vegetarian

Shoes, shoes and shoes

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Look good, feel gorgeous in a shopping mall up north.

Vegan shoe display at The Third Estate

There is a shady looking shopping mall in Leeds called the Merrion Centre. Strolling through the front door you could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported back a few decades. Retro fittings and gaudy shop fronts showcase discount grocery stores and tacky accessory outlets. It’s stunning. Additionally, this mall of the fantastic and grotesque houses two of the best kept secrets in Leeds; a run down bowling alley with a full bar and Morrissey songs on the jukebox and; a clothing store called The Third Estate featuring one of the largest collection of vegan shoes I have seen in the UK.

The Third Estate is an ethically-minded retail outlet that is a dream come true for vegan shoe

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Chocolate is my drug

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Gluten free, wheat free and dairy free chocolate can be obtained by strolling into your nearest Sainsbury’s supermarket. It’s that simple.

Vegan chocolate/candy bars readily available throughout the UK

High Street grocery retailer and all round mega-chain Sainsbury’s are constantly expanding their freefrom range. These products are designed to cater for diets requiring the absence of ingredients such as egg, dairy, wheat and gluten. While not all items under this branding are suitable for vegans, you will certainly discover a few cruelty-free surprises when you browse the freefrom section.

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My name is FGV and I’m a Shake’a’holic

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Every vegan usually has a product, service or item of food they miss.

Vegan peanut butter milkshake from Shake'a'holic in Leeds

I don’t mean we aren’t committed to our cruelty-free stance, but sometimes you can find yourself daydreaming of more accessible foodstuff. How fantastic would it be to stumble out of a bar at 2am and devour a vegan kebab or a bag of chips? It is my dream to be able to walk into any pub in the world and order a pint of vegan cider. I am sure every vegan out there would have a different answer if poised with the question, but surely on demand milkshakes would rank favourably in a ‘what do you miss’ quiz.

Vegan milkshake lovers in the north of England, be prepared for this discovery. During a somewhat-hungover wander through Leeds city centre yesterday, my FGV eye was drawn to a colourful and cheery establishment known as Shake’a’holic. Being in a fragile state, I wholly intended to keep on until I spied the small print on the shop sign that sent my heart aflutter: “Ask us if you’d prefer vegan”.

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Vegan ice cream wars: brief update

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A short and sweet entry for sugar junkies.

Swedish Glace Neapolitan

My love affair with Swedish Glace has been mentioned previously and my recent purchase has only strengthened my emotional connection to the non-dairy dessert. These ice cream connoisseurs have done it again with their Neapolitan variety.  The strawberry, vanilla and chocolate delight is housed in a FGV-pleasing 1.3 litre tub and satisfies on every level. It is creamy, sweet and fluffy, with each of the flavours deserving of their place in the line up.

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Beauty without cruelty

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Even a FGV needs to look good sometimes.

Vegan Cherry & Fig hair care from Superdrug

Looking good and feeling gorgeous can be a chore when you are committed to animal welfare. Drug and cosmetic companies are notorious for filling products with by-products of murdered animals and conducting horrendous (and pointless) experiments on unsuspecting creatures. Some ingredients of the personal hygiene sector can even include horse urine. Seriously.

With this rampant exploitation of animals, it can be difficult to find peaceful personal products but UK retailer Superdrug are attempting to make your shopping experience more non-human friendly. This high street pharmacy chain employ an anti animal testing charter which states:

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Dunker licking good

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Bite-sized, crumbed and oven cooked. You know you want it.

Vegetable Dunkers... vegan frozen food

There is a profit-fuelled frenzy occuring in UK supermarkets and grocery stores. Major chains are falling over each other to snare a larger slice of the compassionate shopper market and we vegans are faced with an ever-expanding choice. Alongside old-timers such as tofu, shop shelves are now showcasing cruelty-free newbies such as roast ‘beef’, air freshener, dishwashing liquid, hairspray and countless other products labeled suitable for vegans.

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Taking the long way ’round

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Isn’t it fab when something wonderful pops up where you least expect it?

A few days ago I was cheerfully strolling around Halifax town centre in West Yorkshire when I stumbled upon a shop front called Food Therapy. As I possess the skill to spot a health food store from a quarter of a mile away, I hotfooted it over to explore just as quickly as my FGV trotters could carry my ample frame.

Soya mince pie with vegetables and gravy at Ginger, Halifax

Opening the door was akin to walking into my very own vegan heaven. Food Therapy is brimming with Redwood products, vegan ice cream, Fry’s frozen goods, sweets, hair care products and anything else needed to sustain a cruelty-free existence. They aren’t a vegan store, but they certainly have a fantastic range of products suitable for us. The grocery range is reason enough to sing the praises of this establishment but you suddenly get more bang for your quid when you take the internal staircase inside the store to the mezzanine housing Ginger Vegetarian Cafe.

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Vegan ice cream wars continue

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Is there anything finer than a decadent, chocolate ice cream?

Vegan, organic Booja Booja

After being somewhat disillusioned by my last chocolate ice cream affair, my faith in the cold stuff has been restored thanks to the good folk of Booja Booja. This producer of organic sweets are experts in gluten free, dairy free and organic delights. They manufacture gourmet truffles with flavours such as Ginger Wine, Champagne and Cognac Banana… and then there is the ice cream.

My 110ml Hunky Punky Chocolate

Two things can impress me about a vegan ice cream. The taste is of course the most important factor but my FGV senses can also be stimulated by a cute flavour name. Booja Booja have managed to find the perfect coupling of taste and name with their variety called Hunky Punky Chocolate. It is available in three sizes (110ml, 500ml, 2 litre) and is a pure joy to eat. Creamy, smooth and rich. I devoured the smallest container available and now I dream of finding the 2 litre size to enjoy.

The vegan ice cream wars rage on, Booja Booja rise to the top and this FGV is satisfied… for now.

Cherry cherry boom boom

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I’m in a quandary, dear viewers. It is tearing me apart. Do I love cherry, strawberry or raspberry beer the best?

Vegan fruit beer... strawberry, cherry and raspberry

Regular visitors to the Haus of FGV will be all too familiar with the relationship I am fostering with the good folk up in Tadcaster known as the Samuel Smith Brewery. These traditional ale, lager, cider and beer producers have been turning out the liquid good stuff since approximately 1758. They are the last remaining independent brewery in the town of Tadcaster and the majority of what they create is suitable for vegans.

You will often find me frittering away an afternoon in one of the 300 or so Samuel Smith pubs scattered around the UK. Give me a pint of Cider Reserve and my woes are temporarily dismissed… and I’m rather pleasant company.

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A drunk, Welsh poet walks into a bar

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If you fancy a sampling of vegan food and alcohol, with a dash of animal rights and queer history thrown in for good measure, head to the central London area known as Fitzrovia.

A map showing the approximate area of Fitzrovia

Fitzrovia is an unofficial neighbourhood situated just north of Soho in central London. By many accounts, Fitzrovia was well-known as a hot spot for bohemians, free-thinkers, artists and even the odd socialist from the late 1800s through to the ending of the Second World War. The pubs and cafes of this district provided gloomy spaces in which outsiders were able to socialise, politicise and drink. Art, alcoholism and social justice melded perfectly and remnants of this bygone era can be enjoyed in Fitzrovia today.

Last week, Jordan and I ventured into the heart of Fitzrovia and what better place to commence my retelling of our adventures than the Fitzroy Tavern.

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