*A reader says Scoop advised chocolate is not vegan. They told me it was. Any other feedback?*
*UPDATE – OK. I just got an update from Scoops via Twitter. The brand of chocolate is Callebaut and the product they use is made from vegan ingredients (cocoa, cocoa butter, sugar, natural emulsifier, soya lecithin) and is labelled ‘may contain traces of milk’ as it is made in a factory with milk chocolate.*
Late night, tipsy walking around Soho can reveal special joys. Hidden surprises spring up but often disappear again as the fog of cider clear from your head the following day.
However, I experienced a glorious and accidental discovery last night I am certain will be etched into my memory forever. No amount of cider (mixed with wine and beer) could wash the wonderful thoughts away.
People. Hold onto you seats. Kip and I discovered hot, fresh vegan churros accompanied by hot, melted chocolate in a gelato store in Soho, London.
What a find!Delicious, vegan churros
I won’t waste your time with witticisms and queen of the world retorts. I understand you are probably walking toward the door right this second, thinking of the quickest route to Soho.
I want to take a moment to digress from my usual food rants to show my appreciation for London Vegan Potluck.
London Vegan Potluck came into being over two years ago when I had the idea to create a regular, monthly event that was as much about socialising as it was about vegan food. I wanted to create a safe and welcoming gathering that would always be there for (and because of) the vegans of London.
The event started as a tiny get together of 20 people in the arcade next to the Ms. Cupcake bakery in Brixton. I remember being terrified that nobody would show up, but almost instantly the sense of community surrounding the potluck came to life and we haven’t stopped growing since that first night.
After six months of hosting the event in Brixton, I had to say goodbye to Ms. Cupcake and move London Vegan Potluck to bigger premises. It was just that popular! Thanks to the immense generosity of the Syracuse University London Program and its staff, we were able to secure a huge central London space equipped with everything we needed to make the event a continued success.
We have now been celebrating the potluck in our Holborn location ever since and to say it is a runaway success would be an understatement. The attendance numbers have broken the 100 mark on several occasions and I am always overwhelmed by the number of new attendees I meet every month.
The list of vegan and vegan-friendly companies that have supported the event with samples is mammoth. I am grateful to the traders who have personally attended to not only share their products with us, but to also make connections within the vegan community. I am humbled by the travellers and tourists from around the UK and the world who go out of their way to make London Vegan Potluck a stop on their already packed schedules. We have enjoyed the company of visitors from Australia, France, the USA, Canada, Spain, China and many more locations than I can recall.
Tim & Ellen of Oakland, California meeting Ms. Cupcake at the June 2013 London Vegan Potluck
It is hard work putting the potluck together every month. I couldn’t even begin to calculate the amount of time I have spent moving chairs, washing dishes, arranging tables, liaising with sponsors, updating websites, answering queries, shopping for supplies and hosting the actual event.
But I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Sure I get irked when people show up with no food to contribute or complain the event doesn’t suit their taste/schedule/sensibilities, but the positive contribution and social capital I see being paid back into my community on the first Wednesday of every single month overrides any negativity.
The immense interest surrounding the potluck led me to create and host the monthly London Vegan Drinks event which is even more successful and draws well over 100 people on the third Thursday of every month. I have received messages from people around the UK who have been inspired by the London event to create their own local potluck. The goodwill generated by that first-ever event in Brixton is infectious and continues to spread.
London Vegan Potluck works to support vegans on their journey to remain vegan, helps the curious and kind-hearted make the transition to a plant-based diet and creates a safe and dependable space for people to exist as compassionate eaters without judgement for two hours each and every month.
In my opinion, all of this improves outcomes for animals, people and the planet. What more could you ask for?
I think every city could do with a monthly vegan potluck. Don’t you agree?
Josh is jumping in again with his take on our eating experience at a vegan restaurant in California. You are all going to be fans of his writing and you won’t want me back!
Take it away, Josh.
A couple of weeks ago FGV and I were on our way to Portland, driving up the Northern Californian coast, marvelling at ancient redwood trees and gasping at stunningly dramatic coastal roads. On our way, we stopped to stay with our friend Susan in delightful Mendocino, a picturesque period town overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Not only is Mendocino visually charming, it is also home to the luxurious Stanford Inn which incorporates the legendary Ravens’ Vegan Restaurant. Of course there was no doubt about where we were heading for dinner!
Like all good love affairs, my recent dalliance with vegan snack across the USA had to end.
I’m sure it wasn’t the reality, but my memory leads me to believe I ate from the time I set foot on San Franciscan soil to the moment they rolled me onto a London-bound plane departing Philadelphia. Readers based in the US know how readily-available vegan junk food is and my chubby hands were rarely empty.
Following are a collection of photos documenting my final days of vegan vacation snacking. These pictures, together with the previous posts, detail the food adventures Josh and I experienced throughout San Francisco, Oakland, Mendocino, Bend, Portland, New York City and Philadelphia.
If you have visited these pages recently, you wil be well aware of my current trip around the USA in search of vegan food.
