HUGE vegan croissant giveaway

Do you like free vegan things?

How about free vegan croissants?!

Get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday September 1, 2018 where I will be giving away 1,000 vegan croissants!

The very friendly Free From Italy have kindly donated a HUGE amount of their Probios vegan croissants for me to give away for free at our market this week.

The croissants are individually wrapped and perfect for an on-the-go snack, to take to work or picnics.

I will be handing out several hundred in both Organic Whole Wheat and Spelt varieties. Even though I have a lot to hand out, please get to the market early as there is no purchase necessary to get them for free and there isn’t really a limit on how many you can take. However, I will probably get a bit annoyed and mouthy if you try and take too many. Be decent about it!

The croissants, which are usually available in Chocolate, Spelt, Wholemeal and Savoury flavours, are normally sold in packs of 5 individually wrapped portions and ready to eat.

If you can’t make it to the market but would like to buy your own vegan croissants, you can do so online at the Free From Italy website and OcadoYou can follow Free From Italy on Instagram.

The line up for the market is sensational, including a first time appearance by legendary vegan bakery Ms. Cupcake. See full details here. We open at 11am until 5pm and are located at E8 2BT.

FGV at Bestival

Hey!

Do you remember when I went to Bestival?

The festival was a lot of fun and I was thrilled to be asked to help curate and promote some of the vegan food on site across the event.

Gaz Oakley of Avant Garde Vegan was also a guest at the festival and he made this video of his time there, including snippets of a chat we had!

Check out the video below and I might see you at Bestival next year.

British Library goes vegan for a day

The British Library is embracing veganism by offering staff and visitors an exclusively all-vegan food and drinks menu at its Kings Library Café this Thursday (August 30, 2018).

The world’s oldest library is supporting The Vegan Society’s Plate Up for the Planet campaign that encourages people and businesses to take up to a seven-day vegan challenge.

The King’s Library Café, located in the Kings Library, will be serving dishes such as mock chicken katsu curry, Caribbean jerk tofu and pandan panna cotta, as well as hot drinks with soya milk between 10:45am and 5:00pm.

Louise Davies, Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research at The Vegan Society, said: “We are very excited to have such a respected institution as the British Library promoting the environmental benefits of the plant based diet with a vegan offering at its café.

“With the weight of evidence showing that going vegan is the most significant thing an individual can do to reduce impact on the planet, it’s time people and companies alike took action on this issue.

“We need to be far bolder with our food choices if we are to protect our precious planet, and our Plate Up for the Planet campaign encourages people to do just that.”

Chantelle Nicholson, chef and author of vegan recipe book ‘Planted’, will give a free vegan cookery demonstration at 1pm on the day and sign copies of her book.

The Vegan Society will hold a stall by the café, handing out literature and giving out flavoured roasted peas from Brave Foods to people who sign up to their seven-day planet-changing challenge.

You can find the café by the King’s Library, located on the first floor of the British Library.

You can see the exact location of the library thanks to Google Maps.

Vegan ribs feast night

Gorgeous London event space 10 Cable Street is excited to be collaborating with Lazy Boy Kitchen to give you this fun night of vegan ribs and trimmings.

Gather around a table and tuck into some great food, eat with your hands, get messy and just have fun!

This event is the third outing of the always sold out vegan ribs night and is taking place on September 14, 2018.

The menu looks amazing:

  • Jackfruit Ribs
  • Smoked Homemade BBQ Sauce
  • Mac & Cheese with Bacon Bits
  • BBQ Pitt Beans
  • Cheeze & Jalapeno Corn Bread
  • Whole roasted potatoes
  • Corn on the cob
  • Salads
  • Sharing Dessert

Lazy Boy Kitchen is a London vegan pop-up kitchen creating USA-style plant-based comfort food classics, such as their Mac & Cheeze made with homemade cashew cheeze sauce and Brizket made with a homemade slow cooked BBQ sauce.

