London vegan news, reviews & events
London Vegan Drinks is a super fun monthly party, as you know.
What you might not have given much thought to is the fact that it isn’t just about booze. We also like to eat.
Turn up tomorrow (Saturday May 2, 2015) from 6pm for London Vegan Drinks at Kabaret @ Karamel in Wood Green and you will be met by the following menu:
Being a frequent traveller, I am used to the exorbitant prices charged for food items at airports. I am not sure if the food vendors are paying a premium for the space or they have just discovered people will pay anything because they are trapped in that location.
Let’s play a guessing game.
How much do you think I paid for this vegan salad at Los Angeles International Airport last week? The answer is below the photo in US dollars. Take a guess and then scroll down to see how close you were.
Ready for the answer?
We are living in a post-Saf Restaurant & Bar world. It is a tough fact to face, but it’s the truth. London lost one of its finest vegan eateries and London Vegan Drinks lost a dependable source of pre-drinking dinner.
Attendees to London Vegan Drinks will now need to turn to Whole Foods Market and its food providers for sustenance. Here is what you can look forward to eating during the February event.
As for the WOK station counter, they will have the following vegan options:
Not a bad eating line up at all, right?!
See you at London Vegan Drinks this Thursday.
I have just woken up from an afternoon nap in my rented vacation apartment in Mexico City. In a short while I will be getting dressed and having a few sips of mezcal before heading out for some early evening drinks in the nearby gay cantinas.
But you didn’t come here to hear about my leisurely holiday. You want to see gorgeous photos of enticing vegan food, right?
When have I ever let you down? Keep scrolling to see a fraction of the food I have been busying myself with here in Mexico. This city does have vegan dining-out options but what follows is a small selection of my self-catering creations with a few store bought snacks thrown in for good measure.
Enjoy.
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I work hard to make London Vegan Potluck a success and stories like the following make it all worthwhile.
A few months ago I was contacted by a friendly person from Reading called Gemma. Gemma was planning a vegan potluck in her city and wanted some advice on how to get it together.
I am only too happy to help where I can when it comes to this sort of question. As I have said previously, vegan potlucks are invaluable when it comes to building social capital, supporting new vegans and strengthening the resolve of long term vegans.
Flash forward to yesterday and I received a lovely message from Gemma sharing the following information:
“So we had our potluck tonight and I thought you would like to see the pics. There were about 18 or so people I think. Thank you again for all your advice before. It really helped. Our next one is 5th August and everyone has said they will come to that one too, yaay.”
How fantastic. I tip my hat to Gemma and the Reading vegans for hosting the first of what I’m sure will be many potlucks. Hopefully I can make it along in the future!
Gemma has kindly agreed to let me use some of her photos from the Reading Potluck. Follow her Facebook page for further dates and details.
I want to take a moment to digress from my usual food rants to show my appreciation for London Vegan Potluck.
London Vegan Potluck came into being over two years ago when I had the idea to create a regular, monthly event that was as much about socialising as it was about vegan food. I wanted to create a safe and welcoming gathering that would always be there for (and because of) the vegans of London.
The event started as a tiny get together of 20 people in the arcade next to the Ms. Cupcake bakery in Brixton. I remember being terrified that nobody would show up, but almost instantly the sense of community surrounding the potluck came to life and we haven’t stopped growing since that first night.
After six months of hosting the event in Brixton, I had to say goodbye to Ms. Cupcake and move London Vegan Potluck to bigger premises. It was just that popular! Thanks to the immense generosity of the Syracuse University London Program and its staff, we were able to secure a huge central London space equipped with everything we needed to make the event a continued success.
We have now been celebrating the potluck in our Holborn location ever since and to say it is a runaway success would be an understatement. The attendance numbers have broken the 100 mark on several occasions and I am always overwhelmed by the number of new attendees I meet every month.
The list of vegan and vegan-friendly companies that have supported the event with samples is mammoth. I am grateful to the traders who have personally attended to not only share their products with us, but to also make connections within the vegan community. I am humbled by the travellers and tourists from around the UK and the world who go out of their way to make London Vegan Potluck a stop on their already packed schedules. We have enjoyed the company of visitors from Australia, France, the USA, Canada, Spain, China and many more locations than I can recall.
