This week’s edition of The Insider is a packed one, with plenty happening around the city—and a few updates from beyond.

There’s a new vegan deli meat brand launching in Canada, a downtown move for Sorry I’ve Got Plants, and a roundup of upcoming events, from potlucks to piano nights to a vegan kimchi workshop.

Plus, New School Foods here in Toronto just picked up a national innovation award for their plant-based salmon.

And thanks to a tip from an Insider reader, we’re now 99% sure those UK Buttermylk chocolate bars I mentioned last week are stocked at The Sweet Potato.

I’ll scout it out week and report back if anyone is interested.

Week of April 10 - 16:

News:

• Prime Roots, a U.S.-based plant-based deli brand, has launched in Canada with the country’s first mycelium-based deli meats. Made from koji mycelium, the products are allergen-free, minimally processed, and free of soy, gluten, nitrates, and artificial ingredients. The line includes plant-based versions of ham, turkey, salami, bacon, and pepperoni, offering a clean-label alternative for foodservice providers and grocery delis. With 35% of Canadians identifying as flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan, Prime Roots aims to meet the growing demand for sustainable, plant-based options—its products use 92% less water and produce 91% fewer emissions than conventional meats. While they are currently available through foodservice channels, retail deli availability is expected later this year. Canadian operators can preview the products at the Restaurants Canada Show in Toronto from April 9–11 and at the Canadian Health Food Association Show in Vancouver from April 24–27.

• Now for some sad news, Sorry I’ve Got Plants has announced that it will be closing its original location at 476 Roncesvalles Avenue in the coming months due to a significant rent increase. While meal kit pickups will continue there for now, the storefront will shift to weekend-only service starting Monday. The business will maintain its presence in the city with a new downtown location at 333 Bay Street in the PATH, and its popular bowls and sandwiches remain available through delivery. The team is also looking into a local partner to keep a Roncy-area pickup option available.

• With Easter coming up, the Lindt Dark Chocolate Gold Bunny has been confirmed as accidentally vegan, containing no animal-derived ingredients. While the label notes it "may contain milk" due to potential cross-contamination, the core recipe is plant-based, making it a possible seasonal vegan treat. In Toronto, it’s available at major retailers including Walmart and Lindt Chocolate Shops.
  

• Veg Eco Camp 2025 Registration Now Open
  Registration is now open for Veg Eco Camp 2025, taking place July 6–12 at YMCA Cedar Glen in Schomberg, Ontario, just north of Toronto. Open to youth ages 9–17, the 7-day overnight camp offers outdoor adventures, experiential learning, and community-building activities—all centred around compassion for all living beings. Campers will enjoy yoga, high ropes, rock climbing, nature exploration, team games, and evening campfires. All meals are 100% vegan and included in the fee. The cost is $845 per camper, which also covers a camp T-shirt and handbook. Registration is limited to 70 campers, and financial assistance is available.

• Toronto-based New School Foods was named one of Canadian Business's Innovation Awards winners for 2025. This recognition highlights the company's contributions to the plant-based food industry, particularly their development of a plant-based salmon fillet that closely mimics the texture, taste, and cooking experience of conventional salmon.

Events:

• Dinner at Saigon Lotus + Optional Piano at Indigo
  📅 Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
  📍 Location: Saigon Lotus, 687 Yonge Street

  Join the group for dinner at Saigon Lotus’s Yonge Street location. After the meal, there’s an optional stop at the nearby Indigo bookstore to play the public piano. Please only sign up if you’re sure you can attend, as no-shows have been an issue.

  Sign-up here

• Vegan Potluck and Games Night
  📅 Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
  📍 Location: Scarborough Village Community Centre

  This community potluck invites vegans, vegetarians, and the veg-curious to share a meal and enjoy games together. Attendees are asked to bring a fully vegan dish, along with their own utensils, plates, and cups, as supplies at the venue may be limited. After dinner, the group will play games—feel free to bring your favourites to share. Participants are responsible for their own cleanup. Find more info here

• Bad Attitude Bread 2-Year Anniversary Celebration
  📅 Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
  📍 Location: 816 Dundas St. W.

  Bad Attitude Bread is celebrating two years this Sunday with a special anniversary drop packed with limited-edition baked goods. Expect shelves stocked with almond croissants, tiramisu buns, pain suisse with Oreos, pizza croissants, pistachio rose twice-baked croissants, marinara focaccia, birthday-cake scones, and more. It’s a one-day-only lineup to thank the community and staff for two years of support.

• Vegan Climbing at Basecamp
  📅 Date: Sunday, April 13, 2025
  🕒 Time: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  📍 Location: Basecamp Climbing, 677 Bloor Street West

  A social climbing session for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone curious about plant-based living. No experience needed—bouldering, top roping, and autobelays are all available. Staff provide orientations for new climbers, and attendees can belay each other for top rope routes.

  Cost: $28 admission, plus $7 each for shoe or harness rentals. (Note: rental shoes contain suede and are not vegan.)
  Waiver required: Sign online or in person.

