a very belated Beacons Festival

hello lovely pals! apologies for something of an absence, but I am back with a very good and cool post. 

I wrote a few weeks ago about a gr8 opportunity I got to be the only food blogger at Beacons Festival 2014, and I now have for you here an ~official round up~ (that is something journalists say isn't it?) of all my favourite vendors at their Street Food Festival. Pretty much everything I ate was incredible, and I wanna say a particularly massive thanku to Dough Boys Pizza and the boy Ben Davy for all the hookups (feel like I'm doing an Oscars speech) and for choosing properly great food for me and all of the other hungry festival-goers to chow down on. 

So, with no further ado: 

1) Dough Boys Pizza///@DoughBoysLeeds

Starting with these guys 'cause my heart belongs to pizza. Dough Boys know what they're doing and they do it dope. Soft, bready dough compliments a super authentic-tasting sauce ('just like my grandma used to make!' - imagine me saying this in an exaggerated Italian accent and also wearing a large moustache and u get the idea), which is all topped off by really great quality toppings. Our special vegan beetroot pizza was all kinds of delicious, and the sunny weather made it even better. Also, these guys had my favourite sales patter of the festival so there's that.

If this sounds up yr street (if you're reading this blog it almost definitely is), you can catch the Dough Boys at their slice bar at the Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds. Tell 'em I sent you.

http://www.belgravemusichall.com/kitchen/

Belgrave Music Hall, 1-1a Cross Belgrave Street, LS2 8JP

2) Bundobust/@Bundobust

Bundobust had to come next 'cause they were the only stall I ate from twice. I ate two consecutive meals of the mung bean curry and if I'm real with you it might be my favourite curry I've ever eaten.  Simple and perfectly portioned, this not-quite-dal but who-cares-because-it's-better-than-dal has everything you could wish for from curry - amazing texture, gr8 flavours and just the right amount of warming spice for a cold night time at a festival. 

Again, Bundobust is based in Leeds - they just opened an ALL VEGETARIAN!!! venue which also serves craft beer (lol I say that so casually as if I know what it is) and I would get my butt down there sharpish if this curry is anything to go by. Easily my favey dish of the festival.

http://www.bundobust.com

Bundobust, 6 Mill Hill, LS1 5DQ

3) Yummy Yorkshire/@YummyYorkshire

VEGAN CARAMEL ICE CREAM HAD ME LIKE *PRAYING HANDS EMOJI*. I was so excited to try these guys out, 'cause I knew they'd have some vegan flavours. What I was not expecting was to be told, when I asked which flavours I could eat, that ALL BUT ONE was dairy free. It was so cool to have such a big choice, but I had to go for caramel and I definitely made the right decision (though it was a toss up between that and their mojito flavour which also looked amazing). This stuff was rich and creamy and everything you want from ice cream. I was in raptures (I kept going AS IF THIS IS VEGAN after every mouthful). Yummy Yorkshire are based at their family farm in Huddersfield, where the ice cream is also made. Swoon. 

http://www.yummyyorkshire.co.uk/

Yummy Yorkshire, Delph House Farm, HD8 8XY

4) Noisette Bakehouse/@NoisetteBakes

I wanna cry at the memory of this cake for real. I had a slice of the orange loaf and it did things to me. My mouth is literally watering as I type this. Noisette Bakehouse was hugely popular at Beacons - by the Sunday morning, these ladies had pretty much sold out of everything, and for good reason. The cakes all looked gorgeous, and tasted even better. I was also really heartened to see the number of animal friendly options on offer: again, there was more choice than I think most vegans are used to, so that was an extra treat. 

From what I can gather, Noisette Bakehouse doesn't have a permanent address just yet, but if you're anything like me, you'll be hoping to catch their Madeleine Express at a food market near u soon. 

http://noisettebakehouse.com/

5) Margo and Rita/@MargoandRitas

Ain't al fresco dining without a lil Latin, right? Margo and Rita were serving up tacos and nacho boxes over the weekend, and everything was in good, spicy, flavoursome order. Our nachos were doused in fresh pico de gallo and a smoky chipotle sauce, and finished off with a squeeze of lime and a sprinkle of coriander. The freshness of the salsa was especially pleasing, and the portion size was great (but where, for the love of god, were the burritos? I woulda dug that pico on a burrito so hard). 

Like Noisette Bakehouse, Margo and Rita are roving souls - you can catch 'em at events up and down the country.

http://www.margoandrita.co.uk

Beacons was great////I ate too much food////but it doesn't matter because it was all delicious////go visit and find out about all of these class vendors immediately. Mwah. 

 

THE ABSOLUTELY DEFINITIVE LIST OF THE BEST VEGAN SPOTS IN COPENHAGEN

There are a few lists like this knocking around on other sites, but this one is ofc the best. Something which can be frustrating when you are trying to eat vegan and you visit a new city is simply knowing where to go to get tasty food that you can actually eat, at a good price. So, I'm writing this post in order to help that cause - Copenhagen-visiting vegans/people who generally like delicious and non-mean food, look no further, for I am come.

(P.S. sorry this isn't a pizza post, but I felt it my public duty to report on all the dope stuff I ate. I hope u understand)

1) GRØD 

GRØD is a restaurant with two locations in the city. They pretty much only serve porridge (pretty sure they also do a form of risotto in the evenings, but don't quote me on that/check the website or something I don't know). This probably sounds sort of insane but honestly, they have it down to an art form. The one in the picture is made with soy milk, and is topped with fresh strawberries and something called rodgrødskompote, which is an amazing red berry compote. Though it isn't entirely dairy free, GRØD offers varieties of their porridge made with both soy and rice milk, so it's rly vegan friendly. The surroundings are stylish and minimalist, and the staff, like all the Danes we encountered, are beautiful and so polite. Price-wise, I think it's fairly reasonable - the dish in the photo cost me around £5, which was completely worth it for a) the level of "omfg delicious" and b) the obvious high quality of the ingredients they use. In all, GRØD is totally worth a visit whether you're into porridge or not - if you are, it'll be a total paradise, and if you're not, you'll be a convert before your visit is over. 

