Sunday 30 November 2014

Black Cat Cafe - London

- Special Feature -

Black Cat Vegan Cafe
76 Clarence Road
Hackney
London 
E5 8HB

Website



It was a wet day in London and I was invited for breakfast by Ben Williamson, press officer  from PETA. He wanted to show me a good vegan breakfast. I have a number of vegan friends I so was keen to find out more and accepted the offer. He told me about vegan life and how it can be quite difficult to find shops selling good vegan food. Hackney had quite a lot of places to buy vegan food he said and it was also home to one of his favourite cafes, Black Cat. The cafe is a non-profit making co-operative that aims to promote an ethical lifestyle.




These are the opening times, the Vegan fry up is only available at weekends though.




On this flyer it explained that vegan cookbooks were available in the bookshop and a selection of foods in the fridge. The selection in the fridge looked quite vast so a good opportunity for customers to pick up some supplies to take home.




There is a large menu behind the counter displaying what is on offer.




I didn't get any interior shots but the environment was relaxing and friendly.




I ordered a cappuccino when I first arrived, made with soya milk I couldn't tell the difference, It's only when Ben mentioned it that it even occurred to me.




The freshly squeezed orange juice here is amazing!




The vegan fry up costs £7 and comes with toast or a pancake, black pudding is optional and a vegusto sausage upgrade is available for an extra £1.50.




Delicious fried potatoes and a chunky slice of toast cut from a quality loaf. Underneath the toast was the black pudding which had a great taste and texture.




The vegusto sausage was really nice with plenty of flavour and a nice firm texture. The scrambled tofu tasted great and with a similar texture was certainly a great alternative to scrambled eggs. The tomato was flavoursome and delicous with a sprinkling of herbs.



 
The homemade baked beans served here are the best I have ever tasted in a thick rich sauce.



I loved Black Cat Cafe, an excellent environment to spend time in and run by a great staff team that are clearly passionate about the cafe and the food they serve. This was my first vegan breakfast and one I will remember for looking and tasting great. It was interesting to chat with Ben about his vegan experience and learn more about the food available. Any vegan friends reading this may already know about this cafe but if not be sure to give it a look. Keep up the great work Black Cat and thanks to Ben for buying me breakfast and taking the time to teach me more about Vegan food.

5 comments:

  1. Its good to see this review. Contrary to popular belief, vegan food can be extremely tasty. I enjoy FUI reviews a lot even though I'm a veggie (not vegan but not far off). If I'm ever in that part of London I'll try to visit this great seeming cafe. There are a few very good veggie/vegan cafes in Brighton, must be others in London I guess, but is there anything comparable in Norrij?

    Good to see you're posting much more frequently again - was it your Japanese adventure that inspired you?

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    Replies
    1. Hi John, There is a vegetarian cafe in Norwich called Wild Thyme which I will visit at some point, it's supposed to be good. The Japanese adventure was a great inspiration, we are saving to go back again next year.

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  2. Not really convinced by some of that stuff, but those beans do look decidedly appetizing.

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  3. So whats the black pudding made from?

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