The Vegan Summer 2008

9 770307 481000

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ISSN 0307−4811

CHECK OUT OUR NEW VEGAN CATERING FOR ALL GUIDE AND OUR NEW WHY VEGAN LEAFLET

CHECK OUT OUR NEW VEGAN CATERING FOR ALL GUIDE AND OUR NEW WHY VEGAN LEAFLET

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page i1

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page i2

The Vegan Society l Donald Watson House l 21 Hylton Street l Hockley l Birmingham l B18 6HJ l UK

Local rate 0845 45 88244 l Tel. 0121 523 1730 l Fax. 0121 523 1749 l e-mail: [email protected]

Editor Rosamund RahaProofreader Patricia TrickerInformation Consultant George RodgerDesign www.doughnutdesign.co.ukYOUth pages Design Johanna BestFront cover photo Californian Poppies by Roger MerenyiPrinted by Cambrian Printers on Recycled paper

© The Vegan SocietyRegistered Charity no. 279228

The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Vegan Society Council.Nothing printed should be construed to be Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liabilityfor any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.The inclusion of product information should not be construed as constituting official Vegan Society approval forthe product, its intended use, or its manufacturer/distributor. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed,but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a SAE. Contributions will usually be edited.

The Vegan l Summer 2008 1

Global foodshortageshave gainedmassivecoverage inthe mediarecently. In The Guardianon Tuesday 15April, GeorgeMonbiotpointed outthat: “Thereis plenty offood. It isjust not

reaching human stomachs. Of the 2.13bn tonneslikely to be consumed this year, only 1.01bn, accordingto the United Nations Food and AgricultureOrganization, will feed people.” He also states that:“our [meat] consumption rate is plainlyunsustainable.”

The media are starting to acknowledge thatgrowing crops to feed ‘livestock’ is incrediblywasteful, because the conversion rate of plantprotein to meat protein is very poor. Jeremy Laurance,writing in The Independent on 16 April, also recognizesthis, saying: “It takes 8kg of grain to produce 1kg ofbeef, and large tracts of forest have been clearedfor grazing land that might have been used togrow crops.” Our Media Officer, Amanda Baker,continues to discuss this issue with journalists.She is even chatting to George Monbiot by e-mail!Check out our Highlights pages to see what elsethe Vegan Society has been up to.

We hope you like the new Vegan Catering for Allbooklet which is enclosed in the magazine andmanage to give some copies out to chefs andcatering managers as well as distributing as manyof our new Why Vegan? leaflets as possible.

Rosamund Raha

Editor

in this issue2 SPRING 2008 HIGHLIGHTS

3 FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE

4 OUT & ABOUT

6 MACKA B

8 VEGAN WEDDING

9 CATERING BOOKLET LAUNCH

10 ANIMAL WELFARE ACT

12 NEWS AND INFORMATION

15 LAUNCH OF WHY VEGAN LEAFLET

16 SADHANA FOREST PROJECT

19 AGM AND COUNCIL STATEMENT

20 VEGETOPIA

22 RECIPES

24 SHOPAROUND

27 CURIOUS VEGETABLES / MEGAN THE VEGAN

28 GROW VEGAN

29 YOUTH PAGES

33 PRISON CATERING AWARDS

34 REVIEWS

37 EVENTS

38 LOCAL CONTACTS

40 LIST OF COUNCIL AND STAFF

41 CLASSIFIEDS

44 CROSSWORD COMPETITION

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 1

VEGAN SOCIETYSPRING 2008 HIGHLIGHTS

EDUCATION

Education Show, NEC, Birmingham

The Vegan Society held a stall atthe Education Show at the NationalExhibition Centre (NEC) on 28 Feb –

1 March, exhibiting to teachers,suppliers and buyers. We made some

great contacts and found out about lotsof ways to raise the visibility of our material

and information. Teachers were excited about the free CD-ROM, and we gave nearly 300 away, also telling them aboutour webpages and school speakers.

Contacts made at the show led to: n a link on TeacherNet: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/n a link on Free-eds: http://www.free-eds.co.uk/n a request from World Vision to write for their youth magazinen inclusion in an article in SecEd magazine by Susan Elkin.

We’ve given 24 school talks since the start of the Springterm, reaching around a thousand schoolchildren.

TRADEMARK

More Universities take the Trademark

Glasgow University, Nottingham University and PembrokeCollege, Cambridge, are now using our trademark.

