MILK

I've been living in Haymarket for about 6 months now, and my main let down about the area, aside from the junkies and drunks, is that none of my favourite cafes are in the area. 
I've been missing being able to roll out of bed, walk a couple of minutes down the road, sit down and have a lovely coffee with my crossword (My idea of heaven).
Then... I found MILK. 
Not the drink, obviously, this is a vegan blog people, keep up, it's a cute little cafe on Morrison Street. I say found, but I've been walking past this cafe for the last 6 months and have never gone in. Then one day last week I was looking up cafes that are involved in the slow food movement serving fresh, local produce and I found them listed, alongside a tonne of great reviews.
I was not let down in the slightest, not only are the girls that work there absolutely lovely, the coffee is fantastic, they have soy milk (an extra 20p, as always), AND vegan food! 
So far I've tried a delicious roast red pepper, aubergine and cashew pesto wrap... three times. A quinoa, wild rice, orange and pistachio salad (amaaaaaazing) and this morning I had porridge with banana and muscovado sugar.
As accurately described on their website:

All our sandwiches, hot food, salads and home baking are served up straight away to sit in, or to take away in 100% compostable packaging.

Our seasonally changing menu is freshly prepared here at Milk using only natural ingredients, plenty of fresh herbs and more than a bit of love and passion for what we do.

We aim to serve food that is quick, nutritious, tasty and environmentally sound.

And they do all that plus more, very, very well. Glad to finally found my new local, my only regret is that I only have six weeks left in Edinburgh to enjoy it.

Glasgow vs Edinburgh

Glasgow vs Edinburgh

I very recently got offered a job writing for a tourist information website here in Edinburgh. And when I say 'job', I use the term loosely, meaning it's more like an unpaid weekly hobby which will look awesome on my CV and has potential to give me free vouchers. 
I've been told to articles similar to what I write here about veganism and what us vegans can feast on here in Edinburgh. 


So yesterday, after having my friend Kristin from Norway stay with me for the week, aka a seven day bender, I got to work on writing my very first entry.
And it got me thinking... what on earth do I write about? After spending over two months in Spain, when I arrived in Edinburgh I was like a little kid in a candy store. 


There was so many things I wanted to eat... and more importantly, that I could eat.
However three months later and numerous forum updates about how many vegan cafes and restaurants there are in Glasgow, I'm beginning to feel as though Edinburgh is being left behind in the whole 'vegan movement'. Why is it, that Glasgow is only one hour train ride away but some how there is a decade between them?
It does make me wonder, will Edinburgh catch up eventually or do they need a little push?

The Chocolate Tree Cafe aka Heaven

Chocolate Tree Cafe

I finally made a visit to The Chocolate Tree Cafe. I have now been in Edinburgh for six weeks and I have been meaning to visit this cafe for the past five. 

And I was not in the slightest bit let down by my built up expectations, it was everything I dreamed it would be.

I had a slice of the vegan chocolate and hazelnut cake (which turned out to be a two person job) and a lovely vegan hot chocolate.

Over half of their chocolate bars are 100% vegan, and all of the chocolate truffles.

I'm talking dark chocolate with Rose Pepper, Rooibus Chai, or Mango and Chilli.

They have vegan hot chocolate, soy milk for your fair trade coffee, and a daily selection of vegan cakes. They even make cakes to order.

And I've left the best to last... Chocolate Chilli Sorbet. Mmmmm

The interior of the cafe is cute and cosy and impossible not to curl up with a book and sigh with delight.

Too lazy to walk to the cafe? They also sell their chocolates at the Farmers Market every Saturday morning.

I'm sorry Wellington Cafe, your coffee is great and we had a good time together but I've found someone else...

Discovering delightful vegan food all over the world

Firstly, before we become friends, I guess I should introduce myself.

I'm Katy, I'm from New Zealand and at the moment I am in Europe.

I became vegetarian by accident. Really I did. It wasn't as if one night I just fell asleep in a big mac induced coma and awoke and happy vegetarian, nor did I have a particular moment where I decide "OK Katy, this is it, the last steak, tomorrow you're going green. There was no revolting documentary or a cute little lamb wearing a pink ribbon that made me change my mind. I really just slipped into it over the course of a few months, then went "Oh.. I guess I'm vegetarian."

Then I went vegan. Because once I realised the reasons for being vegetarian (yes, I was aware of them, but I wasn't really aware of them), I realised there was absolutely no way I couldn't be vegan.


It was possibly just after that, that I became FOOD OBSESSED. 


The problem is I am an absolute "flashpacker". I refuse to live of canned beans and love nothing more than finding somewhere selling a delicious slice of rich chocolate cake or a vegan ice-cream.


And so some how my travels have became about finding a choice vegan feed. Which if any of you vegans out there have been to Europe, you will know this can be a tiny bit tricky.

So I've composed a blog to help you find all the awesome little places that Europe has tucked away  that are brilliant for veggie loving people such as yourselves.