potato

Parklife

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When you visit a small town in the UK, the vegan food can be extremely thin on the ground. I often find myself wandering aimlessly around provincial towns in the hope of discovering something cruelty-free to eat.

A few months ago I experienced this exact predicament in Hastings. Hastings is a picturesque seaside town steeped in history, located on the southeast coast of the mainland United Kingdom. The vegan dining options are not abundant but the people of cafe chain eat@ are somewhat redressing this imbalance.

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Gone fishin’

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There is no food more closely associated with living in the UK than fish and chips. Curry might be more popular now but chip shops are still a long-standing tradition. As a child in Australia, I remember watching Eastenders where a lot of the dramatic action centred around the workers and customers in the local chippy. That means chip shop for the uninitiated.

Chippies are everywhere. No matter if you stroll around an affluent suburb or consider the food options near a housing estate, you will never be far from a vendor selling fish and chips. As a vegan, I don’t look twice at these establishments and their very existence is a constant visual reminder of the barbaric fishing industry that is responsible for rapidly-depleting marine life.

But vegans are a crafty bunch and will always find a way to be part of the action without hurting anyone on the land or in the sea. Dear FGV visitors, I give you Something Fishy. Oh yes, this is a vegan fish and chips truck.

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1847 was a very good year

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You would think gifting the world with Morrissey is enough but no, Manchester just can’t stop giving. This time it isn’t a whip-smart, whimsical lyricist being served up by this generous Northern city but vegetarian and vegan delights in a stunning setting.

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Seitan rejected my soul

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I love a good piece of meat… fake, that is and fake meat rarely comes better than a chunky slab of seitan. Seitan is a meat substitute made of wheat gluten originating from China and it is particularly chewy. It is perfect for cooking with sauces and marinades as it sucks up liquid and flavours expertly.

I don’t see a lot of quality seitan in the UK so it was with immense delight that I watched Josh produce a jar of the good stuff from his grocery bag recently. Lima seitan is a quality wheat meat that is easy to carve and is barely flavoured, making it perfect to absorb any sauce you throw at it.

It doesn’t appear to be available in many stores but the Lima website does have a list of suppliers and retail outlets. It is apparently available in countries as far spread as the Czech Republic, Bahrain, Croatia, Spain, Israel, Slovenia and Iceland. Their availability reads like the Eurovision finalist list! We didn’t have to travel that far to nab our jar as Josh made his purchase in Alara Health Store located on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury.

So what did I make with this wonder product?

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Crisp alert

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The approach of summer really isn’t amounting to much here in the UK. The warm days are few and far between while the rain has been visiting more than usual. We are in dire need of a morale boost in these grey times and Tyrrells just might be the folk to dish it out.

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I’d rather Jack

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One of the best things about living in the UK is the copious amounts of vegan crisps (potato chips) on offer. Wafer thin, crunchy potato is everywhere and the flavours available are increasing at an amazing rate.

The East Anglian Crisp Company has joined the party and is now supplying this FGV with Jackpots, some of the most delicious vegan crisps on the UK market.

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“Spicer won’t want fish and chips,” Dallow said.

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Brighton is a shining star for vegans looking to brighten their lives with some cruelty-free dining. Unfortunately the shine has been dimmed a whole lot with the sad closing of a vegetarian supernova.

Red Veg was a fantastic idea. As a vegan I often longed for the type of fast food that is usually only sold by mass-murdering corporations. Red Veg took that concept of burger, fries and a drink and rescued the cow. They weren’t a completely vegan company, but they did have many tasty options suitable for vegans and their burgers couldn’t be beaten. I am hesitant to sing their praises too loudly as it will only make you (and me) miss them all the more.

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Something I’m having a hard time resisting

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It is time for a straight up vegan food blog post. Sometimes I love simply describing a delicious meal and nothing more.

222 Veggie Vegan is a glorious restaurant situated in West London. If you want details on their fabulous vegan alcohol menu or their handy location, check my earlier post. This one is just a quick fix for serious vegan foodies.

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Each ridge and narrow bridge

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I apologise in advance for the money you will be forced to spend after reading this review. The plane tickets, the train bookings and the coach fares will be inevitable.

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire

Sowerby Bridge is a picturesque village situated approximately halfway between Leeds and Manchester. The market town is nestled alongside the rushing River Calder and is made up of true story book visuals. Cobbled lane ways meet narrow passages amid historical churches, chimneys and shop fronts. Sowerby Bridge is a charming location sure to enchant most. Sold? OK. Well what if I throw in a world class, vegan restaurant?

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I like my potatoes creamy

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Potato is a food I enjoy mostly any which way. Roasted, fried, mashed… you cook it, I’ll devour it. With this established, you will understand it was with great excitement I set about creating a mouth-watering potato breakfast swimming in vegan cream and cheese.

Alpro long-life vegan cream

Alpro products are everywhere in the UK. You can’t go into a major store without running into their yogurt, custard, pudding and milks. They produce a wide range of dairy substitutes using non-GM soy beans grown on land that is investigated to not have been deforested or reclaimed. Best of all, the entire Alpro range is suitable for a vegan diet. I had recently been craving creamy potatoes, leading me to search out the Alpro long-life, dairy free soy cream. This cream is housed in a handy and neat resealable carton. But I won’t pretend I needed to reseal it. All of the cream was used in one sitting.

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