vegan London

Vegan dining in Tooting

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It has been a while since I have mentioned south London vegan restaurant Vegan Express, so I wanted to take some time today to share some of my favourite photos recently shared on their Instagram account.

I was reminded of this family-owned and operated eatery during a visit to The Just V Show last weekend.

Head chef Charles was cooking up a storm behind the Oumph!-sponsored kitchen counter and it made me curious to see what they have been serving up in their own restaurant.

Check out the photos below.

You can see the exact location of Vegan Express online here thanks to Google Maps.

You can also follow Vegan Express on Instagram.

Vegan food in a vegan pub

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London, do you know how good you have got it?

If you haven’t been along to the Club Mexicana kitchen located in vegan pub The Spread Eagle, you don’t know what you are missing.

It is sensational.

I popped along for the first time yesterday and was thrilled by the incredible food, the huge range behind the completely vegan bar, and the super cool ambience of the place.

Take a look at some of my photos from the day.

Everything being served by Club Mexicana and The Spread Eagle is exceptional and world class, from the smoked pineapple cosmo to the popcorn chick’n salad.

If you live locally to the pub, I recommend you make it your local. If you aren’t local, grab your Oyster card and get over there ASAP.

You can see the exact location of the pub online here thanks to Goole Maps.

You can and should follow both businesses on Instagram: Club Mexicana and The Spread Eagle.

Extra news: Club Mexicana will be serving their incredible cuisine this weekend (Saturday July 14, 2018) at the 6th annual London Vegan Beer Fest. Click here to buy tickets.

Vegan Mexico in London

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Imagine my surprise when one of my vegan heroes from Mexico City turned up at my weekly vegan market in Hackney, London!

Jazmín runs an an amazing vegan grocery store and cafe in Mexico City called Vegattos. It is stocked with vegan grocery essentials such as plant-based cheeses, meats, milks, pantry items, personal care products, and so much more.

You can also dine in with Vegattos, with an expanded lunch menu available on weekends.

In additional awesome news, Jazmín raises funds via the shop/cafe in order to rescue and re-home cats in need. The shop actually doubles as a cat adoption centre!

I adore the work Vegattos does for improving outcomes for animals in Mexico. They are helping cats directly as well as offering much needed goods and services for vegans.

Thank you to Jazmín and Franko for taking the time to visit Hackney Downs Vegan Market during their London visit. It means a lot to me to have these pioneers at my event.

Please follow Vegattos on Instagram.

A visitor’s view of the vegan market

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It is always satisfying to see people enjoying Hackney Downs Vegan Market.

The traders put in so much effort into their products, Josh and I work overtime to make sure everything running smoothly, and our market manager Robertas is the star who pulls all the pieces together each Saturday.

We all work hard so our visitors leave with a smile.

Just like Club Mexicana did this past Saturday!

When they aren’t being legends with their own vegan businesses (such as running the kitchen at The Spread Eagle vegan pub), Club Mexicana love to openly support other vegan traders via their Instagram page.

You can see all of their photos from their market visit below.

You really should follow Club Mexicana on Instagram just for their Stories alone. They get up to so many cool vegan adventures.

EXTRA NOTE: There will be NO Hackney Downs Vegan Market on Saturday July 14, 2018 due to us hosting London Vegan Beer Fest on site that day. In a full circle moment, Club Mexicana will be one of our food traders at the beer fest! Click here to buy early bird tickets.

UK vegan music festival

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Is this a UK first?

The organisers of Vegstock reached out to me in order to ask me to share this information with you:

There are many fabulous vegan festivals around the UK but very few vegan music festivals, so Vegstock was born! The first Vegstock will take place Sunday 16th September, 2018 at the fab music venue The Piano Works in Farringdon, London. We have a full afternoon and evening of vegan bands lined up, alongside some great vegan food and clothing vendors. The event is in aid of Open Cages who are an organisation trying to make this a better and happier world for factory farmed animals.

I really haven’t seen many all-vegan band line ups in the UK, so this is great news.

Band scheduled to perform on the day include:

  • Rudy Warman & The Heavy Weather
  • Queen V
  • RIIVER
  • Tokyo Taboo
  • Platypus
  • Juha
  • Harry Munk
  • spyplane
  • Tally Spear
  • Eden & The Aftermath
  • The Fleas
  • Amorie

Food vendors will include Vegan Sweet Tooth London, Shakey Shakey Vegan, Sheila’s Kitchen, and more to be announced.

Early bird tickets for just £5 plus booking fee are available by clicking here now and you can RSVP and invite friends over on the Facebook event page.

London vegan café keeps impressing

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I’m not trying to be provocative or dramatic, but I truly think TEMPLE GOODS of Hackney is heralding in a new era of vegan food for London.

They keep getting better by the day and have raised the bar like nobody else.

The café (located on site at Hackney Downs Studios) is now open 7-days a week and is serving all day brunch on the weekend, exclusive weekly specials, decadent cakes, coffee, and some of the most inventive plant-based cuisine you can find anywhere on the planet.

And you know it is run owned and operated by the Temple of Seitan team, right?!

The Chick’n Club sandwich featuring their RIDICULOUS vegan bacon and egg is next level. I’m shocked (in a good way) by the quality of the cuisine being served up daily inside TEMPLE GOODS.

Check out some of the photos below including noodle salad, the brunch plate starring the realest non-egg you will see, and the aforementioned club sandwich.

Doesn’t it look gorgeous?

Follow TEMPLE GOODS on Instagram to stay updated with all the latest food photos and be sure to get along soon to try it for yourself.

Remember, the café is on site where we host Hackney Downs Vegan Market every Saturday so you can combine a trip to the market with a visit to TEMPLE GOODS.

