vegan UK

Massive vegan pizza restaurant for London

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Dear London.

Are you interested in hearing some of the best food-related news of all time?

Superstar Brighton pizza restaurant Purezza is opening a second location and it’s going to be in one of the most vegan-friendly locations on the planet. Camden!

The new plant-based Italian restaurant will seat 100​ ​diners​, and is based just 2​ ​minutes​ from Camden Town Tube Station. It will operate on two​ ​floors​.

Purezza will of course run an entirely vegan menu, with wholegrain sourdough pizzas, pastas, burgers, raw dishes, and gluten-free food.

The restaurant proudly states it has reverse engineered a number of animal-based foods including vegan meat and cheese in its lab in order to recreate them with plant-based ingredients. It’ll offer a range of artisan cheeses, including its famous houseblend rice mozzarella as standard for pizzas. It’ll also offer meats such as pancetta, mince and burger patties created with plant proteins.

On opening in London, Stefania​ ​Evangelisti​, co-founder of Purezza said:

London is a hub for both great food and innovation, meaning a London-based Purezza has always been an ambition of ours. We are at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what we can create with plants, and we look forward to having London join us on the journey to see where things can develop next.

Purezza will be opening in Camden​ in February​ ​2018 and have ‘aggressive’ expansion plans and are currently seeking investment to grow​ ​into​ ​further​ ​cities​ around the UK.

Looks like the UK is witnessing the birth of its first vegan pizza chain!

Follow Purezza on Instagram.

Vegan event in Hackney Wick

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Last minute notification which I apologise for but if you are anywhere near Hackney Wick on Wednesday November 29, 2017 you might want to take part in this one-night-only event.

A 4-course tasting menu is being served at The Yard theatre in Hackney Wick by Omni Collective. 

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

Omni Collective told me they aim to bring out the best of vegetables, using flavours and inspiration from around the world to create new flavour combinations.

Menu

  • A DUO OF PURI – Cauliflower-cumin puri & Jerusalem artichoke and sake puree
  • SOY & SESAME INFUSED BEETROOT – With miso-pickled white beetroot, smoked labneh & mandarin oil
  • CRUSTED TOFU – With a sag puree
  • CARDAMON CRÈME-BRULEE – With ginger-pickled blackberries

They already have a loyal following of regular diners, but they are looking to impress new faces and stomachs with this exclusive menu. Tickets to this event are £30.

Click here to book a last minute spot and follow Omni Collective on Instagram to stay updated with latest news.

Christmas movies, food and beer

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Do you you like the idea of vegan pizza, beer and Christmas films?

Sazzy & Fran café in Bethnal Green, London is screening a Christmas film every Wednesday from now until Christmas.

It is free to go along and then you can buy drinks at the bar (they have ordered vegan beers for the occasion) while the café will be baking pizzas and selling their tiramisu.

Pizza choices are:

  • Boscaiolo aka the Boss: roast potato, rosemary and smoked tofu
  • Funghi & Spinach: Mushroom, spinach, and cherry tomatos
  • Margherita: tomato sauce, cheese topped w/ basil

The first film of the series is”ELF” (2003) on Wednesday November 29, 2017 at 6pm. Drinks are by London Fields Taproom.

You can RSVP on Facebook.

Follow Sazzy & Fran on Instagram.

Family vegan treats business

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Just a quick post to share news of a family-run vegan baked goods and chocolate business that will deliver to your home or workplace.

Fliss’s Fancy is not just a online shop where you can order tasty delights, it is also a way for owner Emma to have a meaningful way to remember her daughter who passed away.

Let’s hear from Emma:

I set up my business in September after making a few treats for my husband’s uncle who is a vegan. I was dairy free at the time. After losing my daughter, I didn’t want to put any animals or humans through what I went through. After learning more and more about the industry, I am now vegan myself and feel so much better for it.

I set my business up in memory of my daughter Felicity. I’ve sold at the West Midlands Vegan Festival and I’m looking into appearing at a few more events next year. I sell mostly online and have enjoyed amazing feedback from people who are shocked that they taste the ‘same’ if not better than dairy versions.

I was donating my money I got from the business to our Just Giving page as we had been in the media because of what happened to our daughter (hospital negligence). We’ve now raised that money so I will now be looking at sending a percentage of money I make to charities. This week I’ve donated to the Lullaby Trust.

You can order Emma’s treat at her online shop and follow her business on Instagram.

Before you head off to another part of the Internet, let’s look at some photos of her food.

Vegan cafe set to expand

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Here is a success story worthy of a bit of hollering.

The Fields Beneath is an absolutely adored café and coffee shop in Kentish Town, London. The outlet got a whole lot of positive press earlier this year when it became fully vegan.

