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.
I love showing you all the samples and PR gifts I get sent… and not just because I love to gloat!
I share because I want to let you know about some of the great vegan products available. My list of gifts always includes products from independent vegan businesses, so it give me a chance to support them with a little bit of exposure.
Check out my haul from this week and let me know in the comments if you have tried/enjoyed anything listed.
Be sure to click the multiple images on some of the posts, otherwise you might miss some sweet treats.
Extra note: to see all my latest food photos, follow me on Instagram.
There have been quite a number of PR gifts and free samples sent to me over the past few weeks, so I thought I would share some of the highlights with you.
Click through to each of the Instagram posts if you wanna discover more information or follow the brands.
Soul Cheeze is a plant-based cheese business based in Cheshire, UK.
I stopped by the vegan market that took place in Sheffield today and made a direct line for the Soul Cheeze stall. I tasted a few and decided to take home the Mustard and garlic/herbs varieties.
Hey (again). Do you love saving money when you buy vegan pick ‘n’ mix?
Yes to both? Keep reading!
Sugar Noms is a fab new UK-based family-owned business on a mission to spread vegan sweets across the land.
They recently sent me some products to try and I was in heaven.
The bag of bonbons lasted about two hours, while the bag o’bubs hang around slightly a little longer. I shared the third packed with friends because even a Fat Gay Vegan has limits.
Sugar Noms has got sweets, chocolates, and fudge in pre-packed or build your own bag options.
Some interesting info about the business:
💚 100% vegan
💙 Letterbox friendly boxes
💜 100% recyclable and eco-packaging
❤️ Nationwide UK postage
💜 Can cater for your wedding and party sweets
💚 Owned & run by vegans – they are vegan for the animals!
And how about those savings?
Order via their online shop and use code FGV10 for a 10% discount with Sugar Noms.
Nobody loves hosting an online cook-along quite like Made in Hackney so you know their upcoming Cooking with Aquafaba class is going to be informative AND fun.
Taking place virtually on Saturday 19th September, 2020 between 11:00am and 1:30pm, Cooking with Aquafaba is set to be a masterclass all about the food ingredient that has had plant-based chefs buzzing for the past few years.
The suggested donation for this online class is £20 but any donation amounts accepted. All funds raised go towards the Made in Hackney community meal service providing free nutritious, tasty meals to households who need them during these challenging times.
The class will take place via Zoom with details to be provided via email (usually the day before the class).
Need more info about the event?
Join raw plant based chef, Bruna Oliveria, to learn all the tips and tricks for using aquafaba as an amazingly versatile vegan egg replacer.
The class will include:
How to make a tasty fluffy vegan omelette
Make a light airy vegan chocolate mousse using only natural sweeteners
A chance to ask Bruna questions
Recipe handout with a bonus recipe for making egg-free meringues
For ingredients and equipment needed see below
About Bruna
Bruna Oliveira is a raw chef and the founder of London Nut Cheese Co. She studied Naturopathy and Naturopathic Nutrition at CNM London in order to pursue her passion for healthy and natural living. Bruna loves creating delicious recipes with the aim of inspiring people to transform their lives through making positive changes in their diet.
Click here for more information and to book your ticket now!
Sheffield vegans and the vegan-curious alike are set to enjoy a true taste revolution as plant-based Saucy launches with gourmet fast food delivery in the South Yorkshire city.
Launching on July 31, 2020 Saucy is the new project from the founders of legendary vegan eatery, Make No Bones, and I’m super happy to be working with them to help with promotion.
Saucy co-founder Dave Shaw said of this new fast food concept:
“My dream has always been to feed delicious vegan comfort food to as many people as I can. While our team is busy working hard behind the scenes to get Make No Bones back up and running and serving our loyal customers again, we also wanted to bring another plan to life.
We designed the Saucy menu to appeal directly to the taste buds of decadent burger lovers and people who, just like me, can’t resist a hefty portion of crispy fries.”
Specialty menu items set to impress include the Katsu Burger featuring a fried chicken-style fillet housed in a fresh bun with sesame-infused slaw and Japanese curry sauce.
Freshly cooked fries are available in two sizes, as is the irresistible Japanese-inspired slaw when ordered as a side.
A selection of beef-style burgers sit alongside the line-up of chicken-style burgers, while fans of gourmet dipping sauces will be thrilled to see a wide range of in house sauces available to order separately to take their fries experience to another level.
Saucy is currently serving delivery only via local food app Mealbase, with more options for takeaway and delivery coming soon.
During the past two weeks, I have been living in a London hotel room in order to follow the Government mandated self isolation.
I was originally booked into a hotel with a fridge but during my flight back from Mexico, my booking was cancelled. I ended in a room above a pub with no kitchen and no fridge.
And that means takeout food for two weeks.
Here are my top five fast food items I enjoyed during my stay.
