vegan

Another online vegan shop for the UK

by

Dear UK vegans. You are getting too much choice.

I’ve recently posted about Greenbay of London launching their online shop, as well as Veganubi.

Now Plymouth-based vegan grocery store Ethica has joined the party and you can order plant-based groceries from them for delivery anywhere in the UK.

Just visited this super awesome 100% #vegan grocery shop in Plymouth. Yay for Ethica!

A post shared by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on


What I love about the Ethica online shop is the sustainable policy underpinning everything.

Check out the following statement on the Ethica website:

We’re really conscious of making our packing process as eco friendly as possible.

All of our boxes that we send out are re-used. They’ll either be ones we’ve been sent by our suppliers or, when we run out, we buy in used boxes and give them a second life (so no new material or energy has gone into producing them!).

We’ll also never send out any packaging material that isn’t completely biodegradable. All materials are either 100% recycled paper/cardboard or wheat based degradable nuggets (for cushioning). Even our packing tape is made from just paper and starch, so no non-biodegradable acrylics or PVC!

As we’ve just started our online ordering, we’re pretty limited with our post options but as soon as we can we’ll be switching to a carbon neutral courier!

Click here to get shopping now (orders over £50 won’t cost a penny in shipping) and follow Ethica on Facebook and Instagram.

And of course visit the physical shop when you are in Plymouth.

Vegan in Skipton

by

I love reader tips and submissions.

I can’t eat in every town on the planet, so readers sending in guest reviews and photos means this blog can report on a wider selection of experiences than would be possible if I was the only one contributing.

Take these photos from Tina as an example. When would I have ever found an opportunity to go to Skipton?

Tina sent me an email accompanied with these photos showing some of the delicious vegan food being served by The Castle Inn located in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Check out the menu and these top food shots.

Follow The Castle Inn on Facebook and visit them soon for delicious eating.

Meaty vegan burger

by

I live part of the year in London and part of the year in Mexico City.

Most of my time spent in those two cities is spent drooling over vegan food photos coming out of the USA. There are seemingly dozens of new plant-based products every week, a lot of which never make it to the UK or Mexico.

This week I find myself in California, so I’m wasting no time when it comes to playing catch up.

Number one on my list this trip was the Beyond Burger by Beyond Meat.

Tonight I visited my buddies Laura and Jonas for a BBQ session and thankfully they had plans to throw the Beyond Burger on the grill.

Check this out.

The Beyond Burger by @beyondmeat is AMAZING. One of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Looks like meat! #vegan

A post shared by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on


That is one realistic looking burger, right?!

The Beyond Burger looks a lot like a minced meat patty and cooked up perfectly over the coals… although that probably had something to do with Jonas being an expert BBQ operator.

I don’t know when this incredible product will make it out to the UK and Mexico, but believe me when I say it will be worth the wait. It is close to being the best burger I have ever tasted.

You can follow Beyond Meat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Love Food Central in St Pete, Florida

by

Post by:

Following on from my trip to Orlando last month, my next stop was Gulfport in the Tampa Bay area. Looking for something local on HappyCow, I saw that there was a 100% vegan cafe in neighbouring St Pete called Love Food Central so I headed over to check it out.

First up, it’s a really bright, welcoming space with plenty of indoor seating and a couple of outside tables shaded by some trees. 

A friendly staff member welcomed me and I quickly ordered the home-made chai tea and the tempeh reuben sandwich. I had the tea iced and it was perfect for cooling down after a busy morning.

The sandwich came quickly afterwards and I have to stop here and tell you that everything at Love Food Central is not only 100% vegan but also 100% gluten free. I was a bit hesitant in ordering a sandwich because in my experience gluten free vegan bread can leave a lot to be desired. However, I was delighted with this sandwich. The bread itself didn’t taste discernibly different from regular bread and the fillings were spot-on. Chewy, yeasty grilled tempeh combined perfectly with the sharpness of the sauerkraut and the creaminess of the avocado. It even came with a side of chips/crisps!

Having been this impressed with the food and drinks on offer, I couldn’t exactly leave Love Food Central without trying their cashew/coconut based soft-serve could I? Well once again they hit the mark with this dessert… smooth and creamy soft-serve ice-cream served with your choice of toppings. SO. GOOD!

If you’re ever in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to visit Love Food Central. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates and gorgeous photos of their delicious food!

Delicious horchata recipe

by

 

Support these videos via Patreon.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain white rice*
  • 4 cups of water
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 cup of plant milk**
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
  • 1⁄2 cup of sugar

Instructions:

– Place rice in a large bowl and cover with four cups of very hot (but not boiling) water
– Break up the cinnamon sticks and add them to the bowl
– Allow to cool for about an hour then cover and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least three hours
– Once soaked, place the soaked rice, cinnamon sticks and water into your blender jug
– Add the plant milk and the sugar
– Blend for at least 11⁄2 minutes, ideally longer, until your Horchata is smooth and there are no chunks of cinnamon
– If your Horchata is very thick, feel free to add some more water or plant milk to it
– Pour over ice and sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving

* In Mexico, plain long-grain white rice is most commonly used but you can experiment with a mixture of different rices to produce different flavours. Almonds, walnuts and other nuts are sometimes added to the rice before soaking so try different mixtures according to your taste. In Spain, Horchata is commonly made with tiger nuts/chufa.

