London Vegfest 2014 Part One

Vegfest is a festival of all things vegetarian, vegan and cruelty-free and takes place annually in large venues around different parts of the country. I found out about it through word of mouth so I made plans to attend this year for the first time. I had heard good things about the many products they had to offer so I went prepared with my ruck sack in tow.

I arrived at London Olympia just before 10am for the 11am opening and realised I was third in the queue. Just half an hour later the queue was down the road and round the corner. Vegfest had grown in popularity and I could see why. I was overwhelmed by the abundance of stalls packed with food products, clothing, cosmetics and information. I was in heaven and I couldn't wait to explore.

I picked up a programme for £1 which gave me listings of everything that was happening. This became my bible for the day. I was also given a voucher to collect some Vegfest freebies which included Chia seeds, Love Beets beetroot juice and two items of my choice, Provamel almond drink and Bourne & Willis red cabbage. I do love a freebie and I'm looking forward to trying them out.

There were lots of free samples on some of the stalls so I took the opportunity to try some of the chocolate available which subsequently led to me purchasing a little (OK, a lot). I also tried some Sheese which was awesome. This was a new product for me as being veggie I hadn't experienced substitute cheese before, but I liked what I tasted. I must have gone around the stalls multiple times and I was still finding more products that I had missed.

Tibits

Tibits is a 100% Vegetarian restaurant in Heddon street, just off of Regent Street and about a 5/10 minute walk from Piccadilly Circus underground station. It's a great place to eat if you are looking for somewhere a little more sophisticated and they offer some Vegan options which are clearly marked with a 'V' on the labels beside the food. This is a buffet type restaurant where you pay buy weight which was completely new to me.

On arrival myself and my niece were greeted by a member of staff who explained how the restaurant worked. We chose our own seating and had a good look through the drinks menu before venturing up to the buffet area. Buffets are always awkward in terms of having to go one at a time in order to guard your belongings at the table so once my niece had finished plating her food she then had to wait at the table while I got mine. I then had to go up to the bar with both plates of food where it is weighed and you can order drinks and pay. They placed the plates and drinks on little silver trays so I had to leave one tray at the bar while I delivered the other over to my niece at the table.

We had various bits and bobs to choose from, both hot and cold and quite tasty although my niece wasn't quite as convinced but that is probably due to the type of food that she is used to eating (she's a 15 year old meat-eater). I on the other hand ate pretty much everything I had on my plate. The Classic ice tea's that we ordered were refreshing. The relaxed ambiance of the restaurant was a welcomed change. It wasn't too busy or bustling and we could enjoy a discussion without shouting across the table at each other. This may have been due to the time of day that we ate (around 5pm).

There was extra seating downstairs which looked family orientated with an area for children to amuse themselves if they get bored. They had an area for colouring with a chalk board attached to the wall and a little book case complete with a range of books and cute little rocking horse seats. There was also an area suitable for dinner parties, ideal for birthdays and other celebrations.

The only problem that I had with the service was that the plates weren't cleared quick enough. We sat there for a while before thinking about having desert and when we did eventually get it we had to squeeze it onto the table with the finished dinner plates on too. When I finally caught a member of staff she told me that she would clear the table once we had left. Not particularly helpful I must say but I didn't want to say anything bad as all in all we had a good experience.

The dinner turned out to be less expensive than I originally thought it would be at £26.70 for two plates and two large glasses of Ice tea but I thought the desert was a little steep at £8.60 for such a small amount on each plate. I had some sticky toffee pudding and a selection of fruit.

I would most definitely return, possibly by myself as I wouldn't feel out of place. I noticed other people eating alone and no one batted an eyelid.

'Meat Free Monday'

Hitting the news today, Paul McCartney records a new song to raise awareness on the environmental impacts of eating meat. Paul recruited some of his celebrity friends to appear in the video to help get the point across. I've never really been a big fan of Paul McCartney but this song is quite catchy and I'm all for promoting vegetarianism in the media. This ones a win for me.

Uneducated Meat-Eaters

I have heard a lot of things since becoming vegetarian but one of the most common discussions that I have had to endure from some people who try and justify being a meat-eater is... 'but man was made/evolved to eat animals'. Recently I came across a brilliant video on YouTube that explains the complete opposite.

