Whole Foods Market, Piccadilly

Seeing as I had some spare time on my hands today, I made a point of checking out 'Whole Foods' which I had only heard about fairly recently (I'm always a little slow on the uptake). I didn't even realise how close the store was to other places I normally visit in the area (why hadn't I noticed this before?).

I was surprised at how big the store actually was and I'm not even sure that this is their biggest. 'Whole Foods' sell a wide range of organic products. You name it, they've got it. What you have to remember is that these stores are not entirely vegetarian or vegan and do sell meat and items that contain animal by-products. Fellow blogger Amber, over at 'Amber's Beauty Talk' kindly educated me on the fact that not all cosmetics certified organic are cruelty-free. So just be aware of this when purchasing.

There are many recognisable cruelty-free brands in the beauty section such as 'Pai,' 'Jason,' 'Pacifica,' 'Faith in Nature' and 'Butter London.' Other items include grains and cereals, Vegan sweets and chocolate, top quality organic fruit and vegetables, milk alternatives, vegan deserts, teas and ethical candles.

I spent so long checking out all the products I started to think that I would have to take up residency in the store. I also started to become conscious of the fact that I had been upstairs three times (yes there is an upstairs) and the people at the counter probably thought I was crazy. The staff I came across were notably helpful and friendly, giving an excellent service.

Upstairs you can find an extended beauty range with make-up, hair care, skin care and oral hygiene products. You can also find a variety of supplements and vitamins.

The bakery looked great but I decided to stay well away as I have been eating far too many cakes and sweet things lately. I was also very temped to try some of their hot food (it certainly looked appetising) but I had already planned to eat elsewhere (that's one excuse for a return visit right there).

Cold food and salads also available.

The best time to visit Whole Foods is just after pay-day because you'll end up spending a fortune (only kidding). I noticed lots of offers on so you may well be able to save some money in the process. I came home with a fantastic little selection of products. My best buy must have been my Jason shampoo and conditioner, two for £8.

London Vegfest 2014 Part 3

So here's the third and final instalment of my Vegfest posts. Apart from having a fab time checking out all the awesome stalls and stuffing my face I spent some time in the cinema area where they were showing some interesting documentaries. I had planned to watch one in-particular and that was 'Cowspiracy.' I had already watched the trailer a couple of weeks prior to the event and when I heard that they were showing it I wanted to make sure I got a good seat.

'Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret' is most definitely a must see, minus the distressing parts which I just couldn't bring myself to watch. You may want to look away during a certain part when they are talking about back-yard farming if you get around to watching it. Kip Andersen, co-producer/director of the film documentary does a heap load of research and discovers that animal agriculture is the leading cause of global warming and most of the other things that are going wrong in the world such as rainforest destruction and species extinction. It's incredibly eye-opening. Watch the trailer provided below.

I managed to catch a couple of comedians, one being the quirky and a little crazy Harriet Kemsley (look her up) and Vegan Smythe who writes and performs songs related to Veganism. He earned himself a standing ovation at the end of his very amusing set.

I should have made an effort to catch some more entertainment and talks, I suppose this is where a weekend ticket would have been useful. It's worth attending both days just to fit everything in. Overall I had a great time and can't wait to attend another 'Vegfest' event in the near future.

London Vegfest 2014 Part Two

There was a wide range of cooked food available at Vegfest, so as I was around from opening to closing I had both my lunch and dinner there. I tried my best not to fill myself up on chocolate samples because I had already had my heart set on a hot dog from 'Vegusto.' I wasn't disappointed, the hot dog was tasty and I was left happy and ready to venture on.

When I went to check out the stalls upstairs I discovered 'Big Fat Vegan Bakery'. There was a swarm of people around their stall so I went to see what all the fuss was about. When I feasted my eyes on some of their cakes I knew I had to have one. I chose the apple strudel and I loved it. Unfortunately 'Big Fat Vegan Bakery' is based in Bognor Regis, a little bit too far for me to travel for cakes but if I'm ever in the area I would definitely look them up.

Towards the end of the event I was feeling hungry again so I bought a Pad Thai at Bang Wok who were very enthusiastic when preparing their noodles. I liked it but didn't love it. I think it was because I was expecting it to taste like Wagamama but it didn't. The taste was a little sharp for my liking but it didn't stop me from scoffing the lot.

I wish I could have ate more as there were many stalls selling different types of food but I would have most certainly popped. So I took some photos of the food stalls instead.

Planet Organic, Torrington place

'Planet Organic' is a London based chain of stores that sell organically sourced products. Yesterday I visited the Torrington Place store which is meant to be the largest of the 'Planet Organic' stores. This is not a purely Vegan or Vegetarian company and do sell meat and other animal by-products but a large majority of items sold are Vegan and Vegetarian. I had heard about this company a while ago but on reading through the list of stores on 'Vegan London' I decided to arrange a visit.

The nearest tube station is Goodge Street but because of engineering works I had to go to Warren Street and walk down. This didn't take too long though. On entering the store I noticed a seating area to my right where people were able to stay and eat. I had already read that they sold a variety of hot and cold food to eat in or take away which is what I had planned to do after I looked around the store. To my left there was a refrigerated area with a selection of salads, sandwiches, drinks and other snacks. I moved in further and passed a cake stand with pastries, muffins and tarts, of which there was only a couple of Vegan options.

To the right of the cakes was a food counter where they sold the hot and cold food, hot drinks, speciality juices and smoothies. Just further on from that was another refrigerated section containing the meat products which I just completely avoided and on the other side a range of fresh fruits and vegetables were displayed. Once you get past that the store spans out a little more with shelves stocked full of food items such as seeds, nuts, pasta's canned food, biscuits (all the usual), cake baking products and ethical house hold cleaning items. There was also a large range of baby and toddler food and body care products which is handy for all the ethical mums out there.

To the back of the store you can find cruelty-free Cosmetics and make-up (which was incredibly expensive), Shampoo's, deodorants, Vegan perfumes, wax free scented candles, dental care items, hand soup, vitamins and books. I spent ages looking closely at all the different products they had to offer. There was a reasonable selection of Vegan chocolate which took me a while to decide which brand to try. They also sold Vegan Ice cream which I intend to try next time. I managed to pick up a few things which I will feature in other posts to come.

When I was all shopped out I stopped for a spot of dinner at the food counter where a nice friendly girl served me. Firstly you choose the size of your box... small, medium or large then choose your food on a mix and match basis. I chose a medium box at £5.50 with three different dishes, one being a tofu stir-fry (I can't remember what the other two where but they contained chick peas and sweet potato) and they certainly give you your money's worth. I paid at the till and sat down in the seated area provided. There is additional seating further along the store and outside which would be great on a nice warm sunny day. The food was tasty and I would definitely try it again when I return for a second visit.

Before I left, I ordered a Vanilla Chai tea from the 'Pukka' range. I was immediately impressed as this is my favourite range of tea although I hadn't tried this flavour before. It was £1.95 for a regular cup but unfortunately I wasn't so keen on it. The flavour wasn't very strong but this may have been due to my fault as I probably didn't leave it to infuse for long enough. I think a tea like that is best made and consumed in the comfort of your own home where you can relax. If you live in or around London or even if you are travelling from further away drop by 'Planet Organic' and have a look around. You are bound to find something that takes your fancy.