Yes. An already super busy and well-respected coffee emporium ditched dairy and they haven’t looked back. 2017 has been a bumper year for The Fields Beneath and now they are looking for some community help so they can expand in 2018.

You can read all about the fundraising campaign here, but the basic facts are simple.

The Fields Beneath plan on opening location number two and they already have half the funds they need. They need our help to raise the rest of the cash.

You can be part of history by helping to establishment London’s first chain of vegan coffee shops!

Of course you can just give some spare change if you believe in supporting independent vegan business, but you can also pick some from a line up of impressive rewards that includes a year-long supply of coffee, dinner and a movie at the cafe, or a limited edition art print.

The Fields Beneath have less than a month to raise £30,000, so please dig deep if you can and share this campaign far and wide. Click here to donate.

Follow The Fields Beneath on Instagram.

Vegan pop up in Brixton

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In case you’ve missed the almost-reportable levels of spam I’ve been sending out to the universe, I’m here to tell you that I have a book being published in January via Nourish Books.

I’m also here to tell you that you can help me celebrate this book achievement AND eat some delicious food at an exclusive pre-launch supper being hosted by Café Van Gogh on December 12, 2017.

Tickets for the event are £30 plus booking fee and for that price you will enjoy a gorgeous 3-course meal and take home an advance copy of my book Fat Gay Vegan: Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give a Sh!t.

Click here to book your ticket. The dinner will run from 7pm until 10pm.

I’m thrilled to be able to support this eatery in the important work they do in assisting vulnerable and marginalised community members when it comes to finding meaningful, rewarding and enriching catering employment.

Join me for a wonderful meal and let’s support this crucial café and follow Café Van Gogh on Instagram.

If you cannot attend the meal but would still like a copy of my book, you can pre-order your copy online.

Vegan Christmas treats in Coop

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I often make a joke at this time of year where I say I do not celebrate Christmas, but I do celebrate cake/chocolate/etc.

Check out these photos and understand why I’m in full celebration mode right now thanks to the Cooperative supermarkets here in the UK.

New vegan food outlet in Oxford

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Dear Oxford, UK.

You have a brand new vegan eatery opening this Saturday (November 25, 2017)!

Here is a little piece of info from the owner of Happy Friday Kitchen:

I’m Lola. I’m 24 and have been vegan for two and a half years. I decided to open a vegan restaurant offering people veganised versions of their favourite comfort food on Cowley Road in Oxford. We’ll be serving vegan comfort food including pizzas, burgers, burritos, nachos, mac n cheese, Buddha bowls, and lots of fresh baked goods every day. There will also be cocktails, craft beers and hot drinks, as well as a small retail section selling vegan food products and gifts.

This place sounds fabulous.

Like the Happy Friday Kitchen Facebook page and follow them on Instagram.

See the exact location thanks to Google Maps.

Now, let’s look at some of the food to be served. I’m drooling!

Free sound and mixing opportunities

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This is VERY cool.

Steve of Friendship Vegan Shoes wanted me to share some amazing information with London’s vegan community.

I’ll let him explain it in his own words.

I don’t know if you know but before Caroline and I set up Friendship Vegan Shoes, I had 41 years in the Music industry as a recording engineer and some of that time was spent directing and producing TV shows.

I retired and went into vegan shoes but we recently set up a world class surround mix studio as we get invited to mix for film and TV commercially.

Now we get empty days in the surround studio so Caroline and I want to give these studio days away free of charge (and include an engineer where and when needed) to film and programme makers we would align with such as vegan animal rights and environmental action groups.

Here is a link to the studio page and the photo (below) shows the Fairlight EVO system control desk.

The studio can mix content from Mono to 7:1 surround and is acoustically treated and very comfortable to work in, and without fear of repetition we offer it free of charge to film and programme makers when we agree with their mission.

I’d be really grateful if you can share this message. My experience is when budget gets tight the first thing that suffers is audio post production, but nowadays audio is half the picture!

Follow Friendship Vegan Shoes on Instagram and reach out to Steve and Caroline if you are in need of sound mixing for your ethical project!

Letterbox snacks

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The fab Vegan Tuck Box company has launched a series of three letterbox sized snack boxes called… wait for it… Letterbox Snacks!

These boxes are slimline and designed to find through your letter box in the instance you are not home to take a delivery.

How super annoying is it when you have to go to the local collection office with one of those cards to pick up a missed delivery?

Well, that isn’t a problem anymore!

You can shop for the Letterbox Snack boxes online here and watch my unboxing video below to get a glimpse inside them. You can choose from the original, the healthy or the chocolate boxes.