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London is finally getting its first fully vegan pub

It's about time, really

London is finally getting its first fully vegan pub
Tom Victor
12 January 2018

If you’ve tried to navigate a drinking session while vegan, you’ve probably got pretty bored of the only finger food options being onion rings and sweet potato fries.

OK, maybe not that bored, as those are delicious, but variety is the spice of life.

Of course, some pubs will have a few more vegan options, while vegan fast food is plentiful at places like the Temple of Seitan. However – perhaps surprisingly – no pub in London has ever had a fully vegan menu.

Sounds weird, right?

Well, that’s going to change on 19 January, when the first-of-its-kind boozer opens in east London, with food from one of the capital’s most popular vegan kitchens.

The Spread Eagle in Homerton is the pub in question, and the vegan venture comes with food from popular vegan Mexican joint Club Mexicana.

You might have seen their street food pop-ups around the capital, serving things like Tofish Tacos, Jackfruit Burritos and Vegan Chik’n.

Well, now they’ll have a permanent kitchen at the pub, which is on Homerton High Street, a stone’s throw from the Overground station.

There’s not a lot better than a great pub lunch, so it’s nice that no one’s being left out.

“We’ve got something on the menu that looks like the best Mexican fried chicken burger ever,” Club Mexicana founder Meriel Armitage told the Evening Standard.

“It tastes like it too. You blow people’s minds when they find out it’s vegan.”

She added that the Spread Eagle won’t just be a gastropub, but will have regular quiz nights and live DJs on the premises, among other events.

The news comes as a lot of big brands across the UK have started paying more attention to their vegan ranges.

Pret a Manger have a range of vegan mains (and a couple of fully vegetarian establishments), while Tesco has unveiled a new vegan range with a wide selection of dishes.

But now, with The Spread Eagle, there’s an opportunity to chow down on proper vegan pub food and wash it all down with vegan beer.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see plenty of meat-eaters check it out too.

(Main image: Club Mexicana)