vegan London

Vegan business nominated for UK award

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I love a success story, especially when it comes to vegan businesses.

What The Pitta is one of the true runaway success stories of the London vegan food scene.

Cem and Roj crash landed on the Shoreditch landscape a few years ago with their peerless doner kebabs and have gone from strength to strength ever since. The fast food heroes now have What The Pitta locations in Shoreditch, Camden, Croydon, and Brighton.

What The Pitta is one of the finest places on the planet if you are interested in vegan comfort food. Their kebabs and chip boxes are simply legendary.

And it isn’t just us vegans that think they deserve recognition.

What The Pitta have been nominated in the Best Takeaway in London category in the 2020 British Kebab Awards.

Yes!

The vegan chain is the ONLY vegan business nominated across a huge line up of possible winners.

We need to combine out vegan super powers and make sure they win their category. Click here to vote for What The Pitta.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vMI2UpYAB/

Visit What The Pitta online to see their menu and location details and be sure to follow them on Instagram.

Get cheap tickets for Vegan Life Live London

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What is Vegan Life Live?

Vegan Life Live in London is a huge annual celebration of everything vegan, hosted at Alexandra Palace across March 14 and 15 in 2020.

250 exhibitors will showcase food, clothing, accessories, campaign groups, personal care products, and cosmetics making it the perfect way to connect with every aspect of the vegan lifestyle.

There will be speakers including Earthling Ed and MackaB, talking top tips for your vegan journey.

There will be three kitchens with cooking demonstrations from leading vegan chefs and bloggers including Gaz Oakley, Chef Day Radley, Tomi Makanjuola and Niki Webster, all working hard to inspire you to take new ideas home to your own kitchens.

Vegan Life Live is sponsored by Viva!, The Vegan Society and Vivo Life to name just a few.​

Sounds great, right? Well, how about cheap tickets?

Click here to access the special two-for-one ticket offer being dangled in front of FGV readers.

Want to read more about the event and what you can expect to see? Click here to visit the Vegan Life Live website.

Exciting vegan brunch in London

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Hey, London. Where do you go for vegan brunch each weekend?

If you answered anywhere other than Arancini Brothers in Kentish Town, I’ve got news for you that might shake things up.

Arancini Brothers is the superstar fast food chain focussed on risotto balls, with locations in Old Street, Maltby Street, Dalston, Ely’s Yard, and Kentish Town.

In exciting news, the Kentish Town location is trying something new by opening only for brunch on the weekends.

And what a brunch it is!

Check out the photos below:

First of all, that fry up tray looks sensational. Furthermore, I say a big YES PLEASE to peanut butter jam toasties.

The rest of the brunch-only menu is stuffed with filled fococcia, salads, croissants, and sausage rolls.

Get along to Arancini Brothers Ketish Town every Saturday and Sunday between 10am and 4pm.

The restaurant is located at 115A Kentish Town Road. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Arancini Brothers on Instagram.

UK’s leading vegan pizza restaurant triples in size

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Multi-award winning vegan pizzeria Purezza extends its Camden venue using recycled and eco-friendly materials.

Purezza, the UK’s first vegan pizzeria, is extending its Camden branch. The new branch will be one of the biggest vegan restaurants in the UK, and is the first part of the restaurant’s expansion plans for 2020.

Purezza’s Camden branch first opened in March 2018. The company, which also has a branch in Brighton & Hove, went on to win National Pizza of the Year following its London opening.

The new restaurant is three times bigger than its previous Camden branch. It boasts a new sheltered garden area with live plants adorning the walls, making it perfect for alfresco-style dining no matter the weather. It also has a large extended bar, where diners can enjoy a range of drinks and cocktails along with light nibbles such as Purezza’s famed vegan Cheese Dough Balls.

Purezza’s focus on sustainability in its food has extended to the build and interior of the new restaurant. Furniture is from both Purezza’s previous restaurant, and discarded items from other restaurants. The plaster on the walls is made using sustainable hemp. Upholstered furniture uses vegan leathers and inner foams made with recycled plastic bottles. Mirrors and lighting were made with recycled and reclaimed materials using sustainable methods of production. Purezza even used the flooring from their previous Camden restaurant for seating booths, and doors were sourced from an old chapel.

The restaurant has seen steadily growing demand, which it credits to the combination of growing interest in plant-based food and innovation, and its unwavering commitment to quality.

Tim Barclay, co-founder and co-owner of Purezza said “our flagship London restaurant has been struggling to keep up with demand throughout 2019. The single biggest complaint we receive is that it’s almost impossible to get a table most nights. It’s a good problem to have, but providing exceptional customer experiences is one of our core tenets at Purezza, and by tripling the size of our Camden restaurant we’ll be able to meet the demand.”

The new Purezza opens on 3rd February in Camden at 45-47 Parkway, NW1 7PN. Click here to see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Purezza on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Book a table at the new Camden restaurant online here.

You can also buy Purezza’s first ever vegan cookbook. Click here to see it online.

Vegan cakes and treats in Stratford

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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.

Follow Cake Cult London on Instagram.

Northern vegan business in London pop up

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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.

You can follow Döner Summer on Instagram.

Best vegan burger in the UK

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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.

New vegan takeaway in Covent Garden

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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.

Follow YEDA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

South London pub gets a vegan kitchen takeover

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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
  • Mezze plate £11 – Falafel, chopped salad, stuffed vine leaves, Arabic bread, hummus, olives & pickles
  • Tempura okra s/w a date and tamarind sauce £6 – Beer battered okra with a sweet and tangy sauce
  • Cauliflower poppers £6 – Spiced cauliflower florets in breadcrumbs served with harissa yoghurt
  • Fries £4

You can follow What The Fattoush? on Instagram and see the exact location of The White Hart thanks to Google Maps.

Eat up, London!

New vegan pop up in East London

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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
  • Homemade crispy potato terrine, smoked ketchup, Butter beans, scallions and roasted mushrooms
  • Purple sweet potato fritters with pea puree and burnt cabbage salsa
  • Crispy Salt and Pepper Mushrooms with sweet chilli dipping sauce and shaved almonds
  • Roasted brussel sprouts with chilli oil, hazelnuts and black garlic
  • Cauliflower and leek XO with cacao nibs and hazelnut
Purple potato fritter
Mushroom and leek truffles

You can follow Tendril on Instagram and see the exact the location of The Hive online thanks to Google Maps.