London vegan news, reviews & events
Just a super quick note to let you know about a new column I am writing for someone else. It’s not all about me, you know!
The wonderful and curious new online magazine called About Time has enlisted me to contribute a regular column called Fat Gay Vegan Eats. The first offering features my list of five destinations for vegans in Camden.
You can check it out here.
I was about to start this post by saying another week sees the appearance of another vegan food market stall, but I think they are popping up faster than one a week in London.
Rawwwsome is kind of unique, though.
The fabulous Steph has started this super cute stall right in the heart of Camden Lock Market. It is packed with incredibly healthy (and tasty!) handmade raw treats such as mint chocolate brownies, raspberry cheesecakes and banoffee bites.
Steph told me she is having a great time exposing this type of food to the mostly non-vegan punters of the market. During my visit, I counted almost a dozen curious people stop by to taste the samples on offer and every single one of them looked and sounded impressed.
And so was I. Everything I ate was gorgeous. Check out the photos below.
Get down to Camden Lock Market and eat all the raw treats from Rawwwsome. Follow Steph on Twitter. It might be a good idea to double check with her before you head down that she will be there. I think she is currently at the market most Fridays and Saturdays.
There must be something about Leather Lane that attracts the veggie food crowd. This curiously-named London street is now home to not one but two vegetarian sandwich stalls. Get eating down Leather Lane!
A short while ago I wrote about the glorious sandwich I enjoyed from Killer Tomato and now the Mexican sandwich stall has company in the form of a vegetarian Indonesian-style tempeh vendor, located on the opposite side of the lane.
This is a brand new business with a few kinks to iron out, but you can’t fault their enthusiasm. The owner makes his own fresh tempeh (a rarity in the UK) and it is fried and seasoned right in front of you on the stall.
All you have to do is pick your fillings, pay your money and eat a delicious tempeh wrap.
Word of warning: even though the stall is emblazoned with the words ‘100% vegetarian’, they bizarrely have a sauce that contains real fish. The owner told me he cannot find a replacement for this ingredient, which doesn’t sound completely believable to me. My pal Messy Vegetarian Cook conjures up all sorts of southeast Asian cuisine requiring fish sauce and her stuff is delicious. She has even shown me a bottle of vegan fish sauce she bought in London.
Get along for a tasty treat, but remember to voice your rejection of the fish sauce.
Here is a treat for you that requires very little reading. This post is super heavy with photos from my visit to the Natural and Organic Products Europe show that took place over the weekend at London Olympia.
It took me almost five hours to see everything and I was overwhelmed by the huge number of vegan companies and products on display.
The photos below don’t even come close to detailing the full range of cruelty-free goods at the event. I decided to include some of my favourites as well as brand new products showcased.
Is there anything that catches your attention?
My giant Mexican dinner party taking place in east London is just a few weeks away. UNA CITA is a 50 person, 3 course party featuring Mexican pop music, visuals on a big screen and a welcome cocktail that will impress.
May 9, 2014 is going to be a day for the vegan eating history books.
I popped over to the venue tonight (The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green) for a test run of the main dish and is was nothing short of spectacular. Check it out below.
The plate features three corn tortillas filled with mouthwatering ingredients and a mound of chipotle rice in the centre. I literally pounced on my plate.
**Ingredients are supplied in part by Cool Chile Co. Follow them on Twitter where they will be giving away a pair of tickets to this event**
The three vegan tacos feature:
Everyone on the testing team tonight was blown away by the combination of flavours. This plate will be served after a starter of esquites and before a serving of hot, sweet churros with dipping chocolate. I will post photos of the other dishes as we workshop them over the next fortnight.
Buy your tickets for this special event NOW.
Follow The Gallery Cafe on Twitter.
I have been racking my feeble brain for a witty or whimsical way in which to announce this epic news, but I have been reduced to a quivering mess and can no longer think. I’m going to just have to come straight out and say the facts.
The best vegan cakes and desserts in the whole of Europe are now available in London.
If you have been loitering around these parts of the Internet for a few years, you should be able to recall this mammoth post I wrote about irresistible vegan cakes in Barcelona created by the magical company known as Lujuria Vegana.
