The Vegan Thread

Oatly also froths the best in my milk frother. The Lidl one is a bit shit for that.

Temple of Camden has moved to Parkway, a rather better location than Camley Street

Damn it, I wanted to get photos of those murals they had in the interior of that location

Greggs doing vegan hot cross buns now: https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/24/greggs-launches-vegan-hot-cross-buns-easter-12291738/

While I, too, am enjoying the mainstreaming of vegan food, there is the additional dimension, as touched on in this thread before, of small(er) vegan businesses suffering as a result. Here's a case in point, a vegan pizza business in Manchester.

http://fatgayvegan.com/2020/03/05/independent-vegan-pizza-in-manchester/

Obviously, that larger companies enter a burgeoning market to profit from it isn't exactly surprising, but supporting smaller businesses is always important whichever kind of product is involved.

Zad's is good too.

Meh. Having the right principles isn't the same as having a decent product. Businesses fail, and it's easy to blame KFC having a vegan burger.

This is really not about small companies making a bad product. If I don't like a particular vegan product, I won't buy from that company, either. This is more about market reach, e.g. Greggs. I consider chainisation a huge problem… Obviously, chains are failing left, right, and centre, as continuity Thatcherism now destroys her homogenised high streets, and high street chains are merely being replaced by even worse businesses, but some still do cause problems for smaller traders, not only vegan ones.

I happened across an article today saying that one of the vegetarian curry houses on Drummond Street has started doing meat curries as there is too much competition in vegetarians.

meh

I don’t think you’d be so worried about chains if you lived outside of London and/or are on a lower income.

So, I desire to convert, but I have a huge issue with food textures;

Bananas, mushrooms, tomatoes are just some of the things I struggle with and therefore carbs and meat work well.

Any ideas? Just suck it up, force myself and maybe I’ll learn to cope?

You tried any good seitan? Or meat subs like beyond meat and moving mountains burgers? Vivera stuff you can get in Sainsbury’s also good - texture for me of there steak // fish and kebab meat offerings - very good.

Is there something about those textures in particular you're not keen on? From that list I'd guess maybe the thing that links them could be a bit of slimeyness? For what it's worth, I used to be a much fussier eater before I went vegan, now, with a few exceptions I'll eat more or less anything (you know, as long as it's vegan). I guess it's just a case of trial and error to see what you like. It gets much, much easier the longer you've been at it, the hard part for me wasn't feeling like I was missing out on certain things, it was just forming new habits.

In my head I’d rather not have things like quorn or things to replicate meat; but I think that’s at least my best starting point! Thanks.

Cold wet moist slimey!

I can stomach a cooked sliced tomato with other things etc.

Think the driving force is stronger than my dislike of them tbh so I’ll just have to work on it

I get that! My horizons have definitely expanded a lot since going vegan and actually having to be a bit more adventurous and "get over" not liking certain foods. Some foods I used to totally avoid are now my go to staples.

^ Yeah this.

Celery can still get fucked though.

Bananas, mushrooms, tomatoes are just some of the things I struggle with and therefore carbs and meat work well.

If you have the wherewithal to stick it out, training yourself to like mushrooms is one of the most rewarding things you could do. Something like the Mildred's mushroom and ale pie is a really good non-slimy gateway to the mushroom.

^^ I visited his house on Monday. Took some guests who were visiting London from Canada. #csb

Out of curiosity, what's behind the barrier to trying meat substitutes?

From another very fussy vegan (no fruit; very specific about veg; nothing remotely salad-like; nothing raw) all things mock-meat are the stuff of dreams :)

If you've got a Polish shop anywhere nearby, I'd recommend trying to pick up some dried soy cutlets (kotlety sojowe) - boil them up with some stock/herbs/spices for c.10 mins, coat them in flour/breadcrumbs and fry them.

kotlety sojowe

What a pro-tip! I didn't know these existed!

Anyone know of a sklep in Hackney centralish that has them?

Longdan vietnamese shops stock dehydrated soy chunks/curls.

Any shops stocking Indian cooking ingredients will have TAS brand soy chunks too, they're good and cheap.

what's behind the barrier to trying meat substitutes?

not trying to piss on your parade but all this substitute stuff is not exactly healthy

Health smealth, at least sometimes.