vegan UK

Pride month

by

As June is Pride month, I am thrilled to find myself listed on not one but two lists championing LGBTQI+ vegans.

  • You can click here to see 11 Vegan LGBTQIA+ Activists You Need To Know About thanks to LiveKindly and writer Kat Smith.
  • In addition, you can read the 20 Highly Influential LGBTQ+ Vegans list put together by Emily Court over on Plant Based News by clicking here.

Thank you for the inclusion on your lists.

I truly hope a lot of FGV readers will take a moment to discover some of these queer voices mentioned and work hard to help elevate and amplify what they have to say.

Zero waste vegan market for London

by

London will soon welcome its first ever vegan, zero waste market.

Set to take place between 10:00am and 5:00pm on Saturday September 29, 2018 at the beautiful palm tree filled Conservatory (at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington), Zero Mkt London will involve zero animal products, zero single-use plastics and zero waste. Everything will be edible, reusable, recyclable or compostable. Guests will have an array of stalls to explore, ranging from vegan food and drink, eco lifestyle products, and sustainable clothing items.

Abigail Penny and James Morgan – founders of the market – describe this as a “celebration, where together we can bask in plant-based goodness, explore sustainable products, and begin to live more consciously”.

When asked what inspired them to set up the event, they added: “As consumers we can choose to have a positive impact on this world. We’re on a journey of discovery ourselves and want to share our experience with others. Animal agriculture, non-recyclable plastics, and throwaway fashion each have devastating impacts on our environment, so we hope that by bringing exciting alternatives to our community we can empower and equip others to change their habits and perspectives too!”

Zero Mkt London has partnered with City Harvest who will redistribute surplus food to London’s homeless community and any profit will be donated to Animal Equality, a leading animal protection organisation.

Zero Mkt London founders recognise that many stallholders will need to travel to the venue, so they will be planting trees as part of a carbon offsetting mission.

Visit EventBrite to buy your ticket online here.

Stallholders will be announced nearer the time – keep an eye out and follow the handle Zero Market London on Instagram and Facebook.

Temple of Seitan in Coventry

by

Here is a short and snappy blog post to give you some exciting news.

The first ever Coventry Vegan Beer Fest is taking place at FarGo Village on July 28, 2018. There are so many exciting things lined up for the day including a huge selection of beers, special tie-ins from local vegan businesses such as The Green Unicorn, and even karaoke.

But what has everyone buzzing is that superstar vegan food providers Temple of Seitan will be trading on the day, serving up their exquisite and adored cuisine.

Temple will only be serving people with beer fest wristbands, so be sure to grab an early bird ticket for just £4 plus booking fee. Click here to book.

I’m so excited to showcase one of the best vegan food providers on the planet at this event in Coventry. You can invite friends over on the Facebook event page.

You can follow Temple of Seitan on Instagram.

Big vegan shake up in Sheffield

by

Sheffield. Get ready for a big change.

Superstar vegan eatery Make No Bones is closing this Saturday June 16, 2018 in order to move to their new location with a grand re-opening in early July.

Dave from Make No Bones told me:

We’re really excited about the new venue but we’re a bit sad to be leaving our little yellow cafe. MNB has been going for nearly 5 years now with 2 of them in our current place. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has eaten with us and supported us all along the road. The new venue is a lot bigger and we have designed a lot bigger menu to go with it. The place looks amazing and will have a great selection of vegan beers, cocktails and soft drinks as well as our food. Last day at this place is Saturday and the new one opens early July.

Congratulations to Dave, Lauren, and the entire MNB team for what they have done for vegan food in Sheffield.

They are most definitely entrenched on the list of best vegan food providers in the UK. Everything they create is sensational and I can’t wait to see what they conjure up in their brand new location. I’m hoping to share some sneak preview photos from inside the new place soon, so stay tuned.

Don’t forget that Make No Bones will also be involved with the 2nd annual Sheffield Vegan Beer Fest this August. You can buy cheap early bird tickets online now.

Be sure to follow Make No Bones on Instagram.

I’m finishing off this post with some glorious food photos. Get into Make No Bones this week for these specials before they close for the relocation.

Legendary vegan burger trader opens store

by

If you know anything about the London vegan street food scene, you will be aware of Big V London.

Big V is a superstar vegan burger business with multiple locations scattered around markets, including a weekly spot at Hackney Downs Vegan Market. Their burgers are the stuff of legend, lighting up social media every time they make an appearance.

Not satisfied with multiple street market locations each week, Big V owner Jill has taken the leap into the world of running a permanent burger bar every night on site at Exmouth Coffee Roasters in Whitechapel.

Open 7 nights a week from 6pm until 10pm, they have started with their full burger menu with fries and a mayo dipping menu. The business will slowly add more items over the coming weeks.

