Jumbo personalised cookies

Have you been dreaming of a giant 12″ vegan cookie featuring your name?

Well, perhaps you have the ability to predict the future because Ms. Cupcake of Brixton has just launched a brand new giant, personalised cookie service!

Legendary vegan bakery Ms. Cupcake is now selling London’s first personalised giant vegan cookie, which comes delivered in a pizza box!

The USA-style cookie is made to a giant 12” and has launched with two flavours – the classic choc chip and irresisitible red velvet.

Each cookie can be personalised with a hand-written message and you can choose multiple icing colours to be piped around the edge. The bakery is launching them with an introductory sale price of £20.00 until August 12th. The price after that will be £25.00.

There is an additional service of adding an edible picture at extra cost.

Delivery is available across London, or customers can choose to collect from the Brixton shop. Get all the cookie ordering details online here.

I’m so excited to hear about this new giant cookie development.

To order, customers can call the Ms. Cupcake office on 0203 086 8933 (option 3) or email info@mscupcake.co.uk. They require at least five full days notice in order to process your giant cookie order.

You can also follow Ms. Cupcake on Instagram.

Help horses

A petition has been launched online asking the UK Government to create a new independent body to protect racehorses from abuse and death.

The British Horseracing Authority is responsible for race horse welfare, but around 200 horses die each year due to racing in Britain.

The petition is urging the Government to set up an independent regulatory body, with horse welfare as its only interest, which will take meaningful action to stop horses dying.

Please click here to sign and take a moment to share the link.

Beer list for Coventry Vegan Beer Fest

I have rarely been as excited for an event as I am for the first-ever Coventry Vegan Beer Fest.

Taking place in the gorgeous FarGo Village, the event this Saturday (July 28, 2018) is set to be a whole lot of fun.

We have stunning food being served by Temple of Seitan and PhungKay, a discount special and Follow Your Heart giveaway at on-site vegan grocery store The Green Unicorn, a karaoke performance space, and special menu items from on-site café Totally Vegan.

Oh yeah, there is also the beer.

Check out this INCREDIBLE line up to be served on the day.

