London vegan news, reviews & events
Windsor might be best known for a certain royal residence, but you need to know about a place in town that is far more exciting to me than any palace.
Other Space Arts is a grassroots arts venue, plant-based kitchen, and bar that opened towards the end of last year, and it is doing a stellar job of putting inclusive community values front and centre.
Read more below.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent the past few months glowering at the clouds and wondering if the sun still knows how to shine.
But now the blue skies are finally creeping in, the days are stretching out, and London is slowly becoming a bit more bearable. Which means one thing. We all need to be at this legendary vegan pub, dining in their beer garden.
Read below for the full post.
Do you like beer? Do you like making positive choices for the planet as a consumer?
Well, say hello to your new vegan beer supplier!
Launched in March 2021, Really Good Beer is all about sourcing beer from small breweries and chaneling partial profit to good causes.
That sounds EXACTLY like my drop of amber.
What is the ethos behind Really Good Beer? The gang over there says:
Our mission? To create gorgeous beer that helps solve important problems whilst you’re drinking it. Clever huh? OK, not Einstein clever, but we like to think we wouldn’t be kicked out of A-level business studies.
After realising that the five largest mega-brewers in the world make nearly 60% of all the beer on Earth, Really Good Beer jumped into action.
What was the plan of action to make sure they could make a difference to the world of beer and the world in general?
First: we brewed our first beer in a shared space in Hackney but we realised the better model was to get our beer brewed at existing small breweries (who really know their stuff).
We spent a long time (and tasted a lot of beer) finding the right partners and now work with several; they are all small, independently owned, focused on sustainable production, and (pretty much) all award-winning.
And second: we track down the most impactful projects and charities seeking to solve some of the planet’s biggest problems to pair with each of our beers; then we think of a low-key genius name that brings together the beer, cause and charity partner.
The beers are never mass produced and Really Good Beer are committed to giving 2.5% from the sales of all their beer to initiatives that tackle the biggest problems facing people and the planet.
Really Good Beer has just been named in the Top 12 IPAs in The Independent Best Buys and named as “Best Beer with Purpose”. Amazing! (read more about that here)
You can also read about some of the small charities each beer supports online here.
It sounds like a winning situation all round. Beer from small producers and money for charities… and I almost forget to mention that all the beer from Really Good Beer is vegan!
Click here to buy through the web shop (soon to be in bars and stores) and follow Really Good Beer on Instagram.
I think you would be hard-pressed to find an industry struggling as much as independent brewing right now.
What an absolute sack of shit year it has been.
The bars and pubs that breweries rely on for moving most of their stock have been closed or are themselves on the verge of closing forever. Taprooms at breweries, normally a direct line of selling, have been closed on and off all year.
I decided to treat myself to a delivery from my favourite vegan beer producer as an act of solidarity during this unprecedented time… and I’d like to think of few people reading this will do the same thing!
Brass Castle is an independent brewery in Yorkshire.
If you ever attended any of my Vegan Beer Fest events around the UK, you’ll remember Brass Castle as a regular trader. They even ran the jumbo bar at the London outing of the event a few years running.
Every single beer produced and sold by Brass Castle is vegan, including all the gorgeous cans in their 12 Days of Christmas beer advent calendar!
This box is a 12-can selection pack of various Brass Castle faves, hidden behind advent calendar-style doors. All the beers are vegan-friendly and certified gluten-free.
The pack comprises:
This box is available for pre-order now and will begin to ship out of Brass Castle from November 26, 2020.
This is the perfect gift for yourself or any other beer lover in your life, as well as a great way to support an independent vegan business.
Click here to order the vegan beer advent calendar now.
Follow Brass Castle on Instagram.
I’m a big beer fan and I love sharing brewed news with you, especially when it’s an independent business behind the scenes.
The good people of Bellfield Brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland make vegan-certified beer and they sell it online for shipping all around the UK.
And extra news?
All the beer from Bellfield is also certified gluten free.