GRØD, 50 Jaegersborggade and Torvehallerne, Hal 2, A8

https://www.facebook.com/groed

2) Express Pizza Nørrebro

Having already raved about this place like a crazy lady here, there isn't much else to say. This is my favourite vegan pizza I've ever eaten and I just feel sorry for everyone who hasn't experienced it yet.

Express Pizza Nørrebro, Mimersgade 102

http://www.expresspizza.dk

3) Naturbageriet

Cast your eyes upon this cinnamon whirl and surrender yourself to greatness, okay? Okay. Naturbageriet is a bakery using largely vegan and gluten free ingredients, and producing incredible cakes, pastries and breads as a result. Over the course of the time I was in Copenhagen, I think I visited Naturbageriet most (sort of because it was located really conveniently, near the Metro station we used most days, sort of because I would walk over hot coals to get to the cinnamon whirls anyway) - their pastries are so delicious (I also had a pain au chocolate, and something which tasted like a raspberry jam tart but was shaped differently), their prices are excellent (think this guy >>>> cost me about £1, and considering how awesome it was, and the specialist ingredients used, I'd have been willing to pay a little more than that), and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the products, as most, but not all of them, are vegan and we had to ask which ones we could have. So, vegan or not, if you find yourself on Frederiksborggade, you gotta go to Naturbageriet for some of the tastiest, most ethical pastries around.  

Naturbageriet, Frederiksborggade 29

4) Astrid och Aporna

Sometimes you just want a burger and fries, AMIRITE GUYS? Astrid och Aporna, located very near GRØD on Jaegersborggade (which is a very cool street in general, with lotsa nice shops and gorgeous people with adorable children/dogs) can fill that gap in your life. This place is 100% vegan, and has only been operating for about 3 months, so it was really cool to be able to visit. They offer burgers, hot dogs, fries, salads, soft drinks and beers, and you really can't go wrong with any of it. Their fake meat is delicious (I'd especially recommend the BBQ burger), and their toppings/relishes are really creative. The hot dogs you see in the photo are their Hot Chorizo dog, and their Smoky dog, both of which were amazing (though if I was pushed for a preference, I'd have to go Chorizo), and crazy cheap - they cost around £3 each and were a more than filling lunch. Again, the staff are real friendly and helpful (pretty much a Danish trait to be honest), so if a Copenhagen vegan burger ~fix~ is what you're after then look no further because this place has everything you might need. 

Astrid och Aporna, Jaegersborggade 39

5) Barburrito

Not to be confused with the UK burrito chain, Barburrito Copenhagen is a slightly classier affair.  Serving burritos, tacos and cocktails, along with a heap of carefully chosen starters and sides, this place is really cool. Though they also serve meat, something really cool about this place is that there is a vegan burrito option on their menu, so there's no annoying "can I get it without sour cream and cheese???" questions when you're ordering. As this place is located in the centre of Copenhagen, it's a little pricier than the other eateries I've mentioned so far, but I'd say that it's definitely worth it for the atmosphere of the place, which is really friendly and it looks great. Oh, and something else completely dope about Barburrito is that before they bring your food out, they also bring you two entire bottles of salsa (habanero and chipotle) for your table so that you can keep squirting it onto your burrito to your heart's content. I loved that the food was colourful and vibrant, and also the people who work here are again, really kind, friendly and knowledgeable about the food. Also the margarita was gr8 and made me kind of drunk, lol.

Barburrito, Skindergade 36

http://www.barburrito.dk

HONOURABLE MENTIONS///STUFF I DIDN'T GET PHOTOS OF

6) Is à Bella 

A gelato joint with a huge choice of vegan flavours - both times we visited there was 6 to choose from which is pretty unprecedented in my experience. I had the strawberry and the kiwi and both were great.

Is à Bella, Smallegade 40, Nørrebrogade 118, and Torvehallerne Hal 1, E8

http://www.isabellais.dk

7) Kate's Joint

Kate's Joint is located on Blågårdsgade which is a street with a number of veggie and veggie-friendly restaurants, but of those I visited, Kate's Joint is the best. They do big helpings of unfussy, tasty African and Asian food (curries abound), and whilst they do also serve meat, they also have a huge number of veggie and vegan options - the night we visited, there were four vegan options which, at an omni restaurant, is pretty great going. I had a vegetable bhuna curry and Ben had tofu and miso and both were great. Kate's Joint is affordable and casual and pretty ideal for a ~relaxed~ evening meal. 

Kate's Joint, Blågårdsgade 12

8) Halifax Burger
The last item on this list is a burger restaurant of already pretty high standing. Though it was pricey, the burger I chose at Halifax definitely had one of the tastiest vegan patties I've eaten in a while (if I remember rightly it was their green pea patty and it was great), with fresh toppings and really, really delicious fries.

Halifax Burger, Frederiksborggade 35, Larsbjørnstræde 9, Falkoner Plads 1 and Trianglen 1

http://halifax.dk/

Thus concludes my overview of the best vegan food I ate in Copenhagen. I read before I went that it's not a particularly vegan friendly place, and I think that's actually really incorrect. The provision for vegans was great and I really had no problem filling my damn face every day so four for you Copenhagen, you go Copenhagen. Go visit this place 'cause it's rly rly rly the coolest.