It’s now December (already) and the holiday season is suddenly right around the corner, and, for me, it feels more like January out there today.

This week’s edition includes a few standout events happening across the city, from Animal Justice’s holiday party to ALK’s annual market and a couple of food-focused gatherings, along with an alert for Haru’s Cuisine’s newly announced Japanese Vegan Holiday Dinner.

I’ve also included one notable piece of global vegan news, with HappyCow naming the world’s top vegan restaurant for 2025.

Buy Vegan — Your vegan-only catalogue for Canada

Everything listed is verified vegan and orderable in Canada. Compare prices across retailers, see where to buy, and skip the label decoding. It’s a catalogue of vegan products and point you to the shops that sell them. As a new site, feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

What it is (and isn’t)

• Vegan-only catalogue: every item verified—no label decoding.

• Canada-ready: listings checked for Canadian shipping or local availability.

• Where to buy & price look-up: we strive to list all retailers so you can compare.

• Not a storefront: we don’t sell; we point you to the places that do.

New this week:

New listings roll out weekly as we grow toward a comprehensive vegan database for Canadian shoppers. Let’s vote with our dollars—and Buy Vegan.

Week of December 4 - 10:

News:

• Haru’s Cuisine has announced a Japanese Vegan Holiday Dinner for 18 December at 7 p.m. at Rily Kitchen, with only 20 seats available. Early-bird tickets will be released through their Substack this Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a public link on Saturday at 6 p.m. The event will offer a communal meal similar to last year’s gathering.

Events:

(Please note: Event details are provided as accurately as possible at the time of publishing. We recommend checking directly with organizers or venues for any updates or cancellations before attending.)

• Animal Justice’s Toronto Holiday Party
  📅 Date: Friday, December 5, 2025
  🕒 Time: 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
  📍 Location: Avant Garde Gallery, 218 Merton St.
  🎟️ Tickets : Pay-what-you-can (Suggested minimum donation of $60)

  Event organised by Animal Justice, includes vegan food from local vendors (Giá, Taqueria Vegana, Animal Liberation Kitchen, etc.), a DJ, a 360° video booth, a silent auction, and a pop-up shop.

• ALK’s Vegan Holiday Market
  📅 Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025
  🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  📍 Location: 100 Broadview Ave, Toronto, ON M4M 3H3
  Hosted by Animal Liberation Kitchen (ALK), this is billed as Toronto’s “only Vegan Holiday Market” for the year. The event invites visitors to support local creators and non-profits, browse art and gifts, and enjoy vegan food, treats and warm drinks. The festival is public and is held at the Broadview venue in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.
  

• 5 Principles Cuisine Vegan Pop-up Brunch
  📅 Date: Sunday, December 7, 2025
  🕒 Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  📍 Location: 108 Dundas St W, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M5G IC3 (“The Lab”)
  🎟️ Tickets: Required — available via Eventbrite.

  This is a plant-based pop-up brunch organized by 5 Principles Cuisines. The listing promises “many dishes to choose from” and emphasises that seats are limited, so reserving ahead via ticket is necessary.

World Vegan News:

• HappyCow has named Asante in Barcelona as the top vegan restaurant in the world in its 2025 Global Vegan Restaurant rankings, a list the platform updates regularly using millions of user reviews to assess consistency and overall diner satisfaction. Asante, a plant-based brunch café in the Poble Sec neighbourhood, is known for its homemade dishes, vegan takes on comfort-food staples and bakery items, and has drawn strong praise from reviewers for both its food and atmosphere. HappyCow, founded in 1999, maintains rolling global rankings rather than a single annual list, but this year’s update brought renewed attention to Asante’s rise to the number-one spot.

* And as a reminder: I have a list of all vegan restaurants in Toronto on my blog

In the Near Future:

*(more info will come closer to the dates)

• Holiday Chocolates & Truffles by Emily Zimmerman
  📅 Date: Saturday, December 20
  🕒 Time: 12 p.m.
  📍 Location: CSI, 192 Spadina Ave., #501
  🎟️ Tickets: $79 + HST; kids under 12 can join an adult for half price

  This hands-on workshop teaches participants how to make vegan, gluten-free chocolates and truffles using organic, fairly traded ChocoSol chocolate. The class covers truffles, customizable chocolate bark, white chocolate from scratch, fondant, ganache, tempering techniques and a quick batch of roses-des-sables. Attendees leave with a box of handmade chocolates and a recipe pack.

• Vegan Baking Group: Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange

  📅 Date: Sunday, December 21, 2025

  🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

  📍 Location: Wishbone Animal Rights Lab

  The Vegan Baking Group will host its annual holiday cookie exchange, inviting members to bake, share, and sample vegan cookies. Full event details will be released soon, but attendees are encouraged to start testing their favourite vegan cookie recipes in preparation.

• New Year’s Eve 2025 – 5-Course Tasting Menu (Avelo)
  📅 Date: December 31, 2025
  📍 Location: Avelo Restaurant, 51 St Nicholas St

  Avelo is offering a special New Year’s Eve five-course tasting menu featuring dishes created exclusively for the night, along with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine or a non-alcoholic alternative. The event is $120 per person with a $30 deposit required, and an optional wine pairing is available.

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