Vegan Nights Ldn: So what’s the deal? The not-so-secret-party down Brick Lane.

When my homegirl asked me (last minute) if I would be down to check out the Vegan Nights festival, of course, I said yes! OK, so I’ll admit I was a little sceptical at first; although I had mentioned it in my Veganary post (which I did intend to go to last month), I really hadn’t thought about what the setup was going to be like. If I’m being completely honest, I thought it was just a party for vegans where every vegan from all corners of London come out of hiding once a month and gathered together in mass to celebrate their vegan ways. Would they clock that I wasn’t really Vegan and sniff me out like a wolf in sheep’s skin? Would they try to convert me? Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic here but oh how I was so wrong with my assumptions! I’m not even sure why I had (lowkey) associated “vegan events” with down-your-throat -about-it individuals who treated it like some sort of networking event (where the only thing you have in common is your lifestyle choices) so you end up nodding and fake-smile your way through convos… I sure was about to find out.

First of all, this place is MASSIVE and by massive I mean a courtyard split into three major sections. I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this and I was pleasantly surprised! I knew that there would be vegan food available but I wasn’t prepared for a food court and so many different stalls. One section had sweet treats ONLY so if you’re someone with a sweet tooth then the sweet spot is your space! I really wasn’t planning to buy anything from this section but after 3 seconds of walking around, I quickly realised that they were absolutely going to snatch my money! Not only did the food look de-li-cious, (the presentation was impeccable) it was full of yummy, vegan-friendly goodness. We both ended up getting a brownie and it took every last bit of will-power to save it for dessert! This part had its own little bar and a section to eat and chat (think of boxpark but on a smaller scale), and upstairs was a place you could buy other vegan products such as skin-care products and other treats (though I was far too interested in the food to venture upstairs!).

The main part of the courtyard is home to many vegan stalls (and is outside). Do you want fish and chips? They’ve got you, Burgers? They’ve got you, Caribbean/African/Mac & Cheese/Pizza… you get it? This massive food-court has got you covered with their vegan-friendly alternatives! We spent a few minutes walking around the place trying to decide what we wanted to try (just to see how they compare to the “real thing”) but we also wanted something healthy and not just “junk”. We ended up choosing Merkamo, an Ethiopian food stall (100% vegan). This was packed with grains and whole foods which were right up my market. Not to mention that it felt close to home so you know I had to support my fellow East-African family (because honestly, finding good East African cuisines in this England is a mission in itself!) and seeing their version of Mandazi (My Kenyan’s & EA know the deal!) 100% SOLD ME (top tier stuff right there!). Merkamo offers different bowls and combinations but indecisive Liz was looking lost for a hot minute! The friendly staff came to the rescue when they told me about the house special which is a combination of everything AND includes two sides (I picked Mandazi and Samosa!). It was great to see so much interest in this stall and I now know why… the food was so lovely and was the perfect meal to eat before my cut off time! (as you’ll know from my post on Lent, I was keeping to my word).

Biscuits, cakes and peanut-butter filled brownies!

The sweet spot had too many things to choose from!

Last but not least we hit the main room - the disco room! This was where live acts and DJ’s were performing and where you could dance along on the dance floor. Again, I must confess that the name made me think it was just going to be cheesy music that I wasn’t into but the DJ’s really did a fantastic job of catering to all genres (S/O DJ Melody Kane!). Let’s be honest, if the music wasn’t good, I don’t think I would have stayed until the end, but I can’t lie, it popped! I managed to get my little dose of cheeky Bashment and Afrobeats amongst other UK bangers (and I even got to lead the floor for Candy - for the culture!). Vegan Nights did their thing! I can’t even front about that... the range of people was far greater than I would have thought and the vibe was very refreshing and chill! If you’re not a dancer (I was with a bunch of dancers so I kind of had no choice) that’s not a problem! A lot of people just gathered in the hall, did their one-two steps and mingled with each other. People came through after work, with their friends, families with little children and some even came with pet dogs (not inside). There were meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans alike so don’t think it’s just a place for vegan fanatics.

This event is the perfect excuse to let your hair down mid-week, enjoy the vegan treats on offer, socialise after a long day and meet some cool new people. I won’t lie, I went in a little sceptical but I left saying that I’d definitely go again. Vegan nights is not a regular event and it started off as just a pop-up. It was so popular that they decided to go again and now run events every month! I do hope they continue to grow and can move onto weekends because it’s a place I’d recommend everyone to go to at least once (and this would 100% be a motive in summer…just saying!).

If you would like to check it out in person, their next event is on the 4th of April and you can get a ticket here. Unfortunately, you’re too late for the early bird tickets but it’s still under a tenner and you can get a discount if you come in a group so there’s no excuse! Head over to their website to check out what’s going on at the next event!

Location: 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Ln London E1 6QL.

Time: 5pm - 11pm.

Should you go? : YES!

Get your tickets here

Liz x

Home