Bellfield sent me a bunch of their beers to try and I currently have them chilling in the fridge!
You can order for UK delivery from the Bellfield online shop.
Be sure to follow Bellfield Brewery on Instagram.
I got a taste of Brixton delivered to my house a few days ago and it was delicious!
Brixton Brewery sent me a few cans of their Coldharbour Lager and they went straight into the fridge to chill. They didn’t survive too much longer.
Do you like beer? Keep reading.
What do the Brixton Brewery style/taste notes say about this vegan beverage? It’s a lager that is crisp, clean, and floral. It is fresh, vibrant, and alive with flavour. The ABV is 4.4%.
You can order online for UK delivery and get free shipping for orders over £30. You can also buy takeout from the Brixton Brewery Taproom on Station Road, right in the heart of Brixton.
Follow Brixton Brewery on Instagram.
Welcome to Vegan Quarantine: Day 80. This daily video series is my way of keeping spirits high within the vegan community while also supporting independent business, charities, and musicians.
Links for everything discussed are included below.
You can support these daily videos by donating to my PayPal:
https://paypal.me/pools/c/8oikSipsfP
You can become a FGV Patreon supporter here:
https://www.patreon.com/FatGayVegan
Plant Power Fast Food is a vegan food chain in Southern California and they have a limited edition Peach Milshake! You can also donate money via the comapny’s website to help them feed at risk people in Los Angeles:
https://www.plantpowerfastfood.com/
Unicorn Grocery is a vegan cooperative grocery store in Manchester. They are now making local deliveries AND you can stop by the store to collect Black Lives Matter protest materials:
https://www.instagram.com/unicorngrocery/
Anspach & Hobday is a brewery and taproom in Bermondsey. All their beers are vegan and they are open again from this weekend. You can also order online:
https://www.anspachandhobday.com/
Bright Zine have put together a list of Black owned UK vegan businesses:
https://www.brightzine.co/…/6/3/xx-black-owned-vegan-busine…
Made In Hackney Community Cookery School has a Zero Waste Cooking Class this weekend online to raise funds for their charity. Book a spot:
https://madeinhackney.org/whats-…/event/zero-waste-cooking-1
Faux Sho Vegan are selling vegan cheeses, cakes, and more at Maltby Street Market this Saturday June 6:
https://www.instagram.com/fauxshovegan/
Recipe of the day. Easiest Vegan Passata:
https://simplyceecee.co/easiest-tomato-passata/
Music recommendation of the day. Listen to Sistahs album by Big Joanie:
https://bigjoanie.bandcamp.com/album/sistahs
Become a monthly contributor to Kwanda to help create systems to benefit Black communities:
https://kwanda.co/
The team that founded Young Vegans Pie Shop – London’s only vegan pie and mash outlet – have opened a new pizza restaurant in Bethnal Green, East London.
Young Vegans Pizza Shop opened its doors to the public for its launch on Wednesday the 13th of November, 2019. The restaurant contains 30 seats, a licensed bar, and a dedicated takeaway/delivery counter.
The Pizza Shop began life as Death By Pizza, a small pop up based out of a ramshackle hut with clay pizza oven in Hackney serving up highly rated wood fired vegan pizzas. One year later and the company has rebranded it to Pizza Shop, aligning itself with the Pie Shop, and relocating to a much bigger space in Bethnal Green.
Young Vegans has always proudly produced all ingredients at their prep kitchen in Camden. These include mock meats and vegan cheeses, and the vegan mozzarella used at the Pizza Shop.
The revamped menu retains previously popular pizzas such as the Devil’s Coglioni (seitan pepperoni, mozzarella and marinara sauce) and the Holy Ghost (ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, red onions and spinach) as well as new favourite Horror Show (butternut squash, caramelised onions, mozzarella, marinara, walnuts and rocket). What’s new is the full set of starters and desserts, from mac ’n’ cheeze and mozzarella fingers to cheesecake and a cookie dough pie.
