vegetarian

BERLIN VEGAN GUIDE

January 25, 2018Jade Green Vegan4 Comments

WHERE TO STAY ▹▸▹

On both of my visits to Berlin I’ve stayed at Almodovar Hotel, an eco-friendly, 4 star hotel with a roof top spa and an awesome vegetarian and vegan restaurant. Located in Friedrichshain, the hotel is close to the metro station and within walking distance of loads of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants.

WHAT TO EAT ▹▸▹

BISTRO BARDOT

Almodovar Hotel’s restaurant, Bistro Bardot, serves delicious vegetarian and vegan food.

The breakfast buffet is a definite must, with its selection of vegan meats, tofu scramble, curry wurst and fresh bread. There’s also fresh fruit and variety of cereals if you’re a healthier vegan than me!

We also ate dinner in the hotel and had the vegan mac n cheese which was absolutely delicious.

BRAMMIBALS DONUTS

Brammibals donuts is an awesome little 100% vegan cafe that serves delicious handmade donuts, sandwiches and coffee. All of the food was amazing but the hummus sandwich and nougat filled donut were my faves.

YOYO FOODWORLD

Yoyo FoodWorld serves super reasonably priced, delicious fast food in extremely generous portions. The schnitzel burger was absolutely amazing .

VEGANZ

Veganz is a 100% vegan supermarket (how freaking cool is that?!) with a café attached. I wanted to buy absolutely everything in the supermarket, from cold meats & cheeses, to frozen pizzas, to dog treats, but as we only took hand luggage we unfortunately had to restrain ourselves. We made up for it by going crazy in the café and ordering two rounds of lunch. The cheese croissant and chocolate chip cookie were my favourites.

WHERE TO GO ▹▸▹

REICHSTAG BUILDING

The Reichstag Building is absolutely a must-visit in Berlin. Walking around the Dome, you have a stunning view of the city, whilst the provided headset gives an insight into Berlin’s fascinating political history. What’s even better, entry is free but you need to book in advance as it is a high security government building.

(Vegan leather backpack from Create & Case)

BERLIN WALL

The iconic Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery is covered in beautiful, thought-provoking art. After wandering the length of the wall and admiring the art, be sure to visit The Wall Museum as it was incredibly interesting to learn about history of wall and definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

Sainsbury’s Vegan Ready Meals

May 17, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

If you were excited when Sainsbury’s brought out their delicious range of vegan cheeses, then get ready to be SUPER excited, as Sainsbury’s have now outdone themselves by bringing out a range of vegan ready meals!!

Ever since I went vegan 3 years ago I have been waiting for awesome, accessible vegan ready meals to be a thing and I am so happy that they finally are! Which is probably why I completely embarrassed myself the moment I discovered them in the tiny vegan/free-from aisle in my local Sainsbury’s by screaming out ‘OMG YAAAAAS’!

There are currently two vegan ready meals available at Sainsbury’s: vegetable lasagne & macaroni cheese, priced at just £3 each! I was super excited so bought three of each and one day later there are only two left; it’s safe to say I am a big fan.

I’m still not sure if I can pick a favourite, but what I can tell you is that they go really well together, alongside some salad a a whole lot of vegan garlic bread.

The macaroni cheese also tastes extra amazing with some added black pepper, paprika and roasted veggies mixed into it.

So, if you guys fancy trying out these delicious meals, head to your local Sainsbury’s to grab one (or in my case, six) and hopefully in a few months time there will be even more vegan options to choose from – personally, I’m praying for a vegan pizza!!

Are you guys as excited about this as I am?! Let me know if you’ve tried them and what you thought in the comments section below.

PICKYWOPS PIZZERIA GOES 100% VEGAN

April 13, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

You guys have probably all seen on social media that PickyWops – a west London pizzeria – has recently gone 100% vegan! How awesome is that?! As soon as I heard, I knew I had to check it out, so earlier this week I was super excited to head there with my mum to try a couple of their delicious pizzas!

