Vegan festival with a greener approach

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Veelyfe is set to be a London music festival with a difference.

Not only does Veelyfe feature a fabulous musical line up (including Radio 1 and 4 DJ Claira Hermet, Melody Kane, House of Grae, and Rachael Anson) but it has a big aim of creating a ‘greener’ feel to the traditional festival.

Everything from the UK’s largest solar panelled staging to the eco toilets and biodegradable cups will make this a cleaner and more environmentally festival.

All of the food will be 100% vegan as well. Oh, yes. You read that correctly. ALL of the food is plant-based, and so are the drinks on site.

This new London festival – at the only urban beach location – is looking to change the industry and shine a light on the need for mainstream festivals to think about the environment and be more responsible in their approach.

Veelyfe is taking place in east London on Saturday July 27, 2019.

Click here to read more about Veelyfe and buy tickets.

You can also follow Veelyfe on Instagram.

Ms. Cupcake returns to Venn St

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Great news!

Legendary London vegan business Ms. Cupcake is returning to the FGV section of Venn Street Market EVERY Saturday!

The Brixton bakery has been serving up sweet treats to the capital for about a decade and is one of the true pioneers of the vegan scene in the UK.

We are simply honoured to have them return as our resident cake and bake trader at our market section in Clapham Common.

To celebrate their return on Saturday June 15, 2019, I am sharing my top 5 picks from what they will be serving.

Cookie Dough Brownie – fudgy chocolate brownie with baked caramel choc chip cookie dough baked on top.
Jam Doughnut Muffin – a doughnut/muffin hybrid. Cut open the cinnamon flavoured dough like sponge to reveal tons of gorgeous sweet jam.
Lemon Blueberry Cookie – New for summer! A giant American-style cookie made with real lemon and plump, juicy blueberries, finished with a lemon sugar glaze.
Red Velvet Cookie Sandwich – Two chewy American-style cookies lightly flavoured with cocoa, sandwiched by a soft cloud of vanilla cream cheese icing.
Ambassador Cupcake – a Ms. Cupcake classic. It’s take on the Ferrero Rocher chocolate with it’s mash-up of chocolate and hazelnut elements.

That is some good eating right there.

Venn Street Market takes place every Saturday between 10am and 4pm. It is a 30 second walk from Clapham Common Underground Station.

You can follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram.

Order vegan fudge online: UK

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Lucky Cat Fudge is a 100% vegan fudge business based in Brighton. You need to know this information!

Lucky Cat doesn’t use any refined sugar, palm oil or E numbers in the production of their fudge, just pure and natural ingredients!

The company has a little shop in the Brighton Open Market and supply their fudge to many shops independent stores, including Infinity Foods.

Lucky Cat Fudge products will soon be available from The Vegan Kind, but if you can’t wait you can also order online at their website.

Use the website to see a full list of stockists and follow Lucky Cat on Instagram.

Vegan pancakes in Central London

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Have you ever passed by those pancake restaurants in Central London called My Old Dutch and thought, “I’d love some vegan pancakes”?

Well, guess what they have gone and done?!

My Old Dutch are proud to announce the launch of their very own vegan pancakes and amazing new vegan toppings.

Their vegan pancakes are available for their Classic Sweet & Savoury Pancakes only, using our gluten free and soy milk base pancakes.

Take a read of this selection.

THE NEW “SWEET BERRY HEAVEN” PANCAKE

Topped with strawberries, blueberries, vegan chocolate & coconut ice cream, served with amber maple syrup

THE NEW “VEGAN VOLCANO” SAVOURY PANCAKE

Topped with vegan cheddar & mozzarella cheese, sweet corn, onion, mushroom, vegan chorizo & baby spinach

Toppings? Vegan toppings you can order include chorizo, cheddar, mozzarella, vanilla ice cream, choco-coconut ice cream, maple syrup, and vegan honea!

In addition, you can order either a vanilla vegan shake or a choco-coconut vegan shake. Or both. I won’t judge.

My Old Dutch has locations at Holborn, Kensington, and Chelsea.

You can visit their website and follow them on Instagram.

Sustainability talk in Hackney

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You all know that Hackney Downs Vegan Market is coming back in mini form for one night only, right?

You can head back to Hackney Downs Studios on Thursday July 4, 2019 for delicious vegan food AND a huge celebration for the Open Studios event.

Read about it here.

But what am I telling you today?

Hackney Downs Studios are excited to announce their collaboration with Re:Store (on site zero waste/sustainable store) and Venetia Falconer as part of their Open Studios event.

Venetia Falconer will be bringing you an insight into the world of sustainability with an exclusive talk and Q&A at Re:Store as part of the Open Studios programme.

Venetia Falconer has long been an advocate of reducing plastic usage and promotes mindful consumption, and has been featured in Vogue as one of the ‘Top Eco Influencers To Follow’.

Find out more at her website and follow Venetia on Instagram.

You need tickets to come along to Open Studios but tickets are FREE so register for your free tickets online here.

Vegan baking masterclass

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Have you ever wanted to take a vegan baking masterclass?

You are in luck! Get your tickets for this AMAZING cooking class happening at Made in Hackney this Sunday June 9, 2019.

