Do you all remember when I wrote about a new vegan döner and cocktail place in York?
If you don’t recall, you can read about it online here.
Döner Summer is getting rave reviews and now it is London’s turn to find out what all the hype is about as the northern comfort food specialists serve their cuisine during a two week pop up residency in Shoreditch.
The menu at the Shoreditch pop up in Dinerama is certainly enticing.
Döner Summer is serving up their signature vegan döner and shawarma alongside the London exclusive of Korean BBQ Kebab featuring Korean BBQ sauce, five spice chick’n, daikon, kimchi mayo, pickled cabbage, and onion mix.
I’m drooling.
Döner Summer is at Dinerama Shoreditch until February 1, 2020 and serves Wednesday through Saturday between 5pm and 11pm.
Londoners, get along quickly if you want to see what the north of England has been raving about.
The Oumph! Burger has won Best Vegan Burger in the 2020 Vegan Food & Living Product Awards. Up against the likes of Linda McCartney, Fry’s and Quorn, The Oumph! Burger was praised for its texture, flavour and close resemblance to a meat-based burger.
The jury’s verdict reads:
“This really tastes like a burger, with the crust and centre being pretty bang on. It has a very enjoyable taste and texture. This is a great one for anyone doing Veganuary in particular as it proves that vegans don’t have to miss out!”
Nick Jacobs, Head of Sales UK & Ireland, Oumph! Food for Progress comments:
“We’re delighted to have won vegan burger of the year and that it is testament to the incredible success the Oumph! Burger has achieved nationwide both in the retail sector but also within leading UK restaurants.”
The Oumph! Burger is available across the UK in Asda, as well as in popular, nationwide restaurant chains Café Rouge and Bella Italia, and London and South East pub chain Shepherd Neame.
Marc Saunders, Head of Brand at Bella Italia, Casual Dining Group comments:
“The Oumph! Burger makes up for more than 22% of Bella Italia’s burger sales. We offer a number of different dishes featuring Oumph! on our vegetarian and vegan menu, and they are all very popular, which contributed to Bella Italia recently being awarded Best Vegan Menu.”
In Ireland The Oumph! Burger is available at SuperValu and Centra stores.
Congratulations to Oumph! but we also wanna know which burgers came in second and third, right?
Second place (or highly commended) went to The Fry Family Quinoa and Brown Rice Protein Burger.
And third place (commended)? Quorn Ultimate Burger was recognised.
What do you think about these top three burgers? Are they the brands or products you would pick?
If you are interested in seeing the other category winners for the Vegan Food & Living Product Awards 2020, click here.
YEDA just told me that they serve food that is good for you and the planet at their Covent Garden location.
The grab and go restaurant opened its doors just before Christmas, in the vibrant Seven Dials in Covent Garden, London. The full address is 55 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PJ.
YEDA focuses on delivering good food on the go. They serve delicious satiating food that is good for you, the environment, and the planet. The place was developed by Elena, a 27-year-old UCL graduate, who felt London was missing delicious vegan food available on the go.
On the menu YEDA has loaded salads, several tasty sandwiches and wraps that can be toasted in a grill, and an already popular Breakfast Burrito. The selection of hot mains includes shakshuka, creamy mac and butternut squash, chickpea and coconut curry, and a sweet potato jackfruit waffle.
There are two elements to the YEDA space: the ground floor that is all-hands-on-deck for quick grab and the lower ground floor lounge with comfy seating and a relaxing atmosphere. The shop itself is bright and vibrant with natural woods, terrazzo tiles, and modern chic fittings.
The food is not the only passion YEDA wants to share with the city. They are trying to do their bit to be kind to the planet by using recyclable and compostable packaging that is both practical and Earth-friendly.
The White Hart is the legendary beer-focussed pub in South London that is turning its kitchen vegan for January 2020 with a little help from a gorgeous street food business.
What The Fattoush? is well-known for serving up delicious plant-based food inspired by Palestinian cuisine, culture, and people. The compassionate foodies started their business in order to support charities and groups working to improve lives of the people of Palestine.
For the entire month of January 2020, you can buy and devour the delicious cuisine of What The Fattoush? and drink beer at The White Hart in SE14.
What does the vegan food menu feature?
Hummus and Chilli confit £6.5 – Creamy hummus topped with smoked chilli oil (mulato, pasilla, ancho), chargrilled sweet peppers and smoked paprika served with warm Arabic bread
Fatteh (Middle Eastern style nachos) £10.5 – Pitta chips loaded with a chunky tomato, pepper and aubergine stew, Gazan guac (avo, sumac & sesame seeds) and pickled chillies
Imam bayildi and vermicelli rice £9.5 – Slow cooked aubergine. Red pepper and chickpea stew in a rich and silky tomato sauce served with vermicelli rice and chopped salad
Black lime ‘lamb’ and courgette with vermicelli rice £12.5 – Chunky ‘lamb’ pieces, courgette, and our 7 spice mix served with vermicelli rice and chop salad
9″ Loaded Arabic flatbread with either falafel / seitan shawarma ‘meat’ £10.5 / £12 – Arabic bread topped with hummus, chopped salad and pickles with either falafel or seitan
Tendril is a brand new vegan pop up restaurant starting its residency at The Hive in Bethnal Green from January 10, 2020.
