London

Brunch in a Royal Borough

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PLEASE NOTE: since this was written, the owner of the cafe has been convicted of animal cruelty. Read the update here: http://tinyurl.com/qy6qatz

If you ever find yourself waking up in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with a rumbling belly, you won’t have far to travel for a hot vegan breakfast.

Just a quick stroll toward the Holland Park end of the area will reward you with a plant-based meal from Down to Earth on Kensington High Street.

Down to Earth Kensington
Down to Earth Kensington

If you know anything about this part of London, you will be aware of how expensive it is to live, drink and eat in Kensington. Down to Earth is no exception. Our vegan fry up was delicious but carried the hefty price tag of £7.50. That might not seem like a huge figure to some readers, but the food on the plate was not piled high.

There was a lot of what appeared to be Taifun vegan sausages, coupled with a bit of pepper and mushroom. This was topped with two slices of house-made ciabatta. My meal was tasty however I felt there was an over-reliance on the sausage. I would like to see the sausage reduced in favour of cooked greens or even some beans to bulk the meal out.

Vegan breakfast
Vegan breakfast

The restaurant doubles as a deli and there is a decent selection of vegan items available, including Vegusto cheese and inSpiral kale chips. The interior is spacious and light. I highly recommend booking and asking for a window seat as Kensington is a hotspot for people watching in London. On the downside, I discovered the hard way that a Sunday morning hangover doesn’t mix very well with the large number of families frequenting the cafe with small children.

Attractive & spacious interior
Attractive & spacious interior

The Down to Earth menu contains an impressive selection of vegan options and a huge range of fresh juices, so I am definitely up for making a few more trips. I am especially tempted by their raw and gluten free mains.

Visit Down to Earth online

Best value in London?

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Josh has stopped by with some news for budget-conscious vegans regarding what could very well be the cheapest takeaway lunch in central London for plant-eaters.

Read all about it and then make lunch plans for tomorrow!

First day back at work today and as I hadn’t brought anything for lunch, I found myself wandering around Tottenham Court Road at lunchtime deciding how to fill up without spending a fortune. Fortunately I remembered that Sagar have a location just a short walk from my office so I headed down Percy Street and less than five minutes later was walking back to my office with a takeaway vegan thali. How exciting!

The thali came with two different curries/dahls, fried rice, salad, coconut chutney and a paratha bread. Everything was seriously delicious and the best part is that it was £3.50. Yep, you read correctly. £3.50. That’s less than some places charge for a lousy old sandwich.

If you want to eat in the restaurant, the cost goes up ever so slightly to £4.95 but that’s still pretty darn cheap for a delicious vegan thali in central London. Yay for Sagar!

Takeaway vegan thali - is this the cheapest vegan lunch in London?
Takeaway thali – is this the cheapest vegan lunch in London?

Most vegan-friendly location in London

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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!

cake and shake
Oreo milkshake & cotton candy cupcake from Ms. Cupcake vegan bakery

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Friends reunited

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London can be a beating.

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
Risotto at Saf

I am so glad I have reconnected with Saf. I promise I won’t let London come between us ever again.

Visit Saf online

Vegan feast in a Royal park

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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.

Booking details at bottom of page.

Inn The Park (1)

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Get ready to be happy

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Hey. You. Yes, you.

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.

TMF_logo_yellowbg

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.

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Totally Lush!

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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.

And what a prize it is!

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So fresh and so clean

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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.

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Keep on truckin’

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I need your help.

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.

Can you handle it?

Rupert's Street Food
Rupert’s Street Food
Tempted?
Tempted?

Visit Rupert’s Food Truck online

Follow Rupert’s Food Truck on Twitter

Like Rupert’s Food Truck on Facebook

 

Here’s the Scoop

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*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!
What a find!
Delicious, vegan churros
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.

Here are the details:

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