Stirchley Summer Vegan Fair line up. Sunday 7th May



This is the full line up for the Stirchley Summer Vegan Fair tomorrow. 

All these fantastic stalls will be at the Stirchley Summer Vegan Fair this Sunday:

Caterers

ChangeKitchen CIC 
Mex It Up 

Greens Vegan Catering 

Up Raw Catering 

De Fruit Bar 

Raw Organic Kay 

Global Fusion Vegan Creole Bakery 

** Cakes & Confectionery **
The May Bakery 
Debs’ Pantry 

Trishul Raw Chocolate 

Vegan Cake Fairy 

Cakes & ish 

Lakeside Ethical Treats 

Flo’s Kitchen 

The Vegan Food Pod 

Deliciously Honest 

Other Food and Drink:

Go With The Fro 
Annie Mae Cheezy Spreadz 

Nature’s Kitchen 

Butterbelle 

Badgers Dairy & Egg Free 

The Naturally Vegan Food Company 

Jethros Marinades and Sauces 

The Happy Gut Hut 

Besos UK 

Vork pie 

Purely Vegan Store

Clothing and Accessories 

WEAR YOUR VOICE 
Follow The River 

Viva La Vegan 

RogueGypsy 

** Cosmetics & Toiletries ** 
Bohemian Chic Minerals Vegan Cosmetics 
Organik Orangutan 

Clean&Natural 

Eden Perfumes 

Manns Eco Garden 

Bien-être 

** Rescues & Campaigns ** 
Grace’s Rest 
Kozy Katz

Sea Shepherd Supporters UK 

Rudi’s Rescue 

Cats Protection 

Birmingham Animal Action 

Other Stalls:

V Active Cookbooks
Green Badger Arts

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

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Brum Vegan Beer and food festival 15th and 16th July 2016.


   
  

Hurray! It’s that time of year again. 

The legendary Brum Vegan Beer Fest is nearly upon us, with a lip smacking line up of local Brewers for thirsty beer drinkers to try. Of course you don’t have to be Vegan or Veggie to love them, but it sure helps. 

Last years event was one of the best and most fun times I’ve had since I begin my blog. Just quality Berra and friendly and happy chatter that makes this event unique in the Birmingham Summer calender. 

This year there are twelve local breweries involved in its ever expanding drink fest. A varied selection of brews hosted by the daddy of them all Two Towers Brewery in their Gunmakers Arms pub in the City Centre. 

Food is also on offer from The Vegan Grindhouse. Sadly ChangeKitchen CIC will no longer be in attendance. (Details of dishes to come when I have them).

   
 

The Beer List:

Bar 1.

Freedom Brewery: Authentic lager, 4% (pale).
Freedom Authentic has a citrus nose, and sweet malt and roasted cereal aromas. It’s well-balanced, with a bitter finish.

Rocknroll Brewhouse: Bramble On, 4.7% (pale). 
A stronger strength version of one of our popular pale ales, single hopped with British Bramling Cross hops.

Sacre Brew: Sirenia, 4.1% (pale). 

Citrussy American-style wheat beer. Brewed with lemongrass, orange & lemon peels, coriander seed, and chamomile.

Two Towers Brewery: Chamberlain Pale Ale, 4.5% (pale). 

A crisp, light, well-hopped traditional pale ale that yields the flavours of four carefully balanced hops with considerable, but not overwhelming, fruits finishing with long traditional sweet, biscuit malt and very pleasant distinctive nutty flavours.

Two Towers Brewery: Demon beer, 4.1% (pale). 

A rich IPA with a syrupy body. Mango and orange flavours give way to hints of lemon & grapefruit with a long lasting finish.

Two Towers Brewery:  Hockley Gold, 4.1% (amber).

This is a sweet, deep gold-coloured ale with a distinctive syrupy texture surrounding subtle fruit flavours, all underpinned by that fulfilling malt undertone providing the Two Towers characteristic ‘long’ final palette. 
Two Towers Brewery: Jewellery Porter, 5% (dark).

