London vegan news, reviews & events
I’ve just had some interesting news come through about a new regular vegan dining and socialising event in London.
I absolutely adore when people create new spaces for building social capital and find new ways for compassionate humans to connect and support each other.
That is exactly what this concept promises. Check out the press release for BEspoken Dinners below:
Here’s a super quick post to let you know superstar vegan brand So Delicious has been spotted popping up around the UK.
I grabbed the chocolate coconut milk you see below from a Planet Organic store in London and there have been reports of their other milk products surfacing around the country.
I’ve never been the best vegan I can be because I’ve never taken the time to make my own tofu.
This could all change thanks to an exclusive ‘make your own tofu’ class being staged soon (April 11, 2015) by Korean BBQ restaurant, Yijo.
Check out what they have to say about the class:
Have you noticed the Just Falafel fast food outlets have been shutting down in London.
The picture above shows the locked store front in Fulham and I noticed the outlet near Shaftesbury Avenue closed months back. It seems plans for expansion of the vegan-friendly food providers have hit a serious road block in the UK, even moving backward.
In contrast, the parent company is pushing ahead with rebranding and expansion in Australia. Just Falafel stores are planned for railway stations in capital cities down under, with the first one launched last year in Sydney’s Central Station.
This news article reports plans to open 160 Just Falafel locations across North America within five years. That’s a lot of falafel!
It seems the UK’s loss is the rest of the world’s gain.
Do you have a Just Falafel outlet near you? What do you think of the vegan offerings?
Are you interested in authentic Italian pizza. Franco Manca serve some of the finest you will taste in the UK and the vegan version comes in at under £5. Actually, £4.50 to be exact.
Delicious, plant-based and under a fiver. Amazing. Check it out.
I asked for extra basil and a sprinkling of capers on mine at extra cost, but if plain pizza made out of chewy crust is your thing you will not be disappointed.
The restaurant is not vegan, but the servers are always happy to drop the cheese from any of their vegetarian pizzas to make it suitable for compassionate eaters.
The pizza chain has locations in Brixton, Chiswick, Balham, Tottenham Court Road, Southfields, Northcote, Broadway Market, Stratford, East Dulwich and South Kensington.
Eat up!
You can visit Franco Manca online.
Extra note: I originally wrote about Franco Manca a few years ago when they didn’t have as many locations. You can see the post here.
London, you have new vegan food options and they look incredible.
On the Holloway Road sits a live music venue called 12 Bar Club. This venue hosts live music and any given day will find punters enjoying indie, alt-country, punk, folk and rock ‘n’ roll bands.
This is all well and good but I promised you talk of vegan food, right?
Phil T’s at the 12 Bar is the new name for the kitchen inside this north London location. The menu reads like a gourmet rundown of British comfort food and every course has a vegan option. No, I don’t mean you have to ask for salad. Phil T and his team will serve you straight up, wholesome vegan comfort food and you can order it from the menu without having to freak out or nervously explain plant-based eating to your server.
Check out the feast Fran of Vx recently enjoyed in the restaurant. (Thanks for the pics, Fran!)
Do you need convincing to get into vegan grocery store Vx this weekend? Because I’ve got some compelling arguments for you to hurry down there right now, London.
Check out my solid reasons for making a speedy trip to this King’s Cross retail outlet ASAP.
I am incredibly proud of London Vegan Drinks.
This party has been running since 2011 and has established itself (with a little bit of help from me) as one of the biggest and best monthly social events for vegans on the planet.
The current location (Kabaret @ Karamel) welcomes in excess of 100 vegans and their friends on the first Saturday of every month. With a 100% vegan venue, lots of friendly faces and late night sets from a rotating line up of DJs, London Vegan Drinks is a party not to be missed each month.
But I am missing it in February!
My insatiable desire for off-Broadway theatre and overeating is taking me to New York City on the day I should be hosting London Vegan Drinks in February, therefore I have sourced the finest guest hosts in the capital. Only the best for the best.
Meet Bob. Bob is a party planner not to be underestimated. She has had a hand in some of the biggest fashion events in the capital and (as she proved at my roller disco last year) is an extremely competent roller skater.
Bob won’t be on roller skates on Saturday February 7th, 2015 but she will be armed with name stickers and a giant smile.
You can follow Bob on Instagram.
London Vegan Drinks is such a massive party, it needs reinforcements. Enter James and Angela of ethical boutique and vegan shoe store, The Third Estate.
The Camden/Kentish Town store run by James and Angela is a vegan landmark. People come from all over the UK and the world to shop with the compassionate duo. The blog post I published about The Third Estate is still one of the most viewed in the history of this site.
If you are new to London Vegan Drinks on Saturday February 7th, 2015 then cosy up to these two and they will make you feel like an old friend. Also marvel at the unrivalled song selection prowess of James as he takes to the DJ decks later in the evening.
You can like The Third Estate on Facebook.
London Vegan Drinks is going to be one heck of a party in February. Makes me kinda wish I wasn’t missing it.
Get all the details about the location and transport options here.
If you are interested in progressive politics and improving outcomes for everyone on the planet, this news will be of interest.
February 17th, 2015 is the date to pencil into an empty page of your diary for a fundraising screening of environmental documentary, Cowspiracy.
Never heard of Cowspiracy? Watch the trailer.
Screening organiser, Rachel, reached out to me with this comment:
The screening will be on 17th February at Whirled Cinema, Loughborough Junction (very close to Brixton). Tickets are £10, with all profits going to Lambeth Green Party. The aim is for it to be an informal evening that should be a great opportunity for people attending to meet other like-minded people, as well as learning about the environmental impact of the meat and dairy industries. I’m hoping some people will arrive from 6PM, and then stick around after the film for a bit of a discussion about the points raised (the film will be shown at 8PM). We’ll be providing some vegan nibbles, and the cinema has a bar should people wish to buy drinks.
To repeat the basics again: tickets for the screening taking place at the Whirled Cinema in Loughborough Junction are priced at just £10, with funds raised going to the Lambeth Green Party.
Click here to buy your ticket.