Natural and Organic Products Show, Olympia, London

The Vegan Society Trademark team, Colm and Sandrine,were delighted by the number of people stopping at thestall to enquire about the trademark. So many companiesare interested in displaying the sunflower logo on theirproducts! Both days were very productive and Colm andSandrine had the opportunity to meet people from allkinds of companies. A lot of trademark packs werehanded out and some companies even registered for thetrademark on the day. These two days also gave the teamthe opportunity to meet existing trademark holders for thefirst time or to exchange views and ideas with them.

INTERNATIONAL TRADEMARK

This Spring we have gained newtrademark holders in eightdifferent countries including ourfirst ever in Canada, Greece,Israel and the Czech Republic.

MEDIA

In Go Dairy-Free for The Planet, AmandaBaker cast the spotlight on the heavy eco-

burden of dairy cows. The article appeared as adouble-page feature in the April edition of Lifescape

magazine.

Amanda gave around 100,000 listeners a vegan treatwhen she was interviewed for BBC Radio Northampton’sDesert Island Dishes. She described a mouth-watering yet simple meal of mushroom and ale pie served withspring onion mash, sautéd kale and pumpkin, followed bybaked pears stuffed with spiced chopped nuts and driedplums with a malted chocolate sauce. This was broadcastlive at drive time (5:50 pm) on Wednesday 16 April, andthe presenters Richard and Annabel seemed mostappreciative!

Pat Reeves has been officially nominated by The VeganSociety as a contender for Cosmopolitan magazine’sUltimate Woman of the Year 2008 awards.

Do you know a vegan who has shown extraordinarycourage, been a fantastic friend through thick and thin,selflessly helped others, been a true innovator or isotherwise outstanding? Nominations are open untilAugust, so please let us know about any other UltimateVegan Women (and men!)!

Get in touch with Amanda for all things media-related –from advice on writing letters to your local newspaper tooffers of stories we can run in the national press! Contact [email protected].

2 The Vegan l Summer 2008

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 2

OTHER SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS

Hotel and Catering Show, Bournemouth

We were veryencouraged by theresponse we receivedat the Hotel andCatering Show in

Bournemouth on 10 and 11 March. The show was rightnext to the seafront, and after dipping our toes in thewaves we enthusiastically began the two-day event.

We spoke to many people from catering businesses andwere pleased to hear that most had encountered vegans.Nine catering colleges asked for information to help inspirethe next generation of chefs to make vegan food widelyavailable. Many caterers seemed to realize that they mustcater well for all of their customers or their reputation andprofits will suffer.

We were kept busy advising on recipes, ingredients andsuppliers and seventy people signed up for furtherinformation. The bonus was that we may have attracted afew new trademark holders.

Hospital Caterers’ AssociationConference, Birmingham

The Vegan Society was provided with anexcellent opportunity to speak to hospitalcatering managers and staff attending theHospital Caterers’ Association 60th

National Conference. Staff gave awaycopies of The Vegan Society’s Catering Guide

for Hospitals and Care Homes and many cateringstaff stopped to speak to us. The conference also gave TheVegan Society a chance to publicize its new award for thehospitals or care homes that provide the highest standards ofvegan catering. If you would like to nominate a hospital orcare home for the 2008 award please get in touch with ourInformation Department.

Many catering staff explained that they had encounteredvegan patients on their wards and showed a genuine interestin wanting to improve standards. It was not just cateringstaff who were interested in us: several businesses exhibitingat the conference took home information about ourtrademark! If you or another vegan you know is due tohave a stay in a hospital or care home please contact us for acopy of our booklet to pass on to catering managers.

Some environmentalists have been slow to acknowledge the impact of animal-derived foods on the environment

but there are signs that the major organizations are taking note.

In the spring edition of Earthmatters Friends of the Earth accept that meat and dairy consumption is a high-impact diet.

They invited their members to take part in a survey about eating meat and dairy products to help guide their future policy.

I know that some of our members have been doing a great job trying to encourage FOE to adopt a pro-vegan policy and we had an

advert in their magazine to help raise awareness.

The Worldwatch Institute, another influential organization, has also polled its members. They posed the question: ‘What do you think

is the best way to minimize the environmental impacts of eating meat and seafood?’ Out of 2398 votes 42% said: ‘It is impossible to

minimize the impacts; we must stop eating meat and seafood.’

