London vegan news, reviews & events
With the release of my first ever book just days away, I am celebrating by sharing some short excerpt videos.
In this video, I briefly read from the Ethical Vegan chapter of the book and discuss the use of non-inclusive language by mainstream vegan activists.
You can click here to buy the book online. If you are in London on January 4, 2018, click here to discover how you can join me at my official launch day celebration.
You can also see my first video reading here.
My new book is almost out in the world and I’m getting excited!
Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t is the culmination of a lot of work and dedication, so I’m keen to see what kind of reaction it gets after it is published on January 4, 2018.
To celebrate the impending release, I’ve decided to share a series of readings from the book.
The first one is below.
You can click here or on the image below to pre-order your own copy.
My buddy Mark is hosting his first ever supper club at The Dodo Micropub in Hanwell, West London on January 15, 2018 and you should all book tickets!
Mark will serve a 4-course, nut-inspired menu with a welcome drink upon arrival and a take home goodie bag with samples for you to try at your leisure. This has all been made possible with the support of some wonderful brands including artisan cheese producers Essential Vegan and Raw Food Rosie’s, while Aqua Esse, Raw & Wild and The Happy Snack Company have provided him with your take home goodies.
Given cheese is at the heart of the menu, Mark has paired the main course and starter with vegan and organic wines from Spain. These are optional, so you can choose the ticket you want to purchase – with the paired wines or without. On the evening, should you wish, you will also be able to purchase alternative drinks from a vegan drinks menu featuring wines, beers and a selection of soft drinks including a limited number of the Aqua Esse intelligent aromatics spring water. You will be able to pay for your drinks by cash or card.
When purchasing your ticket also choose whether you wish to be greeted upon arrival with a mulled wine or a mulled kombucha. It will be mid January so both are assured to warm you up after your journey.
Mark’s mission is to constantly aspire to serve healthy and wholesome plant based food and with this in mind, only the highest quality organic ingredients will be used in all the dishes he personally prepares.
The menu for the evening is below:
Arrival
Starter
Main
Dessert
Take home goodie bag
This is set to be a wonderful event so click here to book your ticket.
For delicious food photos and to stay updated with events, follow Mark on Instagram.
The Brook in Wallington, Surrey is one of those places that I never stop hearing about.
People who love this eatery REALLY love it. It definitely ranks in the top ten restaurants that I am contacted about by people wanting me to mention it.
The Brook has been a vegan staple of its community but that very community is now feeling sad due to the planned relocation from Wallington to Hackney.
Yes, bloody Hackney! LOL.
I asked owner Thea to give me a little info about the move. This is what she said:
We’re moving to Hackney in the new year (opening 18th Dec). We have a temporary space for 6-12 months. After four years in Surrey we’re itching to bring our food and drink to the London peeps. And from there we’re planning world domination… naturally.
We are also the headline sponsor at Vegan Life Live at Alexandra Palace in February, running the main bar, a catering stand and the live music stage, so it’s going to be a busy new year!
Take a look at some of these food, cake and cocktail photos below and be sure to follow The Brook on Instagram and Facebook.
And here is a cheeky little graphic to show you the new Hackney location for The Brook.
I’ve only just recovered from the mammoth three-day Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market held at Hackney Downs Studios.
Not only was the market a great opportunity for people to buy some of the best street food in the UK, it also marked our one year anniversary of hosting the market in this location.
I want to say a massive thank you to Eat Work Art for giving this market a home.
Hackney Downs Vegan Market has become one of the most iconic and loved destinations for vegans and their friends on the planet.
Thank you to all the attendees who have visited during 2017 and of course extra special thanks to our traders. Until you have done a day on the market, you can’t imagine how hard they work to bring fresh and exciting food to thousands of people each week.
The market returns weekly on Saturday January 6, 2018.
The Hummingbird Bakery is introducing a vegan cupcake option to the counters of its seven bakeries.
In response to high customer demand, The Hummingbird Bakery will be selling vegan versions of its most popular products, launching the range with its bestselling Red Velvet. It will be available as a vegan cupcake in-store as well as a cupcake and whole Red Velvet Layer Cake online from 8th January 2018.
The Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake will be available at their seven bakeries located across London and Surrey, including their newest branch opened in summer 2017 on the Guildford High Street.
Tarek Malouf, founder and Managing Director of The Hummingbird Bakery, said:
Customers told us they wanted a vegan option of our cakes and we listened. We wanted to offer an amazing vegan cupcake that is every bit as delicious and authentically American tasting as the Red Velvet cupcake we introduced to the UK in 2004. The Hummingbird Bakery’s new Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake compromises nothing from the original recipe, we are really proud of this vegan version of our bestseller. With our new website launching in January 2018, we are delighted we will be able to showcase a new whole vegan Red Velvet Layer Cake on here as well for those wishing to celebrate a special occasion with the highest quality vegan baking.
