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Vegan fast food is definitely on the rise, but some cities are better than others. London and Brighton have RedVeg, Nottingham has V-1, and Manchester has V2Go, which serves veggie burgers with optional vegan toppings. Even if you don’t live in a vegan hot spot, you shouldn’t worry – nearly every major city in the UK has a wholefood café that’ll serve up a nice, greasy vegan burger for those times when only a burger will do!
London is also home to countless ‘Eat-Til-U-Drop’ vegan Chinese buffets (like Joi, Tai, etc.), and at a mere 5 or 6 quid, you’d be crazy not to try them – you’ll get hooked on all the delicious fake-meat dishes and noodles, and don’t even get us started on how good their spring rolls taste! They’re all-day buffets, so you can get in and out in 15 minutes flat if you need to, but it’s best to pace yourself to get your full value for money! These places are so popular with vegans and meat-eaters alike that we’re sure it won’t be long before they’re popping up all over the UK.
Edinburgh has the fantastic Baked Potato Shop (56 Cockburn St., EH1) – which has loads of vegan options, including veggie haggis, coleslaw, and lots of vegan cakes – and Future Foods (2 Warrender Park Rd., EH9), the all-vegan sandwich and snack bar with more than 20 sandwich options plus smoothies, soups, and more. And in Glasgow, there’s the 13th Note (50-6 King St., G1), a cool vegan pub and venue!
Hungry and on the go? We’ve got one word for you – falafel. You can pick up these lifesavers just about anywhere. Remember to check with the outlet to make sure its falafels are vegan – some contain egg.
And let’s not forget the easiest and cheapest solution of all – chips! Yeah, we know they’re really bad for you, but if you’re desperate or hung over, chips will save the day. Just make sure they weren’t fried in lard (gross!) and you’re all set.
If fast food isn’t your thing because you want something healthier or just want to spend a bit more time feeding, there are great places to get vegan food all over the country. It’s well worth picking up the Vegetarian Guide for your area to get the most comprehensive listing of food outlets and shops. The following well-known spots will get you started:
When you’re in London, try Country Life (3-4 Warwick St., London W1) for gorgeous salads and great hot dishes, Mildred’s (45 Lexington St., London W1) for everything from a detox salad to a burger and chips or Beatroot (96 Berwick St., London W1) for amazing smoothies and healthy hot and cold food by the boxful.
In Manchester, try Eighth Day (111 Oxford Rd., Manchester, M1) for wholesome soups, filling burgers and fantastically sweet deserts; The Greenhouse (331 Great Western St., Rusholme, Manchester M14) for Fishless Fish Steaks, vegan sausages, falafels and all-day breakfasts or Earth Café (16-20 Turner St., Northern Quarter, Manchester) for pies, stews and a great juice bar.
Brighton is vegan heaven. Try The George Pub (5 Trafalgar St., Brighton) for bangers and mash, burgers and many other dishes – then wash it all down with vegan beer; Troggs (24 George St., Kemptown, Brighton, BN2) for sushi, tempura, tofu kebabs and green curry or Food for Friends (17a-18 Prince Albert St., The Lanes, BN1) for soups and salads.
If you’re in Nottingham for the weekend, don’t leave without dropping into the Sumac Centre, a vegetarian-run institution. Try the sausage rolls, Thai red bean pasties, all-day breakfasts and the Bakewell Tart, which may just be the best thing on the whole planet! Sumac also caters for animal rights/green demos and events across the country.
In Glasgow, stop into Stereo (10 Kelvinhaugh St., Finnieston) to check out the all-vegan menu, which features burgers, BLTs and dairy-free cheesecakes or Mono (King’s Court, Trongate, G1), an all-vegan restaurant, shop and brewery.
We could go on forever! The following Web pages contain reviews and listings that’ll really get your mouth watering:
• www.happycow.net/europe/england/index.html
• www.veganlondon.freeserve.co.uk/outside.htm
• www.vegdining.com/GetRestList.cfm?rgk=EU-ENG
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