We must all keep emphasizing the damage caused to the environment by eating animal products. Some people are promoting

technical ‘solutions’ to the problem such as changing the diet of cattle, genetically modifying animals to reduce methane emissions

and better manure management. Why waste time and money on such research when the simple answer is to adopt a vegan diet?

Farmers regularly have to adapt to new practices and there will be a bright future for farmers if they switch to producing vegan food!

FROM THECHIEF EXECUTIVE

Nigel Winter


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 3

OUT AND ABOUTWITH OUR VEGAN CAMPAIGNERS

For complete listings of Vegan Society Local Contacts and Local Groups, see pages 38-40


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

I have been quite bowled over by theresponse to my first column as

International Coordinator. I had notexpected such an outpouring of warmth and

friendship and am still barely halfway throughresponding. To all who wrote, phoned or emailed, I amgrateful for your confidence and will do my best to live up to it.

As the world grows smaller and the movement grows largerand more cohesive, it becomes ever more difficult to separatethe international from the multicultural and the local.Following last year’s Vegan Festival in India there has been anupsurge of interest in veganism both in India itself and in Indiancommunities elsewhere. The UK Jain community, for instance,is increasingly keen to work with the Society for a morecompassionate world and many Jains are finding the veganlifestyle an appropriate expression of ahimsa (striving to reduceharm) in the modern world.

An e-group for Jain vegans set up by Mahersh and Nishma Shah(of Shambhu’s Kitchen fame) rapidly attracted interest fromaround the world, leading to plans for a wider group encompassingvegans and sympathisers of any faith or none who either live inIndia or have family or other connections with India – do get intouch if you are interested.

Shankar Narayan who founded the Indian Vegan Society andorganised the festival last year will be staying with us in Londonbefore and after the Dresden World Congress (see Events page)and also visiting Birmingham, so anyone who would like to meethim while he’s in the UK please let me know. Meanwhile, thanksto an inquiry we passed on to Shankar last year UK memberSandra Ellis became part of the Sadhana reforestation project – seepage 16 for her lovely article on the subject.

From Africa, a member working for an NGO in Ethiopia haswritten describing that country as a paradise for vegans, sinceeveryone eats vegan two days a week for religious reasons andvegan food is abundant and delicious. Closer to home, anenthusiastic French vegan would like to organise a veganfestival in Paris in 2010. This will require a lot of work andsupport, though as usual the first step is getting a bunch ofisolated individuals in touch with one another and seeing theirenthusiasm grow. At least Paris is not so far away as Indiaand I do speak the language.

The multicultural approach to the Department of Health aboutanimal ingredients in medicines initiated by Nitin Mehta nowhas the assistance of GPs, pharmacists and other healthprofessionals from the Hindu, Jain and Muslim communitiesas well as the Vegan Society and an article has beensubmitted to the Journal of British Midwives about thepractice of injecting newborn babies with cow bile withoutadequate information to ensure informed choice. Other groups in the EU are following our progress withinterest since the Equality Act, which accords deeply heldbeliefs such as veganism the same status as traditionalreligions, is common to all member states.

That’s all I have space for this time, so Russia, SouthAmerica and New Zealand will have to wait for next time –but do get in touch if you have an interest in veganismthere or anywhere else in the world. I’ll be delighted tohear from you!

Vanessa Clarke, International Coordinator

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 4


The first Activists’ Day of 2008 was held in a packed room

at the Society’s Office. If the feedback was anything to go by

the variety of talks given by the various speakers went down

extremely well, as did the food provided by Veggies Catering

Campaign. There are plans for other such days around the

country. At the time of writing neither venues nor dates

have been fixed but it is hoped to have one in June or early

July in London and one in York on Sunday 23 November to

fit in with the AGM, which will be held in that ancient and

beautiful city on Saturday 22 November. There may also be

others. If you want details of Activists’ Days please contact

me, preferably by e-mail. Remember that such days are not

only for existing and potential Local and Group Contacts but

also for any members who want to be more active in

promoting veganism in whatever way they can.

School Speakers’ Training Days are organized separately, so if

you want details of them you need to contact our Education

Officer, Rob, at the Office ([email protected]). Some

Local and Group Contacts are also on our list of authorized

school speakers whilst others find that doing one thing or

the other is quite enough.

