dairy-free

I eat eggs

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Of all the religious celebrations that I opt out of, Easter seems one of the strangest. Can someone enlighten a FGV with atheistic tendencies? Why do people imagine a giant bunny is hopping around leaving chocolate eggs in nests?

As a naive child in Australia, I would fashion beach towels into makeshift nests and settle in for a night of anticipation. Would the Easter Bunny visit my ramshackle egg depository?

I am thankful those days (and sleepless nights) are long gone as I put my trust in more logical ways of thinking. However, the amusing twist in this bunny tale is the fact that I still adore devouring chocolate eggs whenever a vegan version makes its way into my FGV nest.

Cue the wonder and talent of Moo Free Chocolates!

Moo Free vegan Easter egg

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I’m all about fudge

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The vegan ice cream wars have been rather quiet lately. Old favourites such as Booja Booja and Swedish Glace have been keeping me company but there hasn’t been much competition to speak of. I have been trundling along with my predictable frozen dessert consumption for months.

It’s not that I don’t adore the delights made by these companies, but a FGV needs to change it up a bit now and again… and change it up I did during a recent visit to the United States of America.

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Raisin my interest

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The Redwood Wholefood Company is one of the true vegan megastar companies. The Heather Mills-owned business produces a staggering range of cruelty-free delicacies and has won numerous awards throughout their history. This FGV has been in love with their products for over a decade and some of my favourite Redwood items include Cheatin’ Roast Turkey, Cheatin’ Rashers, Breaded Pepperjack Style Cheezly Bites and Gourmet Meat Free Chicken Style Pieces. Oh yes, I’m extremely familiar with Redwood.

With a lustrous reputation for good-tasting and compassionate food, my life is spent in anticipation of new Redwood products. My appetite and interest have been temporarily satisfied by a tasty new item that is simple yet irresistible.

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London Vegan Potluck guest review: November 2011

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The London Vegan Potluck was such a ridiculous success last night I have had to bring in a guest reviewer with a snazzy camera to whip up a pictorial review worthy of such a fine night.

Kick back, relax and enjoy the food-inspired ramblings and visual evidence gathering of The Vegan Butcher.

Potluck food

Last night was London Vegan Potluck 7 and if you missed it I feel very sad for you. It was a hell of a night, with tonnes of food from our event sponsor (Beanie’s Health Foods), lots of amazing vegan creations from the attendees, and an alarming amount of vegan booze (a trend I hope continues). Let’s recap, shall we?

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No single bite could satisfy

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Dairy cows are some of the most abused creatures on the planet and their suffering is unjustifiable. Humans do not require cow milk to live healthy lives and there is absolutely no reason to exploit cows in order to give humans chocolate.

Chocolate is delicious though, so I am eternally grateful to the fabulous people of Moo Free Chocolates. This company is dedicated to creating mouthwatering chocolate treats that are dairy-free and delicious. This FGV has been in love with their products for a while now (see here) and my love just grew stronger with the release of several new tempting items.

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Not a difficult choice

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Life is full of choices.

I chose last year to relocate (once again) to Europe instead of choosing to remain in Australia. I choose not to buy or consume dairy products due of the mistreatment of animals exploited within the industry. Furthermore, I often choose to overeat sweet food because I’m a greedy fat, gay vegan.

These three choices of European living, dairy-free food and sugar over-consumption have recently merged into some sort of holy trinity of choice with the discovery of a delicious chocolate caramel product called Choices. See what I did there?

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Hold the cheese

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Pizza is a treat not often on offer to vegans. Most mainstream, mass-produced pizzas are heaped with dairy cheese and/or contain animal fats within their dough bases. Vegans have for a long time been excluded from this common snack, but there are more than a few places on the planet where you can get a nice slice free from non-human animal content.

One of my favourite restaurants in the world is the gorgeous and quaint Threeworlds Organic Cafe on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. This low key location sells the most delicious and nutritious pizzas I have tasted. Cruzer Pizza in Los Angeles has mastered the art of copying firm favourites such as meat lovers without hurting anyone. The Grove Cafe in Leeds, UK offers up a selection of pizzas topped with Vegerella vegan cheese. All of these restaurants have the good stuff, but I have always struggled to locate a pizza without cruelty in London. That was until Franco Manca came into my life.

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I’d rather Jack

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One of the best things about living in the UK is the copious amounts of vegan crisps (potato chips) on offer. Wafer thin, crunchy potato is everywhere and the flavours available are increasing at an amazing rate.

The East Anglian Crisp Company has joined the party and is now supplying this FGV with Jackpots, some of the most delicious vegan crisps on the UK market.

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Sweet as a bird

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Flavoured syrup is a dietary staple, right? A fabulous range of products known as Sweetbird has got me thinking that very thought.

A box of vegan goodies from Beyond the Bean wholesalers

A little while ago I was contacted by a friendly human asking if I would be interested in sampling some of their vegan syrups. I hammered out a positive response as quickly as my fat, gay fingers could type. It surely would go against the natural order of the universe for me to decline. It is always lovely to be offered a gift, but I’m a whole lot happier when the gift turns out to be ample amounts of sweet liquids and powdery chocolate.

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Cupcakes in the capital

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London is famous for many reasons and millions of people travel to the capital for theatre, fashion and historical relevance. Well, now you can add vegan cupcakes to that list as Ms Cupcake finally throws open her doors to the world.

Ms Cupcake vegan bakery in Brixton

If you like vegan sweets, the Ms Cupcake bakery on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton is a dream come to life. The store (opened officially today) is a wonderland of animal-free frosting, sugary sponges and sweet concoctions. I was overwhelmed on entering the store for the first time. Everywhere I looked I was confronted by a staggering amount of temptations. It took me a while to process I was standing in a real, honest-to-goodness vegan bakery. Let the eating begin.

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