London vegan news, reviews & events
A massive THANK YOU to everyone who came to the first-ever Pop-up Vegan Pizza Party on Saturday September 29, 2012. If you missed out, take heart in the fact we are doing it all again on October 13, 2012. Tickets available NOW and are selling quickly!
The evening was a runaway success from that moment a month ago when all tickets sold out within three days, right up until some attendees were shovelling their tenth piece of piping hot, cruelty-free pizza into their mouths.
There is one thing I have discovered during my chubby, queer life. If we do not shop at (and support) independent vegan businesses, they will disappear.
Business life is tough enough for small businesses and even harder for the vegan variety. You have got to be extra resilient when you are cruelty-free. You sell to a niche market (admittedly getting larger) and you often have all sorts of accusations and prejudices fired your way, some sadly even from within the vegan community.
One of the true champions of the do-it-yourself vegan scene is the decadently-delicious Ms. Cupcake of Brixton. This one-of-a-kind compassionate bakery pumps out glorious sugary treats and has gotten to the point where it is today through the sheer grit, determination and ferocious hard work of founder/owner/Chief Cupcaker Mellissa Morgan.
In just a few years, Mellissa has moved from humble beginnings selling her homemade wares at London markets to owning her own bakery that employs multiple staff members. Mellissa is a huge contributor to local animal charities and her surrounding communtiy. She has time and time again proven herself as an award-winning business person and highly-decorated baker.
But like every hardworking, independent business owner, Mellissa sometimes needs the help of her supporters and the broader community to get over hurdles as they present themselves. Namely financial hurdles.
The next stage in development for the Ms. Cupcake bakery is to offer frozen goods such as pre-packaged vegan ice cream, cheesecakes and their own frozen creations. The problem with frozen food however is that is requires a freezer to be stored in…. and there isn’t a freezer in Ms. Cupcake.
This is where you come in.
Ms. Cupcake is taking the fan-funded route to raise enough money to make the much-needed purchase. Mellissa is asking for donations from supporters in order to get her freezer and is even offering incentives to people willing to help out.
For a £5 donation you get a kiss from Ms. Cupcake herself. £10 will get you a cupcake and a kiss. Or you could splash out and show your commitment to helping small business with a £50 donation and be rewarded with a kiss, a cupcake, a tub of vegan ice cream AND a £10 voucher to spend at the shop!
Get behind this fundraising drive if you want to support a local business and help keep them away from nasty bank loans. Get behind it if you want to help a vegan business grow. Get behind it if you want to help Mellissa to be able to keep employing a large number of staff. In the long run, your donation will ultimately help Mellissa carry on with all of her charitable and community interactions that she is loved for.
And finally…. get behind this campaign if the thought of cupcakes topped with ice cream makes you do a happy dance.
Go the the donation page NOW and help a vegan indie business grow. Say hi from the FGV while you are there.
Pop-up Vegan Pizza Party is set to take London by storm on Saturday September 29, 2012. Be prepared for an evening of delicious dining on mouthwatering pizza, vegan cupcakes by award-winning bakery Ms. Cupcake and socialising in the centre of the vibrant and buzzing Brixton Market.
The evening will feature a huge selection of 16″ vegan masterpieces created by the talented purveyors of takeaway, Village Pizza. You will be treated to such tantalising flavours as Hickory Chicken, Spaniard and Tikka Surprise. These pizzas are huge and not to be missed if you are a serious vegan pizza lover.
But the eating won’t stop there!
Every ticket holder at the Pop-up Vegan Pizza Party will also get to choose a vegan cupcake from the glorious selection on offer in the Ms. Cupcake bakery. That’s correct… a whole lot of pizza AND a vegan cupcake of your very own.
The night will run from 8pm and the pizza will be served at specially-arranged tables inside Brixton Market. You will be enjoying your scrumptious feast as a Saturday night in the heart of Brixton comes alive all around you. Non-alcoholic refreshments will be on sale via Ms. Cupcake and there are currenty whispers of a vegan beer sponsor looking to keep revellers hydrated, too.
If a few hours of vegan pizza and cupcakes sounds like your idea of a good time, act quickly. £20 tickets (+ booking fees) to this feast are strictly limited. Click here to buy.
(Tickets are sold on a non-refundable basis)
Follow Ms. Cupcake on Twitter
Like Ms. Cupcake on Facebook
Visit Village Pizza online
I’ve met a lot of vegans over the past few weeks.
