As far as Veganuary menus go, this Danish bakery chain has torn ahead of the competition in the UK.
It’s that time of the year when us vegans get inundated with extra options. There are so many plant-based options in January it can be tough to stay on top of it all.
@oleandsteenuk sponsored me to come along to try their Veganuary menu and I was blown away.
The passionfruit slice was heavenly and mousse-y and I want ten more. The berry slice was just as delicious.
I slurped every last drop of the curried sweet potato and coconut soup.
Toasted focaccia sandwich with nduja paste, cheese, and spinach? Perfect.
And… the absolutely stunning raspberry and almond swirl pastry. My life is never gonna be the same. It is buttery and creamy and flaky and my new best friend. I ate two of them.
@oleandsteenuk has 15 London locations and one in Oxford.
Big thanks to @oleandsteenuk and their PR team for the invite.
After surviving the past year and a bit, I don’t think I will ever complain about time dragging again.
Nothing could ever feel as long as the winter from which we emerged. I was finding it tough going.
But FINALLY it seems as though we are emerging from the gloom, so I thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate 10 vegan restaurants I am excited to rush back to in London.
My list is below. Be sure to click through and follow the businesses on Instagram and tell me your top picks in the comments.
10. Purezza had to be on this list. The pizza chain has locations popping up all over the place (including a spot in Manchester soon) but I need to get into the jumbo-sized Camden location on Parkway. The restaurant got an upgrade since I was last there and I’m excited to try it out. Follow Purezza on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CE6rBbrpz9G/
9. I feel like a bad vegan. Itadakizen is a Japanese vegan restaurant in London that has been there for YEARS and I have only eaten there once. So slack of me. They recently gifted me their ramen sauce (amazing – read here) so I have a new appreciation and excitement for them. Follow Itadakizen on Instagram.
8. Copperhouse Chocolate is London’s only 100% vegan chocolate cafe and shop. Maybe it is the only one in the entire UK? I want to drop in for a chocolate drink, something chocolate-based to eat, and some handmade chocolates to take home with me. Follow Copperhouse Chocolate on Instagram.
7. This list would not be complete without the legendary Temple of Seitan. My fellow Aussies have become global names for the magic they create with vegan fried chicken. They have a few locations serving up some of the best comfort food on the planet, while there are rumours that a certain FGV might be helping them out with a few things in the near future. Follow Temple of Seitan on Instagram.
6. Essential Vegan lives! After closing their Shoreditch location, Essential Vegan came back strong with a permanent residency inside Dalston Superstore. If vegan food inside an LGBT venue doesn’t scream FGV, nothing does. Follow Essential Vegan on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/COC_yqLpeGi/
5. Fancy casual dining rarely comes tastier than Wulf & Lamb. Now with two locations (Chelsea and Marylebone), Wulf & Lamb is my go to venue when I have friends visiting from outside London. I feel like I’m showing off! Follow Wulf & Lamb on Instagram.
4. Deserted Cactus is another place that makes me feel like a bad vegan because I have never eaten there. I am going to rectify this serious error ASAP after lockdown and restrictions. Peckham locals have been raving about this food and I want in on the good times. Follow Deserted Cactus on Instagram.
3. Why did I post a photo of people instead of food when listing Cafe Van Gogh? Because even though the food is seriously delicious, the people working at this Brixton vegan eatery are some of the nicest you will meet in the city. It is a total experience you will want to relive again and again. I can’t wait to get back. Follow Cafe Van Gogh on Instagram.
2. Oh, kebabs! Remember when What The Pitta opened in that little shed in Shoreditch and had lines for days?! People loved the food then and they love it even more now, with locations opening around the country. Make mine a snack box with burger sauce, please. Follow What The Pitta on Instagram.
Last but in no freaking way least, Cookies & Scream. I mean, what can I say about this absolutely amazing and legendary vegan business? The bakery is vegan and gluten free. You’ll always leave with a smile from ear to ear. Truly delicious. Follow Cookies & Scream on Instagram.
And I know I claimed to be making a list of 10 vegan places to revisit in London, but I’ve run out of space and decided I needed to include Young Vegans Pizza Shop. They are on track to re-open soon after taking care of the decorating that happened during lockdown (see below)! If this isn’t the best vegan pizza on the planet, it is darn well close. Follow Young Vegans Pizza Shop on Instagram.
Have you seen the gorgeous baked treats created by Cocolico?
Cocolico is an independent French Pâtisserie business in the UK. You might recall them trading at Hackney Downs Vegan Market a few times, or possibly even bumped into them at other markets around the Reading and London areas.
If you are looking for handcrafted delicacies that taste amazing, Cocolico have got what you want.
Take a look at this special ‘postal treats’ box you can order online for UK-wide delivery.
Did you attend Hackney Downs Vegan Market back in the day?
If you were a regular attendee, you will fondly recall the glorious cakes, bakes, and cookies from Chanel of Vegan Delice.
Chanel was always the friendliest person on the market and customers would come from all over London to chat with her AND to buy her amazing vegan baked goods.
