vegan London

Vegan food at climbing centre

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Have you been searching for a place where you can eat vegan food AND climb a wall in London?

Well, I’ve got the solution you need and it’s all housed inside (and out) a heritage listed Victorian pumping station that looks like a castle!

The Castle Climbing Centre is the UK’s largest climbing centre and is on Green Lanes just near Stoke Newington in north London.

This climbing centre is simply amazing. The old pumping station is built in the style of a castle, complete with towers and cavernous inside spaces. The halls and rooms have been fitted out with climbing walls and surfaces, while one of the towers affords customers the chance to engage in a bit of indoor abseiling.

In a surprising and welcomed twist, the onsite café at the centre offers up vegan food choices.

The menu consists of two main dishes each day, one of which is always vegan. The mains can vary depending on the season and what veg is on offer. The staff tell me it is usually  something like a curry, stew or rice dish and vegan pilaf with tahini dressing is popular at the moment. They also offer a daily soup and wide ranging selection of salads all of which are always vegan. Other items on the menu include toasties (hummus & sundried tomato, peanut butter and banana, vegan cheese with homemade chutney etc.), jackets with a range of toppings, hummus and toast. In the summer they run a café from their garden every Wednesday serving wood-fired pizza.

In addition to savoury dishes they always have a wide ranging selection of cakes, which are vegan about 60-70% of the time. This includes flapjacks, banana bread, lemon drizzle, brownie bites, cheesecake, cupcakes and whatever else they can make using the produce from their garden. Yes, they grow most of their own produce on site!

Main dishes range from £5.50-£6, soup costs £3.50 and the majority of cakes are under £2.

You’ve read about the vegan food options, so take a few moments to check out all the climbing action in the video below. This place is incredible!

But before you do watch, here are all the links you need for The Castle Climbing Centre.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Vegan food in Camden

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When someone describes what they cook as filthy vegan junk food, my interest couldn’t be higher.

Biff’s Jack Shack is a decadent London-based vegan street food business making crispy fried fillet burgers and wings out of jackfruit. They have been doing a lot of impressing people around the capital and now have set up shop in Camden for the entire month of August.

Biff’s delicious food can be snapped up from their temporary pop up located at Camden Town Brewery (click here to see location via Google Maps). The food stand is trading in this spot each Thursday and Friday from 5:30pm until 9:00pm and Saturdays between 2:00pm until 7:00pm all throughout August.

But what of the food? Prepare yourself because I don’t think you’re ready for this epic-ness.

Jackin’ Wingz

Choose 2 or 3 Jackin’ Wingz slathered with a topping blend of your choice:

  • Classic Cayenne Buffalo Hot Sauce and Blue Cheese Sauce
  • Southern BBQ Sauce Spiked with Bourbon
  • Thai Cinnamon Infused Sweet Chilli
  • Sriracha and Cool Mayo

The ‘Jack Bauer Tower’

  • Enriched Vegan Brioche
  • Cool mayo
  • Crisp Iceberg
  • Fat Hash Brown
  • Classic Burger Cheese
  • Crispy Fried Jackin’ Patty
  • Ketchup/Hot Sauce of your choice

The ‘Father Jack’

  • Enriched Vegan Brioche
  • Smoke infused vegan Bacun Jam
  • Whiskey BBQ Sauce
  • Crisp Iceberg
  • Smoked Burger Cheese
  • Natural Beer Battered Onion Rings
  • Crispy Fried Jackin’ Patty

I don’t know about you but all of that has me drooling and checking my diary for my next available eating opportunity.

Don’t miss out on Biff’s Shack Jack during their Camden Town Brewery residency (where vegan beer is plentiful BTW) and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Vegan food event in London

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KERB is a company focussed on organising and hosting large scale street food events around London and the UK.

Their next event that will be of great interest to vegans, especially vegans who like a LOT of food.

Livin’ on the Veg is a showcase of eight vegan food specialists and the twist of this event is that you get something from EACH trader when you buy a ticket. Yes, eight portions of food!

