vegan London

London cafe turns completely vegan

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Amazing news.

Cupcakes and Shhht is a vegetarian cafe in Elephant and Castle. CORRECTION. Cupcakes and Shhht is a vegan cafe in Elephant and Castle!

After five full years trading as a veggie business, Cupcakes and Shhht has decided to become completely plant-based. No cheese. No cow milk. No animal derived ingredients at all.

I popped along for their first full vegan day today and was thrilled to see how busy the café was and how chilled out everyone was when they were asked to pick a plant milk with their coffee!

The café is located in the super cool shipping container complex known as The Artworks. It is steps from the main Elephant and Castle roundabout, meaning it is close to the Underground and rail stations too. Click here to see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Follow Cupcakes and Shhht on Instagram and then check out the photos/video from my visit today.

Yay for cafés that become fully vegan!

Vegan options in Crouch End

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Do you ever find yourself in the London neighbourhood of Crouch End without a bite to eat?

Well, say goodbye to being hungry in Crouch End as you say hello to Miranda Café.

This vegetarian eatery is located on the corner of Broadway Parade and Elder Avenue, plus it has a whole LOAD of vegan options.

Of course it would be fabulous if the entire menu was vegan (I’m contractually obliged to say that as FGV) so let’s hope that is the direction in which the business is moving.

Check out some of the tasty vegan dishes being served by Miranda Café below and follow the eatery on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Chain store vegan sandwiches

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My friend Susan visited London a while ago and one thing about the UK really amused her. She couldn’t quite understand the obsession with ready to consume sandwiches.

Susan has a point.

I’ve never seen a country quite like the UK when it comes to pre-made, boxed up sandwiches. You get them at the petrol station, inside pharmacies, as part of meal deals, in high end shops, in budget outlets, in coffee chains, and pretty much any other type of retail space you can imagine.

Some stores selling these sandwiches will have an entire wall of chillers dedicated to dozens and dozens of various flavours.

I’d love to know how this sandwich saturation happened in the UK. If anyone knows the history of why packed sandwiches are an integral part of life here in the UK, I’d love to know.

Sharing Susan’s bewilderment and amusement was really just a cute lead in for sharing these photos.

Check out three vegan ready-to-go vegan sandwiches I’ve spotted around the UK over the past week.

Let me know if you have a favourite ready made sandwich in the comments below.

Vegan chips in London

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It’s the old age dilemma.

People think vegans will eat any old chips because chips are made out of potato. But we vegans know that some mass-produced chips actually contain animal fat as an ingredient.

In addition, some chip shops cook their chips in with fish, sausages and other derived items. A lot of vegans don’t want their potato to be bubbling away next to a dead sea creature and a battered sausage.

Yes, the hunt for vegan chips is a predicament a lot of us experience.

Imagine my joy when I strolled by a fish and chip shop just around the corner from my house and say ‘Our chips are 100% vegan’ printed on the window?

The owners told me they promote the vegan chips at the request of their wives who are both vegan. The shop also does a vegan falafel wrap on request.

Codfather is a 9 minute walk from South Ealing Underground station on the Piccadilly Line. You can see the location and walking directions thanks to Google Maps.

Of course I prefer to support 100% vegan eateries such as Vegan HQ which is located a 10 minute walk in the opposite direction of the station and Falafel Box another 10 minutes walking, but I might stop in for chips at Codfather after a few beers. South Ealing is becoming a vegan-friendly hub!

Vegan market intensity

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Here is a quick blog post to reiterate my feelings about community markets.

Get out of your house and START A VEGAN MARKET.

I hosted my monthly Hackney Downs Vegan Market on Saturday and to say in was swamped by people would be a monumental understatement.

Check out this photo I shared from the day.

Thousands of vegans and vegan-curious people swarmed the market and many of the vendors could not cope with the demand. Cake stands that thought they would be safe by showing up with hundreds of cakes sold out within the first few hours. Temple of Seitan sold out of almost 500 bacon cones with hours still remaining of the event. Battered sold hundreds of portions of vegan fish. Big V had their busiest day at our market ever. Café SoVegan know how to make a lot of food and they sold out completely for the first time ever.

Some people have suggested that we should have more stalls or that the vendors should make more food. Neither of these things can happen. Our space has limitations around the number of stalls permitted and the vendors are making as much food as they possibly can. They are stretched beyond their limits.

