If you come around these parts of the Internet looking for vegan food news but have been finding it all a bit quiet lately, I have a pretty solid excuse.
I have been dealing with COVID… and it has been a massive struggle.
A few weeks back, my husband developed COVID symptoms and I did my my best to look after him and maintain isolation from the outside world. He was ill, but nowhere near the worst I had heard of or seen amongst my friends. I stayed in the other room, delivered him food, and kept the windows open wide for cleansing breezes.
But three days into his COVID, my test came back positive and my symptoms started.
I don’t really want to go into what came next in too much detail because I’m still processing, but I took bad turn. Thankfully my husband recovered quickly, but my health took a nose dive.
After 11 days of at homes symptoms, my oxygen levels were lower than where they should be and I was unwell. Sweating. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t sleep.
After a few phone calls, an ambulance made its way to my place and spirited me off to the hospital where I stayed for the next 5 days.
I will never forget the care and professionalism with which I was was treated by the NHS staff during my stay. I was scared and in pain, but never for a second did I feel as though I didn’t matter.
Patients on the ward improved. Some deteriorated. I saw oxygen levels plummet in real time before my eyes. I heard people crying. I saw people go from thinking they were about to be released to being taken to ICU.
I have been home again now for two nights and I am slowly recovering.
I know that not only did my double vaccination save my life, it also made the job faced by the NHS workers just a little bit easier.
Workers on my ward told me how they haven’t been able to look on their colleagues’ faces for a year and a half due to critical PPE attire. They have been stressed and overworked and alone.
They talked to me about how upsetting it is when they see members of the public laughing about wearing masks or refusing vaccinations. One young worker said he believes COVID will never go away and we must learn to manage our lives around it.
I feel grateful to be home but I have to be honest and say I am emotionally not OK. Not only am I dealing with the trauma of being hospitalised and seeing fellow patients struggle for life, I have been fundamentally challenged by the relentless conditions foisted upon our NHS workers.
Please get vaccinated and do everything you can to encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated. Wear masks when you can in crowded settings.
Use your voice and privilege to stand up for the NHS. Fight for fair wages and working conditions. Stop voting for politicians who are not focussed on saving our NHS.
FGV is slowly making a comeback, but it is only with the support of healthcare professionals. I am eternally grateful.
This past year and a half has been full of dramatic twists and turns, that’s for sure.
I relocated from Mexico City (where I was visiting) to Sheffield back in July 2020. That flight back to the UK during the height of the global pandemic was intense and included a 24-hour stint in Toronto during which I slept on the airport floor and ate out of the vending machine. I had left behind 3 months of almost complete lockdown in Mexico and I was terrified to be so exposed.
The hotel isolation period was excruciatingly expensive and lonely in London. My life had been turned upside down and I was paying handsomely for the privilege.
Once out of isolation, I worked with legendary food company Make No Bones helping them set up Saucy and La Fonda in Sheffield. I did all sorts of jobs for them, including working in frontline hospitality. It was at times exhausting and I didn’t like being customer facing, but we do what we have to do!
My partner Gil traveled to Sheffield to stay with me and while lockdown in the South Yorkshire city during winter was emotionally gruelling, it was a joy to have him by my side. Months and months passed during which the only entertainment we had was to go for a walk through the deserted streets of our neighbourhood. Oh, we also watched a few hundred hours of Drag Race.
I am now back in London, helping vegan fast food pioneers Temple of Seitan with some work and living with Gil. We also got married a few weeks ago and Gil is in the middle of applying for a visa to stay permanently with me in the UK.
The inability to see friends and family has been tough and the financial instability caused by the pandemic has been stressful. I’m working out my tactic for the upcoming discussion I need to have with the tax office. At the moment the best reasoning I have is, “If I don’t have the money, how do you expect me to pay?”.
But I’m not alone in these struggles and I wish everyone love and support as we continue to work to get life back on track.
It’s easy to think that WE MUST be coming out of the pandemic based on the length of time we have endured, but there are still obstacles in front of us. Heck, I’m caring for my husband right now as he has developed mild COVID symptoms and has tested positive using the at-home test from the NHS. We are waiting on further results.
A year and a half into this thing and we are now isolating for the next two weeks. A dear friend of my husband passed away a few days ago in Mexico City following COVID illness. Friends all over the world have lost parents to COVID and have had to grieve on their own.
Prior to this latest isolation stint, Gil and I were starting to access ‘normal’ life again. We are both twice vaccinated and the call of the city is strong. We felt it was time to safely return, in stages. Right up until this latest isolation stint, we both worse masks indoors and avoided a lot of activities that we would normally do.
But the ease with which COVID spreads caught up with him and I’m hoping for a quick and speedy recovery (and that I can somehow dodge it).