The mammoth food party is taking place in King’s Cross on Friday August 18 and Saturday August 19, 2017. There are different sessions you can book and from what I’ve heard, there aren’t many tickets remaining so be quick.

For £30, you get a cocktail plus ALL OF THE FOLLOWING FOOD:

  1. Biff’s Jack Shack – double fried jackfruit buffalo wings speared on sugar cane bone with maple bourbon hot sauce, blue cheese, toasted almond kale slaw and a fresh seared peach
  2. Petare (Bucket List reigning champ!)- Venezuelan ‘chip butty’ arepa stuffed with cassava chips, sweet fried plantain, “feta”, avocado and garlic sauce
  3. Lemlem Kitchen –  Timtimo split pea afro-taco, served on injera with a red cabbage and ginger slaw, and pickled chillies and seeds.
  4. Eat Chay – Korean BBQ Bahn Mi baguette filled with crispy seitan, mushroom walnut pate, pickled carrots, parsnips and sriracha mayo
  5. Spice Box – charred makhani-smothered tandoori cauli steak with coriander chutney and homemade pickles on a grilled naan
  6. Temple of Seitan – fried ‘chicken’ slider in an agave mustard glaze
  7. Greedy Khao –Thai red curry tofu and butternut squash pillows on soy sesame slaw and hom mali rice
  8. Young Vegans – chocolate peanut butter mud pie brownies

Can you handle all of this?!

In addition to the food you are swamped with, there will be extra food to buy if you need it as well as a bar and games. It sounds like a whole lot of delicious fun.

Click here to book your ticket.

Extra note: the Saturday sessions of Livin’ on the Veg are on the same day as Hackney Downs Vegan Market. Check out the line up we have for that monthly event here.

No more FED by Water

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This blog post is to state my opposition to the recent online actions of London restaurant FED By Water.

Following the death of Rashan Charles during police intervention and a subsequent protest in Dalston, the social media pages of FED By Water engaged in problematic posting and content sharing that worked to perpetuate and promote racism.

You can read a breakdown of the incident with further commentary here thanks to Heather Barrett, but my brief take away from the situation is as follows:

  • FED By Water shared content that described black protesters as animals
  • The FED Twitter account ‘liked’ a tweet that suggested ‘black people should stop killing black people’
  • FED By Water used the term ‘All Life Matters’ to assert their position of concern for animals, therefore diminishing Black Lives Matter

I emailed the owner of the restaurant with the following brief questions:

Do you understand the problem of saying All Lives Matter in response to Black Lives Matter? Do you understand why people think this is a racist response?

(It should be noted that I misquoted the Facebook update in my email to the owner. The status read ‘All Life Matters’ not ‘All Lives Matter’)

I received a response asking if I could come in next week to talk face to face with the owner. I responded that I do not have time to travel to the restaurant and would be happy to discuss my concerns via email. I am yet to hear a response to that request. UPDATE I have received an email to further the discussion and the owner has asked me to keep that private.

I am still prepared to talk the owner and have always maintained an open dialogue with him regarding any concerns I have. However, I feel this situation requires an immediate public statement of position from me as a vegan with a notable platform and as somebody with a menu item named after them on the restaurant menu.

My position:

There is no room or space for the use or promotion of racist language or terminology by vegan businesses and any instance of this behaviour should be challenged, resisted and questioned. I believe that Black Lives Matters is a crucial, grassroots movement working to resist historic and ongoing systemic oppression of black people and I will continue to support the movement and speak up against people inside and outside the vegan community who use actions or language to diminish the movement. This support of the movement includes ongoing questioning of my own behaviour, language and actions.

Until now I have been happy for FED By Water to carry a menu item named after my blog, however I have this morning asked the restaurant to remove my name from the menu. I do not want to be associated with an organisation that posts hurtful and negative content. I also see the request to remove my name as a symbolic gesture to assert my support for black activists and black people more generally. It isn’t a grand action, but I feel it is the very least I can do and it might prompt discussion and consideration from people aware of who I am.

