London for vegans

Note: Hackney Downs Vegan Market is no longer running but you can find others on the Fat Gay Vegan’s Facebook page

‘Obviously I’m biased but I think the best vegan market in the city is Hackney Downs Vegan Market, which I have been running for just over a year with Eat Work Art. It’s on every Saturday and Cafe SoVegan, Young Vegans and Big V London are our regular traders.’

Hackney Downs Studios, 17 Amhurst Terrace, E8 2BT. Saturdays, 11am-5pm. Rectory Rd Overground.

‘Nobody does vegan street food quite like Temple of Seitan. They are the runaway vegan success story of last year and the people to watch if you want to learn how to take your food business from the streets into bricks-andmortar locations.’

Temple of Hackney, 10 Morning Lane, E9 6NA. Hackney Central Overground.

‘Hackney, Shoreditch and Camden all became synonymous with veganism in 2017, but we need to watch Peckham this year. Deserted Cactus is a must-visit for comfort food. While superstar vegan pizzeria Picky Wops has opened a second outlet at Peckham Levels.’ 

Peckham Rye Overground. Deserted Cactus, Holdron’s Arcade, Bussey Building, 135a Rye Lane, SE15 4ST. 

‘The next big event on the vegan calendar is Vegan Life Live. The weekender will turn Alexandra Palace into a giant one-stop shop for all things vegan including food, cooking demos, lifestyle products and entertainment.’

Vegan Life Live. Alexandra Palace. Alexandra Palace rail. Feb 10-11. From £10.

‘Tucked away on the woefully overlooked Brecknock Road in Kentish Town, The Third Estate is the number one retail space for vegan shoes and bags in the UK. Ethically minded people who want to look fabulous can shop for designer clothes that won’t cost the earth.’

The Third Estate, 27 Brecknock Rd, N7 0BT. Caledonian Rd tube.

‘People are always tickled when I tell them to head over to Bavarian Beerhouse (Tower Hill or Old Street) for an unexpected vegan moment. Of course the food menu is meat heavy, but plant eaters can also fill up thanks to the vegan versions of German sausages served at these beer hot spots.’ 

Bavarian Beer House 190 City Rd, EC1V. Old St tube.