Vegan Vox Reviews...Out of This World - Leeds

I recently travelled to Leeds for a wedding, and whilst I was there I stumbled upon this gem of a food store, right in the centre of the city, opposite the Corn Exchange. 

Out of the World, has a huge selection of goods on offer - mainly organic, ethically traded, whole foods and produce. They are not entirely vegan but more than half of the stock is vegan-friendly and includes a huge range of nuts, seeds, pulses, fruit, vegetables, crisps, chocolates, drinks, vegan cheeses, mock meats, ready meals, snacks and so much more. They have a lovely range of cruelty-free cosmetics and toiletries, cleaning products and non-food items too. 

One of the things which I enjoyed was the hot/cold food counter selling Sos-Rolls, sandwiches, cakes, muffins, pasties etc - loads of vegan choices.

A Sun-Dried Tomato Sos-Roll

The drinks range is huge, from organic fairly traded teas and coffees to wines, beers, juices and soft drinks.

The prices are average for this type of store and the range is better than many other independent heath food shops I have visited.

Here are some of the goodies I purchased:

Equinox Kombucha

Whole Earth Cola

Tyrrell's Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper Crisps

Organic Rooibos Caffeine-Free Tea

If you are ever in the Leeds area, it is definitely worth paying a visit to Out of This World. I will be returning.

Where are your favourite vegan-friendly food shops? Let me know in the comments below.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Naked Rescue Haircare

A few months ago I purchased Superdrug's vegan haircare range and whilst it is okay, it didn't leave my dry, very curly, very long hair feeling great. So I ventured down the high street in search of a vegan friendly haircare range which was more natural and hopefully better suited to my haircare needs without breaking the bank. I found it! Naked Rescue is a range of haircare products sold in Boots.

I found out more about the company on their website and found out that they are free from harmful chemicals, ethically sourced, have environmentally friendly packaging and don't test on animals.

So onto the products themselves. They have a range of bath, beauty and hair products. I have only tried the shampoo and conditioner so far, but they have left my hair feeling soft, shiny, feeling manageable and smelling good. I definitely want to try out more of the range now. All of the products are vegetarian and have not been tested on animals. The majority of the products are vegan. There are a few items which are not vegan friendly due to honey or beeswax but these are listed on the website and clearly labelled on the bottles. Naked also have a gluten-free range and a range for children and expectant mothers.

The items can be purchased online through their website and in Boots stores. They deliver overseas for those of you reading this outside of the UK.

What are your favourite vegan haircare brands? Leave me a comment below and share them with us all. Make sure you come back tomorrow for a brand new Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

From the company website:

The Naked story began when a mum of two was looking for affordable products to use on her children who had very sensitive skin. Scanning the list of ingredients she was not happy with what she read, considering all the other messages she was reading were about ‘nasties’ and ‘baddies’ in food and drink. At that point no one was questioning ingredients in branded toiletries so she decided to do something about it.

So Naked was born with a clear and simple concept – a brand that is safe, natural and free from harmful chemicals but is priced for everyday use. It can be used by women, men, babies, children and even the odd pampered pooch! We use the best natural ingredients with specific actions and real benefits, which still smell and feels like a special treat. But we don’t take ourselves too seriously despite our strict criteria!

From the beginning, we wanted Naked to use only ethically sourced ingredients and we pride ourselves on using the best environmentally friendly packaging available, currently 50% PCR (Post Consumer Recycled) in all our bottles. We are also proud to support initiatives like the Oxfam Shinyanga project which brings clean water to children in Tanzania, something we take for granted every time we jump into the shower.

Naked is not expensive and exclusive, yet it’s still desirable, ethical and environmentally friendly, but manages to look cool (and hopefully it will make you smile)! Above we want to give you fabulous products which feel and smell good despite what we leave out of the ingredient list..... We believe this is goodness in a bottle!

Vegan Vox Reviews...Essential Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Almeida

This week on VVR I am reviewing Essential Vegan Cookbook by Vanessa Almeida. On Tuesday, Vanessa shared her Chocolate Cheesecake recipe with us here at Vegan Vox Blog and this book is full of more delicious recipes which are just as simple and tasty.