On the taps

Twisted Barrel Ale – Sine Qua Non – 4.50% ABV – Session IPA  – Dry, easy drinking IPA with citrus and pine flavour and light biscuit malt character
Twisted Barrel Ale – Naido – 5.00% ABV – New England Pale – A juicy, New England style pale ale with a soft body and classic stone fruit and citrus flavour
Twisted Barrel Ale – Raspberry Ripple Sour – 3.50% ABV – Ice Cream Sour – Oats and vanilla pods combine for an ice cream like body, combined with the tart sweetness of raspberries
Twisted Barrel Ale – Beast of a Midlands Mild – 3.50% ABV – Vanilla Mild – A traditional dark mild, made with a variety of malts for a complex, roasted body, fermented with vanilla pods for a smooth, creamy finish
Twisted Barrel Ale – Wrapped in Amarillo – 6.00% ABV – New England IPA – a soft body and smooth mouthfeel provide the base for an explosion of orange and peach flavour
Twisted Barrel Ale – Saison From A Hoppy Place – 5.00% ABV – Dry Hop Saison – A delicate, light and refreshing saison, brewed with Citra, Ahtanum and Huell Melon hops. Lashings of strawberry, mango and grapefruit pair delightfully with the spicy pepperiness of the Belgian yeast for a supremely easy drinking Summer brew
Twisted Barrel Ale – Call of Korriban – 5.50% ABV – Black IPA – Subtle roasted malt backrgound, classic West Coast style bitterness and an orange, grapefruit hit from the combination of Amarillo and Cascade hops
Twisted Barrel Ale – Detroit Sour City – 4.00% ABV – Dry Hop Sour – A dry, refreshing Berliner Weiss style kettle sour, with lemon sherbet character from the lactobacillus and a juicy, mango flavour from the Mosaic dry hop
Twisted Barrel Ale – Doom of Valyria – 6.00% ABV – Rye Porter – A strong, light brown porter, brewed with heaps of Dark Crystal and Rye malts for a spicy, sweet flavour
Twisted Barrel Ale – When The Fever Broke – 4.50% ABV – Peach & Apricot Sour – Refreshing, dry kettle sour with an intense stone fruit flavour and soft, creamy finish
Bone Machine – Funny Bone – 4.00% ABV – Gruit Pale – floral ale brewed with hibiscus, elderflower and lavender
Burnt Mill – Pintle – 4.30% ABV – American Pale Ale – Pale ale brewed with Cascade and Citra hops, with a restrained bitterness and dry finish
Chorlton – Amarillo Sour – 5.40% ABV – Dry Hop Sour – Hybrid of a traditional Germanic sour beer and a hoppy pale ale
Cloudwater – IPA Citra Enigma – 6.50% ABV – IPA – Hazy IPA brewed with Citra and Enigma, soft body and juicy mouthfeeel
Raw Talent – Citra IPA – 7.40% ABV – IPA – Citra and Amarillo hopped strong pale, fermented with sweet citrus rinds
Salopian – Midnight Express – 5.20% ABV – Stout – Pitch black with a complex tapestry of dark malts laden with mocha, bitter cocoa and oats
Kirkstall – Virtuous – 4.50% ABV – Gluten free Session IPA – Fruity undertones with a classic bitter finish
One Mile End – Wisdom – 4.60% ABV – Gluten free Lager – Beautifully crisp, full bodied and packed with German hops with notes of fruity honeydew melon
Redwell – Kofra – 5.90% ABV – Gluten free Stout – Roasty stout with bitter coffee notes and a sweet finish
Hogans – Draught Cider – 4.50% ABV – Gluten free Medium Dry Cider – distinctive appley aroma and peaty notes
Hogans – Wild Elder – 4.00% ABV – Gluten free Elderflower Cider – Locally foraged elderflower blended with a bittersweet and delicately refreshing cider
Weihenstephan – Hefeweiss – 5.40% ABV – Wheat Beer – Golden yellow wheat beer, with a full body, hints of clove and smooth banana flavour
Weihenstephan – Helles – 5.10% ABV – Lager – Yellow lager with mild hoppy note and fresh spicy taste
Frizzenti – Prosecco – 11% ABV – Wine – Lightly carbonated delicate white Italian wine (Prosecco)

Neon Raptor – Fly The Nest – 4.00% ABV – Pale Ale – A modern, juicy American pale ale brewed in collaboration with students at Nottingham University Brewing Science MSc
Neon Raptor – Atlas Crash – 5.90% ABV – IPA – Soft, delicate, smooth and juicy pale ale
Neon Raptor – Somewhere I Belong – 6.80% ABV – Coconut Porter – Dark, rich porter brewed with seven malts and flaked oats, matured and conditioned on huge amounts of toasted coconut
Neon Raptor – Very Naughty Luggage – 8.20% ABV – DIPA – Fruity, dank double IPA

Renegade – Session IPA – 4.20% ABV – Session IPA – Brewed with Citra and Mosaic for a smack of tropical fruit and a well balancd bitterness
Renegade – Tropic Like Its Hot – 4.70% ABV – Pineapple Pale – Pale ale brewed with pineapple. Hoppy, bitter, crisp and refreshing
Renegade – Vienna Lager – 4.80% ABV – Lager – Complex hop aroma with balanced maltiness
Renegade – Dead Men Brew No Ales – 6.00% ABV – Black IPA – Surprisingly light in body, with tropical hops and a roasted malt background

