London vegan news, reviews & events
With all the doom and gloom and bad news surrounding vegan businesses shutting down, it is nice to be bringing you something a bit more upbeat for a change.
The Polka Dot Bakery is BACK at Old Spitalfields market and it is earlier than planned!
Read more below.
Today I’m stopping by to remind you of a special vegan brunch spot in South London.
You haven’t forgotten about Waiting Room in Deptford, have you?
Read more below.
Remember how I raved about the glorious sandwiches at The Coven of Wiches?
This legendary vegan deli and sandwich bar was serving some of the finest comfort food on the planet from their tiny premises in Walthamstow, but now the independent business is heading south of the river.
Read more below.
Looking for a job in London with an exciting vegan food business?
Palm Greens in Shoreditch is currently searching for a new Front of House team member and this could be the perfect opportunity for someone who loves hospitality, delicious food, and helping create a welcoming community space.
Read more below.
It doesn’t make me happy to write this, but London Vegan Beer Fest 2026 has been cancelled.
This is not a decision that was made easily. It has been agonised over and every possible option to try and make the event happen was explored, but in the end it became clear that continuing was no longer financially possible.
Putting on large scale independent events in 2026 is incredibly challenging. Rising costs, increasing financial pressures, and a rapidly changing events landscape have made projects like this much more difficult than they once were. Sadly, London Vegan Beer Fest became one of those projects.
I know this news will disappoint a lot of people and I feel like I have let many of you down. I know people had bought tickets, made plans, and were looking forward to spending the day celebrating vegan beer, food, and community together. I am especially saddened because I had been thinking of London Vegan Beer Fest as my own farewell party before I relocate to Australia in a few months after more than 16 years of Fat Gay Vegan.
To everyone who bought a ticket, applied to trade, agreed to sponsor, supported the event, or simply shared the excitement, thank you. Your enthusiasm meant the world to me. Everyone who purchased a ticket has now been refunded and traders who paid deposits have also had those payments returned.
While this particular chapter has come to an unexpected end, it certainly does not mean I am disappearing without a trace.
As I prepare to leave the UK, I want to spend these final months doing exactly what I have been lucky enough to do for the past decade and a half. I want to support independent vegan businesses and collaborate with some of my favourite chefs, restaurants, and venues. I want to create memorable experiences for the community that has given me so much over the years. Most of all, I want the opportunity to say goodbye to many of the incredible people I have met through Fat Gay Vegan.
I’m planning a series of smaller events, supper clubs, and collaborations over the coming months. It feels like an appropriately personal way to celebrate everything this community has meant to me.
The first of these is the long awaited return of Queer Vegan Disco. This much loved night was a regular fixture before the pandemic and I couldn’t be happier to bring it back alongside DJ Phil Marriott and the wonderful team at Karamel. Everyone is welcome and I genuinely hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Every event I organise between now and my departure will be listed on the Events page here on Fat Gay Vegan, so please keep checking back.
Thank you for sticking with me through the highs and the lows. This isn’t the ending I imagined for London Vegan Beer Fest, but I hope you’ll join me over the coming months as we create some new memories together.
I hope to see you soon.
Click here to see all my upcoming events and book tickets. You can also join my FGV email newsletter online here.
If you appreciate these blog posts and the work I do to support vegan business, please consider making a one time small donation of a couple of quid online here. You might also be in the position to sponsor my work on an regular basis via Patreon.
You can order my book ‘Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t’ online now. It has been out a while now but is still a good read. You can also listen to the Audiobook read by me!
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It is always sad to hear about a vegan restaurant closing its doors.
This week brought the news that Muan in Brixton has served its final customers after two years of sharing authentic vegan Thai food with South London.
Read more below.
One of the greatest joys for me as Fat Gay Vegan over the past 16 years has been championing independent vegan businesses.
Whether it has been writing about exciting new products on this blog, organising Hackney Downs Vegan Market, or helping small businesses connect with thousands of customers through supper clubs and events, I have always believed that our independent traders are the heart of the vegan movement.
That is why I am so excited that the return of London Vegan Beer Fest this September 19th in Mile End will feature a dedicated retail tent packed with incredible independent businesses.
Read more below.
I don’t often stop to celebrate the legacy of the FGV blog itself.
This blog has always been about shining a light on other people. Independent vegan businesses. Animal sanctuaries. Fundraising events. Community gatherings. New products. Restaurant openings. Beer festivals (ahem!).
But today I want to take a moment to celebrate this platform that started everything for me.
So far this year, more than 120,000 individual people have visited fatgayvegan.com.
Read more below.
I’ve been working overtime on the return of London Vegan Beer Fest, taking place at Mile End Stadium on September 19th, 2026.
It’s all super exciting but one element of the day has me particularly excited.
Read more below.
Many, many years ago I wrote a blog post about CookDaily being the best food in London.
A decade on from that and guess what? Head chef King is still serving the finest vegan food in the capital but now in a different location.
Read more below.
