Let’s get REAL for a second. Let’s put aside ethics, morals, spiritual beliefs, etc. Of course those things matter immensely as we are all vegan (or at least flirting with the idea) and vegans care about these matters.
BUT – being vegan ISN’T EASY. Anyone who tells you it is is LYING. It’s hard and sometimes very exhausting. But, the good news is… it DOES get easier every day. And the world is becoming more and more informed. And your local Spar suddenly stocks a vegan ‘something’ that wasn’t there the day before, and your vegan heart skips a beat as you read the label.
So what makes this so different?
Not ANOTHER vegan website/blog… (rolls eyes)…
The truth is the resources out there are not great. I say this because from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I have battled to keep up-to-date with which vegan cafe in Cape Town has just opened, and which has just closed, and which has suddenly started adding beef burgers to their menus. Facebook has been great, but not as a collection of information that I can refer to whenever I want.
I need something a little simpler – something that I can refer to quickly. I want suburbs, I want menus, I want prices, I want availability. I don’t want to google for hours and find vague results for the entire African continent.
I am also not a purist – be warned! I am 100% vegan all the way, but if my local omnivorous restaurant down the road starts including one or two vegan options on the menu, then I am there! We cannot afford to be picky fellow vegans! What you do is you go there, you rave about the food, you shower the manager with praise, and voila… the following week there are THREE vegan options on the menu.
Don’t be so preachy!
I will be honest and admit to the fact that I can be a preachy vegan – regaling my friends with delightful tales of animal slaughter much to their disgust. This is a separate topic with many websites covering the subject. But you know what is incredible? When you lead by example. Is when you find and share good, healthy, nutritious (and sometimes not!) vegan food. You know you have hit the jackpot when your mates say to you, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS VEGAN!” #nailedit #vegancupcakesftw
What do I know?
I am not an activist (…yet). I am not part of the Cape Town Vegan Mafia (…yet). I am a very ordinary oke who is permanently hungry who loves good food. So – help me out. Leave constructive comments. Tell me what you want me to write about. Ask me questions – I love doing detective work. I love eating out, so tell me where to try – ask me what the best things are on the menu. Dare me. Challenge me. Correct me – but do so nicely.
Contact Me
Say hi in the Contact section above or leave suggestions/comments below. I’d love to hear from fellow Capetonians, vegan or not!
Meat Free Monday.
It’s a real thing. I’m no vegan not even close but I think the ethics and the system are the things that will keep this human race alive. We need people to 100 percent commit and others to support. I’m a supporter. But together we have a system that could work. #meatfreemonday Xx
Hi, good for you! It must be tough having to eat tons of delicious vegan food so you can tell us all about it haha. I say power to the friendly vegan (I avoid the Cape town Vegan Mafia and the international militant vegan police like the plague!) Places to try: a tiny little raw vegan eatery in Hout Bay called Soul Foods run by my dear friend and super talented chef Michelle Lobel. An honest to goodness lovely person worth supporting. There is also a place in Walmer Estate that is sweet (forgot the name) and very unusual to have a vegan eatery in that area, so again well worth supporting. Also nice vegan food at Saibaba although be warned it’s eye wateringly expensive for small portions. Nooka in Roeland streets makes THE best falafel balls on the planet plus a delicious tahini vegan smoothie that tastes like a yummy milkshake and they are super affordable/cheap. That should keep you busy (and full for a while!) Good luck and happy eating!
Soul Foods is on my list of about 30 places I need to try out and sadly I believe Nooka has closed down.