Their cakes are absolutely peerless in Europe. I am a super fan.
Imagine then my sheer delight/shock/convulsions of hysteria when I was confronted by masses of Lujuria Vegana desserts sitting in the chilled fridges of the brand new Whole Foods Market location in Fulham. I almost fell over.
The range in Whole Foods is staggering in size. You can see by the photos below that I was completely unable to control myself and bought many varieties. I was overcome by a cake buying frenzy.
As far as I can tell, this particular Whole Foods Market is the ONLY place in the UK selling these gluten free and vegan desserts. I had heard whispers of them making inroads over here but this is the first time I have seen them on a store shelf.
Check out my photos (yes, I bought ALL cakes featured). Get to Fulham. Buy many cakes. Be happy.
Follow Lujuria Vegana on Twitter.
Chips. Fries. Pommes frites. Papas fritas. Frieten. Whatever name you give to it, sliced potato cooked in scalding oil and dusted with salt is my favourite food of all time. I can’t get enough of it. No seriously, I cannot get enough of it in London.
I need your help.
Where can I buy freshly cooked chips that are vegan in the capital? I don’t want fries that have been reconstituted with lard. I am not interested in thick cut chips that have been fried in the same oil as fish. Please don’t tell me about potato that is covered in chicken-flavoured salt as soon as it comes out of the basket.
I need more vegan chips in my life.
Here are some photos of my favourite chips and fries in the UK. I will be eternally grateful to anyone who can point me in the direction of any London cafes, shops, restaurants or market stalls that will do right by me and potato.
Suggestions below!
Is it completely unrealistic of me to expect something vegan to eat in a vegetarian cafe? I know I’m not going to get full run of the menu but I should be able to eat at least one item, right?
People, meet Orchard Vegetarian Kitchen.
During the week just passed, I agreed to have a business meeting at Orchard on Sicilian Avenue in Holborn. I had never heard of the location even though it is just around the corner from where I have been hosting London Vegan Potluck for more than two years.
Even though the few people I asked about Orchard told me it wasn’t much good for vegans, I approached with an optimistic spring in my step. When I reached the front door and started to read the menu, my spirits deflated.
Wow. It is over. My mammoth month-long Friday night supper club event known as Around the World with FGV has come to an end.
What a food adventure!
We started with the gorgeously plated Caribbean cuisine of Vegan Peasant, moved on to the hearty Brazilian fare of Essential Vegan, were in awe of the technical skills of The Vegan Ronin during the Japanese dinner and finished up with the mouth watering delights of Thai street food made by The Messy Vegetarian Cook.
Kip of The Messy Vegetarian Cook had a tough act to follow being the last of four world class food designers, but of course she pulled out all the stops for a decadent Thai meal that had everyone asking for more.
Check out the photos below to see the stunning line up of Thai delights and make sure you follow Kip on Twitter to see what she has planned next or to book her services.
Starters – Miang Takrai (bite sized citrussy lemongrass parcels of minced coriander, aromatic mint, toasted sesame and fresh coconut, served with a tangy sweet dressing in wild pepper leaves) and Laab Hed Tao Hoo (cooked salad of spicy sour minced tofu and mushroom dressed with fresh herbs and lime)
Main – Kanom Jeen (coils of thin noodles served with two choices of coconut based sauce: nam ya (thick and spicy) and/or nam prik (rich and sweet), accompanied by an array of side dishes including fresh Thai herbs, vegetables, and condiments)
Desserts – Floating Lotus/Bua Loi (sticky rice balls in warm pandan infused sweet coconut milk and sticky rice with caramelised freshly grated coconut)
Every now and then I like to throw out the following question: who serves the best vegan breakfast in London?
I do my best to bring you all you need to know about vegan eating in the UK capital, but it is nice when you give a little back. Please tell me where I should go in London for a cooked breakfast.
Below is a photo of a recent plate I enjoyed at The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green (the setting for my upcoming Mexican supper club). Is this the best vegan fry up in London?
Give your suggestions below.
