New vegan bakery for London

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One of the most popular traders we have ever hosted at Hackney Downs Vegan Market is LuckyLek.

Nora was always drawing large crowds with her exquisite baked goods and her patisserie items were snapped up quickly by eager fans.

Nora and LuckyLek disappeared from our market lineup a while back but for very good reason.

London has a brand new vegan bakery now that Nora has teamed up with her friend Nama. Get ready to visit Nora & Nama: Vegan Bakery & Deli in Camden.

If you can see the photo above, you will see that Nora & Nama have extremely special menu items and expertly-crafted baked goods.

Customers will discover and adore cakes, celebration cakes, finger food, cookies, bread, canapes, pies, tarts, baked goods, starters, spreads, and gluten free options.

The bakery is located in Camden Market (unit 596-598 Camden Lock) and the grand opening celebration is taking place on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December, 2018.

Click here to RSVP to the Facebook event for the opening weekend, follow Nora & Nama on Facebook and Instagram, and see their official website here.

 

Special vegan Christmas dinner in London

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Are you in London during the week before Christmas and are you interested in delicious vegan food?

Get the facts below and book!

Superstar food creators Phung Kay are staging a very special pop up at Craving Coffee Tottenham this year.

They are serving a four-course meal and the menu sounds sensational. Check it out below:

  • Course 1: Hoisin “Duck” and Yam in Netted Roll with juniper berry, cranberry and plum sauce.
  • Course 2: Chickn & Chestnut bao with pickled daikon.
  • Course 3: Pi Pa Tofu & sage stuffing served in a fried potato bird’s nest served with steamed rice in lotus leaf and braised red cabbage and pan fried brussels sprouts.
  • Course 4: Goji berry & Chrysanthemum jelly with lychee ice-cream and black sesame tuile

I am BOWLED OVER by those gorgeous food photos taken by the talented Sara of Shisho Delicious.

Dates for this very special dinner are from the 20th until the 22nd December, 2018. They have added a new sitting on Thursday 20th at 6pm and only a handful of seats remain for Friday 21st at 6pm.

Click here to check for availability and book.

Follow PhungKay on Instagram.

Jeans brand swap leather patches for paper

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Nudie Jeans is a Swedish denim clothing brand based out of Gothenburg founded in 2001.

The brand is known for championing open and ethical production as well as using more environmentally responsible fabrics.

So it is good news but not a complete shock that the brand has just said goodbye to leather back patches!

From now on, all their back patches will be made from sturdy and durable jacron paper. Jacron is a tough paper that can be printed on and withstand industrial-strength washing.

Check out the short video ad the brand posted on Instagram below.

As Nudie Jeans says, that’s good news if you’re a vegan and even better news if you’re a cow.

All jeans by Nudie are made with 100% organic cotton.

You can visit the Nudie website and follow the brand on Instagram.

New vegan sweets delivery company

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Are you ready for a fabulous and ethical vegan sweets company that will deliver to your home or office?

You got it!

Liberty Vegan Sweets & Gifts is a 100% vegan, family-run enterprise that has spent the past two and a half years exhibiting at vegan festivals and fairs across the UK with Got No Beef Burger Bar and Liberty Vegan Ice Cream & Beverages.

It was at these events that the family behind Liberty Vegan Sweets & Gifts decided to offer vegan pic ‘n’ mix alongside their soft-serve ice cream.

It was a huge lightbulb moment and they decided to plug the huge gap in the market with a fully vegan and ethical sweet store.

They launched their online store of vegan sweet hampers and pic ‘n’ mix boxes in early November 2018 and the response has been fantastic.

Check out some of these photos!

Liberty Vegan Sweets & Gifts try and do the right thing on top of delivering delicious sweets.

They donate 5% of their profits to vegan-friendly charitable causes, their packaging is fully-compostable, recyclable and re-usable, and they offer a range of gluten/soya free options.

These boxes are the perfect gift for a loved one or even yourself!

You should probably head on over to the Liberty Vegan Sweets website where you can get a special 10% off your first order discount with the code ‘Liberty10’.

You can follow Liberty Vegan Sweets on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Vegan fish alternative set to be next big thing

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What is the next big thing when it comes to vegan food?

Vegan fish, people. Vegan fish.

F-ish is a brand new fish alternative brand that only days ago launched their first products in London and you can be one of the first people on the planet to buy some THIS SUNDAY December 2, 2018.

The first product launched by F-ish is the smoked salmon alternative available in both original and dill & lemon varieties.

The dill & lemon is ready to be added to your bagel or meal while the original is perfect for adding to vegan sushi.

Honestly, this product is going to set the UK alight.

Get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market from 11am on Sunday December 2, 2018 in order to be one of the first ever people to buy and try F-ish.

Be early on the day because this is going to be an in-demand product.

