I remember complaining to a friend a couple of years ago that for a city of its size, London wasn't really the vegan capital you'd expect. Fast forward a couple of years ago, and it feels like veganism has finally hit London proper, with a new plant-based place opening every month.
The latest launch that caught my eye was The Vurger Co, a new addition to Shoreditch, around the corner from Boxpark and Shoreditch High Street Overground station.
The Vurger Co isn't the first vegan burger bar in London but it's certainly the first whose menu made me grab my Oyster card and jump on the tube for a visit.
There are four all-vegan burgers to choose from, all with a vegan brioche bun (yes, please). If you're not feeling bun-ish, you can have any of the burgers as a salad bowl too. Aside from burgers, there's a handful of sides - fries, as you'd expect, and the now-obligatory-but-no-less-welcome-for that mac and cheese. The drinks menu is a bit more extensive, with many shakes and soft drinks, as well as beers, wines and ciders, if you're in the mood for some ABV.
Happily, the choices for vegan burgers are way more interesting than the usual falafel and hummus option that seems to have taken over menus of late (with the beetroot and black bean not far behind). Don't get me wrong, I'd happily eat either, but it's great to see The Vurger Co doing something a little more out of the ordinary.
I chose a Holy Habanero, because I believe that nothing can go wrong when there's a sweetcorn fritter on your plate. I also ordered skin-on fries.
Both of these turned out to be massively poor decisions. Not because they weren't tasty - they absolutely were - but because, despite being a herbivore, I don't have the same four stomachs as a cow, and I think that's how many you'd need to work your way through both a Holy Habanero burger and fries without wondering if you needed a stomach pump afterwards. Which is a very long-winded way of saying: there was a lot of food involved.
With that caveat, I can still tell you it was a good burger. Thanks to the generous amount of coleslaw, it was also a right mess to eat, so maybe don't choose it if you're out for lunch trying to convince your boss to give you a promotion. She's not going to be impressed when you're smeared head to toe in mayonnaise and cabbage. Bonus marks to the Vurger Co too for adding the nachos - a bit of crunch cut through the heavy saucing nicely.
I think the chips were pretty decent too - crisp and with a bit of extra taste thanks to the skin-on thing - but I think I'd gone into a carb coma by that point. Despite that, I reckon I'll be back to the Vurger Co - I'll just be choosing more wisely next time. Either that, or it'll be because I've started training as the world's first vegan competitive eater.
The Vurger Co
http://www.thevurgerco.com/
Unit 9, Avant Garde
Richmix Square
Shoreditch
London
E1 6LD
I remember complaining to a friend a couple of years ago that for a city of its size, London wasn't really the vegan capital you...