My expectation is that the management of FED By Water will meet with local black activists who have reached out in the hope of explaining why the language used online was harmful. I am available as a vegan activist with a visible platform to lend my support or voice to this situation if requested.

Extra note: It is not my intention to attempt to lead the resolution of this incident, but rather position myself as an ally and state my position. I appreciate that as a white, cis-gendered, non-disabled man I benefit from privilege that in turn oppresses people.

New vegan kitchen in West London

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West London is in the midst of a plant-based eating revolution with new businesses popping up all the time.

There is GreenBay Supermarket and Picky Wops pizza parlour within walking distance of each other. Sanctuary is just around the corner from both of these places in Fulham. Don’t forget the fab new café called Vegan HQ on South Ealing road.

That side of London is really gathering vegan steam and we now have a brand new plant-based café called The Retreat Kitchen in Richmond to add to the expanding list.

During the week at The Retreat Kitchen you can fill up at the seasonal salad bar and enjoy dishes such as the cashew ‘cheesy’ leek and broccoli quiche. You can devour homemade beetroot brownies or a refined sugar-free sticky toffee, date and cinnamon donut. You can enjoy a range of organic and vegan beer, wine, prosecco and cider.

The weekend at The Retreat Kitchen is a more laid back affair with an all day brunch menu where you can enjoy their version of traditional breakfast offerings including stuffed chickpea omelettes, mushroom florentine muffins and hollandaise sauce and loaded fresh fruit as well as banana and cinnamon pancake stacks.

The Retreat Kitchen is located on Hill Rise, Richmond (see the exact location via Google Maps) and is open Tuesdays-Fridays, 8:30am until 5:00pm and for brunch and cream teas at the weekends from 9:30am to 5:00pm.

You can visit The Retreat Kitchen online and follow them on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Exclusive vegan supper club for London

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London, I know you have a lot going on when it comes to vegan eating but you need to make a special effort to get along to this exclusive dining event in Hackney next week.

Plates is a company specialising in plant-based contemporary dining experiences with modern English menus and are about to launch a Saturday night residency in Hackney at Autumn Yard located at Hackney Downs Studios on Saturday August 5, 2017.

Check out the flyer for the launch night below.

 

The food they put together looks exquisite and the launch dinner includes a gorgeous 4-course menu crafted from fresh ingredients. I think it’s safe to say you will be very well fed (and satisfied) if you book a ticket for this exclusive event.

Autumn Yard is a stunning venue and this launch event for Plates is incredible value at £25. Book your ticket now.

You should also follow Plates on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with this season of supper clubs in Hackney, plus all of their future events.

Vegan candles in jars

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I know I post about food 99.9% of the time, so I’m shaking things up today by giving you some inedible news.

Candles!

There is a person named Luke who got in touch with me and they wanted me to let you know about a fabulous vegan candle company they own. I’m a complete sucker for candles and couldn’t wait to give you these links.

Scentimental Jars is a London-based, independent candle company that creates vegan friendly scented soy wax candles. They hand make all of their own products and offer a wide variety of scents and sizes.

The company (which is over a year old) was started by Luke while recovering from a heart operation and is powered by a love and passion for candles. It all started one day experimenting at own home by creating some candles and after receiving a great response from family and friends, Scentimental Jars was born.

The range of products is now massive and I think that name is too cute!

You can shop online directly with Scentimental Jars by visiting their website. You can also follow the company on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Extra note: Scentimental Jars is looking for retail opportunities. Please get in touch with them if you run a store, café or website and you would like to sell their products.

FGV on the radio

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I was invited to be a guest on a radio show last week and now I’m sharing the online version with you in case you want to listen. You wanna hear me speak, right?!

My friend Tatum hosts a weekly show on Wandsworth Radio in London called The Social Hour with Tatum and she invited me along to discuss a whole big bunch of topics including my beer events, growing up in Australia, being an activist, and my debut book being released next year.

If the embedded player doesn’t work for you below, you can listen online here.