Three Hills – Small Steps Prototype – 3.00% ABV – Pale Ale – Ultra fruity and juicy for the ABV! Fermented with New England IPA yeast and dry hopped with 10g/l Chinook, Citra and Mosaic BBC.
Three Hills – South Pacific Wheat – 5.50% ABV – Wheat Beer – A vibrant and refreshing Wheat beer using two hops hailing from the South Pacific region: Nelson Sauvin and Vic Secret.
Three Hills – Braybrooke Keller Lager – 4.80% ABV – Lager – Brewed to the purity law using all German hops, malt and yeast. Lght amber in colour, refreshing with a rich malt body.
Three Hills – Elderflower Saison – 5.20% ABV – Saison – A delicately infused Saison brewed in collaboration with Jelley’s Vodka Distilleries.
Three Hills – Bretted – IPA 6.00% ABV – IPA – Fermented with New England IPA yeast then Brettanomyces. Beautiful citrus, tropic tang with a delicate funkiness.
Three Hills – Black: Salted Caramel – 9.00% ABV – Imperial Stout – An imperial stout brewed with additions of treacle, demerara sugar and caramel flavour. Viscous, rich with a boozy hit and loads of stout umami.

Can and bottles

Renegade – Craft Lager – 4.50% ABV – Lager – Crisp, clean and refreshing, brewed with Progress and Fuggles hops and matured for six weeks
Renegade – Tropic Like Its Hot – 4.70% ABV – Pineapple Pale – Pale ale brewed with pineapple. Hoppy, bitter, crisp and refreshing
Renegade – Vienna Lager – 4.80% ABV – Lager – Complex hop aroma with balanced maltiness
Renegade – Dead Men Brew No Ales – 6.00% ABV – Black IPA – Surprisingly light in body, with tropical hops and a roasted malt background
Renegade – West Coast Pale Ale – 5.10% ABV – Pale Ale – Shedloads of Summit, Cascade, Chinook and Columbus result in a hop bomb of a beer
Renegade – Whitness The Citrus – 4.50% ABV – Tangerine Wheat Beer – Uplifting juicy brew with freshly cut grass aroma and mouth watering citrus flavour
Renegade – Mashed and Wired – 4.10% ABV Coffee Pale Ale – Crisp and light on the pallette, with immediate coffee hit and rich earthiness
Twisted Barrel – Detroit Sour City – 4.00% ABV – Dry Hop Sour – A dry, refreshing Berliner Weiss style kettle sour, with lemon sherbet character from the lactobacillus and a juicy, mango flavour from the Mosaic dry hop
Twisted Barrel – The Great Went – 4.50% ABV – Hefeweizen – A classic German wheat beer with banana and clove flavour
Twisted Barrel – Kazan – 5.50% ABV – Pale Ale – An incredibly juicy, easy drinking American pale
Twisted Barrel – I Am The Muffin – 5.50% ABV – Belgian Blonde – Traditional Belgian blonde with bubblegum aroma, floral body and tropical finish
Twisted Barrel – Sine Qua Non – 4.50% ABV – Session IPA Dry – easy drinking IPA with citrus and pine flavour and light biscuit malt character
Three Hills – Super Thai PA – 5.50% ABV – Pale Ale – An aromatic and light Pale Ale infused with double the amount of Lemongrass, Ginger, and Kaffir Lime.
Three Hills – Sekhmet Rye Amber – 5.50% ABV – Rye Beer – Sweet malt body underpinned by a herbal, woody and spicy pallete. Hopped with EKG and Willamette. One for the traditionalists.
Three Hills – Pepperberry Saison – 5.50% ABV – Saison – A fruity and spicy Saison infused with Strawberries and Pink peppercorns.
Three Hills – Trium Florum – 6.00% ABV – Saison – Farmhouse Saison infused with a blend of Hibiscus, Marigold & Elderflower. The appearance is bright pink and palette delicately floral, fruity and spicy.
Dark Revolution – Sonic – 4.90% ABV – Small IPA – brewed with Citra and Ekuanot hops
Oude – Boon Gueze – 7.00% ABV – Lambic – Blend of aged lambics, fruity grapefruit and ginger flavour with a hint of Muscat grapes
Hogans – Dry Cider – 5.80% ABV – Gluten free Cider – Deep gold, slightly sparkling, dry cider
Hogans – High Sobriety – 1.00% ABV – Low Alcohol Gluten free Cider – Light, refreshing and gently sparkling low alcohol cider
Bumble Bee – Hard Cider – 4.50% ABV – Gluten free Cider – Medium dry, lightly sparkling cider
Bumble Bee – Regatta – 4.00% ABV – Gluten free Strawberry & Mint Cider – Lightly sparkling cider twisted with strawberries and a hint of mint
Magic Rock – Fantasma – 6.50% ABV – Gluten free IPA – Dank and juicy Citra IPA
Arbor – Simcoe – 4.00% ABV – Gluten free Pale Ale – Balanced pale with pine and citrus flavour
Brass Castle – Hoptical Illusion – 4.30% ABV – Gluten free Pale Ale – Hop forward, gluten free pale beer
Mongozo – Pilsner – 5.00% ABV – Gluten free Lager – Traditional style Czech pilsner brewed to a gluten free recipe
Nirvana – Chakra – 1.00% ABV – Low Alcohol IPA – American hopped pale with hints of passionfruit and pine and a light bitter finish
Nirvana – Tantra – 0.00% ABV – Alcohol Free Pale Ale
Nirvana – Kosmic – 0.00% ABV – Alcohol Free Stout – rich malt flavour
Nirvana – Karma – 0.50% ABV – Alcohol Free Pale Ale – light, refreshing pale ale with classic citrus and floral hop aromas
Erdinger – Weissbrau – 0.50% ABV – Alcohol Free Wheat – Aromatic, full bodied German style wheat beer
Fit Beer – 66 – 0.30% ABV – Alcohol Free Lager – Natural isotonic lager, full of B vitamins and only 66 calories per bottle