Several members have told me recently that they have

considered applying to be a Local Contact but haven’t got

time to do everything. Nobody has! But it doesn’t matter,

because Local Contacts do whatever they can with whatever

time and skills they have. If you’re one of those who is

hesitating and is not sure of what you could do to help, please

ask me for a list of suggestions. The only things that Council

has decided are essential are that Local Contacts send an

annual report (by e-mail is ok), deal with any enquiries or refer

them to me or to the Office as appropriate, promote the

Vegan Society in whatever ways they can and attempt to

recruit members for the Society if/when the opportunity arises.

This does not mean they have to walk round the streets

giving out leaflets but if they meet anyone who is vegan they

tell them about the Society and encourage them to join.

They are not expected to be experts in vegan nutrition nor to

be able to say off the top of their head whether a particular

brand of toothpaste is vegan. (However they are expected to

know that vegans should ensure an adequate intake of B12,

i.e. 3 micrograms per day from fortified foods or 10 mcg

from a supplement.)

Similarly Groups are organized in different ways and do

different things, according to the wishes and expertise of

their members. Some are purely social, meeting once a

month for a meal in a restaurant or member’s house.

Some put on library displays, give cookery demonstrations,

arrange sponsored events to raise funds ….. even organize

free food fairs and vegan festivals. Those in urban areas

where there is a concentration of members tend to do the

most, but wherever they are based they make a huge

difference for animals, people and the environment.

So please get in touch wherever you live if you’d like details

about what being a Local Contact involves, to get your group

listed in the magazine and on the website or for help with

expanding an existing group or starting a new one, including

contacting members in your area on your behalf if appropriate.

By the time you read this thebluebells will be a distantmemory and summer will beon the way. The next really bigevent is the Bristol Vegan Fair,once again covering two days,and I hope to see lots of youthere on 31 May and 1 June.

Patricia TrickerLocal Contacts’ Coordinator

LOCAL NEWS

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 5

MACKA B

Macka B is a well-established and

internationallyrenowned reggae

star. Britishborn, he hasrecorded 17albums and

toured the world. He has just cut a

new track all aboutvegan food. Here he

talks to Rob Jacksonabout what

veganism meansto him.

When and why did you becomevegan?

I stopped eating meat when I was 17years old. I continued eating fish (Iknow it’s still meat) and dairy productstill about ten years ago. The decisionto stop eating meat was to lead ahealthier lifestyle, adhering to my faithand out of compassion for theanimals. I try not even to kill flies.The decision to become vegan was afamily one. We all came to theconclusion that fishes were animalstoo and that man does not need dairyproducts to survive. Even a calfdoesn’t drink milk for the whole of itslife. With a lot of Black people beinglactose intolerant cows’ milk can bevery detrimental to our bodies. So allseven of us – me, my wife and 5children – are all vegans and feel goodabout it. It is very well documentedthe negative effect that meat has onour bodies. People just neededucating about the alternatives.

How does veganism fit with yourother beliefs?

Rastafari is a way of life that veryrigidly adheres to the laws of nature.The ‘Ital’ diet of I-and-I, the brethrenand sistren of Rastafari, is essentiallya vegan one. Most Rastafari donot eat the flesh of dead animals.It has been said that the body is atemple and so it should beprotected and cared for as such.All things in nature – fruits,vegetables, herbs, spices – havebeen provided for I-and-I by theAlmighty and should be heldsacred as life itself. I am of theRasTafari faith and most Rastasbelieve in a natural diet, eatingfrom the earth. It is called ‘Italfood’. Some Rastas do eat fleshand fish but a lot of RasTafari areItal, even cutting out salt fromthe diet.

Rob Jackson


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 6


Do you cover veganism a lot in yoursongs? Tell us about ‘Wha me eat’.

‘Wha me eat’ is really an answer to thequestion that I am asked over and over andover again – ”What do you eat?” Wheneveryou tell people you don’t eat meat, fish ordairy they think there is nothing else in theworld to eat. So I am showing them thatthere are many, many things a vegan can eat.It’s all about education. ‘Wha me eat’ issoon to be released and when I do it live at aconcert the people always go wild, vegansand non-vegans, which is a joy to see.

Do you have many vegan fans?

I get e-mails from vegetarians and veganswho support the work I am doing. I wouldlove to do a video for ‘Wha me eat’ and getthe message to the masses who are beingmanipulated into doing and eating what theythink is ‘normal’.

To find out more about Macka B visitwww.mackab.com

Do you find touring difficult as a vegan? Is the rest of your band vegan?

