vegan - Goodtrippers

The ultimate guide to vegan tapas in Spain

If you ever needed an excuse to indulge in tasty Spanish tapas, then summer is it (and did you know, 16th June is World Tapas Day?)

Eating tapas is more than just the delicious morsels on your plate – it’s also about the atmosphere and company, a Spanish way of life. But if you are vegetarian, vegan or suffer from any food intolerances, choosing the right tapas dishes (particularly if Spanish is not your forte), can be a bit of a minefield.

Now rental specialist Spain-Holiday.com has created handy cut-out-and-carry food allergy transalation cards in Spanish for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those suffering from allergies to nuts, gluten, shellfish, dairy and egg.

Jannich Peterson, COO of Spain-Holiday.com, said, “Even though restaurants and bars in Spain are becoming more accommodating to dietary requirements such as offering gluten-free options for celiac sufferers, and Barcelona recently being named the first Veg-Friendly City, eating out with special dietary requirements can be stressful. [We have] created this Tasty Tapas Guide to help people suffering from food allergies enjoy the delights of tapas in Spain.”

Take a look at the guide – and enjoy your tapas!

World Tapas Day – Vegan

An infographic by the team at Spain-Holiday.com

Get your ‘5 a day’ at vegan festival VegFest, Glasgow

Glasgow gets ready to host VegFest Scotland, Europe’s largest eco veggie festival this December…

The inaugural VegFest Scotland, taking place 5-6 December at Glasgow’s SEC, is all about going vegan. This family-friendly event will include lots of ideas and inspiration to get healthy eating and vegan activism high on the agenda, including dozens of talks on nutrition, health, lifestyle and campaigns.

As food is top of the agenda (obviously!), you can grab lunch at the in-house Levy’s Restaurant and their all-vegan menu, or choose from 12 other specialist caterers and around 140 stalls.

Visitors can enjoy vegan cookery demos, kids cookery classes, family entertainment, live music, comedy, a Hemp Expo on the medicinal benefits of hemp, and more.

Vegan gourmet matured cheeses from Tyne Cheese

Vegfest Scotland organisers added, ”Vegfest Scotland is all about going vegan. It’s not about eating less meat, or choosing eggs over fish, or anything like that. It’s about going vegan, pure and simple. It’s a single issue campaign. Go Vegan. For the planet, for the animals, for your health, and for sustainable global food production. And it’s so easy. Vegfest Scotland will demonstrate just how easy it is to go vegan and stay vegan.”

Glasgow initiative The Only Way is Ethics is behind a number of events around Glasgow City Centre in the week preceding Vegfest.

Tickets and booking: Admission to Vegfest Scotland is by advance tickets as well as payment on the gate. Advance tickets are £5 a day or £8 for the whole weekend. Tickets on the gate are £8 for adults and £4 for claimants. Kids under 16 can enter for free.

For more information visit www.vegfestscotland.com

Have we found London’s friendliest vegan restaurant?

Guest blogger Erin Moncur discovers an eco-friendly restaurant that is causing a worldwide stir amongst vegans looking for more than a good salad…

222 Veggie Vegan, just a five minute walk from West Kensington station, first opened its doors in 2004 and has since firmly established a reputation for being London’s friendliest vegan restaurant, serving wonderful and inspiring dishes alongside a great, relaxed atmosphere. Even at its busiest times, it doesn’t take long to be seated and made to feel welcome.

Meet Ben the chef

Ben, who has been a vegan himself since his teenage years, is passionate about helping other vegans enjoy their experience of eating out and, more importantly, to enjoy their food. He picks the menu himself and lovingly prepares the dishes using fresh, natural ingredients that are low in fat and salt.

He also makes sure they are GM free and organic where possible. He works with a small team who share his passions and ideals. If you ask any of them about the food, they can all tell you where it comes from.

The menu

The menu is reasonably priced considering the location of the restaurant. The evening mains vary from £8.95 to £11.95 and the lunch buffet is set at £7.50, or £5.50 if you need lunch to be a takeaway. The dishes are unusual but amazing, from Seitan Stroganoff (a customer favourite) to Pumpkin Noodles with Grated Coconut. You will also find a fabulous mixture of starters, side dishes and desserts.

Their 222 Burger, made from tofu and veggie mince, is delicious. The team are more than happy for you to make requests and variations to suit your own requirements and I encourage you to pop into the kitchen to meet Ben and chat about the food.

For buffet lunches and candlelit evening meals, this is a place to go and experience, vegan or not. It is not hard to see why they were awarded the Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor in 2013.

Location: 222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant, 222 North End Road, West Kensington, London W14 9NU

Contact for reservations and more info: 020 7381 2322 / info@222veggievegan.com

Urban Food Fest London returns with ‘V Corner’

We’re excited to hear that last summer’s street food ‘hit’, the Urban Food Fest in Shoreditch, East London, is back for another season of fine foodie treats from Saturday 12 April. And alongside the usual plethora of organic, local, free-range, handmade and natural street food and drinks on offer, Urban Food Fest has now added ‘V Corner’ – a whole area dedicated to vegetarian, vegan and (very) raw gourmet delights!

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Promising to offer more than the token ‘salad in a pitta’, ‘V Corner’ will serve up a mouth-watering range of vegetarian, vegan and raw food delights that may turn even the most committed carnivore – think vegan sweet potato maki sushi, veggie wild mushroom burgers, veggie tofu hotdogs, raw mezze, egg-free chocolate fudge sponge, and dairy-free apple crumble pie.

Each week, the night food market (located in an unused car-park space near Shoreditch High Street station – but don’t let that put you off, it adds to that urban east London vibe!) will be filled with 15 different food trucks and stalls selling a selection of gourmet street food dishes, many created exclusively for Urban Food Fest, alongside fab cocktails, craft beers and imaginative soft drinks.

Chow down on Chinese jian bing crepes, pulled pork burgers, sliders, Austrian specknoedel, mac ‘n’ cheese, gourmet salads, Mexican tacos, Portuguese desserts, fresh gyoza, Spanish tapas, cupcakes and much (much!) more… Live music and entertainment accompanies the feasting, as well as a theme – 12 April is ‘Where’s Wally’ with free cocktails for the best fancy dress.

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Visitor info: Free entry; 5pm ’til midnight every Saturday from 12 April to 21st June 2014

Location: Euro Car Parks, 162-175 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU

For more information visit www.urbanfoodfest.com