vegetarian

Take me to the places that I love best

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Hampstead Heath is just about as famous/infamous a location as you can get in London. The stunning inner-city parkland is a historical, picturesque expanse of greenery dotted with reservoirs and woodlands. People make the trip to the park from all over the city to take in the glorious skyline views, admire the wildlife and engage in sexual activities.

Oh yes. Sex. The Heath has long been a destination for men seeking casual and anonymous encounters. Of course, its most famous cruiser is George Michael who allegedly shouted “Fuck off! It’s part of my culture” to a snooping tabloid reporter as he unashamedly went about his business.

But aside from Hampstead being a visual treat and a place for the interested to meet, it is also a charming and surprising must-visit location for vegans.

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Pushing the night into the daytime

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Long before I was fat and vegan (gay always), I spent a lot of time in a seaside town that Australia forgot to close down. My friends and I constantly lived on the verge of adventure and despair as we dodged the equally-dangerous obstacles of local thugs and mediocrity. The main attractions were an almost-dilapidated pier, a skate park and many drive through liquor stores that asked very few questions of disengaged teenagers with a few dollars to spend. We would walk through the idling cars filled with older-than-us locals buying cartons of ice cold beer before boldly placing our orders for the cheapest drinks in the store.

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London Vegan Potluck 3 review

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After such a successful potluck last month, it was getting difficult to believe part 3 could be bigger and better. But guess what? London Vegan Potluck 3 was bigger and better!

The vast array of delicious dishes on offer pushed our tables to the limit. With over 40 fabulous potluckers, there was an incredibly-diverse range of foods to choose from. It got so busy up in there I had to push my way through to the tables at one point.

The centerpiece was two massive trays of meatballs. These delicacies were made possible by the kind folk of the Redwood Wholefood Company. The award-winning, all-vegan food producers supplied us with a generous portion of their meatballs which were turned into Italian and English style dishes by the glorious staff at Ms. Cupcake. The Redwood meatballs are versatile, tasty and chewy. Thank you Redwood. You helped make our event extra special.

Proper gratitude must also be paid to Ms. Cupcake and her staff for all the hard work they put in to helping make the potluck the success it is, as well as allowing their space to be used once a month. A million thanks.

Following are a few photos of just a fraction of the food that was offered up tonight.

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October is my favourite month

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Being vegan in London has just been blown sky high with amazingness. If you think that sounds like hyperbole on overdrive, check out the new vegan patisserie known as October Cafe and you’ll soon see the reason for my excitement.

Following a disappointing, half-uneaten breakfast at another vegan establishment, Josh and I were on the lookout for something to lift our spirits. We hopped a few buses, walked along Old Street in the City of London for a short while and arrived at one of the loveliest vegan experiences in existence.

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Vegan ice cream wars are back on

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Pompompous Maple Pecan by Booja-Booja

The lovely people of Booja-Booja recently got in touch with me to ask if I would be willing to give one of their vegan ice cream flavours a try. Ummm… how long do you think I needed to think about that one?  I’m not sure I finished reading their email before I hit the reply button.

If you cast your mind back a short while, you will remember my ecstatic review of the Booja-Booja Hunky Punky Chocolate variety. I have been a massive fan of their frozen treats since that day and the flavour that was recently delivered to me by the company has only cemented my love.

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Legumes for me

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Delicious vegan snack

Here we have a super fast post about a terrific snack on the go.

When it comes to snacks, one of my favourite companies is Tyrrells. Operating out of Herefordshire, Tyrrells produce a large range of gourmet potato crisps of which a significant amount are marked as suitable for vegans. I have long been a fan(atic) of their crisps and now I have an extra reason to sing their praises. That reason is Habas Fritas.

This packet of glory contains broad beans that have been covered in some sort of magical and irresistible coating before being cooked to crunchy perfection. Never before have I experienced such an urge to keep eating. Every time I have torn a packet open, the bag hasn’t left my hand until every last bean was in my belly.

Apologies for the short post but I’ve worked myself into such a Tyrrells frenzy I need to go shopping. You should grab a bag soon and let me know what you think.

Habas Fritas in my FGV hand

Over the moor

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Sometimes you have to go the distance for a quality meal.

When I lived in Australia, I would travel from Brisbane to the Gold Coast for stunning vegan pizza at Threeworlds Organic Cafe. My Los Angeles vacations don’t seem complete without a road trip to my favourite Native Foods Cafe in Costa Mesa. These meals are worth doing the miles for and now I can add another destination I’m willing to travel to for vegan dining… Glossop.

The Globe of Glossop

Glossop is a country town situated just over 20km/15 miles east of Manchester. It is steeped in history and evidence dating back to Roman and Saxon times can still be found. Windswept moors rise up around the town and a short trip by car will take you to the grim scene of the infamous murders on Saddleworth Moor. Visitors shop the local fresh markets while fans of dark comedy program The League of Gentlemen delight in spotting locations in nearby Hadfield.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Glossop, but I’m about to give you the only one you need. The Globe.

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London Vegan Potluck II review

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London Vegan Potluck II

Last night was simply amazing. London-based vegans and their friends converged on Ms. Cupcake in Brixton for the 2nd London Vegan Potluck and what a night we enjoyed!

The company was engaging, the free Sweetbird smoothies flew off the table and the vegan food on offer was beyond amazing. Thank you to everyone who poured their heart into a dish. There is nothing like staring at a table of over 30 dishes and knowing everything is vegan.

Before we move on to looking at the photos, I need to say a massive thank you to Sweetbird for the sponsorship. Please tweet, message on Facebook or contact via their website to let Sweetbird  know how much you appreciate them getting behind our vegan event. If you tried one or more of their smoothies, let them know what you thought. They would love to hear from us. Keep an eye out for them in shops, cafes and coffee outlets too.

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I’m too much in love

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Moo Free vegan chocolate

An important part of my FGV job description is to search out the most delicious candy and chocolate in the world. I don’t want to do it, but I must if I intend to keep hold of my position. My chubby, queer fingers glumly wade through foil and wrappers in search of the best sugar out there. It is grueling.

But it isn’t all bad news, for you all get to live vicariously through my eating adventures. I don’t mind doing the hard yards if it means I get to share with you news of tasty vegan products. It is in this sharing spirit I inform you of one of the most delicious vegan chocolates available anywhere. Moo Free is creamy, tasty and incredibly satisfying. Want to see more? Come on then, I’ll unwrap it for you.

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Kick it right down

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Brighton is full of fantastic food choices for the discerning vegan. There are numerous vegetarian cafes scattered throughout the town and certainly no shortage of options on the menus of omnivorous eateries.

Unfortunately, there is a vegetarian restaurant that I feel is letting the Brighton team down in the race to deliver quality, cruelty-free dining.

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