An outstanding, highly-acclaimed, full-bodied stout with a thick texture, producing a complex range of tastes that include coffee, chocolate and toffee with a delightful array of subtle fruit notes.

Two Towers Brewery: Number 11, 4.3% (pale).

An ale perfect to reflect a warm summer’s day, with floral notes hitting you on the nose and in the flavour profile. The fruit and light malt flavours give way to a very long bitter but smooth and long lasting finish. 

Bar 2:

The Backyard Brewhouse: Summer, 4% (pale). 

Golden straw ale. This is not a ginger beer but a beer infused with ginger. Aroma of ginger, lime and spice with a light crisp refreshing flavour without being over powering.

Cradock’s Brewery: Stout, 4.5% (dark). 

This black beer has been brewed to capture all the joys of stout without being too heavy. It owes its depth to the blend of roasted malts and a subtle use of hops. (cask).

Fixed Wheel Brewery  The Kaiser, 5.0% (pale)

Our German wheat beer in honour of Tour legend Jan Ullrich, big banana flavours on a vienna and pils base topped of with melon flavours from the new German hop huell melon.

The Fownes Brewing Company: Upper Gornal bitter, 3.8% (amber). 

Traditional Gornal bitter malt profile with a modern hopping regime.

Green Duck Beer Co’ Hoppy Hopkins, 4.6% (pale). 

A stramash of high alpha hops combine to give a super hoppy bitter beer with citrus and herbal flavours.

Kinver Brewery: Swallow’s T’Ale, 4.1% (pale). 

A light golden bitter, brewed with a selection of English and American hops.

Twisted Barrel Ale Brewery and Tap House, Export India Porter, 6% (dark). 

A hoppy roasted porter with huge coffee aroma and a lasting bitter finish thanks to the liberal use of Cascade, Chinook and Columbus.

Weatheroak Hill Brewery, Cofton Common, 4.9% (pale/amber) 
An Ale for Lager drinkers and a Lager for Ale drinkers! Cofton Common is our Hybrid Lager, brewed with German Noble Tettnanger hops and then fermented at low temperatures for a clean flavour profile. We leave Cofton Common to mature in a cold cellar for at least 4 weeks before serving, as is traditional with German lager brewing. 

The Vienna malt gives this beer a dry lightly biscuity backbone that tastes equally good as a winter warmer or a crisp, refreshing summer ale.

It looks a fantastic line up and should be an amazing two days celebrating llocal Vegan friendly beers with two outstanding Vegan foodstops.

Cheers 🍺🍺🍴

Thanks for reading,

Andy 😊

 

   
    
 Thanks to Tim, Birmingham Urban Sketchers for the Art Work from last years event.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Birminghamurbansketchers/

http://www.gunmakersarms.com/

http://twotowersbrewery.co.uk/

https://m.facebook.com/Brum-Vegan-Beer-Fest-1547216718922084/

Gayani’s Kitchen: Sri Lankan Vegetarian Delights, Supper Club 12th June 2015. 


If like me you’ve not been to a Supper Club before, due to the lack of Vegetarian dishes on offer, then fear not as Gayani’s Kitchen is providing a Vegetarian Supper Club on Friday 12th June. Gayani cooks Sri Lankan food and from the comfort of her home you can enjoy this little found  (in Birmingham anyway) cuisine. 

Sri Lankan food has its influences in Colonial powers, foreign traders, and the Kerala region of India. The island has a history as a spice producer so dishes reflect that. 

Gayani cooks mostly indigineous vegetarian dishes. The foreign influenced food has mostly meat and fish in it. 

Tickets are priced at £20 per person and can be booked via her website: 

Here:

http://gayanisgoldustkitchen.com/supper%20clubs.html

http://gayanisgoldustkitchen.com/index.html

Gayani also provides cookery workshops for £20 pp for groups of 4  or more. 

Gayani also has her own curry powder called Gold Dust that can be ordered via her website. 

http://www.gayanisgolddustkitchen.com

Thanks for reading

Andy 😊

@Gayani2Gayani

   

Banana blossoms curry

  

Lentils, and coconut salad, green beans

  

Beetroot curry, lentils, curry bean baddum, and spicy green Mallum. 