** We used a vanilla soy milk but any other plant milk will do. If you don’t use a vanilla-flavoured plant milk, you may want to add a teaspoon of vanilla essence to your Horchata before blending.

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Vegan food with the NHS

by

I’ve been hearing rumblings and rumours over the past few weeks of people having positive vegan food experiences with the National Health Service (NHS).

Of course your vegan experience depends on where you access the NHS, as different trusts are in charge of different parts of the country and they are responsible for individual menus.

My buddy Quarrygirl (follow on Twitter and Instagram for vegan glory) has given me this photo to share with you all from her latest NHS situation in London.

Just look at all of this clearly marked vegan eating!

Even just a few years ago (months?!) this sort of plant-based food choice would have been the stuff of dreams.

I’m thrilled to see veganism being taken seriously by the UK’s health services and hospitals. Now we need to get them to serve ONLY vegan food.

If you have a recent positive experience of NHS menus, please share in the comments below. I would love to see how this new way of thinking is spreading around the country.

Vegan in Orlando, Florida

by

Post by:

Earlier this month, I had the good fortune to visit Orlando. This was my first time visiting the city as an adult (and as a vegan) so I was keen to check out all of the food offerings. I stayed with a friend and colleague Randall Abate who does incredible work in the field of Animal Law. Click his name to read more about his work.

The first night, we headed to one of his favourite spots, Ethos Vegan Kitchen… and I can see why he likes it! We started with the garlic knots and sausage rolls. The knots were heavenly with a dense, buttery dough… almost like a croissant, only made better by the garlic dipping butter that they came with. If you ever go to Ethos, you have to order these! The sausage rolls were also incredible. I’m not sure if they were using Tofurky sausages or if Ethos are making their own, but the delicious, meaty seitan filling contrasted perfectly with the flaky pastry and were incredible when dipped into the accompanying Dijon mustard sauce.

For a main, I had a cornbread skillet topped featuring a delicious cornbread base, topped with black beans, vegetables and chunks of tender seitan. It was even served in the skillet pan itself! I also had a garden salad with grilled tofu and ranch dressing which was exquisite. I couldn’t finish everything but the leftover skillet made a fantastic breakfast the next morning!

Of course I couldn’t go home without trying something from their dessert menu but because I was so full, all I could manage was a chocolate chip cookie. It was really good and I wish I could have tried their other desserts like the ice cream sundae or the chocolate Amaretto mousse. I’ll have to go back. Check out Ethos online here.

The next day, I headed to Market on South which is a collective space close to downtown where various vegan businesses are represented. This is such a fabulous idea and I wish every city had one. The two main food vendors are Dixie Dharma (savoury food) and Valhalla Bakery (sweets). Unfortunately I had filled up with leftover cornbread skillet for breakfast (see above) so I didn’t have a huge appetite and only ordered two small sides: the baked mac n’cheese and the crispy Brussels sprouts. Thankfully, the two sides were beyond tasty: the Brussels sprouts were deep fried to perfection and served with an apple cider vinegar reduction. Amazing!

I couldn’t fit in anything else right then and there, but I couldn’t leave Market on South without trying the incredible-looking desserts from Valhalla. Just look at the dessert case photos above. Who could resist temptation like this? I got a ‘Brookie’ to go… it’s a cross between a brownie and a cookie! I had it later that afternoon with a cup of coffee and it was outrageously delicious!

Later that evening, my friend and I had time for a quick bite to eat before driving to Gulfport, so we popped into a branch of worldwide chain Loving Hut… except that this one was called Loving Vegan Market & Cuisine so I’m not sure if they are directly connected to the Loving Hut chain or if they are somewhat affiliated. Anyway, all that mattered to me was they were 100% vegan. The restaurant itself leaves a lot to be desired as it has all of the ambience of a convenience store but thankfully the food was spot-on. They also have several aisles of vegan products for sale so it would be a great place to visit for a snack and to stock up on some vegan staples. Visit Loving Vegan Market & Cuisine online.

The quantity of vegan establishments in Orlando is so numerous, I would need a return visit to cover them all. I barely scratched the surface of what’s out there during this recent trip.

Goat Cafe

by

I got a message from my friend Anna this morning saying, “Sue, have you seen the Goat Café drama?” to which I responded, “No, Sue. What going on?”.

Firstly, we call each other Sue. It’s an Abigail’s Party thing.

If you are not aware, Goat Café is possibly the only fully vegan eatery in the northern town of Huddersfield.