That’s a solid selection with something for everyone including cider, low alcohol beer, and alcohol free beer.

The two beer areas, as well as the hot food and karaoke, are only available for ticket holders. Twisted Barrel Brewery and Tap Room will not be open to the public on the day.

Advance tickets are just £4 plus tiny booking fee. Book online now.

If we have tickets remaining on the day, they will be £7.

Book now and save!

Vegan dog food company wins award

Benevo Vegan Pet Foods was presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade this week, acknowledging its outstanding growth in exports over recent years.

As an independent, 100% veggie owned family business, Benevo has been creating innovative nutritionally complete animal-free pet food for cats and dogs since 2005, in addition to complimentary foods & treats.

The Queen’s Award is a business award granted to companies by the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Company Director, Darrell de Vries accepted the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire who presented the Grant of Appointment signed by both Queen Elizabeth II and Theresa May along with a commemorative crystal bowl.

The Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire was also joined by the Mayor of Havant where Benevo is based, who both acknowledged the unique nature of the business and the impressive 50% increase in international sales, despite operating in a very niche market.

Darrell de Vries said, “The best thing about this award is that it’s won on performance, not opinion. It’s much more meaningful, as the performance is a reflection of the hard work put in by everyone here in our team”.

The ceremony held at Benevo’s headquarters followed on from a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this month where Mr de Vries along with Benevo’s manager of exports Dominic Eadie met Prince Charles and the Duke of Kent.

Since the announcement, Benevo’s achievements have gained coverage all around the world and received new business interest from as far away as New Zealand.

Now accounting for the majority of their sales, Benevo’s award winning foods can now be found in over 30 countries worldwide, replacing millions of pets’ meals each year with more environmentally friendly and kinder options.

I’m not keen on all this talk of royalty and the Queen, but big congrats are due to this pioneering vegan company for bringing attention to pet food alternatives. Yay!

You can follow Benevo on Facebook and check out their website online here.

Vegan options at a London cider festival

There is a cider festival this weekend in London and there is set to be a lot of vegan options!

After the success of last year’s festival, Ciderdog returns for its sixth year​ on Saturday July 21, 2018 between midday and 1am.

Entry is free and all festival ciders are served at £3.50 per pint ​on the day.

Held in the heart of London Bridge at The Miller pub’s outside bar, Ciderdog features a staggering 100+ British ciders & perries on tap, expertly picked from makers including SeaCider, Turners and Abrahalls. Every taste is catered for — from super sweet to dry, cloudy scrumpy, single varieties and blends. Expect award winners, special one-off collaborations​, and cider mixed with everything from passionfruit and blueberry, to chilli and
ginger.