Click here to book a ticket for this one night only feast.

Extra news: Lazy Boy Kitchen will also be appearing at Hackney Downs Vegan Market on Saturday September 1, 2018.

New vegan products at Marks and Spencer

The great expansion of vegan groceries in the UK continues with this plant-based range now available in Marks & Spencer.

I was wandering through the Ealing Broadway outlet of this mainstream retailer when my eye was drawn to multiple appearances of the word ‘vegan’ on packages in the chilled section.

Check out all the items I spotted below. I actually didn’t buy any so am unable to give any constructive feedback!

If you have tried, please let us know what you thought in the comments below.

Vegan store in Harrogate Yorkshire

Harrogate, Yorkshire has a vegan store and it is gorgeous.

Miss Claire Rose has a fabulous selection of vegan snacks including chocolates, sweets, and pantry staples. They also have a GORGEOUS range of gifts such as animal-themed greeting cards, soy wax candles, and locally made jewellery.

In a superb yet unexpected twist, the store also sells handmade lingerie! You can buy off the shelf or hand over your measurements for custom made.

I was totally bowled over by this gorgeous store front and everything inside. Support independent vegan business by following Miss Claire Rose on Instagram now and tell your Yorkshire friends.

You can see the exact location of the store thanks to Google Maps.

London vegan restaurant gets an overhaul

Loving Hut in Edgware, London has long been a favourite eating destination for people in the capital looking to eat with compassion.

The restaurant (run by followers of the teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai – Google it if you wanna know) has been serving delicious vegan savoury food for years and favourites include mock meats, noodle dishes, and flavoured rice.

I was planning a trip to Loving Hut Edgware a few days ago when I discovered that it no longer exists, but has been remodelled and renamed.

Zen Buddha still sits at 236 Station Road but has enjoyed a makeover. The restaurant has been polished to look more modern and new booth seating has been added.

The people working in the restaurant are the same and, thankfully, the food is still the same delicious crispy goodness I know and love.

Check out my most recent meal below and see the exact location of Zen Buddha online thanks to Google Maps.

Leeds gets super vegan

Hey, friends.

The UK has been undergoing a vegan transformation over the past five years or so, but there was one large city that seemed to be on the back foot.

Leeds.

Now, I’m not disparaging Leeds. I love the place. I used to live in the Yorkshire city and it has a special place in my heart, but it has documented that the vegan offerings had been thin on the ground while other places such as Manchester and Glasgow flourished.

But all this has changed in recent times and my trip to Leeds this week has left me delighted with the gorgeous plant-based options that have sprung up all over town.

Take a look at some of the vegan delights I sampled in Leeds this week and start planning your weekend now!

Best in Leeds

If you need proof that the UK is now a serious vegan food contender on the world stage, get along to Leeds and eat with El Marchador Tacos.

It will be one of the best eating experiences you will have.

El Marchador is a fully vegan and gluten free eatery in the heart of Leeds. The menu is packed solid with absolutely mouthwatering Mexican cuisine and the tacos are the finest I’ve tasted outside of Mexico.

In addition to the incredible food line up, the venue also hosts an impressive line up of tequilas and craft beers. Of course the bar is entirely vegan, too.

Follow El Marchador on Instagram and see the exact location of the cantina thanks to Google Maps.

Vegan Italian restaurant in east London

This news is ALL OVER the vegan Internet, so you might have already heard it.

Antonio’s Kitchen is a brand new vegan Italian restaurant that has opened in Bethnal Green, London.

The food business has been trading at various locations over the past few years, but this restaurant is its first permanent home. It is just a few steps from Cambridge Heath train station and around the corner from The Gallery Cafe.

The menu at Antonio’s is stuffed solid with Italian classics such as piadina flatbread, calzone, and pasta.

You can see the exact location of Antonio’s Vegan Italian Kitchen thanks to Google Maps. Be sure to follow them on Instagram.