Follow F-ish on Instagram.

Full Hackney Downs Vegan Market details available online here.

 

Hackney Downs Vegan Market looking for traders

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Hackney Downs Vegan Market is on the lookout for vegan cheese traders.

Are you a new vegan cheese producer looking to expand your business? Are you ready to take your products in front of the public?

Our weekly market has been the launching pad for many vegan cheese brands that have gone on to bigger and better things and now we are looking for tomorrow’s superstars.

Traders who have been featured at Hackney Downs Vegan Market over the past few years include I AM NUT OK (now stocked in Fortnum & Mason), Kinda Co (now working out of a professional kitchen), and Black Arts Vegan (about to launch their online store).

All of these traders will tell you that our local community market helped them establish public awareness of their brand while they developed and improved their products.

Hackney Downs Vegan Market is low cost for traders as we only charge a percentage of takings. We support and encourage traders who identify as women, non-white, disabled, and/or members of LGBTQI communities to apply as traders.

The market is currently on every Saturday and Sunday with winter hours of 11am until 4pm both days. We have market stalls for you to hire if needed.

If you are interested in coming on board as a vegan cheese trader to take your business up a notch, please email josh@fgvpr.co.uk to express your interest.

Extra note: joining our market is also a great way to build your social media following. As a trader you will be included in my social media announcements and market blog posts, reaching thousands of people each week.

UK’s first vegan social centre opens this week

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Great news.

The UK’s first vegan social centre is launching this Friday in Sheffield!

Heartcure Collective is the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, converted from and old warehouse in the centre of town.

Set to feature Vibes Food Co cafe and coffee shop, zero waste shop Zero Hero, ethical clothing store Wild Ones, a library, kids area, and more, Heartcure Collective has been in planning and development for two years.

The centre will focus on animal rights, sustainability and the environment. Through hosting workshops, talks, film screenings and events the centre aims to empower people to create change in the world.

Zero Hero will offer a mixture of essential package-free foods, toiletries and additional products to help the community live more sustainably while Wild Ones will stock ethical clothing and accessories including Heartcure Clothing, wallets and purses made from cork, and the highly anticipated Eden Perfumes.

The centre will have a dedicated kids area with a small selection of books and toys.

The library is packed full with books focussing on animal rights, human rights, feminism, anarchism, and sustainability. There is also a computer with software for video and photo editing for community use.

Heartcure Collective is a non-profit community interest company with all profits helping to sustain the centre and will allow them to host low-cost fundraising events for local charities.

If you are in Sheffield, visit Heartcure Collective on or after Friday November 30, 2018. The opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 9am-10pm and Sunday 10am-8pm.

Follow Heartcure Collective on Instagram and Facebook.

New video from New Roots

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One of the most exciting things about the growth of veganism is watching all the cute and clever adverts being developed in order to sell plant-based products.

Oatly has been making a big splash with their ‘it’s like milk but made for humans’ billboards around the UK and now superstar vegan cheese brand New Roots has launched this irreverent live action advert.

Click play below.

The advertising spot works on a few levels but is most engaging in the way it positions the brand as a leading force in shaping the future.

Posted under the advert on Facebook are the following phrases:

Switzerland is the home of cheese. New Roots creates the traditions of the future. Because ethics matter.

It is so well done.

It plays on established and entrenched ideas about food authenticity and suggests that the brand is leading through innovation, while not forgetting to anchor the message with an ethical underpinning.

And it is kooky, fun, and engaging.

I believe ads such as this are a powerful tool in our fight to improve outcomes for non-human animals.

You can follow New Roots Vegan Cheese on Instagram and Facebook.

Vegan pop up supper club in Maidstone

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Dear Maidstone.

You have a very special event coming up and I think you should book tickets now.

My dear friend Steph of Ponga Foods is an extremely talented vegan (and gluten free!) chef and she is about to launch a series of pop up food events in Maidstone, UK.

The big launch is a glorious meal taking place on Sunday December 2, 2018 at Baskervilles Coffee House.

Look at this menu:

If you have tried Steph’s food in the past, you will know how sensational it is.

If you are a Ponga newbie, this is your chance to be initiated in style.

Click here to read more about the event and book tickets.

Follow Ponga Foods on Facebook and Instagram to get news of upcoming supper clubs.

FGV is now verified

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Here is a super short post to tell you two things:

  1. I have a fab Instagram account that you might like to follow
  2. My Instagram account has just been verified and now sports a super smart blue tick

Yep, it’s official.

There is only one FGV!

My Instagram account is the perfect place to see the latest news from my vegan markets, keep updated on my food adventures in the UK and Mexico, plus see the occasional drunken story from when I venture out to trashy gay bars.

What’s not to love?!

You can follow me on Instagram and check out some recent posts below.