vegan 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.

Cheap tickets for Vegan Life Live

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The massive Vegan Life Live show is coming back to London in February 2018 and I’ve got a link that will help you get some cheap tickets.

Vegan Life Live is the show version of the award-winning Vegan Life Magazine, for which I just happen to write a monthly column.

The show is taking place at Alexandra Palace on February 10 and 11, 2018.

If you check the event website, you will see that the show contains cooking demos, live music, a bar, information talks, a massive line up of food vendors, and so much more.

If you want to take advantage of a 2-4-1 ticket offer, click here to book.

Top picks from Hackney Downs today

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If you weren’t able to get along to Hackney Downs Vegan Market today, I’ve put together a small post showing some of my top picks.

Remember, this market takes place EVERY Saturday (unless otherwise advertised) and you can get freshly made food from some of the finest vegan street food traders in London.

OK. Here are my picks.

New vegan Christmas sandwich at Pret

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If you need a festive sandwich in order to feel like Christmas is complete, Pret a Manger stores have got you covered.

The sandwich chain has just this launched a new Christmas range of sandwiches and drinks, including the plant-based version they are calling the Very Merry Christmas Lunch Sandwich.

Pret’s Vegan Christmas Sandwich retails for £3.50 and combines grilled carrots, spinach and a vegan stuffing on granary bread. It is dressed with a port and orange cranberry sauce and a handful of caramelised pecans and crispy onions.

In addition to this vegan sandwich, Pret also has a a line of festive drinks that can be veganised. Sadly, it will cost you 35p extra to switch the dairy to coconut milk in the Festive Flat White (contains mince pie syrup?!), Mint Mocha or Mint Hot Chocolate.

Can you hear the sleigh bells?

New vegan pie for Wagamama

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Wagamama UK is a company known to vegans for having a great selection of vegan options.

A post I did a short while ago about a new seitan katsu curry almost broke the vegan Internet and the chain shows no sign of slowing down with their plant-based menu items.

I was visiting one of the Soho locations of Wagamama today when I stumbled across a staff tasting session involving new vegan desserts. Of course I wasted no time in introducing myself and was quickly invited to try the vegan pies.

Check them out below.

There is a chocolate pecan pie and a passionfruit chocolate tart set to be launched in January.

Both of these tarts were absolutely divine and I can’t wait to see them roll out across the UK in 2018. I know that sounds a long way into the future, but these desserts are so fabulous that it will be well worth the wait.

New items from Fry’s

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One of the most-loved and most-famous vegan food brands in the UK (and around the world) is Fry’s Family Food Co.

This South African company is adored for its frozen vegan meats, sausages, pies and more.

Now they are branching out in the UK with a huge range of chilled vegan products launched exclusively via Holland & Barrett stores from RIGHT ABOUT NOW.

The photo above shows the chilled range that is currently rolling out around the UK.

It includes beef-style and chicken-style strips, southern style tenders, various pies, pasties, and even a sausage roll!

Pay attention for this range in your local H&B store and hopefully further afield in 2018.

You can follow Fry’s Family Food Co. on Instagram.

This weekend in Manchester

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There is a BIG vegan event taking place in Manchester this weekend and I’m so happy to announce that I will be there!

Manchester Vegan Fest 2017 is promising great food, entertainment, talks, new people to meet and lots of funky vegan stalls.

The two day event run by Vegan Organic Network is being staged at Sashas Hotel right in the centre of Manchester.

Sahsas is located in the heart of central Manchester, a short walk from from Piccadilly Train Station and a few hundred yards from the bus station.

More than 4,000 visitors are expected at the event which will have two café areas in the main hall and one downstairs with live music. Upstairs there will be a talks, a film room, cooking demonstrations and vegan fitness including exercise machines and yoga.

On Saturday at 3:00pm, I will be hosting a talk and Q&A discussion about the themes from my soon-to-be published book Fat Gay Vegan: How To Eat, Drink and Live Like You Give A Sh!t.

The book is published on January 4, 2018 but you can get a sneak preview as I share some of the stories and insights. A very limited number of the books will be for sale directly after my talk for £8.99.

You can pre-order the book online.

RSVP to the Manchester Vegan Fest 2017 Facebook event here.

Sold out vegan events

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What does a sold out vegan pop up event look like?

Just like this.

This was the scene last night as we hosted the sold out 5pm sitting of the Mexico City Feast Night at Black Cat Hackney with special guest Mariana Blanco of Los Loosers.

Mariana fed the delighted guests some of the best vegan Mexican food London has ever seen.

And you know what? We had so much fun, we did it twice.

The 8pm sitting was another sold out event.

These sold out dinners were in addition to the Day of the Dead event hosted at 10 Cable Street and the Mexican Ramen Night taking place at Vegan HQ tomorrow.

Much love to everyone who has joined us for these special events.

Be sure to follow Los Loosers on Instagram to see what all the fuss is about and get to Mexico City if and when you can to eat with the much-loved foodies.