Now, while I respect the decision of others who don't want to become vegetarian or vegan, I would suggest that they research and educate themselves before sharing their views. I would respect them more if they were to just come out and say they couldn't possibly give up the habit of eating meat because they like it too much. After all, I was a meat-eater once but I had never used comments like that when talking to vegetarians.

Vegan London

I came across this website when I was searching the internet for vegetarian and vegan products and places where I could buy them. It acts as a directory for all things Veg*n and includes some useful resources. There is a list of Veg*n friendly restaurants, cafe's and shops where you can buy groceries, toiletries and clothes. I shall be trying out some of the places listed during the coming weeks and reporting my finds here on 'The Veggie Blogger' so stay tuned.                                                                                                           If you are living in or around London you may want to check it out for yourself by clicking on the link here 'Vegan London'.

Review: Space Girl and Butterball LUSH Bath Bombs

If you like a lot of fizz in your bath bombs, this one is for you.The air filled with the smell of parma violets as the water turned a purpley/pinky colour. There's always something whimsical about taking a bath in coloured bath water (or is that just me being weird?).

This is a non greasy bath bomb so it didn't leave an unwanted tide mark in the bath. It left a very subtle fragrance on my skin, so subtle that only people with an acute sense of smell may notice it. I can't say it had any moisturising properties though which is one of the main qualities I love in a bath bomb. If you want a bath bomb that leaves the skin moisturised Butterball is ideal for this.

This is one of my favourite LUSH products. I often forget to moisturise after a bath and this bath bomb does it all for you in the bath. This is brilliant if you are strapped for time. Tiny pearls of cocoa butter are released into the water and cling to the skin. The only down side is that it also clings to the bath. Whenever I buy a new LUSH haul, this is the product I pick up every time.

Both bath bombs are Vegan.
Space Girl £2.35
Butterball £2.50

Review: Goody GOOD STUFF - Cola Breeze

More brands like this one are starting to cater for Vegetarians because we need sweets like this too. The iconic cola bottle sweets are now gelatin free and tasting as good as ever. These soft chewy sweets covered in a tangy sugar are incredibly difficult to stop eating after you have opened the packet. I loved them and I think anyone else with a sweet tooth like me would love them too.

Goody GOOD STUFF's Cola Breeze is dairy free, gluten free, fat free and contains all natural flavours. I bought them in my local branch of Waitrose for £1 but if you go on the sweet manufacturers website you can locate a stockist closest to you using their store-finder.

I for one are looking forward to tracking down other packs in this range. Any recommendations?

Review: GOOD THINGS Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser

I've been using this product for about a year now and I love it. It's ideal for use under make-up as it absorbs any excess oils from the skin. It contains natural ingredients, is free-from animal ingredients and harmful parabens and clearly states on the back of the tube that it's suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.

When applying, remember that a little goes a long way and spreads very easily. This moisturiser has a subtle fragrance of berries but isn't very noticeable after application. It dries quickly after, so you don't have to wait around too long before putting your foundation on. I try not to use it on a daily basis as I don't want to dry the oils in my skin out too much but if you have oily skin then it's ideal for more frequent use.

It comes boxed and is sold in Boots priced at £7.99 from what I can remember but it's cheaper at £5.33 on their website. There are other products in this range which I haven't tried. If you have your own opinion of this product or brand then please leave a comment below.

An Introduction

Being vegetarian for about 6 years now, I'm always on the lookout for veggie lifestyle tips and information but I noticed many of the blogs I read are US based and as much as I like reading them I find that they are not very useful. So I have created this blog to help others in the same situation who would like to find good cruelty free products and vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants and to connect with people with similar ethical views.

I decided to become vegetarian during a 2 year Animal Management course. It opened my eyes to a lot of things but I have never forced my opinions onto others. Within the last year or two I have become increasingly aware of the many companies that still test on animals so I began the transition to replace the items I use with cruelty-free certified products. I still have a little way to go before replacing every single one but I'm on the right track and I'm proud to make the change.

At the moment I'm finding it difficult obtaining quality make-up products that are not tested on animals, don't cost the earth and easy to find in UK stores, so I welcome any suggestions. Please subscribe/follow if you want to read reviews and join in with any veggie lifestyle chit-chat. Grab a cuppa and enjoy.