London Vegan Drinks has turned into a massive event and I am extremely fortunate to encounter new faces every month. My decision to volunteer as a buddy for the London Vegan Campaigns vegan pledge month has afforded me with the opportunity to meet wonderful new (and hopefully lifelong) vegans, while I’ve enjoyed dining and drinking with some of my blog readers who have been visiting London.
As positive as all of these situations have been, I must admit to being a bit shocked by a recurring admission made by some of these newly-acquainted vegans….
London residents are in for an ethical treat as independent boutique The Third Estate throws open its doors on Saturday 12th May, 2012 to celebrate their new Camden location.
(Read all about The Third Estate here)
The day long event has been planned to coincide with World Fair Trade Day and the store will be open from 10am until 6pm.
Some of the treats in store on the day will include:
What do you get when you cram 100 people into a room in Central London, supply them with food and serve them alcohol? Why, London Vegan Drinks of course!
The London branch of the worldwide Vegan Drinks phenomenon is only in its third month but already has turned into a wildly successful event. Last night, close to (or over?!) 100 vegans and vegan friendlies descended on tibits in Heddon Street for food, drink and a whole lot of socialising. Vegan wine, beer, cider and juice flowed all night, as did the stream of people enjoying an event that already feels like a London institution.
tibits made a tremendous effort supplying us with extra vegan options on the food boat. It was a gesture that was greatly appreciated. Special items included kale salad, vegetable gratin, pineapple curry, tiramisu, cheesecake, sticky pudding, blood orange cream and mandarine cream. Everything was stunning. Like tibits on Facebook and let them know what you thought of their hospitality on the night.
So many thanks to everyone who made the evening the fabulous night out that it was. A special mention must go to Ms Cupcake and her bakery crew for turning up en masse. Much love to you all.
See you all the the December London Vegan Drinks!
*Thanks & love to The Vegan Butcher for the photos
My name is Fat Gay Vegan and I am an addict. Cupcakes and cookie sandwiches are my vice and Ms. Cupcake is my dealer. The vegan Brixton-based bakery creates award-winning delicacies and I simply cannot get enough of their sweet goodness. I make the journey across London whenever I can in order to get my fix.
But like any good dealer, Ms. Cupcake knows the success is all about getting the product to the customer any-which-way. During the next few months, the compassionate baking company are trialing a weekend stall at the Venn Street Market in Clapham Common. This streak of stalls is tucked away in a side street a few steps from the Underground station. The usual market fare is on offer including a large range of fresh fruit and vegetables. It is a nifty little market made all the more appealing by the presence of Ms. Cupcake.
During a visit to Venn Street Market last week, I was pleasantly surprised by the Ms. Cupcake treats on offer. Check them out…
If you missed out on September’s London Vegan Potluck 5, you are just going to have to take me on my FGV word… it was a fantastic event. Seriously.
There were well over 50 potluckers in attendance and many more dishes on offer. The food was never ending and you could find almost any type of cuisine. We had lasagna, fruit skewers, mini burgers, seitan, tofu, tartlets, cheese platters, raw spaghetti, mole, chicken alfredo, hand-crafted truffles, cheesecake, falafel, spaghetti bolognese, iced tea, vegan wines, fruit drinks, dips, crisps, home-baked bread and much, much more.
The London Vegan Potluck is becoming something of a phenomenon. On the first Wednesday of each month, London food enthusiasts are coming together en masse to create one of the best vegan social events in the UK.
This FGV is incredibly proud that what started as a simple idea has blossomed into a thriving monthly night. I am even prouder to know the event this month was just as big a success as the first three potlucks even though I was busy eating the vegan treats of Barcelona and couldn’t be there.
Kip of the fabulous, must-read The Messy Vegetarian Cook blog has kindly written a review of the potluck. Much love and thanks for doing this in my absence, Kip. In addition, devoted potluck attendees Linda and Andrea helped run the evening with Andrea managing to capture a few images of the mouth-watering food on offer. Thank you!
I’m sorry to have missed this event, but nothing will keep the FGV from the next potluck scheduled for September 7. Take it away, Kip!
There is no big mystery here. I love Ms. Cupcake and I love all of her delicious treats and temptations. I have eaten every imaginable variety of mini cake from the bakery but today I got served. That means I was taught a lesson. A lesson where the learning intention was the tastiness of the watermelon cupcake I devoured.
Delicious. Moist. Super sweet. Frosting outweighing sponge.