  

Mix veg mild curry, cooked in coconut milk.

  

Green mango curry

  

Cassava with coconut sambol.

 

Gotukola herb, snake beans curry. Banan blossoms Badum and coconut Sambal and rice.

  
Mushroom curry. 

All photos courtesy of Gayani’s Kitchen. With thanks. 

Spring is here, long live Spring: The Spring Market @ The Bond, Digbeth, Birmingham 


  This Saturday 18th April, The Bond in Fazeley Street Digbeth will be home to a fun packed Spring Seasonal market. 

Jam packed with Street Food, DJ’s, music,  artisan food producers, local arts and artists, a cocktail caravan and the Routemaster bus bar there will be more going on than any one person can manage without the aid of good grub and top drinks. 

Street traders already confirmed include a few Digbeth Dining Club regulars. It should be a feast and yes even for vegetarians, and vegans there is enough food to fill us up for a coue of days at least. 

On the podium are:

Award winning Top veggie dogs, Fresh Rootz, bringing there veggie, vegan world street food (Pakoras anyone)  

 from their converted caravan. British root vegetables turned into contemporary world fusion dishes, inspired by travelling and yes the sunshine. 

Also good for veggies are Delize Italiane, arancini balls, and tiramisu, (not at the same time mind) 

Buddha Belly- Thai heaven with plenty of veggie and vegan options. 

Fire and Slice: pizza including both veggie and vegan. 

Pietanic: pies and pies, including veggie. Try Sweet Potato, Goats cheese and Spinach. 

Cake Doctor: cakes by the cake load and yes good for your health, a doctor no less, gluten free and vegan cakes too. 

Bournville Waffle Company: waffles of loveliness. 

Plus original patty men, Gamekeeper, and Hungry Toad. 

Regulars on the street food scene in Brum. 

I’m sure there is more, so I will add when I’ve found them or they’ve told me they are veggie friendly. 

Artisan Food producers will include Pips Hot Sauce. 

For a standard entry of £1.50, children go free. 

Plus if you are Independent Birmingham card holders you get 50p off entry. 

So that’s a whole solid £1 entry. 

The Bond is on Fazeley Street off Heath Mill Lane near the Custard Factory. 

Be there or be stuck…well in Winter. 

   

      Marino Adrift, above creates beautiful and unique alternatives to the standard house plant, will have a stall at the Spring Market. @marimoadrift

The Cake Doctor (below) 

      

The Bond 180 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, B5 5SE. 

Seasonalmarkets.co.uk

@seasonalmarkets

Facebook: birminghamspringmarket

Freshrootz.co.uk

Fresh Rootz, also have a cafe at Ryton Organic Gardens near Coventry open from Wednesday- Sunday serving veggie and vegan food. 

 

#TastyMorsels: Cruelty Free Christmas Fair and Digmas @ the Custard factory Saturday 20/12


This Saturday the 20th seems to be the climax of Birmingham’s December Festive seasonal foodie calender.

It’s a bit like buses, you wait around for ages and then three turn up at once.

I’ve mentioned Brum Yum Yum KingshEATh already, but two more events also going on in or near the City Centre.

First off is, The Birmingham Cruelty Free Christmas Fair at Carrs Lane Church Centre B4 7SX in the City Centre.

From 10.30-4pm 30 stalls will be offering a wide variety of animal free products, chocolate, cosmetics, cakes, recipe books, soaps, sweets, and gifts and much more with delicious vegan catering from ChangeKitchen whom I’m big fans of and much more fresh food stalls and nibbles to tempt you.

http://www.changeKitchen.co.uk

@changeKitchen

Also, stbestcaterers, will be bringing top quality food, the best in Caribbean cuisine will be showcasing too.

http://www.stbestcaterers.co.uk
@stbestcaterers

Run by West Midlands Vegan Fest, promoting veganism in the West Midlands including free food fairs and events.

http://www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk

Supporting local Animal Sanctuaries, campaigning groups and small ethical traders. The fair will be free entry and run from 10.30am-4pm.