A little while back Chanel rebranded and her empire of sugary delights is now known as Cake Cult London. The online store is overflowing with treats that you can have delivered to you around the UK (or collect if you live locally).
There are so many wonderful things from which to choose, however I’m jumping on here today to tell you about the vegan afternoon tea for two.
Chanel sent me one of the boxes to try for myself and of course it was as delicious as I remember all her stuff being. Check it out below and see the contents of the vegan afternoon tea listed as well.
Afternoon Tea for 2 Menu
2 x mini cheese & onion pasty
2 x mini Sos rolls
4 x Scones
Plain & Cherry with Clotted cream and Strawberry Jam
Baby cake cults
2 x Lemon drizzle
2 x Red Velvets
2 x Shortbread fingers
Order your very vegan afternoon tea for two from Cake Cult London now for delivery!
Welcome to Vegan Quarantine: Day 74. This daily video series is my way of keeping spirits high within the vegan community while also supporting independent business, charity, and musicians.
Links for everything discussed can be found below.
Welcome to Vegan Quarantine: Day 26. This daily video series is my way of helping to keep spirits high within the vegan community while also supporting independent business, charities, and musicians.
Vegans. This is your chance to use your compassionate shopping powers for good.
It is emergency time for legendary London vegan bakery, Ms. Cupcake.
As I mentioned a short while ago on my blog, the UK’s first 100% vegan bakery has decided to shut doors forever. If you missed it, you can read my emotional post online here.
Mellissa Morgan and the Ms. Cupcake business have been on the frontline of veganism for a decade and without her efforts, we would have experienced a very different march forward.
Mellissa pushed boundaries as an independent vegan business owner and showed just how much demand there was for plant based foods. Being inundated with vegan food in 2020 is thanks to pioneers just like Ms. Cupcake.
So they are shutting down, but there has been even more devastating news for the bakery and Mellissa just two weeks out from closing date.
The business was booked to appear at the huge Vegan Life Live show in London this weekend (March 14 and 15, 2020) but with last minute notice, the vegan mega show was cancelled due to concerns about large events contributing to the spread of coronavirus.
While this was obviously an extremely tough decision for the show organisers, this has left Mellissa and her vegan bakery holding thousands and thousands of pounds worth of extra stock that was destined to be sold at the show.
Mellissa told me:
We are desperately trying to close on a positive note, but the idea of all of these products going to waste is heart wrenching for the whole team who has been working so hard. Financially, it is quite disastrous for our small business.
Vegans, this is where we need to do one last act of support and compassion for someone who has done so much for us.
Go the the Ms. Cupcake website NOW and up until March 20, 2020 and order delicious vegan cakes and treats to be delivered to your home or office.
You can choose from four categories of sweetness:
Vegan tray bakes
Vegan cookie sandwiches
Vegan brownies
Vegan American-style cookies
Click here NOW to buy one last big bundle of vegan goodies from this legendary vegan business. Help them go out on a high and with a few less bills!
Buy treats for your home, your workplace, a neighbour, a loved one, someone you are trying to expose to veganism, and most importantly for yourself.
If we can join forces to send as much love and cash in the direction of the Ms. Cupcake bakery as possible, we might just be able to help them have a smile on their faces as the doors shut for the final time.
Order from the online store now or before March 20, 2020 for delivery in the UK or for collection in store.
If you can make it along to the shop in Brixton before it closes, please note they have extended their opening times to include Mondays. This means they will be open EVERY SINGLE DAY until March 29, 2020.
Extra note: you can also order a signed copy of the best-selling Ms. Cupcake recipe book. Already got it? Click here to order another. They make great gifts.
It has been just over 24 hours since the announcement was made, so the feelings are still fresh.
Legendary (I mean, really REALLY legendary) vegan bakery business Ms. Cupcake announced it is set to close in March 2020.
This is sad news but of course it is not completely surprising.
I talk with vegan business owners often and they are struggling. People want convenience and are willing to sacrifice independently owned vegan businesses to get it. It feels like our community is increasingly becoming a block of faceless consumers unable (or unwilling) to support small business.
This phenomenon already happened to non-vegan businesses, with many independent stores shuttering their doors over the past few decades.
Now it feels like it is veganism’s turn to lose our pioneering retailers and business owners to big ticket capitalism.
The Ms. Cupcake bakery in Brixton stayed open a lot longer than it should have thanks to owner and founder Mellissa Morgan and her ingenuity, talent, and compassion. The vegan retail scene changed drastically and radically, but Mellissa kept her head above water with savvy choices. Her cupcake distribution deal with Whole Foods Market stores was one of the first major deals of its kind for a vegan business in the UK.
If you want to know what hard work looks like, study the output of Ms. Cupcake.
Mellissa started her business with all-night baking marathons followed by all-day selling stints at outdoor markets. She turned the London vegan scene upside down with her delicious and inventive creations, giving us hope that a better future for animals was around the corner and it included cake.
The Ms. Cupcake business was born at a time when London was still a struggle for vegans. Seriously, if you were vegan ten years ago you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
Mellissa showed us that we could expect more as vegan consumers while she also inspired dozens and dozens of others to take a risk with vegan business.
