west yorkshire

Vegan barleywine

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This is some exciting news for lovers of drinking.

The always vegan-friendly Little Valley Brewery has just released a limited run of their brand new organic barleywine ale.

It looks like a real winner and at 10% ABV, you’ll need to take it easy with this one.

LVBX_Organic_Barleywine_Ale_white

Here is what the brewery has to say about this decadent libation:

Eight of Europe’s finest hops and malts combine with fresh water from the Yorkshire Pennines to deliver a bottle conditioned barleywine ale that’s worth celebrating: rich, bold, dark, with hints of raisin and a strong malty backbone.

LVB X will continue to improve with age. Limited while stocks last.

Order online now and follow Little Valley on Twitter.

Leeds has gone global

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I get a lot of stick for giving bad reviews to restaurants. Some people are of the mind that it is detrimental to veganism to publish negative reviews of vegetarian establishments that serve sub-standard vegan food. Maybe they think a cafe deserves credit for just trying to include us. That attitude doesn’t fly with me.

Why shouldn’t we expect the best when paying for vegan goods and services? Why shouldn’t we speak up when we think what we received was less than the best?

Restaurants and cafes deserve to know and I have the right to voice my opinion in any way I see fit. And when a veggie restaurant serves me delicious and well-made vegan food, I’m the first one to get the news out. I don’t complain for the sake of complaining.

All I do is tell it like it is and the way it is in Leeds at the moment is very promising indeed! A new vegetarian cafe has popped up in this Northern city and their commitment to vegan options could teach many vegetarian eateries more than a thing or two.

Global Tribe Cafe in Leeds
Global Tribe Cafe in Leeds

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A plant-based feast

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There is a charming eatery tucked away in West Yorkshire that is a firm favourite of the FGV. Dandelion & Burdock is a completely vegan restaurant that serves up some of the finest cruelty-free food anywhere in the world.

I recently returned to the lovely town of Sowerby Bridge with a large group of friends for weekend brunch and the food we consumed was intoxicating (read about my previous D&B visit here). Nestled beside a window overlooking the picturesque river, my friends and I ordered enough delicacies to sink a barge.

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Grove is in the heart

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Can’t decide between pizza and curry? Don’t know if you should grab a samosa or a plate of savoury rice? Eating can be a real dilemma. Well, one restaurant is making it easy for vegans to have all of these dishes and more.

Grove Cafe in Leeds

Vegans often don’t get a huge choice when it comes to eating in the world of pizza, fried foods and home delivery. The Grove Cafe located in Headingley, Leeds is turning this upside down by offering a delectable range of dishes suitable for cruelty-free diets.

On a recent weekend visit to the city, I made sure I ate my fill of delicious rice, garlic bread pizza and Indian starters. I need to do each dish justice, so forgive me for taking my time here.

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Something strawberry and vegan for the weekend

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The UK is alive with excitement. The sun is out in full force, the temperature is rising and people are wearing a lot less clothing. I arrived in a bustling, blistering Leeds today just in time for a long, long weekend and I’m more than ready to have a good time. I’m sure you know nothing says ‘good time’ quite like vegan cider and the vegan cider is better still when it is strawberry-flavoured and in a can.

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Sex without cruelty

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If you wanna get freaky, you don’t want to do it with animal products on your private parts. Do you?

Condoms are probably the last thing on your mind when you think of veganism. Of all the products to be considered for animal ingredients, these safer sex devices don’t often get a second look. The truth of the matter is most big name brands do contain ingredients of non-human animal origin and/or that have been tested on non-consenting creatures.

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Each ridge and narrow bridge

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I apologise in advance for the money you will be forced to spend after reading this review. The plane tickets, the train bookings and the coach fares will be inevitable.

Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire

Sowerby Bridge is a picturesque village situated approximately halfway between Leeds and Manchester. The market town is nestled alongside the rushing River Calder and is made up of true story book visuals. Cobbled lane ways meet narrow passages amid historical churches, chimneys and shop fronts. Sowerby Bridge is a charming location sure to enchant most. Sold? OK. Well what if I throw in a world class, vegan restaurant?

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Not so amazing

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I’m not usually one for disrespecting meat-free establishments, but neither will I pretend they are all fabulous havens of delectable and mouth-watering food.

Roots and Fruits - could be improved

If you find yourself stranded in Leeds for the day, places to eat vegan food are not easy to come by. If curry is your thing, make haste to Hansa’s and you should be satisfied with most things on offer. Feel like a quick snack or a tummy filler? Out Of This World stocks delicious vegan sandwiches, pizza slices and fudge to meet your needs. But if you are craving uninspired and uncreative dishes that are slightly overpriced, head on down to Roots and Fruits.

I know it would appear to some as slightly counter-productive for a FGV to ctiticise a vegetarian restaurant, but Roots and Fruits doesn’t make the grade in my book.

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Cruelty-free curry

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Leeds city centre isn’t exactly drowning in vegan food choices, but there is a special eatery that has  been keeping our lot nutritiously-fed for over 20 years.

My meal at Hansa's in Leeds

Hansa’s Gujarati Vegetarian Restaurant is every bit as much an institution as it is a success story. Hansa Dabhi is an accomplished chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, travel guide and business person. She has been at the forefront of quality dining in West Yorkshire for more than two decades and her North Street location employs an all-female staff. Hansa has made many appearances in support of her first cookbook and has been rigorously promoting her second.  Charities supported by Hansa and her customers include Saraswati Vidayala, an organisation committed to constructing schools in India. As you can gather from this paragraph, Hansa is a busy human… and I haven’t even described her food yet.

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Horses in my dreams

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Non-human animals are mistreated in countless ways all over the planet and sometimes even off the planet. The suffering is immense. One of the most exploited creatures would have to be the horse. Whipped to run. Saddled and harnessed. Left to exposure. Often underfed. Horses, donkeys and ponies are seen as machines to race or work and are routinely disposed of when their usefulness has been sapped dry.

Bobby almost lost a shoe to Peanut the donkey

Horses in the Leeds area do however harbour slight hope for a life outside of suffering. Hope Pastures is a sanctuary for horses and ponies that is situated a few miles out of Leeds city centre. Run by a few paid staff and many caring and dedicated volunteers, the sanctuary caters for horses deemed redundant or left for certain death. I visited Hope Pastures yesterday with Bobby and Stuart. We were overwhelmed by the beautiful animals and the compassionate humans working to give them a happy and safe life.

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