We met the lovely owners, Cristiano and Andrea, who explained to us that they decided to make PickyWops 100% vegan to align with their values, as they both recently became vegan themselves. They also explained that not only is PickWops now a fully vegan pizzeria, but it is also the first (and currently only) one to specialise in alternative dough. I absolutely love this super unique concept and it was so cool getting to choose from the 6 alternative bases offered at PickyWops: hemp, multigrain, burned wheat, kamut, turmeric and spirulina.

Every single pizza on the menu looked insanely delicious so we had a really hard time choosing which ones to order. We eventually decided to order 2 pizzas to share: the vegan parmigiana on a burned wheat base and the today special on a turmeric base with a vegan almond ricotta stuffed crust. Yep, you read that right an almond ricotta stuffed crust!

Believe me when I say that these pizzas were absolutely incredible, like the best pizzas I’ve ever eaten! The toppings were all finely chopped so they flavours fused together perfectly and the parmesan sprinkled on top was the perfect finishing touch. Oh, and btw, the almond ricotta stuffed crust was heavenly!

Not only are the pizzas at PickyWops kinder to the animals and the planet but they also taste absolutely delicious, so I really can’t recommend that you check them out enough!

Head to the PickyWops website to read the full menu and for more details on opening times so that you can plan your trip to pizza heaven. I’m already planning my next visit and which pizza/base combo I want to try out next!

MOD Pizza | Vegan Options

April 6, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

Last night, a bunch of my friends and I headed to MOD Pizza in Leicester Square, and I had to tell you guys about it right away as it’s seriously one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to!

MOD is a build your own pizza (or salad, but let’s be real – PIZZA) place, where you line up in a subwayesque vibe & and choose every single aspect of the pizza, from the sauce, to the type of cheese (including a vegan cheese), to every single topping you could ever dream of!

So here’s what I ordered: classic mod base, tomato sauce, vegan cheese, roasted garlic, mushrooms, red onions & spinach. It was INCREDIBLE and under £10! MOD also has an awesome refillable drink selection, including all your typical soft drinks, iced tea and a whole range of lemonades!

They also do an awesome vegan cheese garlic bread which Matt loved so much that he refused to share!

We all loved the food and friendly vibes at MOD so will definitely be back! There’s a whole range of locations across the UK, so if you’re a pizza lover, be sure to check out your local MOD!

Temple of Hackney | Vegan Fried Chicken

March 22, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

After the ‘Tshirts and totes’ pop-up shop launch party at Friendship Vegan Shoes, Matt and I headed to Temple of Hackney to check out the their famous vegan fried chicken!

The staff in the shop were so welcoming and friendly and there were so many dishes to choose from that we couldn’t decide what to order; so eventually, we decided to try out almost the entire menu and ordered: a burger, a sub, chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, coleslaw and chips!

There’s a small seating area outside but as it was super cold out we decided to take away our huge, and I mean huge, vegan fried chicken feast and eat it in the car (after taking this cute insta-friendly picture)!

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Vs real life

I was amazed at how chicken-like the dishes tasted, so if you liked the taste of fried chicken and want to try a cruelty-free version, then you would love Temple of Hackney! My favourite dishes were the mac n cheese and the coleslaw, whilst Matt loved the burger and fries!

I think it’s so cool that there is now an entirely vegan fast food place in Hackney, and I really hope they expand across London and beyond!

Chez Fred Bournemouth – Vegan Options

March 10, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

After the Portsmouth Vegan Festival a couple of weekends ago, we visited Matt’s Grandma in the beautiful seaside town of Bournemouth. We absolutely love visiting Bournemouth as not only do we get to spend time with Matt’s lovely Grandma and hang out on the sandy beach, but Bournemouth is also filled with vegan-friendly restaurants, including Cosy Club, Amala and Bournemouth Pizza Co., meaning we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to food options.

On our last visit, we decided to check out Chez Fred as it is Matt’s Grandma’s favourite restaurant / take away. As Chez Fred is a fish and chip restaurant, we were planning on just having a chip buttie; however, when Matt called ahead to ask about their vegan options, we were pleasantly surprised by how well they cater for vegetarians and vegans.