  Find more info here

• Vegan Kimchi Workshop
  📅 Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
  ⏰ Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  📍 Location: 26 Sousa Mendes St.
  🎟️ Tickets: sodaam.com

  Learn the basics of Korean fermentation at So Daam’s Vegan Kimchi Workshop, where you'll make your own vegan kimchi from scratch—no fish sauce or shrimp paste involved. The session also includes a warm serving of Vegan Kimchi Jeon (Korean kimchi pancake) and a recipe to take home. This hands-on class is designed for all experience levels and offers a fun, informative dive into plant-based Korean cooking.

• Vegan Speed Dating
  📅 Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
  🕒 Time: 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET
  📍 Location: Online
  🎟️ Tickets: $15 (increases to $20 after April 11 at 11:00 PM ET)

  A one-hour online event for plant-based and vegan singles to connect in a series of seven-minute video chats. Participants are matched through a questionnaire and can chat with up to seven like-minded people. LGBTQ inclusive, with 25% of net proceeds donated to PETA.

Activism:

• Canada heads to the polls on April 28, and Animal Justice is urging voters to make animal protection a priority. While most Canadians care deeply about animals, the country still lacks national laws protecting animals on farms, in labs, fur farms, and roadside zoos. Animal Justice has outlined key election priorities, including ending live horse exports for slaughter, banning captivity for elephants and great apes, funding alternatives to animal testing, and passing a national Animal Protection Act. They’re also calling for stronger farmed animal protections, a ban on fur farming, and increased investment in the plant-based food sector. Despite recent progress—like bans on whale and dolphin captivity and cosmetic animal testing—two major animal bills failed to pass before Parliament dissolved. To help, Canadians are encouraged to contact local candidates and tune into the National Animal Protection Debate on April 23.

The Toronto Vegan Restaurants Guide 2025

World Vegan News:

• Green Queen’s latest Future Food Quick Bites covers a lot of ground in the global vegan scene this week. In the UK, Bold Bean Co has launched a new Queen Black Chickpea jar in collaboration with chef Yotam Ottolenghi, while Iceland’s frozen foods lineup now includes a vegan melt-in-the-middle burger under the TGI Fridays label. Beyond Meat is pushing back against criticism of plant-based foods with a new YouTube documentary called Planting Change and Disneyland has added Impossible Lettuce Wraps to its menu.

  There’s also cookbook news—Miyoko Schinner, founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, is releasing The Vegan Creamery on September 16, focused on artisan dairy-free cheeses. Lastly, a new mobile app by Connect For Animals aims to make it easier for advocates to take action and connect with each other.

In the Near Future:

*(more info will come closer to the dates)

• Easter Vegan Potluck
  📅 Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
  🕒 Time: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  📍 Location: Near Queen Street West & Spadina Avenue (exact address shared with confirmed attendees)

  🔗 Registration

  Bring a vegan dish to share and join others for a relaxed evening of food, board games, and conversation. The event is open to vegans and the vegan-curious. Space is limited and RSVP approval is required. The event takes place in a private apartment a short walk from Queen & Spadina; the exact location will be sent out on the day.

• National Animal Protection Debate
  📅 Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025
  🕒 Time: 12:00 PM ET
  📍 Location: Online (Registration will open soon)

  Tune in to this live-streamed federal debate focused on animal protection, featuring candidates from the major parties: Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal), Alistair MacGregor (NDP), Yves Perron (Bloc Québécois), and Elizabeth May (Green). Moderated by journalist Karman Wong.

• 🚶‍♀️ 3rd Annual Anti-Vivisection World Protest
  📅 Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
  ⏰ Time: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
  📍 Location: Village of Yorkville Park, 115 Cumberland St.
  🔗 Event details: Facebook Event Page

  Join this annual walk to raise awareness about animal testing and vivisection. The event aims to educate and advocate for cruelty-free alternatives while fostering a compassionate community.

• The Conscious Coffee Party
  📅 Date: Saturday, April 26, 2025
  🕒 Time: 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
  📍 Location: Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina, 192 Spadina Avenue.
  🎟️ Tickets: Early-bird $20 until April 16; standard $25

  A casual daytime social focused on sustainable, low-waste, and plant-based living. Expect free coffee, tea, and vegan bites, plus music, dancing, and a chance to connect with like-minded people. Bringing your own cup is encouraged.

• Plant-Based Toronto TTC Ad Campaign Launch Party
  📅 Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
  📍 Location: The Redwood Theatre, 1300 Gerrard Street East,
  ⏰ Time: 7:00 PM – 2:00 AM
  🎟️ Tickets: Eventbrite (Early bird discount until May 18)

  🌱 This event celebrates the launch of the Plant-Based Toronto ad campaign, which will run across Toronto’s two main TTC subway lines throughout June. The campaign features 22 local leaders from the food industry and non-profit sector advocating for a more plant-based Toronto.

  The launch party will bring together members of the plant-based community, including foodies, creators, and influencers.

• 2025 Toronto Animal Rights March
  📅 Date: Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 12:00 PM
  📍 Location: Queen’s Park.

  🔗 Event link

  The annual Toronto Animal Rights March returns this July as part of a global movement demanding justice and legal protection for animals. Organized by local activist groups including No Low – Plant Powered, the event invites participants to unite in solidarity for animal liberation. Full details to be announced—participants are encouraged to save the date and invite others.

• 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.

• 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.
  

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