London 2013

I've always wanted to go to England. Part of my being owes a debt to a place I've never been. So many of my favorite bands originated here (Pet Shop Boys, Iron Maiden, Carcass, Talk Talk, Pulp....I could go on forever) and my favorite TV show The Prisoner starts and ends in London. Also, the original Star Wars Trilogy was filmed at Elstree Studios. And most obvious, Veganism has its roots in England; the word was coined there in 1944. So in short, I've been waiting a long time to visit. Isa and I didn't get to do half of what we wanted to, but we'll have to come back soon. Here's a tiny recap of what we did get around to. If you've never been to England, hopefully this blog post encourages you to go. We were in London mostly, but I hear there are other Vegan-friendly cities in traveling distance.    

More than likely, you're gonna have to fly to England. Well, if you called ahead (and call again right before the flight) you should be able to get Vegan food on the plane. We took British Airways and got first class treatment. The food was better than expected and the attendants were super helpful. We received 2 square Vegan meals on the 8 hour flight. Off to a good start! 

We ended up staying in Camden, but we were all over London. I think I hit up every major Whole Foods and obviously I saw tons of new stuff. You gotta love it!

One thing that I have seen before is Isa's beloved Vegusto cheese from Paris. Who can forget? It's not my cup of tea, but I seem to be in the minority.

Another reason I was stoked about the trip is that Quarrygirl moved to London and was going to hang with us. To finally put a face to the infamous Vegan Beer & Pizza blogging Queen was exciting. Well, I'm happy to report that she is one of the nicest people I've ever met. The trip wouldn't have been the same without her tips and company. Nevermind that she gave me this bundle of Vegan goodies....that's besides the point! She's rad and I can't wait to hang again.

You know, if you're going to England, you have to eat Fish n' Chips. Well in this case, Vegan Fish n' Chips! There were a couple places that had it, but we ended up at a Loving Hut. Basically, it was breaded fried tofu and fries. It was pretty good! So I got that out of the way. I also had a lot of inSpiral Cafe because our hotel was close. Manna was delicious too. Oh, and I finally got to meet Jojo aka Vegan in Brighton at Mildreds! Both Manna and Mildreds offered Great Britain's signature Bangers & Mash. There's no shortage of Vegan eats in London, but my favorite of the favorites was...

Amico Bio! I don't know if it's because I never get good Italian food (minus Portobella and Isa, of course) but I tore both locations UP! We ate there three times and I loved it. My favorite was the John Lennon Pizza and the onion rings. And putting the onion rings on the John Lennon Pizza. I can't recommend it enough.

One of the most exciting parts of the trip was Isa's book signing at Ms. Cupcake. If you're seen my Laziest Vegans Top Ten blog post with Mellissa or seen Quarrygirl's YouTube video, you can probably tell Mellissa is a kind, genuine person and a riot to hang out with. The Ms. Cupcake staff was super cool and the shop was so cute, plus it's a good reason to visit Brixton. A MUST SEE.

Really close to our hotel in Camden Lock was this little shop, Cookies and Scream. They had some outstanding baked goods including donuts! But their claim to fame is the Wookiee, which is a bar with double choc-chip and thick chocolate. There's even a chalk board to keep track who can eat it the fastest!

So that's the trip in a nut shell! Bottom line is if you're Vegan you have to visit England in your lifetime, especially London. Lots or history, art, culture, music and of course food!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Ms. Cupcake

Earlier this year, Isa and I fulfilled our life long dreams of traveling to London, England. We painted the town Vegan and met some really cool people! One of the coolest people we met across the pond was Mellissa Morgan, aka Ms. Cupcake. Mellissa is the creator of the Ms. Cupcake Vegan cupcake shop, which is London's first entirely Vegan bakery!

Ever since I saw Quarrygirl's YouTube video spotlighting Ms. Cupcake, I knew I had to meet her. If you won't be making your way to London anytime soon, check out the recently released Ms. Cupcake: The Naughtiest Cupcakes in Town! Cookbook. It's a gorgeous big hardcover book with tons of scrumptious cupcakes. Mellissa was born in Canada, so she knows what's good on both sides of the Atlantic. Obviously, Ms. Cupcake is gaga over cupcakes, but what is her favorite candy?  

What is your favorite veggie burger?
In the UK we have a brand called ‘Redwood Foods’ and their Quarter Pounder burgers are brilliant!

What is your favorite frozen dinner?
I adore Amy’s Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheeze. It reminds me of childhood when I would beg my Mom for Mac and Cheese. I’m proud to say that I always slather it with ketchup for a proper trip down memory lane!

What is your favorite ice cream? Purely Decadent PEANUT BUTTER ZIG ZAG from the So Delicious brand. We can’t get it in the UK, but it’s the first thing I pick up when I go and visit my family in Toronto!

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
I’m a pretzel girl – LOVE pretzels. And Pringles. In the UK they mark the flavours that are vegan as ‘vegan’ which I love.

What is your favorite cereal?
I love the Dorset Cereal range of mueslis – the nuttier the better!

What is your favorite candy?
Summer Peaches from the Goody Good Stuff range. I could eat bag after bag. I’m also a big Go Max Go bars fan.

What is your favorite cookie?
I’m seriously jealous of the Trader Joe’s range you guys have in the USA – some pretty awesome cookies to be found there! I’m a huge fan of Speculoos cookies – we have a brand called Lotus over here which are awesome (I think they are called Biscoff in the US?)

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Vegusto Piquant Cheese (best vegan cheese – EVER), Jokerz bars, and Fry’s Family Chicken Style Strips – very versatile.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
Twix bars and Kit Kats.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
My shop is a great place to shop :) We have a few Whole Foods markets in London which are great to pick up supper. For online we use VeganStore.co.uk and GoodnessDirect.co.uk.

And that concludes The Laziest Vegans Top Ten. Thanks Ms. Cupcake!