Touring can be difficult although it is improving with people gaining moreknowledge about the vegan lifestyle. I have been to some places where peoplethink if you don’t eat meat you must be sick. A lot of times I take my own foodjust to be sure. Only one other person in the band is vegan, but sometimes all ofthe band have to eat vegan because that is what is provided and they are all rightwith that: it gives their body a break and of course everybody loves good veganfood.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY registered charity number 279228

In 1974 The Vegan Society launched an appeal for a fund to help elderly vegans.

The aim was to fund a retirement home for elderly vegans.

NOTICE is given that money and other property given for this purpose can not be used for that purpose because there was

insufficient money for the Society to establish a home. Despite much effort it was not possible to find another organisation that

was willing to share the costs and operate to the Society’s required criteria.

The donated money has remained in an account gathering interest.

If you gave money or other property for that purpose you are entitled to claim it back. If you wish to do so you must

tell Nigel Winter, Company Secretary of The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham B18

6HJ within 3 months of 30 May 2008. If you wish the money or other property to go to a similar charitable purpose and to

disclaim your right to the money or other property, you must ask the person named above for a form of disclaimer.

If you do not either make a claim within three months or sign a disclaimer, the Charity Commission may make a Scheme

applying the property to other charitable purposes. You will still be able to claim the return of your money or other property

(less expenses), but only if you do so within 6 months from the date of any Scheme made by the Commissioners.

Date of the notice: May 2008

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 7

OUR VEGAN WEDDINGVerity Hunt-Sheppard

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the year2007 I married the man of my dreams at St John

the Baptist Church in Leicester. Our wedding was verymuch a traditional one: a church service followed by areception. We had a pageboy, flower girls and mylovely sister as abridesmaid, a three-tierwedding cake, cateringfor the guests and anevening disco. Howeverunlike most traditionalweddings ours was bothinexpensive and vegan!

At the time of our

engagement my fiancé and

I had been vegan for just

under a year and we

ummed and ahhed over

how vegan our wedding

should be. Whether we

should provide mixed

catering or not was the

biggest question. In the

end we decided to stick to

our beliefs, confident that

those who loved us and

valued our friendship would

understand and probably

expect nothing less! It was

the best decision we made.

Initially we wanted a local

caterer, but the ones we

contacted weren’t

confident of providing

vegan food or were outside

our budget, so we

contacted vegan caterers

Veggies who are based in

Nottingham. We had both eaten Veggies’ food before since

they cater for many vegan fairs and festivals and are

famous for their burgers! In addition they are happy to

travel. As ours was an afternoon wedding we decided on an

afternoon buffet, consisting of samosas, bhajis, savoury rolls,

pasties, sandwiches, various salads and a selection of cakes.

Veggies’ prices were excellent too and well within our budget.

Our three-tier wedding cake was made and decorated by

my mother: all we did was adapt a traditional fruit-cake

recipe and hire a professional cake stand to display it on.

Once the food was fully vegan, veganizing the rest of

the wedding was easy.

Some main brand beers

such as Budweiser and

Grolsch are vegan so our

vegan guests didn’t miss

out at the bar and the

bar provided a list of their

wines and details of the

suppliers in advance so

we could check for vegan

ones before the big day.

I avoided silk in the

clothing of the flower

girls and pageboy and my

own dress – a beautiful

second-hand one from a

theatre department –

and I wore the veil my

mother had worn at her

wedding.

My wedding day was,

hand on heart, the best

day of my life. I still

cannot believe how well

everything went and

what a wonderful time

we had. Our decision to

have vegan catering was

not only respected but

praised by our impressed

guests. Many couldn’t

believe that vegan food

could be so delicious

and I know some of our

friends are now eating more vegan food as a result.

One non-vegan guest told me that she had never felt so

satisfied at a buffet.

The response to our vegan wedding was definitely positive

and I don’t believe it was much more difficult to arrange

than any other wedding.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 8

NGTURN EVERY MEAL OUT INTO APROMOTION FOR VEGAN FOOD!

VEGANCATERING FOR ALL

Do your local eateries

struggle to provide

delicious vegan meals?

If so, give them a free

copy of our

comprehensive vegan-

catering guide for

baffled chefs!

A copy of the catering

guide is included in this

magazine, but if you

need more free copies to

pass on to chefs, please

contact us at

[email protected] or

phone 0121 523 1735/6.

FEEDBACK CARDS

You can also ask for copies of our new feedback cards.

