London

Day of the Dead menu

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This is my favourite event that I put together.

Every year around this time I am filled with such excitement as I start putting together the finer details for my vegan Day of the Dead dinner party.

Not only is it fun devising a menu filled with delicious Mexican treats, it is also an opportunity to get dressed up and spend time with some of my best friends on the planet.

As you might know, Julio (of Sean y Julio fame) makes the journey every year to be with us for this event and for the past few years has been joined by his partner Carlos. Julio and Carlos are extremely special people to me and it a true joy to have them join me in London once a year.

Yes, yes. Whatever. I have friends. You wanna hear about the menu, right?

This year’s Day of the Dead dinner is getting supercharged thanks to the help of Mexican food ingredient specialists Cool Chile Co.

Our multi-course extravaganza will be decadent and packed solid with world class ingredients thanks to Cool Chile. Did you know they have a giant tortilla machine here in London? You should really get over to their website to check out the huge range of quality ingredients they have on offer. From no-fuss bean kits to blue corn tortillas, Cool Chile will have you cooking flawless Mexican cuisine in no time.

Wanna see the menu?

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Once again we have kept the menu completely gluten free.

I’m so pleased to be introducing the mushroom pie for this event, while also keeping much loved favourites from some of our earlier menus such as the flautas.

The 2016 version of this event takes place on Tuesday November 1. We have a sitting at 5pm for early birds and an 8pm sitting for those who cannot get away from work until a bit later. Book here.

It is a sit down dinner, you are welcome to bring your own vegan alcohol and of course you are encouraged to dress up if the mood takes you.

The 5th annual vegan Day of the Dead dinner is being hosted inside Black Cat Café in Hackney and I thank them profusely for their hospitality.

Gather your loved ones, book tickets now and I’ll see you all on November 1, 2016 for a night (and a meal) to remember. This event sells out every year, so please be quick to avoid disappointment.

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London vegan café burgled

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Horrible news but we can help.

Universally-adored Black Cat Café of Hackney was broken into last night and burgled. Followers of the vegan eatery were startled this morning when the café posted the following photo to social media.

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I don’t need to say how upset all of the Black Cat co-op members are following this incident. They pour their heart and souls into making the café not just one of the best vegan places to eat on the planet, but also a vital hub that supports their community.

They give opportunities to independent chefs. They sell vegan groceries. They allow space for a veg box scheme for local residents. They raise money for charities. Heck, they even let me host my annual Day of the Dead dinner in their space.

To put it simply, London is a better city thanks to Black Cat and their tireless commitment to doing better for animals and people.

To show them how much we love and support them, I have set up a JustGiving page in order to help get them back on their feet as soon as possible.

Some of the expenses they could use our help with include:

  • repairing front door
  • replacing stolen cash
  • replacing or repairing stolen till system
  • covering lost revenue due to the café being closed on the busiest day of the week

As you can see, this is going to be a very expensive ordeal for Black Cat. Yes, some of the expenses might be covered by insurance but as we all know this can take a long time to be sorted.

This is about taking action now. We need to get this money to Black Cat as soon as possible. We want them to feel supported by their community, just as they have supported us for years.

Please give what you can and help the campaign by sharing widely.

I have set the target at £1,000 but any extra money raised over the target will be given to Black Cat to help them with any other expenses related to improving the space. When £1,000 is reached, Josh and I will pay Black Cat with our own money in order to get it to them urgently. We will claim this cash back from the JustGiving funds once the campaign is over, while donating any extra to the café.

Click here to donate now.

Yoga and Vegan Fest

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Do you enjoy yoga? Are you vegan?

Yes and yes? Then this is the event you have been waiting for.

Tomorrow (Saturday October 15, 2016) is the day you can join a whole bunch of likeminded people at the Kingston Yoga and Vegan Fest.

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The entry price is just £3 and that includes participation in any and all of the yoga sessions being held across the day. That is superb value. Take your own yoga mat, of course.

There is also a huge line up of talks and demos, plus multiple food stands and traders all selling vegan stuff.

You can get more information from the Facebook event page or the official website.

Anyone going?!

Extra note: my pal Alternative Chef Steph will be at this show with her Ponga food stand, selling handmade vegan cheeses that you do not want to miss. Stunning!

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Vegan pizza in West London

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If you love vegan pizza, it’s a good time to be alive.

Plant-based versions of this hot meal are popping up everywhere around London from chain restaurants to independent cafés, with the latest version appearing in Fulham.

Picky Wops is a brand new non-vegan pizza joint at 347 North End Road, just a two-minute walk from vegan supermarket GreenBay.

The big thrill about dining with Picky Wops is you get to choose your base. The restaurant hand mix their own specialty flour combinations before kneading and baking to perfection.