The show runs for an hour but it isn’t just me talking. I also got to pick a few tracks to play so it really is an enjoyable listen.

You can like The Social Hour on Facebook and follow Tatum on Instagram.

Some of the best vegan food in London

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It has been a long time since I last said hello to them but my visit to the Just Fab double decker food bus on Hackney Road yesterday reminded me why this unique Italian restaurant is serving up some of the best vegan food in the UK.

Laura, Jonas, Josh and I all piled into the bus for some long overdue eating and we didn’t show any restraint. We got one of everything that we damn well wanted and our table was rammed solid with delicious comfort cuisine.

Laura and Jonas were visiting from LA and they couldn’t talk highly enough of the Just Fab menu. That is saying huge things when you consider all the vegan treats they have back home.

Follow Just Fab on Instagram and click here to see their exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Now, the food photos!

Stunning #vegan cheeseburger at @just_fab_vegitalian

A post shared by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on

Next level polenta dish at @just_fab_vegitalian on Hackney Road. #vegan

A post shared by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on

The panelle at @just_fab_vegitalian are SO TASTY. #vegan

A post shared by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on

The lasagne at @just_fab_vegitalian is NEXT LEVEL. #vegan

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Beer list LVBF 2017

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I can hardly believe this incredible list of beers that have been pulled together for the 5th annual London Vegan Beer Fest this Saturday (July 15, 2017), so I’ll forgive you if it makes you a bit overexcited.

Sink your teeth into this 60 beer strong list. It is simply incredible.

We have kegs. We have casks. We have cans. And we have a hell of a lot of beer.

With three exclusive areas for you to explore, including a sit down restaurant with wine bar and beer tap takeover, London Vegan Beer Fest is a party that cannot be missed.

Online tickets bought in advance are just £5 plus tiny booking fee. If we have any tickets remaining on the day, they are £9 at the gate. Book your cheap tickets online now.

Now, check out this mammoth list.

INDOOR BEER HALL (run by Brass Castle Brewery, Malton, Yorkshire)

ALPHABET BREWING – A to the K – Oatmeal Pale – 5.6% ABV (keg) – fresh hops and tropical fruit
BAD SEED – Hustler – Pale Ale – 4.4% ABV (cask) – massive citrus hit with grapefruit, mango & pine
BRASS CASTLE – Bad Kitty – Vanilla Porter – 5.5% ABV (keg) – a chewy chocolate-vanilla dream of a porter
BRASS CASTLE – Bad Kitty – Vanilla Porter – 5.5% ABV (can) – gluten free version of the above
BRASS CASTLE – Brass Lager – 5.3% ABV (keg) – malt-forward Vienna lager with a brass hue
BRASS CASTLE – Enzed Red – Amber Ale – 6.4% ABV (cask) – balanced red ale w/ NZ Rakau & Waimea hops
BRASS CASTLE – Frambunctious – Raspberry Ale – 4.0% ABV (cask) – classic flavour with a raspberry hit
BRASS CASTLE – Helles Lager – 4.4% ABV (cans) – gluten free Munich-style Helles lager
BRASS CASTLE – Helles Lager Orange Blossom edition – 4.4% ABV (keg) – new take on a classic
BRASS CASTLE – Hoptical Illusion – Pale Ale – 4.3% ABV (keg&can) – gluten free hop forward pale ale
BRASS CASTLE – Misfit – Pale Ale – 4.3% ABV (cask) – bursting with juicy citrus and ripe peach
BRASS CASTLE – Sunshine IPA – 5.7% ABV (cans) – SIBA 2013 ‘Champion Beer for the North East of England’
BRASS CASTLE/WILDE CHILD – Vociferous Agreement – Triple IPA – 10% ABV (keg) – a Leeds collaboration
BREW YORK – Maris the Otter – Bitter – 3.9% ABV (cask) – modern take on a classic British bitter
MAGIC ROCK – Inhaler – IPA – 4.5% ABV (keg) – pale ale with low bitterness and lots of juiciness
MAGIC ROCK – Common Grounds – Coffee Porter – 5.4% ABV (keg) – decadent coffee beer with toffee notes
MARBLE BREWERY – Brett the Hitman Tart – 5.0% ABV – 100% brett-fermented, lightly tart/dry finish
TINY REBEL – Clwb Tropicana – Pale Ale – 5.5% ABV (keg) – super juicy American hops amplified topical fruit flavours
WILD BEER CO – Fresh – Pale Ale – 5.5% ABV (keg) – a fragrant pale ale with hops from two hemispheres
WILD BEER CO – Bibble – Pale Ale – 4.2% ABV (cask) – moreish bitterness with tropical tastiness