Tendril is the brainchild of Chef Rishim Sachdeva and there more plans to spread his tasty food far and wide around the capital in 2020. Tendril is just the first stop.
So what exactly will Chef Rishim be serving at Tendril in Bethnal Green?
A sample menu highlights the following:
Zucchini Pancakes with creamy turmeric puree and chives
The ninth most popular post was a photo of me accompanied by a plea for people to not buy or breed dogs. It resonated with a lot of people and is a message for the ages!
There was a HUGE response for this photo of my Follow Your Heart pin. I never expected this to be on the end of year list, let alone come in at number eight.
This is the first of two photos of London vegan cheese shop La Fauxmagerie to make my top nine Instagram list for 2019. Having two entries is proof of how excited vegans were about this shop opening.
Vegan food in airports can be a bit uninspired so this photo of my breakfast at Wagamama at Heathrow got a lot of likes. It was a tasty treat to enjoy before a long haul flight.
I shared this message from Chapter One coffee shop in Edinburgh and it was popular enough to land at number five on my top nine list for the year. People loved reading news of this popular café switching to become a totally vegan business.
I am surprised this post took off like it did because it is kinda an ugly photo! The Wicked range in Tesco is one of the most successful product launches I have ever seen and this photo being in my top nine is evidence that people can’t get enough.
This post is not a happy read and contains a few upsetting memories of bad times from throughout my life. People who follow me on Instagram were kind and supportive, making this the third most popular post of mine for 2019.
Warning: it is a very upsetting read so do proceed with caution.
LOTS of people responded positively to this photo I took in Heathrow airport. It is exciting to see so many mainstream business be so open about their vegan options.
La Fauxmagerie took the number one slot on my Instagram account for 2019. News of this vegan cheese shop opening in London broke the Internet and more than 4,500 people liked this photo.
Much love to everyone who has helped make my blog and social media accounts viable for another year.
All of this is done to help promote veganism and independent vegan businesses. I want people to go vegan and stay vegan to help improve outcomes for animals.
Do you all remember that Ethiopian restaurant located at Art Works shipping container village at Elephant and Castle?
It used to have a lot of vegan options and the owner was super passionate about the food.
Well, guess what? It isn’t there anymore.
But also guess what?!
Beza has moved to another location in Elephant and Castle and has turned 100% vegan. Yay!
Both the food and interior of the restaurant look sensational.
Beza describes the restaurant as an “Ethiopian restaurant in London that specialises in traditional Ethiopian vegan food.”
Their menu is alive with truly delicious and nutritious seasonal food, all served in a beautiful setting. Everything on the menu is 100% vegan. The restaurant is proud to serve the local community with inspiring exotic dishes.
I’m in no way saying that is a bad thing, I’m just commenting on how it seems to be popping up everywhere in London.
One of the most-loved vegan pizza joints in the UK capital is Good Belly which is located inside The Railway Tavern just a few steps from Dalston Kingsland Overground station.
The pizzas at Good Belly get rave reviews from those in the know, so I can only imagine how delicious these two Christmas-themed specials will taste.
The first seasonal special I want to tell you about is their Christmas Day Pizza. It is constructed from a cranberry & merlot tomato base, mushrooms, red onion, stuffing crumbs, bacon bits, parsnip puree, and shredded sprouts.
That is one dreamy Christmas pizza!
Another special they have is their flaky (and delicious) Santa’s Sausage Roll. Good Belly assure me it is one of the best sausage rolls on the planet.
Check it out.
Both of these specials from Good Belly will be on their menu until December 22, 2019 so hop along rapidly if you want some seasonal treats.
You can see the full regular menu from Good Bellyonline here, follow the restaurant on Instagram, and check out the exact location of The Railway Tavern thanks to Google Maps.
I know a lot of people love an old-fashioned cream tea but finding a vegan version in London can be tough.
There is good news out of West London, however.
The Stables café located at Osterley House is now serving vegan cream tea!
Maybe you are scratching your head at the mention of cream tea.
What is it?
Cream tea is a variation of afternoon tea and is traditionally served with scones, clotted cream, and jam. The idea of cream tea is usually attributed to the tea rooms of Devon and Cornwall.
The StablesCafé is located inside Osterley Park & House in Isleworth, West London. The café is open between 10am and 5pm, 7-days a week.
You can see the exact location of the café thanks to Google Maps.
This is a super quick blog post to let you in on some good news.
Viva! Campaigns is of course a tremendously successful and loved animal protection and lobbying group that has been busy promoting veganism for many years.
How many years? The group just celebrated its 25th anniversary!
As part of their quarter of a century celebrations, Viva! has handed out a bunch of awards for people, groups, and businesses that they believe have done a great job in improving outcomes for animals.
And I was awarded one!
After almost a decade of running this blog and all the associated social media accounts, it is a real thrill to be appreciated in this way by a group that I respect so deeply.
Massive love and thanks goes to the entire Viva! team for everything they do to make the world a better place.
And thank you from the bottom of my chubby gay heart for this recognition. It is a wonderful feeling.
You can see all of the Viva! award winners online here.
