Bee Approved - Vegan Honey

Veganista is a new company that we at The Amazing Blog  have discovered on our continual quest to search out healthy and nutritious options. And they have an absolute belter to tempt us with … especially if we have opted for the vegan route to our nutrition, in the form of  Bee Approved  their alternative to honey.

Being an animal product, honey of course is not suitable for the vegan diet, and therefore Veganista have come up with Bee Approved Honey as the go-to alternative for those people who wish to avoid animal products where possible. Now our first question - probably like yours - is: how? Step forward the often overlooked brown rice to take a bow, for it is this humble larder staple which when cooked and with its starch broken down, gives us brown rice syrup with easily digestible sugars. Not only is this particular nectar mushy, sticky and thoroughly delicious, but when you consider the vast range of uses that honey gives us, then the field opens up completely for Bee Approved Vegan Honey’s versatility, since it can be used in as many and varied ways itself. It can be used raw, cooked, as a garnish or indeed as the main ingredient in a plethora of dishes from desserts to cocktails, and much in between.

With the Certified Vegan Trademark  behind it, each pot of goodness is authenticated by an acutely experienced team of professionals ensuring the high standards as set down in 1944 by The Vegan Society are continually met adhering to the strict code of total exclusion of any animal products, either in manufacture or final product. All BeeApproved foods are also Certified Organic and Gluten Free.

The primary supplier of Bee Approved Honey is Veganista’s own online shop here, for 150g, we won’t be breaking the bank at the competitive price of £3.49. Larger jars are also available in 250g and 500g sizes as well as the incredibly travel friendly 10g tube for just 50p! So, these jars of golden goodness tick all the boxes - not least of all giving all those hardworking bees a thoroughly well-earned day off the perpetual round of honey production!

Friday Favourites - Vegtoberfest

We notice at The Amazing Blog that the best thing about being a vegan in 2019 is not having to give up any of your old favourite foods. Almost every comfort food has a vegan counterpart and you don’t have to feel left behind while eating plant-based. Vegtoberfest, the UK’s first vegan Oktoberfest celebration proves that you don’t have to sacrifice your lifestyle choices to have a good time.

Started in 2018, Vegtoberfest aims to bring the Oktoberfest celebration (with all the beer and bratwursts as you can imagine) to the vegan market. Picture the classic Oktoberfest celebrations but with a modern, vegan twist! Oktoberfest is a celebration of beer – first and foremost, and Vegtoberfest did not forget that. With vegan-friendly Bavarian beers and local craft ales, the choices are endless. There will also be a selection of wines, cocktails and vegan Bailey’s for those non-beer drinkers in the bunch.

Now, we know you’re wondering “What kind of food will Vegtoberfest have?” Good question. It wouldn’t be an Oktoberfest celebration without Bratwurst. Rudy’s Dirty Vegan Dinner, Camden’s leading vegan street food specialist, will be serving Bratwursts with all the trimmings, German Potato Pancakes and their famous Dirty Burgers. Also served at Vegtoberfest will be pizzas, pretzels, loaded fries and ice cream. Did someone say yum?

There will also be live music and entertainment both weekends. With performances from the Old Dirty Brasstards, Brasstermind and many other live acoustic acts, we’re sure you’ll be entertained the whole time! Dee Riley, London’s leading cabaret stage magician will be hosting the entertainment both weekends.

Vegtoberfest will take place two weekends in a row – on October 12th and 19th at Fest Camden. The main room will be transformed into a festival themed beer hall. We definitely wouldn’t blame you if you wore your Dirndl dresses. Early Bird tickets are on sale now for £13.50 (including taxes and service charges) and you can buy them here. Once Early Bird sells out the tickets will be £16.50, so buy your tickets as soon as possible!

Vbites Vegan Food and Cookbook

Vegan food has had a bit of a bad reputation in the past. When people think of vegan food, they only think of salads and tasteless fake meats, but bland vegan food is a thing of the past. Due to the bountiful health and environmental benefits of veganism, we here at The Amazing Blog have put a lot of thought into the idea of starting a vegan diet. When we learned the story behind Vbites founder, Heather Mills, we were inspired to try out veganism for ourselves. After enduring a devastating motorcycle accident, Heather discovered that the best way to heal her body was from the inside out. Which meant using a holistic approach rooted in a vegan diet. This story helps to explain why she was determined to create delicious foods that satisfy every craving, while nourishing the body. After learning her story, we were even more thrilled to receive a sampling of the Meat-Free products from this pioneering and award-winning plant-based brand at Vbites.  

Eating less meat or cutting it out completely can be daunting for many individuals, which is why Vbites products are perfect for anyone who needs a little help getting their foot in the door when it comes to becoming a vegan. Vbites offers a wide array of vegan products including meat-free, dairy-free, and fish-free products. To help with meal preparations, we would suggest using The LoveBites recipe book. This cookbook from Vbites comes with each of their Plant-Based Kits, which offers 60 new easy-to-follow recipes to try out and fall in love with. You can whip up delicious alternatives to some of your favourite meals like shepherd’s pie or asparagus quiche that are all completely vegan. From starters to soups, salads and main dishes, these recipes have definitely inspired us to cook more hearty meals that make us feel good from the inside out.

Our personal favourite of the Vbites selection that we tried was the Meat-Free Duck Hoisin (£2.99 for 150g). We added it to a veggie stir-fry and were licking our plates clean. We had some friends over to it try out and they were amazed to learn what they thought was a duck hoisin stir fry was in fact 100% vegan! Coming in a close second was the Meat-Free Lincolnshire Style Sausages (£2.69 for 295g) which we plated up as Bangers 'n Mash for a quick Sunday night supper (with a dollop of baked beans). They truly did taste like savoury sausages and certainly satisfied one very hungry male guest! 

So whether you are already practising a vegan lifestyle or you are considering starting, these Vbites will help you to incorporate some seriously tasty and healthy meals into your diet. You can check out the wide array of Vbites vegan products on their website here.