After the multiple vegan choices you have for your base, the restaurant currently offers you one vegan choice although they welcome you to mix and match vegetables as you see fit.

The vegan cheese being used is Violife so you know you get a good melt.

Check out some photos from my trip to Picky Wops below, including my delicious burned wheat black base and the fab Paula from GreenBay who just happened to be dining next to me.

base burned kamut paula pizza-2 pizzas

I’m looking forward to the vegan options expanding in the near future but in the meantime this place is still one of the finest places to eat vegan pizza in London.

You can like Picky Wop on Facebook and follow on Instagram.

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Vegan sandwiches to go

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We are making big leaps and bounds when it comes to plant-based foods in the UK, but one area that needs development is ready-to-consume sandwiches. You know, the pre-packaged wraps and boxes you get everywhere from Tesco to your local café.

Thankfully, superstar food company Tofurky has set its glare on this very area.

The North American plant-based pioneer set up a vegan sandwich shop in London this week at the giant catering and food trade show called LUNCH.

This show is a coming together of food industry leaders and Tofurky wanted to demonstrate to them what they were missing out on by not selling ready-to-consume vegan sandwiches and snacks.

Check out this incredible selection they put on display.

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Could you even imagine seeing a vegan fridge like that in a UK shop?!

I asked Tofurky to elaborate on what they are trying to achieve with this new way of packaging their delicious plant-based meats, and they told me the following:

After the successful launch of our products in the UK retail market, it has occurred to us that there is a large gap in the huge UK Grab and Go sandwich market which lacks tasty plant based protein options for vegans, vegetarians and the 4 in 10 Brits who are now reducing their consumption of animal based proteins. We were impressed and amazed by the tremendous response to the 6 vegan Tofurky sandwiches and salads displayed in this chiller at the LUNCH show this week and hope to soon be offering these throughout the UK. For more information: info@tofurky.com.

Oh, yes.

How amazing would it be to start seeing these options pop up around the country?

Tofurky have been hard at work convincing UK companies to run with the concept in their stores but we as consumers can also help.

Share this blog post via social media or email with as many food retailers as possible. We can let them know that we want vegan choices in supermarkets, motorway services, cafés, universities and anywhere ready-to-consume food is sold.

Want some more photos?

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Get hassling those retailers, people. We need this! Animals need this!

You can visit Tofurky online, follow them on Twitter, follow them on Instagram and like them on Facebook.

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New vegan cheese launch

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London, hold steady when you read this news.

One of the best vegan cheeses I have ever tasted is launching in the capital tomorrow (Saturday September 24, 2016) and you will be kicking yourself if you don’t make an effort to get some.

I first tried Mouse’s Favourite at the Viva! show in Brighton a few weeks back and was beyond blown away. Their Camembert is probably one of the finest vegan cheeses on the planet.

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Rarely do you get a plant-based product this outstanding and now you can buy some of the good stuff for your very own.

Get along to GreenBay Supermarket on Saturday for a world exclusive as the makers of Mouse’s Favourite cheese set up a tasting station from midday and sell their finery in a retail setting for the first time ever.

Check out what the company had to say about the launch event:

This Saturday at GreenBay we are giving out samples of Mouse’s Favourite for customers to try. The samples on offer will be our newest cheese, Camembert, as well as our Cider Washed Rind, Almond Pyramid, Original Cream and Smokey Cream. This is almost our complete range except for the Rich Aged Dulse which won’t be aged in time.
We are very excited about Saturday because it will be the first time ever that our cheese is available in a shop, and not just any shop, we couldn’t be more delighted that it’s in GreenBay the newly opened 100% vegan store. All the above cheeses will be available for purchase (again except for the Rich Aged Dulse – but it will be in the future).
Having Mouse’s Favourite in GreenBay is the culmination of 5 years of research and development by Gabrielle to produce the finest quality ‘cheese’ made from the best possible ingredients. The production processes and techniques mirror the traditional craft of hand made cheesemaking wherever possible.  We have both been vegan for ten years and believe that you don’t have to sacrifice anything or feel like you are missing out. As well as perfecting the taste and texture, we have tried to make a product every bit as alluring and beautiful and varied in range as dairy cheese. Vegetarians often cite cheese as the one food that they couldn’t do without, the one thing stopping them becoming vegan. It’s a gratifying thought that our cheese could help people along on their journey.

Wow. Let’s take a look at some of those other cheeses.

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From top: Almond Pyramid, Cashew Cream Cheese and Washed Rind Cashew Cheese.

Be one of the first people in London to get your hands on Mouse’s Favourite at GreenBay Supermarket tomorrow from midday. Be quick. This stuff is going to fly out the door, especially that Camembert.

You can visit Mouse’s Favourite online, follow them on Instagram and like them on Facebook.

