I get asked a lot of questions as a vegan blogger based in London. People want to know where they can get a fry up, which beers are vegan and who sells the biggest range of plant-based products.
I am usually able to assist but there has always been a question for which I have struggled to determine an answer. People want to know the most vegan-friendly suburb/location/area in the UK capital.
The problem with London is the vast distances you must travel to find vegan food. Catch the Tube to Edgware for one of the best Loving Huts on the planet to understand what I mean. Vegan business are spread far and wide, making it difficult to name the number one spot for plant eaters.
However, there certainly are hotspots popping up around London where a vegan would have no problem eating their fill. Take Brixton, for example.
Following is a collection of vegan food I stumbled across this weekend as I strolled around the iconic London neighbourhood. From make-shift market stalls to one of the most well-known vegan bakeries in the world, Brixton is certainly not short of cruelty-free food options.
The collection below doesn’t even cover everything on offer in Brixton. There is a raw juice bar, a vegan-friendly pizza restaurant, a falafel stall and much more.
Check out the mouthwatering photos and then let me know in the comments your pick for London’s most vegan-friendly neighbourhood!
Living in such a huge city of course has its advantages, but you can also get swallowed up in the sheer scale of things. I have friends who live on the other side of the city and I can get through an entire calendar year without seeing them. Everyone is busy and it can take hours to get across town.
One victim of London’s gigantism is Saf. This 100% vegan restaurant is one of the finest places for plant eaters to dine out in the capital, but I rarely make it along. One of the last times I visited was for this blog post from April 2011. That is far too long between visits.
This week I decided to bridge the gap between myself and Saf. I slipped in on my own for a quick lunch and my choice of main was exquisite. I adored my Summer Risotto featuring organic Arborio rice with a miso cream, fresh broad beans, grilled courgettes, roasted garlic and saffron all topped with a shaved fennel salad.
£11 is a fair chunk to pay for a main meal but the quality and freshness of my meal warranted the price tag. It was delicious and felt as though someone had really considered the combination of ingredients.
Risotto at Saf
I am so glad I have reconnected with Saf. I promise I won’t let London come between us ever again.
London, get ready to experience Mexican food like you have never experienced it before.
I am proudly partnering with esteemed restaurant group Peyton & Byrne to present a Mexican inspired vegan supper club held in the gorgeous surrounds of St. James’s Park.
On Thursday August 8th, 2013, food enthusiasts will have the rare chance to be immersed in a 100% plant-based Mexican meal on the covered balcony of Inn The Park. I am working alongside the staff of this Oliver Peyton-owned eatery to deliver a sumptuous and exotic range of dishes inspired by the hustle and bustle of the streets of Mexico City.
You sitting comfortably in your front room, eating baked beans on toast or a bag of salted crisps and feeling quite smug with yourself. You might be a fussy vegan but there you are eating tasty treats normally assigned to ‘the normals’ of the world. You can eat whatever you like because there are vegan options for most things now. You are such an accomplished eater and you don’t even have to think about it anymore. It’s so easy, right?
Well, hold onto your hemp hats. I make no apologies for blowing your tiny, vegan world apart with this next announcement.
Comfortably-numb plant eaters of the UK, I give you The Mighty Fork. Eating just became interesting again.
The Mighty Fork is the brainchild of hot dog hero Rita Fontes and she is certainly going to make UK vegans more appreciative of their food choices.
Thinking about attending London Vegan Potluck this July 3rd but need another reason? I have got a good one!
The wonderful management and staff of Lush South Molton Street are coming along to pamper and treat potluck attendees with lip balm and cruelty-free make up demonstrations. Attendees can chat with the Lush experts as they try some of the finest vegan personal products on the market.
But’s that’s not all. Of course there is a prize on offer.
Attend London Vegan Potluck, have a chat with the Lush crew, sign up to their email list and you will instantly be in the draw for a fabulous prize to be given away on the night.
Before we move forward, we often have to look to the past, so I wanna ask you to cast your mind back to one of my most controversial posts.
My article about The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green is infamous. People still talk to me about it and the content divides many vegans. Heck, somebody even referenced it recently in an article about why vegans should feel comfortable eating oysters and mussels! It is the blog post that won’t go away.
Read the original post here if you like, but in a nutshell I questioned why The Gallery Cafe fried their vegan burger in the same oil as halloumi and if this was a compromise of the vegan status of the food.
The unthinkable happened today. I saw a new vegan food truck located in Camden Lock Market and I didn’t buy any food. My stomach was beyond capacity following epic eating sessions at both Mr. Falafel and Cookies & Scream. I simply couldn’t fit in another morsel.
So you see, you need to assist me in getting information out to the vegan masses.
Your task, if you accept it, is to get down to Camden Lock Market and locate Rupert’s Street Food truck. Once you have found the food vending van, buy vegan savouries, cakes and drinks before reporting back on this very page.
*A reader says Scoop advised chocolate is not vegan. They told me it was. Any other feedback?*
*UPDATE – OK. I just got an update from Scoops via Twitter. The brand of chocolate is Callebaut and the product they use is made from vegan ingredients (cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, natural emulsifier, soya lecithin) and is labelled ‘may contain traces of milk’ as it is made in a factory with milk chocolate.*
Late night, tipsy walking around Soho can reveal special joys. Hidden surprises spring up but often disappear again as the fog of cider clear from your head the following day.
However, I experienced a glorious and accidental discovery last night I am certain will be etched into my memory forever. No amount of cider (mixed with wine and beer) could wash the wonderful thoughts away.
People. Hold onto you seats. Kip and I discovered hot, fresh vegan churros accompanied by hot, melted chocolate in a gelato store in Soho, London.
What a find!Delicious, vegan churros
I won’t waste your time with witticisms and queen of the world retorts. I understand you are probably walking toward the door right this second, thinking of the quickest route to Soho.
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.
Tim & Ellen of Oakland, California meeting Ms. Cupcake at the June 2013 London Vegan Potluck
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?
When you put a lot of time and effort into something, it’s nice to get some recognition. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy, right?
I have been plugging away at this blog and its associated activities for two and a half years. How time flies when you are guilt-tripping yourself into meeting self-imposed publication dates. Seriously though, I feel I have been consistent in sharing my thoughts on vegan food, products and events throughout the UK and the world. I’m proud of this little corner of the Internet.
My first FGV blog entry… EVER!
It would seem the pride I have in my own abilities isn’t completely unfounded as my blog has been nominated for an award.
VegfestUK is a series of huge vegan festivals that take place in Brighton, Bristol (happening this weekend May 24-26, 2013) and London. Running for ten years, the events are a celebration of all things plant-based and are hugely popular outings for vegans and non-vegans alike.
To celebrate their tenth year, VegfestUK organisers want to recognise vegan businesses, personalities and products with their own award show. Thankfully, they have included a vegan blog category meaning I was able to sneak in with a nomination.
Please visit the voting page and pop a little tick next to my name (if you feel I deserve it). If you do vote for my blog, please let me know in the comments section below. I would like to include you in my acceptance speech at the award ceremony taking place in London this October.*