After your meal, simply fill in the card and hand it to

the restaurant in order to provide feedback.

If you would like to take it further, pick a time when

the restaurant is quiet and go in

and talk to them about

improving their vegan choices.

The Vegan Society catering

guide can provide useful

information and back-up.

For free copies of the feedback

card, please contact us at

[email protected]

or phone 0121 523 1735/6.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 9

Claire Barnes

The Animal Welfare Act has already been touted as

one of the most fundamental pieces of animal

legislation for nearly a century. However 2005 was

hailed to be the year that saw the end of hunting

with dogs when a ban came into force, but already

many illegal hunts have been reported without

subsequent arrests or in fact any action taking place.

Thus we are left to

wonder if the Animal

Welfare Act will tell a

similar story. Will it

live up to all the hype,

or will it be just

another piece of

legislation that does

not go far enough in

protecting animals and

is routinely ignored?

The Animal Welfare Act

was passed in 2006 and

came into force in England

and Wales on 6 April

2007. It brings together

more than 20 pieces of

legislation relating to both

farmed and non-farmed

animals and extends a

duty of care to non-

farmed animals. It makes

owners responsible for

taking care of the needs of

their animals, including

providing a suitable

environment and diet and

protection from pain,

injury, suffering and

disease. However many

animal-welfare

organizations within the

UK feel that the Act is not tough enough. They are of

the opinion that proper enforcement may prove to be an

obstacle, making it unlikely that the new legislation will

have any real effect on animal suffering in the UK.

I spoke to Jasmijn de Boo, chair of the political party

Animals Count, regarding her thoughts on this matter. She

said, “The Animal Welfare Act may contribute to people’s

awareness of a duty of care. It may be used as a

framework to test the boundaries of what constitutes

‘cruelty’ and ‘suffering’ and it may ultimately result in less

suffering. However without proper enforcement too many

animals will still suffer.”

Although the Animal

Welfare Act has been

passed as law it is

important to point out that

it will not be enforced in

the way one might assume.

So far the Government has

granted no extra funding to

enforce the new legislation

and local authorities have

been advised to use licence

fees to offset any

prosecution costs incurred.

In view of the fact that

local authorities have no

statutory duty to enforce

the Act it is likely that the

job of enforcement will

ultimately fall to the RSPCA

and other animal-protection

organizations in the UK –

using their already

stretched budgets that

mainly rely on donations.

It seems probable that lack

of funding could prove to

be an obstacle to the Act,

preventing it from making

any real difference to

animal suffering in the UK.

Jasmijn commented,

“I think that it is ludicrous

that animal-protection organizations are responsible for this

and I believe that government funding (tax) should be

used instead to enforce the Animal Welfare Act.

THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT – AN END TO ANIMAL CRUELTY IN THE UK?

“The Animal Welfare Act

may contribute to people’s

awareness of a duty of care.

It may be used as a

framework to test the

boundaries of what

constitutes ‘cruelty’ and

‘suffering’ and it may

ultimately result in less

suffering. However without

proper enforcement too

many animals will

still suffer.”


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 10

Enforcement of any other

law focused on humans is

done by government.

Why are animals a

different matter. Another

challenge facing the Act is

one of interpretation. It

seems that under it

owners themselves and

other untrained people

will largely be expected to

decide what constitutes

suffering. And so our

understanding of animals’

needs and their capacity to

suffer may further nullify

any difference that the law

can make. I spoke to

Ginger Cullifer, an animal-

rights activist, who said,

“As long as humans have certain perceptions of animals

as being inferior, less knowledgeable, without feelings

and lacking the ability to reason, the ridding of animal

cruelty is entirely unlikely.”

What penalties can an animal abuser deemed to be

breaking the law expect to face? They will vary but

the most serious offenders could incur a fine of up to

twenty thousand pounds and/or fifty-one weeks’

imprisonment. However if past events are anything to go

by our legal system is often lenient when it comes to

animal cruelty offenders. This was highlighted by the

media when they reported the case of a girl who early in

2007 pleaded guilty at Swansea magistrates’ court after

RSPCA inspectors found two dogs starved to death.

She admitted to being absent from her home for long

periods but said that she thought a friend would take

care of her animals. The sentence she received was a

lifetime ban on keeping animals plus a six-month

supervision order and 120 hours of community service.

