Friends. This is a one day only kinda situation.
Take a look at this incredible vegan roast dinner and as you are admiring the plate, understand that it is available this Sunday only in London.
UK
Latest Podcast Episode: Number 32
Tuesday is podcast day around these parts.
Every Tuesday morning, Josh and I post a new episode of our very DIY and low-effort podcast to YouTube and Spotify.
In episode 32, we discuss the concept of malicious compliance. This refers to doing the correct thing or following the rules even when it causes hardship or concern for someone else. I love this term so much and the discussion had me chuckling about an example involving ABBA’s Dancing Queen.
Take a listen!
You can also watch/stream on Spotify.
You can order my book ‘Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t’ online now. It has been out a while now but is still a good read. You can also listen to the Audiobook read by me!
You can watch/stream all past episodes of the Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast on YouTube and Spotify.
Follow me on Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Facebook, and Blue Sky.
15 Years Of Vegan London: From DIY Potlucks To Corporate Takeovers
Fifteen years ago when I started this very blog, if you wanted to be social as a vegan in London you had to make it happen yourself. There were no vegan pubs and certainly no high street chains with dedicated plant-based menus.
This wilderness forced me to launch London Vegan Drinks, a monthly gathering where we carved out a space for ourselves in a world that barely acknowledged we existed. London Vegan Potluck was another community-driven event I curated, where people cooked and shared food because there weren’t many places to eat out.
Back then, if you wanted a vegan meal, you might get lucky at Pogo Café in Hackney (if they were open and serving something edible) or a measly number of eateries that weren’t always great. Other than that, it was whatever scraps you could cobble together from independent health food stores and Holland & Barrett. There were no vegan ready meals, hardly any supermarket own-brand plant milks, and certainly no Gregg’s vegan sausage rolls.
Then the independent vegan revolution happened. Slowly at first and then rapidly.
New Podcast Episode – Number 30
It’s that time of the week again.
My ex-partner Josh and I got together again online to discuss a few pop culture moments and in this episode of Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast, we both get a little bit worked up about Emilia Pérez.
We discuss out collective disbelief at the huge number of Academy Award nominations this film has garnered, as we both feel it is one of the worst movies we have ever seen.
Truly shocking.
There are a few other pop culture moments discussed in the episode such as legendary award show musical performances, as well as Josh’s ongoing fight against his chest infection! Is everyone in the UK seriously unwell, or just everyone I know?
You can watch and/or listen on YouTube:
And click through below to watch or listen via Spotify:
London’s Disappearing Vegan Scene: Going, Going, GONE!
There was a time, not that long ago, when I struggled to keep up with newly-opened vegan food businesses in London.
There was a green culinary boom taking place in the UK capital that was tough to track and I’d often find myself being the last to know about a new eatery.
Sadly, there now appears to be another new trend rapidly spreading around town which is equally as exhausting to document.
Vegan restaurant closures.
I’m not here to do a deep dive into why these businesses are closing (mostly because I’m too lazy for investigative journalism) but I did want to take this opportunity to give a shout out to a few locations that had been feeding the vegan and vegan-curious in London but which have now turned out the lights for good.
The huge (and hugely-popular) Club Mexicana on Commercial Street, Shoreditch recently closed quite abruptly. This loss came as a shock to the community as the restaurant had been promoting its offerings almost until the day it was shuttered.
Fans of the Mexican-inspired eatery can still enjoy their favourite menu items at two continuing locations, Soho and Mayfair. Click here to get more information and booking details. Use it or lose it people!
This listicle isn’t my favourite thing to do, but let me rush through these recent closures.
Foraging Wild Food Walk London
Hey London, are you looking for a new experience? Perhaps something off the beaten path?
You can join wild food enthusiast, Ken Greenway, for a foraging experience at the amazing award-winning Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park this February!
Ken will share his love and deep knowledge of foraging and will introduce you to the everyday plants you can eat, opening your eyes to a new world of possibilities and flavours. He will share his knowledge of seasonal wild foods as well as where and when to pick them.
These outdoor adventures in foraging happen semi-regularly throughout the year and are curated by food security charity Made In Hackney with the next date scheduled for Saturday February 15, 2025.
Let me tell you a little more information and show you where to book.
Get Squeaky In UK Supermarkets
I haven’t done any sort of supermarket product update in a while but this news certainly got me in the mood to share with you all.
I’ve documented my appreciation of the Squeaky Bean brand quite a bit over on my Instagram account and have even collaborated with the brand on a few pieces of content.
They sell really fab, ready-to-eat meat alternatives that are filling a big gap in UK supermarkets… and my belly.
The latest products to join the Squeaky family are these sandwich-friendly Tofu Slices.
Available in either Spinach & Basil or Red Pepper & Tomato, these slices are ready to go and will improve your sandwich game.
But where can you buy them?
Made In Hackney Is One For The Books
Big news!
Food security heroes Made In Hackney are finally dropping their first-ever cookbook, and it’s an absolute must-have.
We Cook Plants is more than just a recipe book. It’s a love letter to plant-based cooking, packed with 100 global recipes from the incredible Made In Hackney chefs curated by the charity’s founder, Sarah Bentley. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, the book features contributions from celebrity supporters like Andi Oliver, Sami Tamimi, Dr Rupy, and fermentation king Sandor Katz. Fancy, right?
Tell Me What You Really Really Want
Tuesdays around these parts is podcast day.
A new episode of the Tell Me Where I’m Going (Wrong) podcast is released on YouTube and Spotify first thing Tuesday morning.
A quick recap if you are new here.
Josh and I are ex-partners of 20-something years wo are still very good friends. Each week we spend an hour talking about pop music, culture, politics, health, travel, and life as middle age gay men. Oh yeah… we record this conversation and post it online.
This podcast is extremely DIY and low effort. It is simply your chance to observe us sharing our memories and opinions with each other. Do not expect it to be polished and do not expect any research!
You can watch/listen to the latest episode on YouTube below. In this episode we chat about the dismal state of global politics, how dreadful singers end up in manufactured pop bands, and why so many pop starts end up supporting the Tories.
You can also watch/stream on Spotify at the link below!
Dine Scandinavian Style In London
I don’t know a lot about Scandinavian food.
As a person originating from outside the region known as Scandinavia, I’m not even sure how effective it is to use a coverall term such as Scandinavian to describe all the food developed across a handful of countries with diverse geographic landscapes and historic influences.
To develop an understanding of what really constitutes Scandinavian food, the best I can do as a non-Scandi living in London is to defer to a chef who is happy to use the term to describe the food they create.
And if this plate of deliciousness is the norm, sign me up as a Scandi fan!