I know I usually use these pages to champion vegan eating and lifestyles, but I think it is also important to make emotional connections about this monumental global event and this tough time in history.
For everyone who has lost loved ones, my heart is heavy for you and I send you warmest wishes and kind thoughts. My friends Neil, Fiona, and Carlos are in my thoughts often and I’m deeply saddened by the loss of their parents. For people living with COVID right now (such as my husband), I hope for a speedy recovery. For the many people living with long COVID, I hope the world’s understanding of how to treat the virus keeps expanding and will soon help you.
And finally, thank you to all the people taking up the vaccines as soon as possible. I’m hopeful the vaccine will help protect my husband, while every single person who has been vaccinated has played a role in keeping our communities that little bit more protected.
I have become a big fan of oat milk but often find my favourite brands are a bit pricey for my budget.
Thankfully, the Co-Operative GRO label now has an affordable option priced at just 79p and in even better news… it tastes just us good as the pricier brands IMHO.
I am unsure if 79p is an introductory offer, but I am certainly stocking up just in case. Let’s hope it stays low!
Huge thanks to Co-Operative stores for making the experience of being an ethical consumer that little bit more afforadable.
Episode 5 contains news of my upcoming relocation to London, a new vegan market in Camden, and which stores are selling the new vegan pork product taking the world by storm.
Use the player to listen to older episodes, too.
Please let me know if you have anything you would like mentioned in an upcoming episode.
This blog and the podcast recaps are made possible thanks to the support of my Patreon supporters. If you would like to financially support FGV with a monthly pledge or a one-time donation, please click on the image below.
Imagine opening a vegan store and then the world economy… well, the entire world itself, goes into shutdown.
Iwtopia in Wales did just that and they are still here to tell the tale.
They are survivors.
Sue from Iwtopia reached out to me from her independent business in Aberystwyth to let me know they are still hanging in there. I was so bowled over, I just had to share with you all.
Iwtopia is a vegan shop and deli, meaning you can stock up on all your essentials AND treat yourself to some gorgeous-looking vegan treats.
Head on over to the Iwtopia Instagram account to see photos of all the fab stuff Sue and the team are serving up.
If Facebook is more your speed, be sure to follow the shop to stay updated and be inspired.
If Aberystwyth is home for you (or nearby), you can even shop online for delivery. Head on over to the Iwtopia website to find out opening times and delivery details.
You can see the exact location of Iwtopia thanks to Google Maps.
I’ve been a HUGE fan of Califia Farms products ever since I first tried them during my trips to the USA. I’ve been consuming even more of them in Mexico over the past few years, so I was thrilled when they offered up a sponsorship opportunity to showcase them and shout out about their products being in the UK.
Califia Farms asked me to try two of their drinks available in the UK and spread the good word to you all. They said I was free to come up with my own approach and this is what I wanted to show.
Being vegan is not a compromise. Everything you love as a non-vegan, you can love as a vegan. Plant based is not second best. If you care about animals, the environment, or yourself, cutting dairy out of your life is something you have probably considered. I know most people reading this have already taken the leap, but some of you are still considering.
This blog post is my way of showing you how simple, accessible, AND NORMAL life is when you use a brand such as Califia Farms instead of dairy milk.
Every day I have a bowl of granola with fresh fruit and nuts. It is my one constant in life and I swing between fresh bananas and berries as my fruit of choice, but walnuts are always in there and pumpkin seeds from time to time. The Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond was the perfect topper. I was so impressed by this plant based drink, I wanted to see if I could use it in a cake recipe and… well, take a look. It worked a treat.
The Unsweetened Almond also was flawless in my 3-ingredient bechamel sauce served with vegan bacon, steamed broccoli, pan seared mushrooms, and gnocchi. I added black pepper and sweet paprika to take it up a notch.
Finally, I really wanted to show how plant-based milk alternatives such as Califia Farms can be part of celebration eating. I used their Chocolate Coconut Almond Blend to craft my dream shake topped with vegan whipped cream and cake sprinkles.
If you are looking to make the world a better place for animals and people, I suggest you ditch the dairy and stock up on vegan alternatives such as Califia Farms.
Click here to explore the full Califia Farms range online. Follow Califia Farms UK on Facebook and Instagram.
Will’s Vegan Shoes sent me a pair of their WV Freedom Trainers and I am completely thrilled with them. Super comfy shoes! Will’s also have just launched a range of vegan-friendly suits and of course they have their wonderful grocery lines for online food shopping.
It is turning into a real one stop vegan shop. Visit their website.
I’m not a coffee drinker so I took this gift box into work to share with all the caffeine heads… and the bottles went down a storm.