It is hard work putting the potluck together every month. I couldn’t even begin to calculate the amount of time I have spent moving chairs, washing dishes, arranging tables, liaising with sponsors, updating websites, answering queries, shopping for supplies and hosting the actual event.
But I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Sure I get irked when people show up with no food to contribute or complain the event doesn’t suit their taste/schedule/sensibilities, but the positive contribution and social capital I see being paid back into my community on the first Wednesday of every single month overrides any negativity.
The immense interest surrounding the potluck led me to create and host the monthly London Vegan Drinks event which is even more successful and draws well over 100 people on the third Thursday of every month. I have received messages from people around the UK who have been inspired by the London event to create their own local potluck. The goodwill generated by that first-ever event in Brixton is infectious and continues to spread.
London Vegan Potluck works to support vegans on their journey to remain vegan, helps the curious and kind-hearted make the transition to a plant-based diet and creates a safe and dependable space for people to exist as compassionate eaters without judgement for two hours each and every month.
In my opinion, all of this improves outcomes for animals, people and the planet. What more could you ask for?
I think every city could do with a monthly vegan potluck. Don’t you agree?
What do you get when you mix FGV, Google and a Mexican restaurant in Central London? A whole lot of delicious fun, that’s what!
I was recently approached by Google+ Local to host a vegan event in the capital. Of course you know all about Google+ Local, right? Local is a fully integrated way to share your experiences, read reviews, view maps, browse businesses and immerse yourself (and your friends) in your local area. I am already swamped by social media but I am slowly getting to grips with Local.
I’m glad Google asked me to get involved with organising a vegan event as it has been a great way to sink my teeth into their new service. I have been writing reviews for my favourite London locations, as well as contemplating the idea of hosting a hangout. If you like the idea of exploring your local area via Local, read all about it here.
But what about the event? Read on!
London Vegan Drinks is a week away and this FGV couldn’t be more excited. Not only is it one of the biggest and best vegan nights on the planet, but hosting venue tibits has promised to go all out to make sure our event is one to remember this December.
The first news that should get the crowds in is the new dessert menu being unveiled for Winter. The menu is the stuff of vegan dreams. tibits will be offering the following vegan desserts during December (many appearing at London Vegan Drinks!): berry crumble, blood orange cream, Bircher muesli, dates, fig cream, fruit salad, gooseberry fool, Mandarin cream, mango mousse, papaya, quince cream, Sharon fruit, sticky toffee pudding and wild berry cream.
You’re coming along, right?! Still thinking about it, hey? Well, listen up.
As a special treat for London Vegan Drinks, the food boat at tibits will be 99% vegan on the night. Yes, that is correct. 99% vegan in honour of us. It is stunning news and proof that tibits is a compassionate business committed to strengthening our community event.
Join us on Thursday December 15, 2011 from 6:30pm for a night of vegan drinking, vegan eating and vegan socialising. It is going to be the event of the season. I 99% guarantee it.
For full event details with information on how to RSVP, click here.
After such a successful potluck last month, it was getting difficult to believe part 3 could be bigger and better. But guess what? London Vegan Potluck 3 was bigger and better!
The vast array of delicious dishes on offer pushed our tables to the limit. With over 40 fabulous potluckers, there was an incredibly-diverse range of foods to choose from. It got so busy up in there I had to push my way through to the tables at one point.
The centerpiece was two massive trays of meatballs. These delicacies were made possible by the kind folk of the Redwood Wholefood Company. The award-winning, all-vegan food producers supplied us with a generous portion of their meatballs which were turned into Italian and English style dishes by the glorious staff at Ms. Cupcake. The Redwood meatballs are versatile, tasty and chewy. Thank you Redwood. You helped make our event extra special.
Proper gratitude must also be paid to Ms. Cupcake and her staff for all the hard work they put in to helping make the potluck the success it is, as well as allowing their space to be used once a month. A million thanks.
Following are a few photos of just a fraction of the food that was offered up tonight.