Alongside the much expanded food menu, Young Vegans Pizza Shop serves a range of cocktails, wines, and local craft beers from Hackney Brewery.
The restaurant’s weekly opening hours are Wednesday to Friday from 5pm-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday from midday-10pm.
You can follow Young Vegans Pizza Shop on Instagram.
You can see the exact location of the restaurant thanks to Google Maps.
Hop & Hemp Brewery Co have just launched the first vegan CBD low-alcohol (0.5%), low calorie beer. Wow!
The brewery describes the beer as great tasting, low in alcohol, low in calories, full flavoured, and vegan. Each beer contains 8mg of hemp-derived CBD.
Are you excited, UK friends?
The two drinks currently available:
Easy Times IPA (0.5% ABV): a full-on IPA that delivers aromas of grapefruit and lemonade from the triple addition of American hops. This then doubles down on the fruitiness and brings in flavours of biscuit and honey (not that type of honey, vegans). It’s big on taste, without the alcohol.
Lowdown Lager (0.5% ABV): a crisp, golden pilsner style lager that hits the palate with a gentle, spicy hoppiness and follows with notes of citrus and a lingering sweetness.
The brewery assures me they use only best-in-class CBD from the very reputable folk over at The Drug Store – it contains absolutely 0% THC (the part that makes you high) so it’s completely legal.
Find out more on their website. Follow Hop & Hemp Brewery Co on Instagram.
What is CBD?
Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is a safe, legal, naturally occurring compound found in hemp and other strains of the cannabis sativa plant.
Not all beers are created equal.
If you have made the choice to live a vegan life, you would have made some changes to how you eat. You will also be exploring personal care products that are animal free and household cleaning products not tested on animals.
But have you considered how your beer choice can be more compassionate?
Freedom Brewery has been brewing vegan-friendly beers since 1995 and is now enjoying fantastic success as more and more consumers realise they can enjoying a drink without harming fish!
Yep, all Freedom beers are certified vegan.
How do they do this you may ask?
Well, believe it or not, a lot of beers are filtered through isinglass, which is made from ‘fish guts’. At Freedom they don’t do this, instead using a mechanical process which employs a natural filtration process to ensure they still achieve ‘bright’ beer.
This is particularly important for the brewery as they do not pasteurise, but rather naturally carbonate, during the brewing process (they let their beer mature for longer – up to 6 weeks vs. 10 days for some other brewers). Not using isinglass (taken from fish bladders) to filter their beer is just the tip of the iceberg!
Freedom Brewery is very close to my heart and I’m grateful for them being one of the most visible vegan-friendly beer brands of the past decade.
Did you know that Freedom gifted us with cases of beer to enjoy at the first ever London Vegan Potluck? Or you must have been one of the countless people to order a pint of Freedom at tibits restaurant over the years, especially when it was the home of London Vegan Drinks.
2019 finds Freedom Brewery doing all it can throughout January to inspire people to #GoGutless with their beer enjoyment.
They currently have a Veganuary 20% off promotion live across the full range. Yes, 20% off vegan beer! To claim, customers need to enter the code: VEGANUARY when they reach the checkout.
Click here to browse the entire range and buy vegan beer at a discount.
Competition time
Freedom Brewery has kindly made five gift packs available and you might just win one of them!
Each gift pack comes with three beers and a branded Freedom Brewery pint glass. If you win, the brewery will ship it directly to you.
How do you enter
Freedom is all about going gutless and saving our fish friends, so you can enter the FGV/Freedom giveaway by posting your favourite fish joke on Twitter.
That’s correct. We want fish-friendly jokes. Example joke: What do you call a fish that needs helps with its vocals? AutoTuna.
Rules (they are very loose)
Freedom beers are available at the following:
You can follow Freedom on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Be sure to tag them with #GoGutless and #FreedomBrewery when you are drinking their beers. The brewery staff love to share your photos!
Extra note: this is a sponsored post. 10% of the fee paid to FGV is donated to Mexico City water security initiative Isla Urbana.