All ciders on tap are suitable for vegans!

Ciders are supplied by independent producers from across the UK alongside a selection of ales. You can also try exclusive Ciderdog Festival cider cocktails​, or take advantage of The Miller fridges stocked with a vast selection of London brewed craft beers.

The food menu will be packed with delicious burgers and loaded chips​ including plenty of vegan options.

Enjoy ping pong and garden games while you soak up the sunshine and discover your new favourite ciders. The Solid Steel Band will be performing music all afternoon. Then expect a mix of party classics to take you into the night.

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

New vegan restaurant in London: BREAKING NEWS

BREAKING NEWS

A brand new vegan restaurant is opening on Tuesday July 17, 2018 and you can get an incredible opening day special.

BUFFALO is London’s latest vegan eatery and is celebrating its opening at 63 Brick Lane with a soft launch offering of 50% off food orders on Tuesday 17th July (opening times 12-3pm and 6-9pm).

The signature offering from Head Chef Ludmilla Girardi (formerly of Gordon Ramsay & Ottolenghi) is the Classic Buffalo Burger – a tempeh, beetroot and red kidney patty with homemade buffalo sauce.

There’s also the 63 Burger made with a tofu and mushroom patty, served with wasabi mayo and kimchi. Other main courses include The Brick Lane Jackfruit Korma and Pasta Carbonara.

It’s not just gourmet savoury cuisine being served up in BUFFALO. Desserts include a homemade Mousse au Chocolat and vanilla ice cream. So special!

Check out the full menu online here and be sure to follow BUFFALO on Instagram.

You can see the exact location of the restaurant thanks to Google Maps.

London Vegan Beer Fest 2018 was a huge success

Wow. What a day.

The day after a big event like London Vegan Beer fest is what I imagine the day after a wedding might feel like.

We work extremely hard for months and months to make London Vegan Beer Fest a reality. We want it to be a day to remember for our guests but it all seems to be over so quickly.

I popped over to Instagram this morning and collated some of the best pics posted by attendees yesterday.

There was beer. A lot of beer. There was an incredible line up of food. There was an amazing and raucous karaoke room. There was face painting.

Actually, this was more fun than a wedding!

Check out the photos below and be sure to buy tickets for our Coventry, Glasgow and Sheffield versions of this event online here.

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

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

London Vegan Beer Fest sold out

Just a super quick note to let you know that all advance tickets for the 6th annual London Vegan Beer Fest have sold out.

This is the third year in a row we have been sponsored by the incredible Follow Your Heart. Their support has mean so much when it comes to making these events happen.

At the London event on Saturday July 14, the company will be handing out samples of their incredible vegan products so get along early if you want some free cheese and other goodies.

We have kept a very limited number of £9 tickets back for selling on the gate. These tickets come with a retro 2017 London Vegan Beer Fest collectible pint cup to use on the day and take home forever.

If you have tickets and would like to see the food and beer line up, click here for food and here for beer.

See you at Hackney Downs Studios!

Click here for full beer fest details.

Be a vegan winner by rejecting Trump

Hey. This piece of news makes me happy.

The gorgeous Blacksmith & Toffeemaker vegan pub in Islington is getting in the spirit of rejecting fascism by rewarding their customers who make the effort to protest Donald Trump’s UK visit.

As you might be able to see in the Instagram post above, you get 2-for-1 discount on all food and bottled beer at the vegan pub for the rest of July 2018 if you can prove to the staff you were involved in protesting Donald Trump and his racist, sexist, transphobic, and basically hate-filled existence.

This line from the pub’s announcement has me getting all teary:

Bigotry should not go unchallenged and we’d like to show our appreciation for anyone going out of their way to make a stand.

Come the fuck on, Blacksmith & Toffeemaker!

If you want to demonstrate against the U.S. President’s visit, you can find a list of all planned public protests online here.

You can follow The Blacksmith & Toffee on Instagram and see the pub’s exact location online here thanks to Google Maps.