potato

Pocket bread, flavor sauce and crunch patties

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Australia may have lost its only Maoz outlet when the Perth store shut up shop, but at least I’m still able to delight in their crunchy falafel goodness here in London.

Falafel and Belgian fries from Maoz in London

Maoz Vegetarian is a chain of falafel bars that originated when their first store front opened in Amsterdam during 1991. Since then, the company has franchised locations all around the world. They serve delicious falafel, salad and tahini masterpieces in cities as widespread and diverse as Madrid, Hoboken, Paris, Rotterdam and Berkeley. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough falafel lovers in Western Australia to keep the doors of the Perth outlet open. I believe a Maoz in Germany might have also fallen by the wayside. But luckily for fine food connoisseurs, 15 Maoz locations are still left standing for our eating pleasure.

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The winds blow all of my dreams away

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When I stepped out my front door inappropriately-wearing canvas shoes and landed in a few inches of slushy snow, I should have turned back and climbed into bed. Instead, I forged on into the dark depths of a hideous northern town called Wakefield.

The Albion Inn... a Samuel Smith pub in Wakefield

Simon and I thought it would be a fun adventure to check out the bars and pubs of Wakefield. This Yorkshire city is located roughly 8km/12 miles from Leeds and is easily reached by car or public transport. Whether people should attempt to reach it is another matter. The town centre is littered with closed stores and bankrupted businesses. Unemployment is higher than the national average and there doesn’t seem to be much of anything happening. Disillusioned with the grim first impression of the town, we decided to brace ourselves and delve a little deeper. Of course when prospects look down, I always head for vegan cider. This time I wish I hadn’t.

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Taking the long way ’round

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Isn’t it fab when something wonderful pops up where you least expect it?

A few days ago I was cheerfully strolling around Halifax town centre in West Yorkshire when I stumbled upon a shop front called Food Therapy. As I possess the skill to spot a health food store from a quarter of a mile away, I hotfooted it over to explore just as quickly as my FGV trotters could carry my ample frame.

Soya mince pie with vegetables and gravy at Ginger, Halifax

Opening the door was akin to walking into my very own vegan heaven. Food Therapy is brimming with Redwood products, vegan ice cream, Fry’s frozen goods, sweets, hair care products and anything else needed to sustain a cruelty-free existence. They aren’t a vegan store, but they certainly have a fantastic range of products suitable for us. The grocery range is reason enough to sing the praises of this establishment but you suddenly get more bang for your quid when you take the internal staircase inside the store to the mezzanine housing Ginger Vegetarian Cafe.

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Meat is murder… eat falafel

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Yes, I am overweight. Sure, I am a homosexual. Certainly, I choose to not eat animal products. For people who know me well, it also wouldn’t have been a surprise to see a reference to musical icon Morrissey crammed into my self-deprecating blog title.

Morrissey (a)live in Leeds 2009 (Flickr credit: Man Alive!)

Since my early teen years (and I have been around for a while), I have been comfortably obsessed with all things Morrissey and The Smiths. If you are a disciple like I am, there is no need for me to convince you. If you are anti-Morrissey (or worse still… indifferent!), I’m not in the habit of trying to convert you. For the purpose of this blog post, let’s agree that I love Morrissey and I exploit any opportunity to celebrate his contribution to popular culture and animal welfare.

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222 Veggie Vegan ate my heart

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Rest assured, I know about food.

During the course of my FGV existence, I have consumed food in many countries and across several continents. I consider myself quite the connoisseur when it comes to vegan cuisine. You should seriously consider these self-proclaimed credentials as you ponder my recommendation that you head to 222 Veggie Vegan at your earliest convenience.

Interior of 222 Veggie Vegan

This unassuming eatery is nestled on North End Road in West Kensington, London. It offers an all-you-can-eat buffet during the day and an a la carte menu in the evenings. The food is healthy, hot and incredibly tasty.

My visit took place on a Sunday afternoon which meant I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I could serve myself from the hot buffet and I

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I like my steak vegan

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I have a problem. Potato.

The new Flamed Steak crisps by Kettle - vegan glory!

Fried, mashed or even steamed. I cannot get enough of this most common of common root vegetables. Some people have joked it must be my Irish heritage compelling me to eat barrels of the stuff. I’m not sure there is much truth in that statement (but definitely some thinly-veiled racism), but I do know that potato makes me a happy FGV.

I was avoiding the sudden and spectacular snow shower in London yesterday when my eyes fell upon a glorious sight… a new flavour of potato crisp. Taking note of my aforementioned attraction to pommes de terre, you can imagine the length of time it took for said product to reach my mouth.

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