The second event is Digmas 12pm-6pm at The Custard Factory in Digbeth, Birmingham.

The Christmas Fair will be an alternative day out and be the best of local traders, Street food, a pop up bar and entertainment.

Digbeth Dining Club will be doing the food and for veggies and vegans the esteeemed Vegan Grindhouse will be there along with The
Bournville Waffle Company.

Alfie Birds another Veggie Foodie Favourite will be provideing the drinks with a pop up bar- including craft beer, Bailey’s Hot Choc, and Christmas Cocktails.

Street food and bar running until 8pm.

Plus, there will be live music, an Urban Village Vintage fair, and a Mockingbird Theatre treats (see website) plus other independent luminaries from The Custard Factory to tempt and loosen your purse strings.

So catch them both if you can, 🙂

Digmas @ the Custard Factory 20th December 12pm-6pm.

http://www.thecustardfactory.co.uk/digmas for full programme.

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Thanks for reading 🙂

@andydhare

Pika Pika Pop up @Cherry Reds Kings Heath


Sometimes the best meals you eat are the ones that are not planned, but are spontaneous. Ruth and I hadn’t planned to eat at Cherry Reds in Kings Heath, but at Fletchers bar, but because they had chef problems we found ourselves there instead.

We wanted to escape the cardboard boxes that were sitting in our new house, having moved in on that day and feeling tired and hungry we chose well. That’s the thing with Kings Heath, you can eat well 🙂

On arriving at Cherry Reds we were told that they had the Pika Pika pop up on tonight and they had a free table..Hurray!

I’d wanted to visit the pop up for awhile, as they seemed to have very good and varied vegetarian options , but hadn’t got round to it. So it was a good opportunity.

Cherry Reds in Kings Heath is a very inviting place with a cool, chilled vibe and atmosphere, alternative, and cosy. It’s well known for its pop ups, and Pika Pika is one that has a good reputation. The service in Cherry Reds is friendly, and they do excellent food, both day and evenings, from breakfasts to dinner and superb cocktails and world beers and ale.

Pika Pika are a Japanese catering company and they run a Japanese food pop up restaurant every 2nd Monday at Cherry Reds in Kings Heath. The food consists of Home made Japanese starters, snacks, and sides and main courses. Some of the food is to share. A full desert menu is available from Cherry Reds on the night. There is as i’ve said a wide choice of vegetarian options, both main course and smaller sharing tapas like dishes. Menus change every month.

The main course dish we both ate on the night was called Vegetarian Nikujaga: which is mixed vegetables with a shirataki noodles, cooked in a pot with special soya sauce, served with boiled rice and Pika Pika salad.

We both really enjoyed the dish, deliciously flavoured and with a contrasting noodle and vegetable flavours with a lovely soya sauce biting through it. The rice was also delicious served round, a lovely main course and introduction to Pika Pika’s food.

We followed this up with a beautiful Cherry Reds Chocolate brownie, sorry no photo, but it was very good indeed.

I also enjoyed a couple of English Staffordshire lagers and Ruth had a couple of glasses of white wine.

We both enjoyed our first visit to the Pika Pika pop up. The vegetarian options on the menu change monthly to keep them fresh and to entice vegetarians to eat their every month, and certainly a return visit is very likely, as the food we ate was well made and of good value and in the cool and chilled atmosphere of Cherry Reds is a good way of spending a Monday evening.

For bookings contact Cherry Reds on contact number below.

We paid for our meal in full. My opinions are my own and honest.

wearepikapika.tumblr.com

@wearepikapika

Cherry Reds Kings Heath
16 York Road,
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7RZ

0121 441 3155

@ilovecherryreds

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#TASTY MORSEL: EDIBLE EASTSIDE A CONTEMPORARY URBAN GARDEN AND ALLOTMENT


Edible Eastside in Digbeth, Birmingham is run by Urban Grain Social Enterprise partnership C.I.C is a unique, vibrant and contemporary urban garden covering a quarter of an acre of canal side land. A former gas filling station converted into a pop up garden ‘edible park’ using temporary containers and raised beds.

http://www.edibleeastside.net

Edible Eastside supply businesses and educational institutions a space in the city to master the art of horticulture. They rent out raised beds to local people, city workers, and dwellers to grow produce and to develop their horticlture skills.