The café is also one of our locations for London Vegan Beer Fest on Saturday July 14, 2018. TEMPLE GOODS will be transforming into a beer hall for the day with specials such as bratwurst and pretzels. They will only be serving customers with London Vegan Beer Fest tickets so be sure to book your early bird tickets right now.

London’s first ever vegan bakery turned 7

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If you think eating vegan food in London is a relatively new phenomenon that has found popularity over the past two years, you clearly haven’t done your reading.

There have been food providers working hard to showcase plant-based cuisine for a very long time, with one of these businesses recently celebrating a 7th birthday that completely passed me by.

Ms. Cupcake threw open its doors WAY BACK in April 2011, meaning London’s first ever vegan bakery turned seven years old earlier this year.

That is an incredible achievement for any food business and even more impressive for a vegan business that was paving the way for many others to follow. Mellissa Morgan and her Ms. Cupcake brand have become globally recognised and the store front is still there on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton for you to visit 7-days a week.

I am sharing some recent food photos from the bakery with you below, but let’s also get some important links listed on here.

Click here to see the exact location of the bakery thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Find out about ordering bespoke cakes via the bakery’s website.

Order your own copy of the Ms. Cupcake recipe book and get a free Nanaimo bar recipe from the book online here. You can even step back in time to see my blog post from that grand opening day over 7 years ago!

Brewery line up for London Vegan Beer Fest

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London Vegan Beer Fest is less than three weeks ago so it is the perfect time to tell you about the AMAZING brewery line up we have for the event on Saturday July 14, 2018.

We have the following:

On top of all of this, Temple of Seitan will be running an indoor beer and food hall.

It’s almost TOO MUCH. You can see the food trader line up online here.

I will be publishing the full beer list as we get closer to the date.

Click here now to buy your cheap early bird tickets for just £5 plus small booking fee. If we have any left on the day, they will be £9.

You can also buy the official London Vegan Beer Fest t-shirt online now. These will not be sold at the event. They are a web exclusive.

RSVP and invite friends over on the Facebook event page.

Street food at London Vegan Beer Fest

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With less than three weeks until the 6th annual London Vegan Beer Fest, we are locking in traders and that includes some of the best vegan street food in the city.

Not only will you be able to guzzle thirst-quenching beers from all over the UK, you’ll be able to fill your belly with cuisine from these amazing traders:

  • Club Mexicana – superstar Mexican food stall serving burritos, nachos and more
  • Battered – this famous vegan fish and chip truck is PERFECT for the beer fest
  • Arancini Brothers – crunchy risotto balls and burgers from this vegan restaurant chain
  • Young Vegans – what would a beer event be without pie and mash?
  • World O’ Burger – fast food style burgers and sides to rival any takeaway joint
  • Vegan Delice – decadent cakes and tray bakes to represent sugar lover on the day
  • Dough Society – world-famous vegan donut shop with all your glazed needs
  • Black Milq Ice Cream – gourmet vegan ice cream with glorious toppings

In addition to the above, you will be able to experience the following:

  • Temple of Seitan – in their on site vegan café TEMPLE GOODS, these true food heroes will be running an exclusive indoor beer and food hall ONLY for London Vegan Beer Fest ticket holders. This is going to be INCREDIBLE with mammoth menu specials you do not want to miss
  • Follow Your Heart – our fabulous event sponsors will be on hand cooking up samples in order to showcase their products
  • Brass Castle – the legendary Yorkshire brewery will be hosting heir GIANT indoor beer hall
  • Charioke (charity + karaoke) – our famous karaoke performance room is back for laughs and high drama (we will be collecting coins and notes for Mexico City water charity Isla Urbana)
  • Face painting – Moon Castle will be available to decorate your face (what could possibly go wrong with drunk adults and face painting)
  • Outdoor beer market with breweries from all over the UK, pouring their own brews so you can meet the makers!

Early bird advance tickets are just £5 plus tiny booking fee. Click here to buy them now.

Our official London Vegan Beer Fest t-shirts are only available online this year. You cannot buy them at the event. Click here to order in advance so you can wear it on the day!

You can RSVP and invite friends over on the London Vegan Beer Fest Facebook event page.

World Cup and vegan street food

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Are you interested in watching the England/Belgium World Cup game AND eating vegan street food at the same time?

Yes? Well, I have some good news for you!

Hackney Downs Studios is the location where I host Hackney Downs Vegan Market and London Vegan Beer Fest.

Each year, the Studios host a massive open day event and this year’s celebration is coming up on Thursday June 28, 2018.

But what is so special about this Open Studios event and why should you care?

Let me list the fun attractions:

  • jewellery workshops
  • weaving demonstrations
  • digital and interactive experimentations
  • life drawing
  • talks
  • exclusive sample sales
  • film screenings
  • installations
  • live music and comedy
  • food, drinks and dancing

PLUS, the Studios will be screening the England vs Belgium World Cup game on screens around the site so you don’t need to miss out on your sports if you are that way inclined.

I was asked asked to curate some food options for the evening (which runs from 6pm until 10pm) and you are going to adore this list of vegan traders who will be there at the Open Studios event:

PLUS Temple of Seitan will be running a vegan BBQ out of their on site cafe Temple Goods. (Please note that there might be some non-vegan traders on site but we definitely have these 6 traders for you who are all 100% vegan)

This is a huge party that comes around only once a year. It has it all. Food. Drinks. Music. Football. BBQ.

You can RSVP to the Facebook event here (where you can also see the itinerary) and claim your FREE TICKET by clicking here.

Yes, that’s right. You can get a free ticket but you need to book it now.