London vegan news, reviews & events
Some vegan places are happy to rest on their laurels, serving up the same quality of food and the same menu month after month.
But not Black Cat Café in Hackney.
I have been incredibly impressed by the food served up by Black Cat over the past two years. The menu changes regularly to reflect seasonal availability and old menu items are brought back with slight tweaks and improvements.
Check out these glorious dishes served to me recently.
It often feels like we are being asked for money and donations continually via the Internet. There are so many people and animals in need of assistance, it is little wonder that we find ourselves feeling bombarded by requests.
The important thing to remember when we see another campaign imploring us to donate is that we are being asked to help because the majority of us are in the position to help.
Even if it is a few pounds, most of us can spare something at the end of the month.
You know where this is going, right? You are about to get hit up for money.
I am asking you to join me in supporting this crucial campaign to get hot vegan meals to the displaced people currently living in camps in and around Calais, France.
My friend Emily Runc of Rupert’s Street has joined forces with a small team of street food traders to cook and deliver hot vegan food to refugees. Read what she has to say below:
In September, a group of us headed out to Calais to serve hot food to the refugees in the camps. Following on from the success of this first visit, a group of street food traders known as Street Aid UK is planning a return trip in January and we are desperately trying to raise funds to make this happen. We are going to provide hot food and also supplies to help the displaced population cope with the unimaginable circumstances they find themselves in.
Through the pain and suffering they have endured, to be forced from their own countries, the struggle and hundreds of miles traveling to bring themselves to safety, and the living conditions they are still forced to endure, these people still managed the strength to show us kindness during our visit. We must do what we can to give them a little comfort during the harsh winter.
Our group of street food traders needs to raise £10,000 in order to return to Calais for 4 days in January from the 14th – 18th, where we will be supplying hot meals and taking much needed supplies such as sleeping bags, tents, coats, building supplies and basic cooking equipment to displaced people in the camp.
OK. This is where we help.
I know we can get Street Aid UK to their goal is no time at all. If every person reading this gave £10, the target would be reached in a matter of hours.
I know we want to do the right thing, but we often need some encouragement so I’m going to set a challenge.
Fat Gay Vegan’s challenge for Calais
Put one item back from your shopping basket/trolley/cart this week and donate the money saved to the Street Aid UK Calais drive. So simple.
Examples:
You can see how easily we could reach the target if we all sacrificed just one purchase this week.
To make it more interactive, I would love for you to post a comment below telling us what you have given up this week and how much money has been donated to the Street Aid UK fundraising drive.
Let’s do this. Let’s show compassion for people in dire circumstances by helping Emily and her group deliver hot vegan meals and crucial supplies.
Thank you.
I don’t even drink coffee but find myself presenting you with a second piece of vegan news this week related to one of the biggest coffee chains in the country.
Two days ago I told you about the vegan mince pie being sold at Caffè Nero and today I bring you word of another plant-based offering from the country-wide high street business.
My work here is done. I can retire.
My pal Jhenn, the head chef at Veg Bar in Brixton, has given me the highest accolade I can imagine. She asked me to help design a burger and named it after me!
Check out this compassionate version of a Big Mac known as the FGV Burger.
As my Vegan Roadshow rounds the halfway point, we are getting ready to depart Glasgow and head to Liverpool.
I wanted to take two minutes out of my day before we set off down the motorway to show you a few photos of the vegan food I have been devouring in Glasgow these past few days.
As you know, my Vegan Roadshow is currently snaking its way around the country with Australian Band Love Like Hate.
A few nights back we stopped for a show in Leeds. It was a great crowd filled with friendly faces and lots of lovely beer, but surely one of the highlights was Sam with his homestyle cooking.
We have all been so excited to have Veg Bar in our midst. This 100% vegan bar and restaurant in Brixton has quickly established itself as a hangout place for London vegans and their friends.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Vegan Brunch takes place every Saturday and is always buzzing with vegan food enthusiasts and hard liquor connoisseurs.
Yep, Veg Bar has enjoyed a solid start out of the box but now changes are in the air to take this south London eatery to the next level.
Big news the first: Chef Jhenn of The Vegan Ronin is now the head chef of Veg Bar. Jhenn is known to hundreds of you as an amazing pop up supper club chef who has fans all over the planet. Seriously. She gets repeat customers from as far away as the USA and Japan.
Check out the super fresh and totally vegan menu Jhenn has launched this week to celebrate taking over the Veg Bar kitchen:
Do you remember when I flipped out about CookDaily having the best vegan food in London.
Sure, you do. I even swore. Check out the blog post here.
It seems you can’t keep fabulous food down because CookDaily is set to open location in addition to the pop-up they have in Boxpark Shoreditch.
Check out this interview excerpt in which King talks about where he is taking his scrumptious food creations next:
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A trip to Little Ethiopia
Most Los Angeles vegans will already know about Rahel – it’s a vegan Ethiopian restaurant that has been on Fairfax for years and years. The secret to its success? Consistently amazing food. I’ve dined there multiple times over the years and on each occasion, Rahel has nailed it. A couple of weeks ago I was in LA and met my friend Brian for dinner. Check out the photos below of the ‘Millennium Special’ platter which included a dessert. Forgetting that I can never finish the platters, I also ordered a sambussa and instantly regretted it (although it was delicious).
If you’re familiar with Ethiopian food then you’ll know that the feast platters are served on a bed of injera and include many different and diverse dishes. Accompanying this were some of the tastiest vegetable and lentil stews ever, which combined with the injera made a mouth-watering combination of flavours and textures. The melt-in-your-mouth pumpkin stew was out of this world.
The dessert, a little like baklava, was nothing to write home about but who cares after such a delicious platter?
You can visit Rahel online and make sure you pencil in a stop when you are in Los Angeles.
I’ve woken early on the morning of the 6th annual Los Angeles Vegan Beer & Food Festival due to jet lag. My body is struggling to adjust to the time difference on this trip. I want to sleep when I shouldn’t and can’t when I should.
I’ll take advantage of this early rise to update you on a few of the gorgeous food experiences I’ve had here in California.
Hope you’ve eaten already.