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- Aug 7-13 : Slow week, big bite
Aug 7-13 : Slow week, big bite
A quiet week, but Good Rebel’s new chickn and two new vegan dinners headline this edition.
New Switch Chick*n filet from Good Rebel
Happy Thursday!
With mid-August sending half the city to cottage country, this week’s local calendar is basically a blank slate—perfect timing to talk food.
Good Rebel just dropped its SWITCH chick*n filet, and after grilling it I can vouch that the eight-ingredient, gluten-free cutlet is freakishly convincing and packs 19 g of protein per serving.
Looking a little further ahead, seats are vanishing fast for two standout suppers: Lauren Toyota’s Dolce Vita Vegan Dinner at Rily Kitchen on Aug 29 and Emily Zimmerman’s Depanniversary Supper Club hits The Depanneur on Sept 14 with a greatest-hits vegan menu and the launch of her new Spicebox project.
Full scoop on both—and the rest of this quiet week—just below.
Week of August 7-13:
News:
Good Rebel launches new SWITCH vegan chick*n filet
The Dundas West vegan grocer Good Rebel has introduced a new in-house product under its SWITCH brand: a vegan chick*n filet. Made with just eight plant-based ingredients, each gluten-free filet delivers 19g of protein and is designed to mimic the texture of traditional chicken. It's now available for purchase both in-store and online. I’ve personally tried them and they are really good!
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Activism:
Weekly Plant Based Treaty Campaign Planning & Vegan Potluck
📅 Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
🕒 Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 Location: Suite 305, 600 Bay Street
Join other advocates over a casual potluck as Wishbone Animal Rights Lab maps out local strategies to push Toronto (and nearby cities) toward endorsing the Plant Based Treaty. Feel free to bring a dish and your best organising ideas; if you arrive after 5 PM, call the number posted on the door for entry.
Cube of Truth: Toronto
📅 Date: Wednesday, August 13, 2025
🕒 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Location: 737 Bloor Street West
Anonymous for the Voiceless will set up its trademark video “cube,” showing standard-practice slaughterhouse footage while volunteers engage passers-by in one-to-one conversations. Black, logo-free clothing is required; laptops or tablets pre-loaded with AV footage are appreciated. New volunteers get a quick on-site briefing.
 Released in December, this limited-edition guide is now on liquidation sale—just a few copies left! A couple of featured locations have since closed, making this a true collector’s item for anyone who’s followed the Toronto vegan scene. |
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World Vegan News:
The Australian alt-protein giant v2food is going trans-Pacific: on 7 August it announced the acquisition of Los Angeles–based vegan-chicken maker Daring Foods and, in the same breath, unveiled a strategic partnership with Japanese food heavyweight Ajinomoto to speed distribution and R&D across Asia-Pacific and North America.
In the Near Future:
*(more info will come closer to the dates)
A Fundraiser for Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary: MONKEY MAGIC
📅 Date: Saturday, August 16, 2025
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
📍 Location: GLB Brewpub, 11 Lower Jarvis St. Units 5-8
🎟️ Tickets: $110 – includes two 11oz pours of beer, vegan and vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, live music by Big Night Out, and access to a monkey art auction (It is unclear how to buy tickets though…)GLB Brewpub is hosting a special fundraiser in support of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary, home to 23 rescued primates including the artistic Pockets Warhol. Guests can expect fresh beer, plant-based bites, live tunes, and the chance to bid on original monkey-made art. All proceeds go toward sanctuary care and operations.
Conscious Coffee Party (Round 2)
📅 Date: Sunday, August 17, 2025
🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina, 192 Spadina Ave.
🎟️ Tickets: Starting at $15 via LumaA laid-back Sunday meetup where you can sip free coffee and tea, sample vegan bites from local vendors, dance to a live DJ set, and swap low-waste, plant-based living tips—plus door-prize draws and other freebies for those who bring their own cup. meetup.com
Dolce Vita Vegan Dinner
📅 Date: Friday, August 29, 2025
🕒 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
📍 Location: Rily Kitchen, 26 Sousa Mendes Street
🎟️ Tickets: From $161.08 via EventbriteHot for Food’s Lauren Toyota joins baker Logan Dunn (Bad Attitude) for a one-night, 24-seat Italian supper featuring focaccia, antipasti dips, heirloom-tomato caprese, herb-arugula pesto paccheri with zucchini crisp, and tiramisu, plus two glasses of vegan wine. The menu is fully plant-based but cannot be modified for allergies.
Vegandale Toronto 2025
📅 Date: Saturday, September 6, 2025
📍 Location: Woodbine Park
🎟️ Tickets available: Here ($$ increase after today)
Vegandale returns to Toronto for another full day of food, music, art, and ethical consumerism—all 100% vegan. While specific vendors and performers have yet to be announced, past events have featured global plant-based brands, bold branding, and an unapologetically vegan atmosphere.SUPPER CLUB: Depanniversary by Emily Zimmerman
📅 Date: Sunday, September 14, 2025
🕒 Time: Not yet listed
📍 Location: CSI • 192 Spadina Ave., #501
🎟️ Tickets: Available via The Depanneur websiteChef and food justice activist Emily Zimmerman returns to The Depanneur for a one-night Supper Club marking 15 years since her first vegan pop-up at the venue. The entirely plant-based menu includes a creamy green borscht, salt-baked carrot lox, apple-and-sage seitan sausages, and a spiced chocolate custard, among other dishes. The event also serves as the launch of her new project, Spicebox, blending food, performance, and political art.
VegTO Fest 2025
📅 Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025 (11:00 AM – 7:00 PM) & Sunday, September 21, 2025 (11:00 AM – 6:00 PM)
📍 Location: Nathan Phillips Square.
🎟️ Free admission
🌱 VegTO Fest announced it will return for its 40th anniversary with the theme Eat. Innovate. Transform. Expect two full days of plant-based food vendors, guest speakers, and community-driven experiences focused on the future of sustainable and compassionate living. More details to come closer to the date.Animal Law & Advocacy Conference 2025
📅 Date: Friday to Sunday, September 26–28, 2025
🕒 Time: Full-day programming; Friday includes a student conference and evening reception
📍 Location: Toronto Metropolitan University
🎟️ Tickets: Available at alaconference.ca
The 7th annual Animal Law & Advocacy Conference, hosted by Animal Justice, returns to Toronto this fall with three days of sessions, networking, and plant-based catering. Formerly known as the Canadian Animal Law Conference, the event has broadened its focus to include advocates and community leaders beyond the legal profession. Programming kicks off Friday with a dedicated student day and a welcome reception, followed by two days of workshops and panels featuring Canadian and international experts in animal law and advocacy. Early bird tickets are now available online.
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