In addition to the incredible Big V burger menu, they are serving the wonderful Hell.Yum! ice cream (another Hackney Downs Vegan Market regular), FIX8 kombucha on tap, and sodas by Dalston.

You can see the exact location of the new, evenings-only Big V burger bar thanks to Google Maps. They are just a few steps from Aldgate East Underground station.

Be sure to follow Big V London on Instagram for latest updates.

New vegan bakery in London

by

The title of this blog post is a little misleading.

VIDA Bakery isn’t new exactly, but they are opening a new bricks and mortar location in London!

VIDA has been around for a few years, serving delicious and adored cakes at pop ups, markets, vegan fairs, and in other vegan food businesses.

The love this company receives across social media from its fans is a great measure of how anticipated this permanent bakery is in the capital.

The bakery is located at 139 Brick Lane and you can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

The grand opening is at midday on Sunday June 10, 2018. Get down there for some amazing treats.

Keep updated with all things VIDA Bakery via their Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages.

Amazing vegan breakfast in London

by

One of the questions I get asked the most as FGV is all to do do with cooked vegan breakfast in London.

People wanna know where they can get a good quality cooked vegan breakfast.

Now I have an answer for the curious.

Get along to the new TEMPLE GOODS café on site at Hackney Downs Vegan Market. Even though the market is open on Saturday only, the 100% vegan café run by Temple of Seitan is open 7 days a week.

And please take a look at this marvellous breakfast they are now serving.

Can you even understand that vegan egg?!?!

The café has also added French toast to the menu, so a good feed early on before hitting the market for more snacks and treats is the perfect start to your Saturday. Click here to see full trader line up.

You can follow TEMPLE GOODS on Instagram.

EXTRA NEWS: London Vegan Beer Fest is taking place on the market site on Saturday July 14, 2018 and TEMPLE GOODS café will transform into a beer and food hall for the day. Remember that access to the event (including the café) will be for ticket holders only so buy your early bird tickets online now.

Vegan rib dinner in London

by

OK, London.

You will need to be fast for this event. Last time Dee’s Table hosted their vegan rib feast at 10 Cable Street, it completely sold out.

The food looks stunning!

Menu

  • Jackfruit Ribs
  • Ginger Beer BBQ Sauce
  • Mac & Cheese with Thyme Bread Crumb
  • Smokey Homemade BBQ Beans
  • Roasted Squash Hominy Cornbread
  • Whole roasted potatoes
  • Corn on the cob
  • And Salads

Dessert to share

  • Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pizookie
  • Vanilla Ice Cream
  • Salted Caramel Sauce

If you can say no to all of the above, you are a stronger person than FGV.

The Ultimate Vegan Ribs Feast event is talking place on Thursday June 21, 2018 from 7:00pm until 10:00pm.

Click here to book now before it sells out.

Follow Dee’s Table on Instagram and while you are over there, follow 10 Cable Street as well.

Vegan cooking classes for children

by

My friends Nishma and Mahersh (of Shambhu’s catering) are once again running a week of vegan cooking classes for children in Queensbury, London!

This is a hands-on cooking course intended to teach children (8-13 years of age) how to cook a variety of delicious healthy meals using only plant-based ingredients (no meat, fish, eggs and dairy).

By participating on this course, children will pick up a variety of cooking skills and food-related knowledge, including nutrition. They’ll also learn about the wide variety of nutritious pulses and grains available, alternatives ways of sweetening foods, how to cook with tofu, how to store food and reduce food waste, and much more.

As part of the hands-on nature of the course, children will learn to use basic cooking utensils and appliances, under close supervision.

Over the five days, the children get a taste of different culinary styles from around the world, with each day dedicated to the style of a particular country or continental region.

The classes will run between 10:00am and 12:30 from Monday August 6, 2018 until Friday August 10, 2018. That’s a two and a half hour cooking class for five days in a row!

The cost for each attendee is £135.

To find out more and book a spot, visit this page online.

New vegan café in Brixton

by

If you are trying to keep track of all the new vegan places in London, you are probably getting worn out.

Multiple new ventures seem to be popping up each week and my head is spinning with trying to report it all back to you.

Next up?

Blank Brixton is a coffee shop and café on Acre Lane, situated about halfway between Brixton and Clapham Common Underground stations. They have only opened a short while ago, so I wanted to reach out to the team to find out what their deal is and they wrote this gorgeous, little piece of prose for me:

We are the place you come to cry a little
Laugh a lot, eat some more and feel alive.

Our food has no bounds or limits
It is made to be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.

The coffee is always fresh and conversation is too.
We are vegans just like you
We are blank brixton 🙂

Check out some of the photos from Blank Brixton below and get along to show your support for this new vegan business. You can see the exact location thanks to Google Maps. They are open 7 days a week.

You can also follow Blank Brixton on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjPY7i2gFVa/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjAQvL2B2U_/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi87tF0BrP7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi2PiF4BRg1/