Hosted by Melissa Saint Hill, the masterclass class will include:

  • Essentials of vegan baking and how the main substitutes work
  • Making a delicious showstopper no-bake chocolate tart with seasonal fruit
  • Learn how to increase the nutritional profile of your baked goods with a variety of nutrients
  • Techniques to make scrumptious vegan cakes such as the perfect vegan banana bread
  • Protein-rich bites and bars to up your energy levels during the day
  • A delicious plant-based lunch featuring a seasonal galette and take-home recipe pack
  • 10% discount on the day in neighbouring wholefood shop, Food for All

Melissa Saint Hill is a registered Associate Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition (AfN) and Clinical Research Scientist, with interests in type 2 diabetes, cardiometabolic health and the gut microbiome. Having a natural creative flair, as well as an academic background, Melissa is passionate about teaching and inspiring people to cook, bake and eat healthily, without compromising on taste. Melissa has a keen interest in presenting food to ensure it looks as good as it tastes and smells, which has led to food styling and photography becoming solid passions.

Fee: £84 (£66 Concession) inclusive of VAT, includes a delicious organic plant based lunch. Click here to book your ticket.

This fee might seem high but is used to fund the Made in Hackney programme of free courses to vulnerable and low-income community groups. By attending a Made In Hackney masterclass you get a great day of learning AND you’re providing the charity with essential funds for them to continue their work with vulnerable community groups.

Follow Made in Hackney on Instagram.

Vegan beer event for Essex

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Fable Brewery is hosting a fun vegan beer event in Essex this July and it sounds like it is going to be a great weekend.

FABfest 2019 is taking place at The Freight House in Rochford, Essex SS4 1BU on July 5 and 6, 2019. There is a direct train from London Liverpool Street to Rochford Station and the venue is opposite the station.

The event is split into three sessions designed to create an intimate experience.

You can expect about twelve craft brewery bars from across the country as well as the Fable bar. Of course there will also be vegan food available throughout the festival and you can get your groove on in the electronic dance music room.

Buy your tickets online here.

Edinburgh coffee shop goes vegan

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The great vegan march forward continues as Chapter One Coffee Shop in Edinburgh announces that it is set to turn completely plant-based.

In case you are unable to access the above image, the coffee shop wrote:

Dear friends, from 5th June we will stop serving animal products in an effort to be a better business for the people, the planet, and the animals. We will still be serving all your favourites in a plant-based version! Thank you so much for understanding and hope to see you soon!

If you are in Edinburgh, you had better make this West End business your new local for coffee, sandwiches, and baked delicacies. It is a big deal to make this sort of statement with a business and Chapter One deserves all our support.

In extra fabulous news, Chapter One is fully powered by renewable energy. Could you love them more?!

You can follow Chapter One on Instagram and Facebook, while you can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Now, let’s celebrate some of their food photos!

Help a vegan café open in México City

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Our duty as compassionate people is to not just refrain from eating and wearing animals, but to also support independent business owners who are doing their best to promote veganism.

Shaya and Julia, a Mexican-French couple, are opening a permanent home for their Café Vegetal coffee and cake business and you can be a part of this huge adventure.

Ever since they met, Shaya and Julia have shared the same dream of having a place to showcase their passion for coffee and vegan food (especially desserts!). After one year of offering their products in markets and bazaars, the project has grown and they have decided to venture into the opening of their first store.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxp70JHF25j/

Just like anywhere on the planet, opening a vegan business in México City costs money so we all need to come together to get this new venture over the line.

Café Vegetal is running a Kickstarter campaign to help cover some of the costs associated with launching in México City and you can throw a few pounds, dollars, or pesos their way.

Click here to donate and to check out the rewards.

With just under two weeks remaining of the campaign, Café Vegetal need just over £800. Let’s help them get there!

You can also follow Café Vegetal on Instagram.

Gorgeous candle business in South London

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There is a new vegan candle maker on the scene and I’m thrilled to have them trading in our weekly vegan section of Venn Street Market.

Anu is the brains behind this South London business called Kera and the story behind the products is just as beautiful as the candles themselves.

Read what Anu says about her brand below:

Kera was inspired by my childhood, growing up in the beautiful state of Kerala in southern India surrounded by some of the most stunning mountains and waterfalls you’ll ever see and the best mangoes and coconuts money could buy. I grew up seeing my grandparents use natural and simple ingredients every day from our farm and create products that not only were super gorge but also produced almost zero waste. They literally made shampoo from water and hibiscus leaves.

I guess that stuck with me…especially when it came to the products I use around my home. I’m a huge fan of non-fussy, biodegradable and reusable goodies that don’t contain ingredients I can’t pronounce.That’s why all the candles I make are made from vegan soy wax and cotton wicks (none of that nasty paraffin stuff). They are handcrafted in small batches in my kitchen – much to my mother’s despair. I also use high quality essential and fragrance oils, as well as reusable jars which you can get creative with afterwards.

Each candle is named after a special place in Kerala. I hope you too can enjoy a little piece of it.

I’m in love with this brand!

Be one of the first people in London to get your hands on these exquisite candles by visiting Venn Street Market on Saturday June 1, 2019 between 10am and 4pm. This is currently your best chance to buy as the Kera online shop is still in development. Full market details here.

You should also follow Kera on Instagram.