OUTDOOR BEER MARKET

BEERBLEFISH: all vegan craft brewery from Edmonton, North London exploring modern hops.

DELTAFISH – APA – 5.2% ABV (cask) – delicious delta hops with a hint of cascade
ESB – 4.8% ABV (keg) – A rich dark special ale, full of British hops and finished with NZ Dr. Rudi
Black Beerble – Stout – 5.0% ABV (keg) – chocolate & crystal, finished with a handful of Bramling Cross

BUMBLEBEE CIDER: made from British apples, paying homage to the bees doing all the hard work!

Hard Cider (original) – 4.5% ABV (500ml bottle) – medium-dry, lightly sparkling. Robust and complex tannic structure, rolling from sweet to dry with a sun-baked West Country aroma
Regatta Strawberry & Mint Cider – 4.0% ABV (500ml bottle) – medium Somerset cider twisted with strawberries and a hint of garden mint. Unmistakably cider – with a summer twist. Enjoy chilled and for a real treat, add some ice and chopped fruit (available)
BumbleBee Gribble – 1 pint/2 pint cartons – 4.8% ABV – Medium-dry easy drinking still hazy somerset cider. Inspired by long, hot lazy days in the Westcountry

CLARKSHAWS: microbrewery in Brixton, London doing modern takes on classic British beers.

New World American Pale Ale – 4.3% ABV (cask) – hoppy American pale ale, with tropical fruits and mango flavour
Cloudy Ginger Beer – 0% ABV (cask) – alcohol free, traditional, homemade & fiery ginger beer
Hellhound British IPA – 5.5% ABV (keg) – spicy with hints of citrus orange and caramel
Coldharbour Hell Yeah! Lager – 5.3% ABV (keg) – winner of the SIBA SE Region Premium Lager & Pilsner Bronze Medal 2016, this is a flavourful craft lager with a sweet honeysuckle and elderflower taste
A Darker Hell Dark Lager – 4.5% ABV (keg) – crisp but with hints of chocolate
Strange Brew Pale Ale – 4.0% ABV (bottle) – our award- winning pale ale with a hoppy floral flavour from UK cascade hop
Gorgons Alive – 4.0% ABV (bottle) – golden bitter, summery, spicy and refreshing

MONCADA: Ingredients are sourced within 100 miles from London for this Notting Hill brewery.

Notting Hill Blonde – 4.2% ABV (keg) – continental-style yellow beer with fruity hoppiness
Saison – 4.8% ABV (keg) – a mouthful of earthy, spicy and floral flavours
Notting Hill Ruby Rye – 5.2% ABV (keg) – robust ale with a fruity hop aroma
Imperial Custard Stout – 9.5% ABV (keg) – chocolate creaminess with decadent, velvety tones

MOOR BEER: Bristol-based brewery focussing on vegan modern real ales.

So’Hop – 4.1% ABV (keg) – pale ale brewed with Australian hops
Claudia – 4.5% ABV (keg) – hoppy wheat beer
Stout – 5% ABV (keg) – classic stout
Return of the Empire – 5.7% ABV (keg) – New World style hops with high levels of alpha acids
Guardian of Peace – 7% ABV (keg) – IPA celebrating the light side of the force
Agent of Evil – 7% ABV (keg) – black IPA celebrating the dark side of the force

THREE HILLS: Small batch nano brewery based in Northamptonshire.

