vegan

Call me up whenever u want 2 grind

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As a frequent traveler, I often rely on coffee shops for beverages, restrooms and internet access. Coffee shops can be your lifeline to friends, a much-needed hiding spot from the world outside or even just a place to replenish your bodily fluids. A coffee shop with vegan options is extremely common in 2011. You can increasingly find soy milk and other dairy alternatives such as almond or rice milk.

Having established that the humble coffee shop can be a sanctuary for the weary, vegan traveler, let’s move on to discuss how it can get better. Yes, I’m referring to a 100% vegan coffee shop. What was once a fanciful dream is now a fabulous reality in Philadelphia.

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Here we go, I’m hanging out in Camden

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Camden is famous for a lot of cool, outsider culture that eventually works its way into the mainstream. The historical Camden Market is now a must-see for thousands of tourists every year, the underground music scene exploded out of the borough in the 90’s spawning the Indie craze and more recently, the tragic demise of Amy Winehouse has been inextricably linked to the area as her Back to Black album became the highest-selling release of recent times in the UK.

It is understandable when members of minorities bemoan their insider knowledge being shared with the world. To have something intimate blown up to a global scale can be extremely challenging and confronting. However, there is one alternative happening coming out of Camden that I hope continues its explosion into the mainstream… vegan dining.

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We said meh. M-E-H, meh.

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After spending an entire weekend with other vegan bloggers at the Vida Vegan Con event in Portland, I am buzzing with possibility and new enthusiasm. There were so many interesting and compassionate people sharing news, views and practical advice. I personally got so much from the weekend and hopefully made a few new friends.

One of the themes of discussion I heard throughout the conference was bloggers not wanting to write negative or disparaging comments or reviews about vegan establishments. As much as I understand this approach in the writing of other people, it doesn’t float for me. Yes, I write this blog as a means to help people find veganism and also as a tool to entertain and show off my ready-wit, but I’m not going to say something is amazing when it isn’t in my opinion. I want to give my opinion and I want people to disagree if they feel compelled. It’s called open dialogue.

This is building to something. I’m just preparing you all for a rather negative review of a 100% vegan restaurant. Of course speak up in the comments if you have an opinion on the eatery. Don’t let my fat, gay mouth have the final word.

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LHR-Foodswings-LAX

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My regular readers will be aware of a story category I use on here known as Taking the long way around. The bulk of my stories deal with London-based tales of depravity, over-consumption and brief queer history, however I do venture further afield and I love to bring you the details of these adventures and misadventures too.

With that overly-verbose introduction out of the way, I want to tell you how a vegan eatery named Foodswings saved my life during a journey from London to LA.

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Vegans need more B12

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There are a few more updates still to come from my trip to Barcelona, but before we get to those I would like to inform you of a stunning vegan eatery located roughly an hour north of this city.

In the northeastern Catalan city of Girona is a vegan food destination known as B12. This cafe is a gem of a location for vegans  and it is full of burgers, desserts, beers, colas, hot drinks and more. Every single item in the restaurant is 100% vegan and the staff are 100% helpful, welcoming and friendly.

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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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What’s in store

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Another post from Barcelona and with only a week remaining in this gorgeous city, I had better get a move on if I want to feature all of the vegan food I have been experiencing. There are just so many options for vegans and the two cruelty-free grocery stores are perfect places to start. That’s right… Barcelona has two completely vegan grocery stores!

The first of these stores I want to talk about is Veganoteca. Located a short walk from the bustling tourist area of La Rambla, Veganoteca is a small piece of retail heaven for vegans.

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An innocent survey

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Here is your chance to tell a food manufacturer how you feel about their products and put yourself in the running to win a sample of their food.

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Tell your friends we’re the most

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If you haven’t been investigating the in-house range of beauty products and toiletries at UK high street mega-retailer Superdrug, then you have been missing out on a staggeringly-comprehensive range of cruelty-free items.

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Western Ghats what I’m talking about

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Sagar vegetarian Indian restaurant

Something has been troubling me and I had no other choice than to bring in a guest. Many months ago Josh and I dined in a West London vegetarian restaurant. I was underwhelmed by the Indian food and have not been inspired to write a review about our experience.

Although much time has passed, Josh kindly agreed to write his first ever blog entry and has recounted our night at Sagar in Hammersmith as a FGV guest contributor. Take it away, Josh.

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