Vanessa Almeida is an accomplished Brazilian vegan chef based in London. Having moved to England with her husband Neni in 2007, Vanessa spent the last few years responding to the diverse range of cuisine peppered across the UK capital by crafting a sumptuous collection of plant-based dishes. With a background in nutrition studies (specialising in veganism), Vanessa thrills in educating her blog readers on how they can incorporate healthy and hassle-free food into their everyday lives. Her Essential Vegan site is a popular destination for vegan recipes and preparation tips.

Essential Vegan Cookbook is a visually stunning collection of over 60 tasty and delicious recipes inspired by the author’s colourful life experiences. Satisfying her desire to educate and inspire others in the kitchen, Vanessa likes nothing more than combining healthy ingredients to create delicious recipes, proving that vegan food needn’t ever compromise on flavour. A unique component of Essential Vegan is the inclusion of health tips listed by ingredient, featured throughout the book in easy to find, miniature chopping board graphics.

With dishes ranging from vegan versions of Brazilian staples to luscious dairy-free cheesecakes, Essential Vegan Cookbook is the perfect companion for both seasoned vegan eaters and those looking to include more plant-based eating in their lives. This world-class collection of easy-to-prepare, healthy meal ideas is sure to be a hit in any kitchen. 

There are some lovely recipes in the book which Vanessa has shared with me including Marinated Aubergines, Chocolate Cheesecake and Tofu Minced Meat. I have tried a couple of these recipes so far and they are easy to follow and taste fab! This would make a great Christmas gift for the vegan in your life. 

Essential Vegan Cookbook is available to buy online at essentialvegan.co.uk. Images used with permission from essentialvegan.co.uk/Vanessa Almeida.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

The Ordinary Vegan - Hip Dippers

                                          

This week on TOV I am featuring Hip Dippers. This is a range of savoury snacks, baked breadsticks and salsas sold in Home Bargains. All of the products I have found for sale in my local branch are vegan (except for the sour cream dip), but only labelled as vegetarian. However, I have checked for dairy, honey or additives and have found no animal products on the ingredients lists.

First up are these Sundried Tomato and Black Olive mini breadsticks, they have a lovely flavour and are very crunchy, so hold dips well.

Next up is this Super Cool Salsa. They also do a Hot Salsa if you prefer some spice. This is a chunky and refreshing salsa with lots of flavour, lovely with the breadsticks or spread on crackers, nachos or in quesadillas.

The final product I tried was the Chilli and Garlic baked breadsticks, these were spicy and tangy and were lovely with the super cool salsa.

                                   

These chips and dips retail for around 89p for the breadsticks and 69p for the salsas so they are really good value and great to take to a party or just munch on whilst watching a DVD in front of the fire.

If homemade food is more your style, come back tomorrow for another fab Vegan Recipe of the Week.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx

Vegan Vox Reviews...222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant - London

I visited this restaurant in Kensington, London last year before I started this blog and therefore do not have any photos of my food for you. However, I had such a great meal and experience that I wanted to review it for you anyway.

222 Veggie Vegan was my first ever visit to an all vegetarian restaurant. We visited at lunchtime for the buffet and I'm so glad I did. Everything on the lunchtime buffet was vegan with half of the dishes raw and gluten-free too.

The lunch buffet is great value for money, with an all you can eat sit in meal for £7.50 or a take out box for £5.50. I tried some of every option on the buffet - there was stir fry, noodles, salads, curry and rice.

I washed it down with a glass of organic agave-sweetened cola. All of the food is low fat, low salt, non-GMO, contains no artificial ingredients and is organic. They had clear labels on gluten-free and wheat-free options. They will make up allergy free specials on request and they had a hot soup and fresh bread option at lunch as well.

222 is a small restaurant but it wasn't overly busy when we visited. I have heard that it can get very busy in the evenings when they offer the full menu which is available to look at here.

The chef, Ben has been a vegan for a long time and is committed to great, healthy, vegan freshly cooked food - no frying or microwaves allowed!

The buffet is served 12-15:30 and dinner 17:30-22:30.

You can find 222 Veggie Vegan at:

222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant

222 North End Road

West Kensington

London W14 9NU

It is a few minutes walk from West Kensington and West Brompton underground stations. I can't wait to go back in the evening and try the a la carte menu, I've heard on the vegan grapevine that the burger is amazing! Lunch Buffet 5/5.

What are your recommendations for great value tasty vegan lunch restaurants? Comment below and let me know.

Big Vegan Love,

VVx