Although the bun isn’t vegan, we were told that the veggie burger patty was, so we ordered that with the salad on the side (Matt of course switched out the salad for mushy peas!). The burger was so flavourful and a little spicy, and went amazingly with the unlimited (yes, you read that right – unlimited) chips! There were also a couple of vegan-friendly sides, so be sure to ask your water/waitress which menu items are suitable for vegans.

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We all had an amazing meal, and it’s so great that we now have yet another vegan-friendly restaurant to visit in Bournemouth. With friendly, helpful staff and delicious food, I know that we will definitely be returning to Chez Fred on our next visit to Bournemouth!

Mama Coffee | Vegan in Prague

February 20, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

Today I wanna talk to you guys about Mama Coffee: another awesome place we visited during our trip to Prague. Mama Coffee’s amazingly diverse vegan-friendly menu, coupled with its super cute café vibe made it one of our favourite vegan eateries we visited during our trip.

Firstly, we have to talk about the soya hot chocolate as it was absolutely incredible, like the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had! It was so rich, yet creamy, and was basically like drinking a liquid chocolate shot! I just couldn’t get enough and ordered, let’s say quite a few, during our meal!

For main, we shared four dishes: sundried tomato & sesame paste on toast, pita bread & hummus, the veggie burger, and ukrainian dumplings. We both loved all of them; however the ukrainian dumplings were a definite favourite! They reminded me of the creamy pasta meals I used to have as a child and were so comforting and delicious. The sundried tomato & sesame paste on toast was also such a flavourful and unique dish and for sure something I would order again.

Mama Coffee is an incredible place to visit if you’re looking for delicious and unique vegan options; and luckily it is not alone, as there are plenty more awesome places to get vegan food in Prague. Check out my Prague Vegan Guide to read about all of the places we visited during our trip.

Maitrea Vegan Restaurant | Prague

February 15, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

As promised in my Prague Vegan Guide, this week I am going to be featuring some of my favourite restaurants we visited on our trip; and what better way to start than with Maitrea – the restaurant Matt has dubbed his new favourite restaurant in the entire world! Matt and I loved the food at Maitrea so much in fact that we visited twice during our short time in Prague and ordered the exact same 3 courses to share on both days!

Maitrea is a beautifully decorated vegetarian & vegan restaurant located in Old Town Prague. The vegan and veganisable options (as well as lots of other allergens) are all clearly labelled on the menu, making it easy to see which delicious dishes you can choose from.

We absolutely loved every single dish we ate there; so, if you visit Prague and only have time to visit one vegan restaurant, make it Maitrea!

STARTERS ▷▷▷

To start we shared the veganised tempeh bruschetta and the vegan cream of split pea soup. Maitrea’s unique take on classic bruschetta was bursting with flavour, and the soup was so creamy and comforting.

MAINS ▷▷▷

For main we shared the vegan maitrea vegeburger and the vegan paella à la barcelona. The burger was absolutely delicious and was complimented perfectly by the barbecue sauce, caramelized onion, and tempeh bacon it was served with. The paella was equally delicious and its combination of veggies, sundried tomatoes and tofu created an amazing fusion on flavours.

DESSERTS ▷▷▷

Finally, for dessert we had the warm vegan pancake from the kid’s menu and it was absolutely amazing! The pancake was filled with a delicious chocolate sauce and topped with sweet caramelised bananas and grapes (just typing that out made me want to go back and order 10 of these, not to share!!!)

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As you guys can tell, we fell in love with Maitrea’s incredibly diverse menu and next time we visit Prague, this will for sure be our first stop!

If you’re planning on visiting Maitrea, it’s worth noting that it can get very busy at peak times (which is a testament to how incredible the food is), so be sure to book your table in advance to avoid long wait times. Maitrea also has a sister restaurant – Lehka Hlava – which we didn’t get to visit but their menu looked awesome too, so if you have a chance I’m sure it would be worth a visit!

WHAT TO BUY YOUR VEGAN GIRLFRIEND FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

February 8, 2017Jade Green Vegan1 Comment

At the Greater London Vegan Fair, I got chatting to a lovely customer about ideas of what to buy a vegan girl for Valentine’s Day and I came up with what I’m pretty sure is the perfect present for a vegan girl (hint hint Matt ;)). It’s a creative, vegan twist on traditional Valentine’s gifts; so, if you have a vegan partner and you’re looking to get her something super thoughtful this Valentine’s Day, then this post is for you!