Edible Eastside also provide a cookery school and cafe and provide support to community groups who are growing vegetables, herbs, flowers and are interesetd in horticulture.

Edible Eastside also promote urban food production in the city and aim to create a spontaneous landscape and raise the profile of food and urban agriculture in Birmingham.

Edible Eastside also sell produce to restaurants in the city such as vegetarian Bistro 1847 whose development chef Alex visits every week to pick flowers, herbs and garnish for the beautiful vegetarian dishes created every day.

See my previous review on Bistro 1847’s new grazing, sharing exploring menu.

I was fortunate to visit Edible Eastside with Alex of Bistro 1847, and as a keen grower of vegetables (with some success) and lots of un-success 🙂 finding a peaceful and creative space that is like an oasis near the canal amongst factories and creative businesses and is the inspiration behind the beautiful dishes created by Alex.

It was very inspirational and gave me lots of ideas on how to use raised beds and containers and how plants can grow compatabily together in a small urban space.

In September this year Edible Eastside began an exciting partnership with Hotel La Tour nearby in Birmingham City Centre to provide a roof top garden where the restaurant of the hotel, Grill La Tour will grow their own fruit and vegetables for use in their kitchen.

It’s an exciting opportunity to develop a space that can bring the source of the food closer to the kitchen and respond to seasonality and to their guests requests more directly. Good for vegetarians 🙂

Visitors to the hotel will also be able to visit the roof top garden. The garden will be maintained by Hotel La Tour in house. Offering a unique experience to staff who work in the kitchen who will experience a from the ground to the plate philosophy.

Next year Edible Eastside will be merging with Kitchen School http://www.kitchenschool.co.uk to form one organisation offering a range of culinary services and food spaces.

Edible Eastside is a unique social enterprise C.I.C a place to grow, cook, and eat your very own food an asset to any city, but certainly one to Birmingham and its community.

Edible Eastside
122 Fazeley Street,
Digbeth,
B5 5RS

07970 730 646

http://www.facebook.com/edible-eastside

Twitter @edibleeastside

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Last three photos taken in Bistro 1847.

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#VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN FOOD HERO: CHANGEKITCHEN CIC. AWARD WINNING VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN EVENT CATERING


I came accross ChangeKitchen CIC Community Interest company via Twitter when I began my Vegetarian Food blog six months ago.

ChangeKitchen are an award winning vegetarian and vegan catering company and social enterprise based in Birmingham and to me is a real vegetarian and vegan food hero in the city.

http://www.changekitchen.co.uk

ChangeKitchen cater for corporate events, weddings, civil partnerships, and community gatherings and run a monthly pop up cafe.

ChangeKitchen offer innovative vegetarian and vegan menus, using local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. The idea is to provide, create and serve dleicious and healthy, nuritious and ethical dishes that can be shared and enjoyed by all.

A sound philosophy 🙂

Birgit Kehrer is the individual behind the enterprise. She is a passionate vegetarian and entrepreneur who has developed the idea of the business through her love of growing vegetables as a child (see website for her story)

She plays a key hands on role in all that Change Kitchen do. She is the lead cook, trainer, and business manager and currently runs a programme of community workshops and training (See website) and can be contacted on 07828 825 850.

ChangeKitchen are proud to cook for disadvantaged and socailly excluded people and have worked with SIFA (who work with the homeless).

They also provide a 5 a day budget cookery class( see website for details)

Their food philosophy is about sharing a meal. The food is fully vegetarian (always with vegan and gluten-free options) and everyone shares food from the table, bringing people together, celebrating diversity through good healthy dishes and the community. Food from all over the world is served.

Their cafe is now permanently at Stirchley Baths in Stirchley. 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/vegiefoodie.com/2016/02/01/vegetarian-change-kitchen-now-serving-at-stirchley-baths-birmingham/amp/?client=safari

ChangeKitchen are a real vegetarian and vegan food hero providing innovative, healthy and nutritious food which supports a healthy life style and healthy community.