But the drama?

In a bizarre Facebook exchange with a handful of customers, the person in charge of their social media abused and berated some customers.

By abused, I mean:

  • asking how soon someone will die
  • calling names such as ‘fucking control freak’
  • responding to criticism with ‘fuck you and fuck your plans’

And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Reports are online of the Goat Café social media person also taking the argument and name-calling onto personal Facebook pages of customers including one instance of them using the term ‘fucking cocks’ to describe people voicing their concerns.

The backlash from the local and online vegan community has been swift and brutal.

The café has seen it’s star approval rating on Facebook plummet with more than 300 one star reviews being posted since the conflict commenced.

I don’t completely understand what started the tirade of abuse, but a lot of the conflict seems to surround a post by the Goat Café in which they expressed their plans to stop accepting credit cards and social media in their business.

This somehow turned into a particularly nasty exchange with a customer who had previously complained about a meal that wasn’t to her liking. You can see references to all of this on the Goat Facebook page (it might take a bit of sifting through as I believe the café has started deleting its older posts related to the situation).

The Goat Café serves an incredibly valuable purpose for Huddersfield and the surrounding area. I hear of vegans travelling from nearby towns once a week as it is the only place where they can be assured a 100% vegan menu.

My two visits to the café have been welcoming with solid food choices.

Whatever is happening to their team internally to result in this situation, I genuinely hope they sort it out not only for their own sake but for the valuable contribution their café and food make to the community.

Also, I don’t like seeing people attacked verbally. It’s not OK and rightfully people won’t stand for it. I have concerns for the owners who have always presented as kind and approachable. This behaviour appears completely out of character. I have concerns for the workers at the café and their job security.

Abusing people and name-calling on the Internet doesn’t fly in this day and age, least of all when the abuse is directed at your customers. People will shut your business down or at least work extremely hard to make it happen.

Hoping for the best but fearing the worst for Goat Café. Another drink, Sue?

Recipe for gorditas

by

Support these videos via Patreon.

Ingredients:

  • 500g corn flour/corn masa – make sure it is the one that says ‘suitable for tamales’ 1 cup of water
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil
  • Refried black beans
  • Makes approximately 10 gorditas

Instructions:

  • Wash hands carefully or wear food-safe gloves for this recipe
  • Put the corn flour/masa in a large bowl and sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of salt
  • Add a splash of water and some of the oil and start mixing with your hands
  • Keep adding water bit-by-bit until a solid dough is formed
  • Scoop out a 2” ball of dough and roll between your palms until smooth
  • Make a dent in the middle with your thumbs and place approximately 1 large tablespoon of refried beans into the middle of the ball
  • Fold the sides over and use your hands to create a flat disc-shaped gordita approximately 1⁄2 an inch thick
  • Heat approximately 1” of vegetable oil in a large pan to a medium/high heat
  • Place gorditas into the hot oil and fry for approximately six minutes, turning halfway to ensure that they are golden and crisp all over
  • Remove gorditas from oil and drain on paper towel for approximately three minutes
  • Use a sharp knife to cut the gordita open and fill with your favourite toppings and condiments.
  • We like fresh white onion and coriander/cilantro, topped with salsa verde but anything goes really

Recipe and photo remain property of Sean O’Callaghan and Julio Alcantara and may not be reproduced without permission. © fatgayvegan.com

Wagamama in Amsterdam Centraal Station

by

Post by:

josh panel

I recently had to meet my elderly Dutch aunt in Amsterdam for a brief lunch before catching the train back to London. Of course Amsterdam has many vegan options but given the time constraints and accessibility concerns, I wanted something close to Amsterdam Centraal Station.

A quick search online showed that I was in luck as Wagamama has a branch inside the station and there were rumours that they had a separate vegan menu available to customers. We arrived shortly after they opened and were greeted by the friendly servers who, like everyone else I met in Amsterdam, spoke perfect English. When I asked for the vegan menu, I was delighted when the server brought this to me:

Vegan menu at Wagamama in Amsterdam Centraal Station

How great is it that they have actually taken the time to see which dishes are inherently vegan and which ones can be easily made vegan and how to do so! This is in stark contrast to the UK Wagamama restaurants where if you ask about veganism, you are shown some crusty old ring binder with all sorts of confusing charts about crustacea, grains, egg etc. Kudos to the Amsterdam branch for being on top of shit!

Yasai Itame curry at Wagamama Amsterdam Centraal Station

I played it safe and ordered what I always order at Wagamama – the Yasai Itame cury (no mushrooms, extra tofu) which is a delicious mix of rice noodles and assorted vegetables in a piquant coconut broth. It was wholly delicious and I’m terrified of ever ordering anything else at Wagamama in case it doesn’t live up to this dish.

So, if you’re in Amsterdam and in need of delicious vegan food in a hurry, pop into Wagamama and thank them for having a vegan menu.