These travels landed me in New York City, where Josh and I have been hitting up food trucks, cafes, grocery stores and restaurants all in our quest for tasty treats. Josh has decided to take the controls for this post and tell you all about our experiences with a vegetarian Thai food outlet in the East Village.
My consumption of vegan snacks during this trip through northern California and Oregon is nothing short of staggering.
All of the brands and products MUST be consumed as and when they catch my eye, otherwise I will return to the UK full of remorse and thoughts of ‘if only’. This over eating marathon is not simply a product of my greedy temperament, it is also a necessary process to ensure I don’t feel too depressed back in London.
Don’t laugh. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
Following is a short collection of photos of the vegan snacks that have found their way into my belly over the last few days. Of course I am also eating fruit, but I assume you didn’t come here to stare at a banana.
When you put a lot of time and effort into something, it’s nice to get some recognition. It makes you feel warm and fuzzy, right?
I have been plugging away at this blog and its associated activities for two and a half years. How time flies when you are guilt-tripping yourself into meeting self-imposed publication dates. Seriously though, I feel I have been consistent in sharing my thoughts on vegan food, products and events throughout the UK and the world. I’m proud of this little corner of the Internet.
My first FGV blog entry… EVER!
It would seem the pride I have in my own abilities isn’t completely unfounded as my blog has been nominated for an award.
VegfestUK is a series of huge vegan festivals that take place in Brighton, Bristol (happening this weekend May 24-26, 2013) and London. Running for ten years, the events are a celebration of all things plant-based and are hugely popular outings for vegans and non-vegans alike.
To celebrate their tenth year, VegfestUK organisers want to recognise vegan businesses, personalities and products with their own award show. Thankfully, they have included a vegan blog category meaning I was able to sneak in with a nomination.
Please visit the voting page and pop a little tick next to my name (if you feel I deserve it). If you do vote for my blog, please let me know in the comments section below. I would like to include you in my acceptance speech at the award ceremony taking place in London this October.*
I thought sitting down to write a blog post about the release of the Ms. Cupcake cookbook would be a simple process that involved reviewing the book, saying how much I adore her food and sticking in a few photos.
However, on reflection the idea of simply talking about the book as just another collection of recipes seemed beyond insufficient. This book acts as distinct marker in the timeline of vegan London and Mellissa Morgan is more than a mere cupcake maker. She has been one of the guiding forces in the veganisation of the UK capital and walks at the forefront of a plant-based wave sweeping the country.
No, this isn’t just a cookbook. It is historical evidence of how an independent baker helped change the way London and the UK think about veganism.
Ms. Cupcake – The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town!
The story of the rise of Ms. Cupcake is especially poignant and personal for me. It wasn’t long after I started this blog that Mellissa moved her well-loved market stall business into her very own bakery on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton. It was the story about this move that went on to become one of the most read posts of all time on my blog.
When I had the idea of creating London Vegan Potluck, it was Mellissa and the Ms. Cupcake crew who welcomed my crazy idea with open arms. The potluck has since moved to larger premises, but I will never forget or take for granted what the bakery did for me and my event. Mellissa’s commitment to the vegan community in London helped me create one of the most enduring and loved social events in the country.
The Ms. Cupcake bakery is a focal point for vegan London. The rise of such a successful vegan business lit a spark that has grown to an inferno and inspired all manner of events, food providers and support networks. Many of the people who work or have worked in the bakery have become my dear friends. The cookbook tells Mellissa’s story and the recipes are testament to her creativity and persistence, but it also acts as reminder for vegans everywhere how we can change the world around us if we decide to act.
Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you would like to know how to create mouthwatering cookies, cupcakes, muffins and loaves. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want a invaluable guide to vegan icing, stockists and methods. Buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you enjoy owning recipe books brimming with colourful and stylish artwork and photos. But most importantly, buy the Ms. Cupcake book if you want to own a piece of the story of how London truly became an international vegan city.
As a special treat, Ms. Cupcake and her publisher have given me permission to include the following recipe taken from the new book. I followed the easy recipe to make my own batch of Nanaimo bars and the process was completely hassle-free, even for a non-baker like me.
My whole thing is vegan junk food, so it might surprise some of you to know I actually enjoy eating raw snacks and meals.
The problem is, however, I don’t know how to prepare a decent raw meal for myself. Of course I can make a salad or fruit platter, but I’m talking about raw creations that are inventive, delicious and well-balanced.
If you are like me and lack confidence in your skills as a raw food creator and would like to know how to improve, you will be interested to know you can win a high quality raw cook book from one of the most-respected people in the field.
I understand I can be somewhat dramatic at times, but my blog isn’t just a place to share factual information in a calm and level manner. The food reviews on here would be nowhere near as enticing without my verbose posturing and over-the-top declarations of love for newly-discovered vegan eats.
My hope is this enthusiasm appears balanced and you can tell that when I say something is fabulous, it really means I think it is fabulous. I know I can be taken by positive histrionics when I love something, but I am also capable of dishing the dirt when I feel a product or restaurant isn’t up to scratch. This honesty hopefully makes me believable.
With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the best vegan restaurant I have experienced in Europe.