You can also get details about GreenBay online and follow them on Twitter or Instagram, as well as like them on Facebook.

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Indian cooking class this weekend!

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If you want to learn how to cook gorgeous, mouthwatering vegan Indian food, I’m sure your first point of call in London should be Nishma Shah.

This Saturday (September 24, 2016) you can join Nishma for a wonderful culinary adventure as she teaches you the ins and outs of Indian home cooking.

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The following is lifted from the event description:

This is a prime opportunity to learn some authentic Indian home cookery, from Shambhu’s chef Nishma Shah. Nishma is of Indian heritage, has been immersed in Indian culture all her life and is proud of it, and importantly loves making and teaching delicious plant-based Indian food.

The class price is £40 and includes refreshments, food tasting and even a container of leftovers (if you all don’t eat everything there and then).

The class is limited to 12 people and can be booked online here.

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ANOTHER London café turns vegan

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The plat based news keeps rolling in at breakneck speed.

Salad Pride is a café and eatery situated in Neal’s Yard, slap bang in the middle of the Covent Garden district of central London.

They recently announced via their social media they are now 100% plant based!

Check out the Instagram announcement below:


How cool!

Get over to the Salad Pride website to check out their menu. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter, and of course like them on Facebook.

Click here to see their location on Google Maps.

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Diwana Bhel Poori House on Drummond Street

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Post by:

josh panel

Last month I had a quick slap-up dinner with my friend Ari before seeing the amazing band Slaves. We decided to try one of the vegetarian Indian restaurants on Drummond Street. We had previously been underwhelmed by Chutneys so we decided to give Diwana Bhel Poori House a go.

Diwana bhel puri houseWe started with Bhel-Poori and Bhajya…

bhel pooriThe Bhel-Poori was a delightful mixture of textures and flavours. Crunchy crushed fried poori and puffed rice contrasted with soft cooked potato, onion and chilli, all bathed in a delightful sweet and sour sauce. I could have ordered another portion!

bhajyaThe bhajya (or bhajis as I normally see it written) were perfectly crispy and crunchy on the outside and soft and satisfying on the inside.

Following our delicious starters, we shared a Thali as a main and it did not disappoint.

thaliFilled with a generous quantity of food, the Thali contained three delicious curries, a creamy and tasty dhal, more bhajya, puris and rice. Everything tasted exceptional!

I would definitely head back to Diwana Bhel Poori House and recommend that you do too!

Visit Diwana Bhel Puri House online or follow them on Twitter.

P.S. Why doesn’t London have a 100% vegan Indian restaurant??

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IVJFD 2016 with Black Cat

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As you know, the 3rd annual International Vegan Junk Food Day is taking place on Monday August 29, 2016.

You can read all about this marvellous festival here.

I’m thrilled to announce the first participant in this year’s celebration is Black Cat Café of Hackney.

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The café is opening special hours just for #ivjfd16 (between 4:30pm and 10:00pm) and the menu they have lined up is going to make you drool and the super cheap price is going to make you clap with happiness.

(Read this and book straight away – last year’s International Vegan Junk Food Day booked out solid in record time)

For just £15.50 you get to choose 1 main, 2 sides and 1 dessert if booked in advance via info@blackcatcafe.co.uk (so do it now!).

There are also prices for single items if you fancy dropping in during the special opening hours, but you really should get the meal deal and secure your food.

MAINS (£7.50)

  • The fishless burger: ale nori battered cod, remoulade, tartar sauce, rocket
  • Jack fruit quesadillas: slow cooked jackfruit in rich chilli mole, guacamole, carrot and onion escabeche, melted cheese.
  • Black Cat classic beef style burger: seitan and soya mince patty, cheddar cheese, rasher, beefsteak tomatoes, butter lettuce, house made pickles and basil garlic mayo.
  • Curry hot dogs: tofu sausage, mango chutney, onion relish, wholegrain mustard, curried home made ketchup

SIDES (£3.50)

  • Deli potato salad: new potatoes, gherkins, garden peas, diced carrots, chives, house made herby mayo.
  • Hand cut herby potato wedges: raw garlic, vinegar 
  • Hackney Salad: mixed leaves, olives, tomatoes agave mustard dressing.
  • Crunchy slaw: thinly sliced cabbage, red onions, fresh chilly, coriander, sesame seeds, fresh mint and coriander

Dessert (£4)

  • Ice Cream Boat: chocolate and vanilla ice cream, banana, crushed biscuits, chocolate orange sauce, whipped cream
  • Cake (selection in the fridge)

How about that menu?!

Email Black Cat Café right this second to secure your meal for International Vegan Junk Food Day 2016. Be sure to use #ivjfd16 across social media to share your good time eating adventures on August 29, 2016.

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