Little’s sent me six of their instant coffees with flavours ranging from Havana Rum to French Vanilla. I heard nothing but rave reviews from my colleagues.
If you had told me at the beginning of the year the world would still be struggling through the COVID disaster in November, I would have had a difficult time imaging that as reality.
I would have even been even more surprised had you told me I would no longer be living in Mexico City, but rather in Sheffield!
Life is full of surprises. Due to global circumstances, I’m living in Sheffield and working alongside a vegan food business. I feel extremely fortunate to have steady employment and a place to live, it’s just that it has come out of the blue.
We do what we must at times like this (has there ever been a time like this?) and I’m doing my best in Sheffield, a city I have loved for a long time and with which I have nurtured a special relationship ever since I hosted my Vegan Beer Festival events here.
Of course many food businesses are closed or sometimes closed in Sheffield, but I am still managing to eat and consume. You can’t hold a good FGV down!
Check out some of my foodie adventures since I’ve been in Sheffield this year.
The photo above shows my first meal on my first night back in Sheffield in July. I ordered a big comfort food bundle from Sunshine Deli to be delivered to my hotel room.
This vegan eatery has a lot of fans and delivers not only hot food, but heat and cook at home packs for people living longer distances from Sheffield.
One of my favourite vegan businesses in the UK is Truffle Pig, Sheffield’s very own artisan truffle and chocolate expert.
I first experienced the wonders of Truffle Pig a few years back when they traded at my Vegan Beer Festival in Sheffield. When they sold out almost as soon the doors opened, I knew they were something special.
Friday restocks on their website sell out just as quickly and Truffle Pig now has fans all over the UK.
There is nothing I love more than an independent vegan grocery store and in Sheffield, we have the best!
The Incredible Nutshell is home to a dazzling range of vegan products including meats, cheeses, ice cream, chocolates, sweets, personal care items, household cleaners, pantry items, tinned food, and even alcohol.
Visit The Incredible Nutshell online and follow on Instagram.
In the intro of this blog entry I mentioned I am in Sheffield working with a vegan food company.
My mates at Make No Bones asked me to come onboard and help with a few things, including promoting their new project called Saucy. Saucy is a vegan takeaway joint selling wings, burgers, fries, desserts, and drinks.
Check out the vegan chicken burger in the shot above.
I currently live near a part of Sheffield called Kelham Island and just around the corner from me is a gorgeous pub called The Fat Cat.
This pub always has a few vegan options on the menu and it is all old-school pub fare. See my meal above consisting of mushroom pie, wedges, peas, and gravy.
This next one is a bit of a cheat as it isn’t actually in Sheffield. The Globe is in a town called Glossop but I have included it as I visited from Sheffield during one of the brief time periods when short journeys were deemed OK and safe.
It is close enough to drive to if you are in Sheffield and well worth the trip, but is actually much closer to Manchester.
The Globe has a 100% vegan food menu and is one of my favourite pubs on the planet. The prices are ridiculously low and, as you can tell by my photo, you will be more than satisfied if you love comfort food.
I dropped in to see Icarus & Apollo a few weeks ago in the outdoor food and bar complex known as SteelYard Kelham. The site is one of those shipping container constructions that are all the rage and even has a bar on the roof!
Icarus & Apollo serve fusion food (with a bit of Mexican and African influence) that looks great in photos. I’m always seeing happy customers sharing photos on socials.
Pom Kitchen is a vegetarian cafe in a cute and trendy part of town known as Sharrow Vale. The collection of shops on Sharrow Vale Road is a mix of foodie hot spots, bakeries, fresh food mongers, and antique traders.
It is here where Pom Kitchen has built a loyal customer base with their mix of vegetarian and vegan offerings.
A much-loved local coffee shop that isn’t vegan might just be selling one of the tastiest vegan sandwiches in the UK.
Create Coffee is a few doors along from the aforementioned The Incredible Nutshell on Chesterfield Road. They of course specialise in caffeine but just happen to do an incredibly tasty vegan Reuben using seitan supplied by Make No Bones.
The Beer Engine is one of Sheffield’s favourite drinking spots but unfortunately they have been more closed than open during my time here due to the pandemic.
When they do re-open for service, I really must insist you try the food of Dumpling City. This is the in-house kitchen of the pub and the flavours of the vegan offerings will knock your socks off. They are also branching into delivery, so stay alert.
Finally, I’m delighted to share these two photos from Make No Bones. They are the reason I’m currently in Sheffield and even though I work alongside them I don’t think it is unfair to say it is the best vegan food in the city.
Their food is currently reaching people only via delivery and takeaway due to the lockdown but that is not dampening the city’s love of the menu. The Sunday roast dinners fly out each week, while the newly-added Big Make burger is winning hearts all over South Yorkshire.