Has anyone been to a ChangeKitchen? What did you think?

ChangeKitchen CIC

2-4 Bournville Lane, Stirchley, Birmingham,B30 2JT

http://www.facebook/changekitchen

@changekitchen

Birgit.Kehrer@changekitchen.co.uk

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TALL POPPY FOODS: VEGETARIAN/VEGAN FOOD WITH GOOD TASTE


Tall Poppy Foods are a small family based food company based in the Selly Oak area of Birminghamthat specialises in delicious 100% Vegan Foods.

Tall Poppy Foods have been running since October 2012 selling cupcakes online and catering for events. such as weddings, with wedding cakes. They can also be seen at farmers markets.

Their mission is to break the stereotype that Vegan and Vegetarian food together can put a bad taste in people’s mouths, and believe that good tasting food should be available to everyone whatever their dietry requirements.

Tall Poppy Foods cakes are dairy, egg, honey, lactose, and animal by product free and are lovely. They are 100% suitable for vegetarians and vegans and their ingredients are ethically sourced. Tall Poppy foods use organic flour from renowned millers Shipton Mill.

I have enjoyed their cup cakes at Veg Out Cafe in Kings Heath, they taste beautiful.

Tall Poppy foods provide foods and cakes for all occasions and deliver 15-20 miles from Birmingham. They can deliver further if they have advanced notice.

They can be contacted via their website http://www.tallpoppyfoods.co.uk
Their website has full details of their products.

Tall Poppy Foods also sell gourmet coffee, wraps and sandwiches, and real fruit smoothies.

They are a real vegetarian/vegan food hero.

Twitter: @TallPoppyFoods
Facebook/ TallPoppyCakes

email them for orders also at info@TallPoppyFoods.co.uk

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#TASTYMORSELS: YIPSY MACARONS: HANDMADE MACARONS


I was fortunate a couple of weeks ago to be offered a complimentary selection of Yipsy Macarons to sample which I was most pleased about by Angela Yip-founder of Yipsy Macarons.

Fuelled by her passion for baking and love for Macarons Yipsy was founded by Angela Yip who left the world of finance and set up her own business making macarons.

Macarons are light, small meringue cookies made of almond flour, egg white, and sugar in a smooth colourful shell with little ‘feet’ sandwiched by a tasty ganache, buttercream, or curd filling. They come in different flavours.

They are not to be confused with macaroons that have no filling and are made from honey and coconut.

Angela delivered the macarons to me herself and they came in a secure pack of six different flavours, presented beautifully and peeking out of the packaging very temptingly.

I wasn’t allowed to open them until Ruth came home from work, so had to put them out of temptations way until the evening. 🙂

They came in six different flavours, they were superb and so pretty and suitable for vegetarians.

Not only did they look stunning on the plate, but were perfect little morsels of sweet seduction. They just melted in the mouth, each one unique, the flavours were delicious, the strawberry and pistachio and chocolate went down well. They were chewy, creamy and crisp, very indulgent and perfectly handmade.

Yipsy Macarons are available from their website http://www.yipsymacarons.com as a atreat for yourself, a loved one, or for a party or wedding. They make a lovely gift for a food loving friend or partner. Ideal for a celebration or as a wedding centre piece.

Prices start at 12 macarons for £15.00, great value for the handmade craft involved.

The Macarons are wrapped with secure packaging and hand delivered in the West Midlands or within 2 days via Royal Mail for £4.00.

They can be gift wrapped for an extra £2.00.

See the website for full details of packages and offers.

http://www.yipsymacarons.com

For that special indulgence that is different and perfectly handmade they can’t be beat.

The best macarons we had ever tasted was the comment:)

Thanks to Angela for the sample pack of Yipsi Macarons Ruth and I loved them and look forward to re ordering soon.

Angela@yipsymacarons.com

@yipsymacarons Twitter

http://www.facebook.com/yipsymacarons

Mobile: 07707109901

The Macarons were a complimentary sample. No product review was requested. All opinions are my own and honest.

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