If you're vegan or vegetarian and you live in London, then like me you'll probably delight in the fact that there's now a regular market, open every Saturday from 10am - 4pm, dedicated to incredible vegan street food. Or, if you're visiting London, a trip here should definitely be on the itinerary, because it's like coming to a free mini vegan food festival, except you can just wander in and out at any time, and with a really laid-back atmosphere. Pretty much every taste or craving is catered for, almost to the point where there's TOO MUCH to choose from. The solution to this? Bring as many friends as possible so you can all try something different and sample a bit of each other's food. Or just keep coming back, that works too. To help you decide what to opt for, or just to inspire you to give this little gem a visit, here's a (non-exhaustive) list of some of the delights on offer.
Your Guide To Vegan Broadway Market
(London Fields Primary School, Westgate St, London E8 3RU )
Eat chay - In Vietnamese, chay means vegan. Their food is an incredible fusion of punchy, fresh flavours, with a modern twist on Vietnamese and Korean classics. For example, their Korean BBQ banh mi (baguette) stuffed with incredibly ‘meaty’ grilled soy based strips, pickled carrots, fresh herbs, mushroom walnut pate, spicy mayo, and crispy onions is street food at its finest. Also on the menu is a lemongrass Chick'n banh mi and a hearty Vietnamese noodle salad, so there's something for everyone.
Kally Cooks – Indian food is one of my favourite cuisines, and what better example of how to do it properly than Kally Cooks. Offering up a street food feast - you can get cauliflower and quinoa spiced cakes, perfectly tender rice, rich aubergine puree (slow-cooked for six hours), homemade coriander & apple chutney, plus a mint, lemon & carrot yoghurt dressing, all for just £7.50. It's great to know that while Kally creates the most amazing-tasting food, she also commits to ensuring the meals are as healthy and nourishing as possible. What's more, Kally gives employment training and mentoring opportunities to women who have received hardship - way to go Kally!
I am nut ok – these spreads, made from nuts and a few other simple ingredients, are pure genius. They're seriously tasty, and can be used to spread on crackers, as a dip for pitta / veg, as a flavoursome sandwich filling, or pretty much any other occasion where you'd otherwise use hummus or a cheese spread. They have three distinctly different flavours: ‘Cashewlater’ – a creamy, cheesy, cashew spread; ‘Smokeydokey’ – a bold-flavoured (and a bit spicy) smoked cashew cream; and my personal favourite ‘Foiegeddaboutit’ – a walnut and mushroom pate, flavoured with a hint of truffle for a really rich flavour. They have free tasting samples on offer so you can try them out before choosing your favourite to buy and take home with you.
We are ima – think of vegan sushi and you probably think of avocado or cucumber rolls. And, while there's nothing wrong with that, thanks to ima vegan sushi can be way more exciting and imaginative. They create beautiful sushi 'burritos' stuffed with BBQ pulled sweet potato or Katsu cauliflower. And their fresh sushi sets contain awesome flavour combinations like sweet chilli tofu, sweet potato & avocado, and asparagus with their special pickle spread.
Veeg London – these guys create healthy and tasty vegan street food dishes, centred around seasonal, locally sourced vegetables, and packed with punchy herbs and spices. Their food is inspired from around the globe, with incredible dishes such as: butternut squash and chickpea curry; vegan meatballs in tomato, basil and oregano sauce; and Moroccan vegetable tagine – all served on bulgar wheat or soft Jasmine rice for £6. The perfect kind of food to thoroughly warm and nourish you, just what we need at this time of year!
Dees Table - we all need some more Jamaican sunshine in our lives, and Dee's Table comes as close to transporting us to paradise as we could possibly hope while in wintery London. They serve up modern vegan Jamaican food that's to die for. Grab some vegan jerk 'ribs' with ginger beer BBQ sauce, on a coco-roti stuffed with plantain and callaloo. You can also devour some warming red pea soup or their deliciously flaky patties filled with perfectly spiced sweet potato and lentils.
Leles London – while Lele's cafe is open every day on Lower Clapton Road serving up delicious vegan food and coffee, they also have a stall at Broadway Vegan Market (and Victoria Park Market on Sundays) selling jaw-dropping patisserie cakes and tarts that are worthy of any high-end window display in Paris. Grab something sweet to round off your street food experience or buy some treats to take home with you - they have a great selection for any taste - fruity tarts, rich chocolatey brownies, and spectacular cakes like the Oreo raw cheesecake that was stopping everyone (including me) in their tracks!
A match made in heaven – great hummus and pitta chips for dipping. ChicP makes amazingly healthy and colourful vegetable hummus. And the best part? Eating ChicP hummus is helping to tackle food waste, because the dips are made from surplus or wonky raw vegetables that would otherwise be thrown away. Flavours include: carrot, ginger and turmeric; beetroot, horseradish and sage; and a mega herby green hummus. Use it as a spread, dolloped on salads, or best of all, dipped with Soffles Pitta Chips - bags of roasted pitta chips in amazing flavours: chilli & garlic; or rosemary and thyme. They're made with simple fresh ingredients and then oven roasted in a little olive oil until crunchy... genius!
Nini organics – Vegan Broadway Market has impressive goodies to offer other than food. You can also take away some indulgent vegan beauty products like Nini's 100% natural and organic oils, balms, scrubs, and masks. Their original products are tested on themselves and other Nini fans – never on animals, plus everything's hand-made on a small scale so they have 100% control over quality. Everyone deserves some pampering now and again, especially in the middle of winter, so why not do it in organic, cruelty-free style!
Liha beauty - this amazing duo combine the rich botanical life of West Africa with traditional English aromatherapy. And I love that they just make a few products - because you know that they can concentrate on making those few products really, really good. Treat yourself or get someone a unique gift such as their shea butter, idan oil, or their handmade African black soap. These natural and organic products are handmade in small batches in Hackney (and Cheltenham), they're 100% vegan, and made with simple natural ingredients that your skin will love.
Jackpot nut spread – double roasted salted peanuts and a little rapeseed oil are the only simple ingredients that go into this delicious PB. The result is an amazing natural flavour and a unique creamy consistency. And guess what? Jackpot also supports the Music Venue Trust, giving the local live music community a welcome boost. Double win!
Natural born wine – all of this shopping and eating leaving you in need of a little tipple? Well you're in luck because Natural Born Wine is dedicated to finding and celebrating biodynamic and natural wines from around the world. I love how each bottle comes with a story telling the tales of origins and the growers, with information about the environmental and ethical choices they’ve made throughout the production. We should all pay more attention to how and where our food and drinks are made. It helps that each one is delicious too!
You might also be impressed with the amazing range of vegan food available at London Borough Market. Or planning a trip to beautiful Bath? Check out my guide to the vegan and vegetarian restaurants, cafes and shops in Bath!