Established on Portobello Road in 2004, The Hummingbird Bakery is best known for its Red Velvet Cupcakes with a deep red sponge flavoured with a hint of cocoa.
I am super proud of Hackney Downs Vegan Market.
This now-weekly street food market has taken London by storm. It has a whole bunch of imitators and it has developed a strong, loyal following of attendees.
I’m writing this post as we drive home from day one of the three-day festive version of the market and I couldn’t be happier with how it went. Food vendors sold out and visitors left with smiles on their faces.
If you are coming along on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24, please arrive early to avoid disappointment. Trading starts at 10am and runs until 6pm on Saturday and 5pm on Sunday.
Please stop by my stall to say hello to me and Josh, and pick up one of the official Hackney Downs Vegan Market tote bags made from organic cotton.
They are gorgeous and cost £5 each.
See all the trader info for the next two days by clicking here.
BREAKING NEWS
I am thrilled to be the first to announce that adored London fast food chain Arancini Brothers is set to transform one of its locations into a 100% vegan eatery for January 2018, making it the first non-vegan restaurant chain on the planet to commit to having a completely vegan outlet.
Forget vegetarian sandwich shops and vegan side menus, Arancini Brothers Old Street is going all in on veganism and will be completely free of animal products.
Arancini Brothers started as a street food stall on Brick Lane back in 2009 and since then has become one of the most-celebrated fast food chains in London.
In recent years, vegan and vegan-curious customers have become enamoured with the plant-based options on the menu and their burgers have become the stuff of legend.
What do Arancini Brothers serve that is so special?
Big grains of rice are mixed through slow cooked onion, garlic and herbs, before vegetable stock is added to make a firm, delicious risotto. They mix through flavours like parsley and lemon before hand rolling into little balls, coating in rice flour then frying.
I spoke with David Arkin about his company’s decision to turn one of his restaurants vegan in January.
This is what he told me:
It’s something we have always wanted Arancini Brothers to be. Our food has always been based around a vegan/vegetarian diet and now we want our customers to experience our full vegan flavour with nothing getting in the way.
Even though this is for Veganuary we would love to make it a permanent change. If it does well, our Old Street branch will stay completely vegan.
Our non-vegan customers already love and regularly order our many vegan options on the menu and I’m sure they will support us. I feel veganism is here for the long run and is not just a trend, so we want be on the frontline of the movement serving up our delicious, healthy food.
The Arancini Brothers Old Street vegan menu will include (* denotes gluten free):
Arancini (served with mayo + chutney)
Wraps served with Risotto Balls + today’s salads + crispy onion
Salad Box served with 3 Risotto Balls + today’s salad + seeds
Hot Stew served with Risotto Balls + rice + rocket + chutney + seeds
Risotto Burger served with our famous mushroom zucchini risotto patty and organic bap
Breakfast served 9:30am until midday Monday – Friday
Brekkie Wrap served with risotto balls, crispy onion and breakfast mayo
Breakfast Bap (served in an organic bap)
Sweets
EXTRAS
Arancini Brothers Old Street will re-open as a vegan outlet on January 2, 2018 for a soft launch.
The official vegan grand re-opening day is set for Thursday January 4, 2018. The store is open 9:30am until 4:30pm from Monday until Friday each week.
You can follow Arancini Brothers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
EXTRA NOTE:
January 4, 2018 is not only the grand re-opening of Arancini Brothers Old Street as a vegan outlet, it is also the date that my first ever book is published.
To help Arancini Brothers celebrate their huge commitment to promoting vegan food, I will be in the restaurant most of the official launch day to chat with people and enjoy the new menu. The restaurant will be selling copies of my book, Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t, and if you can’t grab a copy on the day they have also committed to selling it ongoing.
I’m also thrilled to announce that Arancini Brothers will be selling an FGV Burger as part of their regular menu at the Old Street location.
If you plan on coming along to the vegan grand re-opening to celebrate Old Street going vegan and the launch of my book, you can RSVP to the Facebook event page.
If you would like to pre-order a copy of my book online, you can click on the panel below.
This has just reached our house:
This chocolate coconut drink is currently available for £6 at Marks and Spencer stores.
That’s the good news. And the bad?
The drink is only seasonal so you need to get in there quickly before it all disappears.
Yay for inexpensive festive booze!