Thai-PA – 5.4% ABV (keg) – a lemongrass, kaffir lime and ginger infused pale ale
New World IPA 3 – 6.7% ABV (keg) – a New England style IPA with Mosaic and Galaxy hops
South Pacific Hefeweizen – 5.2% ABV (keg) – wheat beer with hops from Australia & New Zealand
Raspberry Hefeweizen – 5.6% ABV (keg) – wheat beer infused with raspberries
Uisce Beatha – 7.7% ABV (keg) – Irish coffee for breakfast stout
Veda: Sorachi Ace – 6.2% ABV (keg) – single hop west coast IPA
Herb Ale: Celini’s Gold – 5.8% ABV (keg) – unhopped gruit w/ lemon balm, lemon thyme and lemon verbena
Herb Ale: Dark Destroyer – 6.2% ABV (keg) – unhopped dark gruit w/ vanilla, cardamom & mother wort
Herb Ale: Ooo Mary – 5.8% ABV (keg) – unhoped sour gruit with rosemary, yarrow and lemon thyme

TWISTED BARREL ALES: Coventry-based brewery mixing modern and classic styles and methods.

Detroit Sour City – 4.5% ABV (keg) – a thirst quenching, fruity sour beer. Kettle soured for a deliciously tart acidity, then dry hopped with Rakau and Equinox hops for a tropical citrus flavour
Kachirho – 5.0% ABV (keg) – a modern day pale, brewed with Mosaic, Simcoe and Equinox hops for an explosive mango & grapefruit flavour, with a full body thanks to the liberal use of oats & wheat in the mash
Saison From Another Place – 5.5% ABV (keg) – a Belgian farmhouse ale, brewed with dried elderflower & peppercorns for a floral, spicy flavour that blends with the characteristics of the funky Belgian yeast
Oblivion – 6.0% ABV (keg) – a heavily hopped porter, with a distinct coffee flavour from the use of roasted malts, which is paired with a grapefruit hop finish from the Cascade, Chinook and Columbus hops
Sine Qua Non – 4.5% ABV (keg) – session IPA – a dry, refreshing IPA with a tropical citrus flavour
Tymor Rhiwbob – 5.3% ABV (keg) – rhubarb, Beetroot and Orange Saison – the perfect summery beverage, tart rhubarb, orange on the nose and a dry, refreshing finish
Jack The DIPA – 8.0% ABV (keg) – fruit Oat Double IPA – a beast of an IPA, brewed with guava puree and orange zest for a full on tropical fruit flavour

AUTUMN YARD TAP TAKEOVER

40FT brewery: Local brewery operating out of a shipping container in Dalston.

Larger – 4.8% ABV (keg) – a hoppy version of the German style Kölsch, but unfiltered. Similar to a lager but larger in flavour. Brewed with a new hop from the States called Lemon Drop
Disco Pils – 4.8% ABV (keg) – a very fresh and crisp pale ale inspired by a German pils. Brewed with whole Hüll Melon only to give it a fruity, hoppy aroma
Päle – 4.1% ABV (keg) – a hoppy American style Pale Ale with the flavour of Summer with UK & US hops
Street Weiss – 5.2% ABV (keg) – a hefeweizen with banana and melon notes

If this impressive beer list tickles your fancy, you also be delighted to know we have seven superstar vegan street food vendors. Read about the food line up here. So much food!

London Vegan Beer Fest takes place at Hackney Downs Studios between 11am and 8pm on Saturday July 15, 2017. You can RSVP and invite friends over on the Facebook event page.

Extra notes:

Take part in Charioke (charity + karaoke) at London Vegan Beer Fest. If you enjoy singing or have a good time watching those that sing, please toss a few coins into our collection bucket. All money raised is being donated directly to Isla Urbana, a charity building clean water collection infrastructure in Mexico.

LVBF Hangover Special gives you 10% discount at 7 leading vegan businesses around London on Sunday July 16, 2017 if you are still wearing your London Vegan Beer Fest wristband. See the full list of participating businesses.