How to survive being a vegan in London

by Aneequa Bhatti

Aneequa Bhatti has been a vegan londoner for six years and has discovered there a hundred and one places to grab vegan eats on a budget, from succulent thai to vegan american fast food...

First things first - before you start groaning and assuming that I am some kind of whiny straight-edge kid with a tattoo of a bleeding cow in a burger bun on my stomach, I can assure you that I am not.

Yes, I am vegan. But although - like most people - I'm completely opposed to animal cruelty, my reasons for avoiding meat and dairy products are simply due to health and personal choice.

Having lived in London for the last six years, I now find it pretty easy to stick to a vegan diet without breaking the bank, so here is a quick guide to some of my favourite vegan-friendly places!

Fresh and Wild ( organic, vegan-friendly paradise )

Fresh and Wild (which has branches in Soho, Stoke Newington, Camden and Clapham) is a one-stop shop for a variety of vegan groceries, cakes, hot and cold takeaway food and more. Their vegan rice pudding is nicer than any dairy version I have ever tried!

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Thai and Chi ( Vegan thai buffets )

No-one can argue that being a vegan is too expensive with the emergence of more and more branches of Chi (a vegan noodle bar) and Tai (a vegan thai place), both of which are vegan 'all you can eat' buffets. They now have several branches in Central London as well as in Camden and Angel Islington. Here you can get delicious hot and cold food for as little as £3 and the staff are always friendly.

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RedVeg ( Vegan fast food, American style )

Another good vegan place if you like traditional American style fast food is RedVeg on Dean Street in Soho - here you can get vegan burgers with fries and wraps for low prices.

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Maoz Falafel ( Pitta perfection )

In Soho there are two branches of Maoz Falafel where you can get the best falafel in town for around £4, with as much salad as you can eat.

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Neal's Yard Café ( Vegan ice-cream and a lot more besides )

A place I discovered quite recently which actually has Mr Whippy style soft vegan ice cream that comes out of a machine is Neal's Yard Café in Covent Garden - and you can mix chocolate and mango ice cream- it's too good! But too bad for my belly that I work so close. They also have vegan pizza, muffins and risottos for less than £4 and there's a nice courtyard to sit and eat in.

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Beatroot ( Vegan pure and simple )

Beatroot in Soho has a variety of hot and cold vegan food and cakes for reasonably cheap and their vegan mango smoothies are gorgeous.

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Luxury Vegan options

There are various other vegan places in town such as Vitaorganic in Soho andFood for Thought in Covent Garden but I haven't yet been to either, as they look a bit too pricey for me.

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General shopping tips for vegans

It's also worth checking out the 'Free-from' section in your local supermarket no matter where you live. The Tesco and Sainsburys ranges are increasing all the time and include vegan chocolate cakes, muffins, hot cross buns, biscuits, brownies, custard and other good things.

Warning for pizza-loving vegans!! [ warning from the Mooky Eds xxx ]

Many vegans wrongly assume that pizza without cheese is vegan. In many pizza restaurants in the UK (including the Pizza Hut chain) the pizza base, as well as the sauce, contains dairy products and possibly other animal-derived ingredients. However Pizza Express have confirmed to www.veganlondon.co.uk that that their pizza bases, dough balls, bruschetta and garlic breads are all suitable for vegans, as is their tomato base which is simply fresh tomatoes, salt, pepper and fresh basil. They state it is important for you to mention how strict your diet is to the manager on duty, so as the chef can implement all necessary procedures to avoid cross-contamination.

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So there you go! With so many different dairy-free places to go and eat, why not try one? It doesn't have to be the first step to becoming a sandal-wearing paper-skinned hippy. Your conscience will feel better for being more environmentally-friendly and your body will feel healthy enough to make even Gillian Mckeith proud!

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