‘We tried the new Bristol pop-up's vegan sandwiches and they tasted better than meat’

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The sandwiches at The Dirty Vegans in Easton are served either ‘dirty’ or ‘extra-dirty’

I struggled to choose between a ‘dirty’ or ‘extra-dirty’ sandwich when I arrived at Bristol’s newest sandwich shop.     

The difference between the two being the ‘extra-dirty’ had more ‘meat’ - well, meat substitute because all the sandwiches served here are vegan.      

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The Dirty Vegans pop-up in the Chai Guy cafe on St Mark’s Road has been open just two weeks - but is already popular with the locals in Easton.   

The chunky chicken sandwich includes deep-fried 'chicken' and crispy 'bacon' - both are actually tofu  The chunky chicken sandwich includes deep-fried 'chicken' and crispy 'bacon' - both are actually tofu
The chunky chicken sandwich includes deep-fried 'chicken' and crispy 'bacon' - both are actually tofu | Charlie Watts

On a sunny Friday afternoon, a family was eating sandwiches while a man was drinking chai by the window.   

I ended up going for the ‘extra-dirty chunky chicken’ sandwich (£7.95) which has deep-fried ‘chicken’ and crispy ‘bacon’ - both are actually tofu.   

The sandwich came out packed with guacamole, tomatoes and crunchy lettuce and garlic mayo - and I couldn’t wait to tuck in.

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The bread was fresh, the garlic mayo was not too strong and the meat substitutes were so flavoursome. If anything, it tasted better than actual meat as it was something different to the same old.  

I also ordered the spicy senorita (£7.95) - one of the ‘dirty’ sandwiches - with spanish-style tortilla, crispy ‘bacon’ slices, juicy tomatoes, crunchy lettuce and harissa mayo. The mayo certainly gave the sandwich a spicy kick.   

Alongside £7.95 sandwiches, Dirty Vegans also serves the 'dirty dawg' - a vegan sausage roll   Alongside £7.95 sandwiches, Dirty Vegans also serves the 'dirty dawg' - a vegan sausage roll
Alongside £7.95 sandwiches, Dirty Vegans also serves the 'dirty dawg' - a vegan sausage roll | Charlie Watts

If that wasn’t enough, I also had ‘the dirty dawg’ (£3.95) - a sausage roll filled with ketchup, mustard, caramelised, mushrooms and onions - and the pastry was lovely and flaky.    

To wash my food down, I had Karma Cola. There are also plans to start serving vegan chai at the space.  

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The Dirty Vegan pop-up has been opened by friends Gigi and Babs, who previously ran the business in Barcelona The Dirty Vegan pop-up has been opened by friends Gigi and Babs, who previously ran the business in Barcelona
The Dirty Vegan pop-up has been opened by friends Gigi and Babs, who previously ran the business in Barcelona | Charlie Watts

The Dirty Vegans pop-up has been opened by friends Babs Doherty and Gigi Gore Brown, who have moved to Bristol after previously running their business in Barcelona.  

It was over there where they met Bahram, who runs the Chai Guy, making chai alongside the sandwiches. 

Babs and Gigi told me it made sense to come to Bristol, as most customers in Spain were tourists or expats from the UK, with quite a few being from Bristol.  

But they are only running the pop-up in Bristol until the end of June, as they have ambitious plans to franche the business in London.  

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It’s definitely worth trying while here, with Babs and Gigi giving BristolWorld readers 20 per cent off if they use the discount #DirtyCharlie.    

Dirty Vegans, Chai Guy, 88 St Mark’s Road, Bristol, BS5 6JH.

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