The answer to this problem is simple.

More people need to run more vegan markets around London. You can see that the demand clearly exists. When thousands and thousands of people show up to my market on the same day as a sold out 1,000 person vegan food event is also being staged in Kings Cross, you know there is not enough being done to meet the demand.

I am only one person and I do what I can, but we are in desperate need of other community-minded people to step up and start local markets that celebrate and support independent businesses.

Start small. Don’t think that 4,000 people are going to swarm your event. Keep it local. You can do it if you simply start. Get an idea and run with it.

Do it for your neighbourhood. Do it for the business owners. Do it for the animals.

Donuts business changes names

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Hey everyone.

If you have been to any of my events over the past year or so, you will be familiar with the glorious fried, glazed and filled donuts made by Peanut Butter Bakery.

The food these magicians produce is otherworldly and definitely the finest vegan donuts I’ve tasted in the UK.

If you are coming along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market this weekend, you should prepare yourself for a little change. Peanut Butter Bakery has a new name and now goes by Dough Society.

They have a new menu that includes iced coffees to match the new name.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BX3NQP8j4Ww/

You can follow Dough Society on Instagram.

Hot desks available in Hackney

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Do you know where Hackney Downs Vegan Market takes place?

Hackney Downs Studios is a gorgeous multi-use space right next to Hackney Downs. The site houses performance spaces, working studios, a restaurant, offices, workshops, and retail outlets.

It has recently come to my attention that Hackney Downs Studios also has a fabulous collaborative workspace with a fantastic garden area. It is known as Palm Space.

Adam at the Studios told me that Palm Space has been specially designed to be a place for creativity and peacefulness. The vision is for it to develop into a hub for film makers, designers, artists, writers, and anyone looking for a work space in east London.

The beautifully designed space spills out into a gorgeous garden where residents can work alongside other self starters and creative people… and who wouldn’t want a working space right in the middle of the site that houses the best vegan market in London?!

Hot desking begins at £100 per month and fixed desk prices range from £195 to £225. You need to get in touch with Adam via adam@eatworkart.com if you think you would enjoy running your business, art project or writing assignment from one of these desks in one of the coolest locations in London.

If you are coming along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market on Saturday August 19, 2017 you can join Adam for a walk through of Palm Space at 2pm and 3pm. Just meet at the front door of Autumn Yard restaurant.

Vegan shortbread and cookies

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The Vegan Treaterie is a brand new baking business launching in London this month.

The high end and super fancy baked goods are sold in reusable tins and the range is a rotating selection of biscuits, cookies and shortbread. Yes, vegan shortbread!

The Vegan Treaterie will be popping up at London markets starting August 2017, including an appearance at this month’s Hackney Downs Vegan Market.

Follow The Vegan Treaterie on Instagram and pop down on the weekend to be one of the first in the capital to try the products. Keep an eye on this company if you are further afield as they plan to start selling online soon.

New vegan cheese business

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I know I complain about not being able to keep up with vegan developments, but for real I cannot keep up with all the artisan vegan cheese flying at my face.

One such new nut cheese business on the block is called The Cashew Family and they just happen to be trading at Hackney Downs Vegan Market this Saturday (August 19, 2017).

Get a little sneak preview of what they do and make sure to follow them on Instagram so you can keep updated on their latest market dates (such as their Tottenham Green Market appearances each Sunday!).

New vegan food in London

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Do you know about HUTCH?

HUTCH is a brand new vegan food business in London and let me tell you something straight up. Their food looks amazing.

Christopher wrote to me to let me know that he quit his corporate job and set up HUTCH because although he had been vegan for almost four years, he felt that this wasn’t a big enough contribution towards the change he wants to see in the world. He says that he remembers reading my call to action shortly after the launch of the Hackney Market (which could also be remembered as my hysterical outburst).

The philosophy driving HUTCH is that vegan food can be amazing and that it’s the future. I love it!

The HUTCH menu is based around crave-able snacks that they personally love, and they’re experimenting around core items of popcorn seitan chick’n, okra fries and spicy veggie cutlets.

You can follow HUTCH on Instagram and Facebook.

You can catch HUTCH trading at the Boiler House Market (152 Bricklane, E1 6RU) on Saturdays in August 2017.