STEP 1: BUY A VEGAN SLOGAN BAG

A vegan slogan bag makes the perfect wrapping for your Valentine’s Day gift, as it is also a great present in itself. There’s a whole range of awesome vegan totes and other bags out there to choose from, including my vegan bag collection which is available at: jadegreenvegan.com/tote-bags/

friends-in-my-heart-fruit-in-my-cart-bag

the-prettiest-thing-you-can-be-is-cruelty-free-makeup-bag

STEP 2: FILL IT WITH AWESOME VEGAN GOODIES

Once you’ve got your vegan bag, get ready to fill it with a whole range of vegan goodies, from food to fashion to thoughtful little extras!

CHOCOLATE & SWEETS

Everyone loves chocolate, and luckily there are now SO many amazing vegan chocolate brands out there, from the simple and sweet bars to extravagant gourmet boxes. In case you’re too spoilt for choice, some of my favourites are: Choices Dairy Free Caramel Chocolates, Vego Bars and iChoc Bars! And, if you’re feeling super fancy, you can always treat her to a box of Booja-Booja truffles. There are also loads of great vegan sweets you can buy; my favourites are definitely the Biona Organic jelly sweets.

JEWELLERY

Etsy has a whole range of awesome vegan jewellery so you’ll be sure to find something to suit every style and price range. I have two beautiful vegan necklaces which would make great gifts, one by Skedaddle Ceramics (on the left) and the other by Love Libby X (on the right).

COSMETICS

Lush have a huge, clearly labelled vegan range so a fragrant Lush bath bomb would make an amazing addition to the goody bag. Or, if you know your girlfriends’ favourite cosmetics brands & products / are feeling very brave, then you could buy her some toiletries or makeup from companies she loves. Two of my favourite vegan cosmetics brands are ELF Cosmetics (which is super inexpensive) and Arbonne.

BOOKS

There are so many great vegan books out there, some of my favourites are The Lucky Ones: My Passionate Fight For Farm Animals and The China Study. The Lucky Ones is a beautiful book written by the founder of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary about her journey to veganism and ultimately founding an animal sanctuary. The China Study is an informational scientific exploration of the health benefits of a plant-based diet.

THOUGHTFUL EXTRAS

Some of my favourite gifts Matt has ever got me are donations to animal charities and animal sanctuary sponsorships. So, if you feel like giving an extra special gift this Valentine’s Day, make a donation to your partner’s favourite animal charity and print out a cute little card explaining what you’ve done to put in the bag (if you’d like any recommendations, a couple of my favourites are Buttercups Sanctuary For Goats and Animal Free Research UK).

Another great little present you could include is a pair of tickets to a vegan festival! There are vegan festivals across the entire UK now so it should be easy to find one near you; check out a comprehensive listing on the Vegfest website.

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I hope this post gave you lots of gift ideas on how to spoil your vegan partner on Valentine’s Day. I know I would absolutely love any of these gifts, especially the animal sanctuary donation, so if she’s anything like me I’m sure your partner will love them too!

And, if your partner’s a guy, don’t worry – I’ve got you covered too! I enlisted Matt’s help to create a guy version of this post, so you can find the perfect gift for the guy in your life.

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*Some links in this post are affiliate meaning if you purchase the product using my link it will not cost you any extra but I may earn a small commission from the sale which helps me to continue to produce free content for you all :).

NEW VEGAN MAKEUP BAGS

February 6, 2017Jade Green VeganLeave a comment

In addition to the new Namaste In With My Dog and Namaste In With My Cat tanks and jumpers that I released last week, I am very happy to share my brand new cosmetics bags with you all! The ‘The Prettiest Thing You Can Be Is Cruelty-Free‘ cosmetics bags come in both black and natural, and are perfect for storing all of your cruelty-free makeup and cosmetics. Grab yourself one of these bags at jadegreenvegan.com/shop and remember that 5% of profit is donated to an animal charity, meaning you can help save lives whilst you shop!

the-prettiest-thing-you-can-be-is-cruelty-free-makeup-bag