A cholera burial ground greets you as you exit the train station.

York is one of my favourite places on the planet!

If all of these glorious, creepy facts aren’t enough to get your rushing there, maybe this news of a new vegan döner and cocktail restaurant will have you making plans for a York visit.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B67yT8hnqC4/

Döner Summer is a vegan eatery and cocktail bar located in Spark:York creative and retail space in York city centre.

The restaurant has Berlin-inspired cuisine that will make your mouth water.

Take a look at some of this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B65BhpsHRjN/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6AjL8-HrvF/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5hov2in8CA/

The exact location of Döner Summer can be seen online thanks to Google Maps. The restaurant/bar is open Tuesday until Sunday each week.

Follow Döner Summer on Instagram.

Top nine Instagram posts of 2019

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It’s the end of 2019 so I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and highlight the most liked posts from my Instagram post from across the year.

Here is an overview of the nine most liked of the year.

Let’s break it down into individual posts.

Here are the top nine posts from my Instagram account for 2019, with the most popular at the bottom.

Enjoy… and please follow me on Instagram if you don’t already.

The ninth most popular post was a photo of me accompanied by a plea for people to not buy or breed dogs. It resonated with a lot of people and is a message for the ages!

There was a HUGE response for this photo of my Follow Your Heart pin. I never expected this to be on the end of year list, let alone come in at number eight.

This is the first of two photos of London vegan cheese shop La Fauxmagerie to make my top nine Instagram list for 2019. Having two entries is proof of how excited vegans were about this shop opening.

Vegan food in airports can be a bit uninspired so this photo of my breakfast at Wagamama at Heathrow got a lot of likes. It was a tasty treat to enjoy before a long haul flight.

I shared this message from Chapter One coffee shop in Edinburgh and it was popular enough to land at number five on my top nine list for the year. People loved reading news of this popular café switching to become a totally vegan business.

I am surprised this post took off like it did because it is kinda an ugly photo! The Wicked range in Tesco is one of the most successful product launches I have ever seen and this photo being in my top nine is evidence that people can’t get enough.

This post is not a happy read and contains a few upsetting memories of bad times from throughout my life. People who follow me on Instagram were kind and supportive, making this the third most popular post of mine for 2019.

Warning: it is a very upsetting read so do proceed with caution.

LOTS of people responded positively to this photo I took in Heathrow airport. It is exciting to see so many mainstream business be so open about their vegan options.

La Fauxmagerie took the number one slot on my Instagram account for 2019. News of this vegan cheese shop opening in London broke the Internet and more than 4,500 people liked this photo.

Much love to everyone who has helped make my blog and social media accounts viable for another year.

All of this is done to help promote veganism and independent vegan businesses. I want people to go vegan and stay vegan to help improve outcomes for animals.

Christmas as a young non-vegan

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This is an excerpt from my book Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t.

You can order the book via Amazon if you personal politics permit. You can also get the Audible version read by me. Buy from WH Smith, Foyles, or order from your local independent bookstore via Hive.

Christmas in my hometown was always brutal. First of all, it was always sweltering hot and furthermore we had the joy of sitting around with relatives ranging from mildly to wildly racist.

Animals featured heavily Christmas day, from the pig-now-called-ham wrapped in a water- soaked pillow case to keep it fresh to the family dog sitting under the table hoping for scraps. Prawns, crabs, chickens and turkeys who used to all be alive at some point were scattered around the buffet in order for me and the people I didn’t like all that much to experience festive cheer.

So, animals were absolutely everywhere in my life as a child in Australia, but I honestly didn’t give them much more thought than what I have described above. Not one adult explained to me the difference between prawns on the table and the dog under it. Understanding how animals lived and died was not my concern. I was socialised into thinking animals were available to eat, wear and prod with sticks unquestionably.

That’s what I think I have in common with a lot of you turning these pages (or reading this blog post) right this moment.

Reflect for a moment on just how much animals were used in your young life, but how little thought was given to the how, what, when and why. Did adults and people responsible for your emotional growth explain the process of factory farm to dining table? The shark took a chunk from the turtle (early story in book) just as I watched crabs being boiled alive in my kitchen at Christmas time, but they were all just ‘things’ in my mind. Objects. Just like the pine cones and the cliffs and the polished glass fragments at the seaside.

I didn’t understand that these animals were capable of fear and pain because nobody told me, and I would bet my last block of tofu they didn’t tell you either.