Ms. Cupcake didn’t just open the door through which other superstar vegans businesses strolled. Mellissa’s bakery smashed the door off its hinges.
We suddenly had a world class vegan food business and is not dramatic to say it felt like a hopeful new dawn for London.
The opening of the physical bakery location in Brixton took things to another level.
People would come from all over the UK to visit the bakery. Remember, this was long before vegan cake options were even a thought for Costa or Tesco. Ms. Cupcake gave us a peek into a strange new world and we lost our collective shit over it.
People would even come straight from the airport with their luggage because of all the hype. They couldn’t wait.
Mellissa wasn’t just a clever and talented cake maker. She showed us you could do all of this and also do what was right for your community.
Because of her kindness, the Ms. Cupcake and Fat Gay Vegan stories are inextricably connected. Mellissa went above and beyond what most would do by allowing me to start my monthly London Vegan Potluck social event (and then host it for six months) in the space outside her shop.
Four years later, when London Vegan Potluck was coming to and end, Mellissa and her team showed up to our final event with a personalised cake to thank me for my contributions to the London vegan community.
When London was absolutely bereft of exciting vegan social events, Mellissa allowed me to host a vegan pizza party in her shop on two occasions. I was desperate to create social capital for vegans and Mellissa and her bakery team were on the frontline with me.
I was once in the pub a few doors down from the Ms. Cupcake bakery, indulging in a few afternoon beers, when a random local pub goer noticed I had a box of Ms. Cupcake goodies on my table. He told me that when violent protests erupted around London (including Brixton) during August 2011 following the death of Mark Duggan at the hands of police, Mellissa went into the streets and gave away cakes to protestors.
This local pub goer had tears in his eyes as he told me that nobody touched or went near Mellissa’s bakery during the violence because of her act of support, solidarity, and community strengthening. He said everyone around those parts saw her as a good person and a treasured member of their community.
Through the bakery, Mellissa gave many people their first ever vegan job. Her team evolved over the years, however Mellissa always kept a strong, dedicated, and well trained group of people by her side.
I’m even friends with some of her team members to this day!
Mellissa gave her time and expertise with grace and humility.
Following on from her groundbreaking and highly-influential recipe book (which you need to order online here), many people started copycat baking businesses around the UK.
When I would ask her about this, Mellissa would shrug and wish them well. She really just wanted vegan cake to be everywhere and understood that she had created a sugary monster that she couldn’t control, so instead she hoped for the best for all the people following in her footsteps.
If you attended community events and vegan fairs in the early days, Mellissa could be found giving up her precious time and expertise for cooking demonstrations, panel discussions, and personal appearances. She worked as hard on building our vegan scene as she did on her own business.
At a time when we were all scrambling to build a vegan movement that would put compassion into the mainstream, Mellissa was ahead of the game with a world class product and an unwavering smile on her face.
I would never be able to overstate how important her role was in making veganism the unstoppable social and commercial concern it is now.
Mellissa might very well be the most important vegan business person that London has ever known. She is the original. Vegan Nights. Temple of Seitan. Hackney Downs Vegan Market. We all followed.
We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Ms. Cupcake.
Extra note: I think you should all follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram. Something tells me that she will be back with vegan goodness in some form before we know it.
Extra extra note: for goodness sake, buy her cookbook online NOW. Let’s send Mellissa out with a bang.
Do you ever ponder where the heck Chanel of legendary London vegan bakery Vegan Delice ended up?
Well, you can stop stressing over these unknown facts.
Chanel is serving full time inside Westfield Stratford, East London under her new business name, Cake Cult London.
Chanel was the superstar of Hackney Downs Vegan Market every week until it ended, so it is great news that her many fans can find her in a regular spot.
Cake Cult London is located on the lower ground floor of Westfield Stratford, right near the Great Eastern Market.
Be sure to visit early in the day if you can, because Chanel’s stuff is so fabulous it always depletes quickly. The Bakewell slices are heavenly and worth a trip to the bakery in their own right.
One of the most popular traders we have ever hosted at Hackney Downs Vegan Market is LuckyLek.
Nora was always drawing large crowds with her exquisite baked goods and her patisserie items were snapped up quickly by eager fans.
Nora and LuckyLek disappeared from our market lineup a while back but for very good reason.
London has a brand new vegan bakery now that Nora has teamed up with her friend Nama. Get ready to visit Nora & Nama: Vegan Bakery & Deli in Camden.
If you can see the photo above, you will see that Nora & Nama have extremely special menu items and expertly-crafted baked goods.
Customers will discover and adore cakes, celebration cakes, finger food, cookies, bread, canapes, pies, tarts, baked goods, starters, spreads, and gluten free options.
The bakery is located in Camden Market (unit 596-598 Camden Lock) and the grand opening celebration is taking place on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December, 2018.
Click here to RSVP to the Facebook event for the opening weekend, follow Nora & Nama on Facebook and Instagram, and see their official website here.