What’s more revealing is that in the same month four

animal-rights activists received a more unsparing

sentence of up to four years in gaol because their

behaviour had been deemed to be intimidating. Jasmijn

comments, “I think the penalty system is still too low in

cases of severe cruelty.”

It is clear that the Animal Welfare Act faces many

obstacles and in itself may not end animal cruelty.

However do we have to

rely solely on legislation to

ensure a better future for

our animals in the UK?

Jasmijn believes that there

are many things that we

can all do to improve the

situation, and it seems

that charity really does

begin in our own back

yard or kennel. We must

take responsibility for our

own actions, analyze how

our behaviour affects

animals and make changes

accordingly. For example

it is better to adopt an

animal from a shelter than

to buy from a pet shop or

breeder.

It was Mahatma Gandhi

who said, “The greatness

of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the

way its animals are treated.” The Animal Welfare Act

may prove to be a step in the direction of a

country free from animal

abuse but it

doesn’t

have to

be

the

last.

CT K?

“We must take responsibility

for our own actions, analyze

how our behaviour affects

animals and make changes

accordingly. For example it is

better to adopt an animal

from a shelter than to buy

from a pet shop or breeder.”


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 11

NEWS AND INFORMATION


n VEG CHAT MIDLANDS

A brand-new Midlands on-line forum hasbeen launched. Veg Chat Midlands providesvegetarians & vegans across the region withan excellent means of communication.Members can chat about food, friends, TV,books, sport or just vegetarianism/veganism.There is also a section to discuss campaigning& veggie/vegan promotion. Chat aboutanything at all with like-minded people andmake new friends in your area. You canremain totally anonymous if you wish:http://vegchatmidlands.freeforums.org.

n VEGAN RUNNER

James Meldrum from Liverpool ispossibly the fastest vegan runner in theUK (unless you know of a faster one?).He competed in the Morecambe 20-mile road race on 2 March. About 300runners finished and James came firstin one hour fifty-two minutes on behalfof the Vegan Runners UK club. Jameswas using this event as part of histraining for the London Marathon on13 April where again he will bewearing the vest of the Vegan Runners.The photo was taken during theStockport 10 miles on 9 Decemberwhen he finished sixth out of 600entrants. James normally trains withthe Liverpool Harriers.

If you want to know more about VeganRunners please contact Peter Simpsonon [email protected] or 01908503919 / 07967 589663, or check outtheir website –www.veganrunners.makessense.co.uk.

n VEGAN PLEDGE

With a New Year, New You! message Vegan Campaigns supported 25Londoners to become vegan for a month. An estimated 137 animalswere saved! Half the participants plan to stay vegan and almost allthe rest are now vegetarian or are cutting down on animal products.

Meetings were held at the beginning and end of the pledge periodwhere participants could ask questions and discuss aspects of thepledge while enjoying a wide variety of delicious vegan food. Duringthe pledge period participants received information and support by e-mail and phone and were invited to London Vegans’ regular‘second Sunday’ lunch.

Free before-and-after health checks were provided by GP Dr MikeHooper, who commented afterwards: “It’s surprising how quicklybecoming vegan improved people’s health. Most participants lostweight, their average Body Mass Index and Waist-Hip Ratio reducedfrom an ‘at risk’ level into the ideal range and there was an overallreduction in blood pressure.”

Vegan Campaigns were so pleased with the results that they hope todouble the number of participants next year and would love to seethe idea catch on nationally. If you would like to organize a VeganPledge in your area, do get in touch!

For further information see www.vegancampaigns.org.uk.

n VEGAN VITAMIN K FOR NEWBORNS

Babies are routinelyinjected with vitamin K atbirth to protect againstrare but serioushaemorrhage (includingbrain haemorrhage). In the past the injectionwas vegan but it nowincludes a carrier madewith cow bile.

There is, however, at least one oral vegan version availableon a named-patient basis. This means that it must beprescribed and ordered through a doctor.

If you wish to use this product, do allow time for it to besourced and prescribed. If your doctor is unaware of this,your local or hospital pharmacist should be able to help.

We must stress that we cannot give medical advice butcan only pass on information about the availability ofproducts. Please feel free to ring the Vegan Society on0121 523 1735/6 if you have any queries.

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 12

n CALLING ALL VEGANS!

We are looking for new ways tospread the vegan word.

We need real-life vegan stories tohelp us get more local media

coverage. So if you have doneanything newsworthy, from running a

street stall to running a marathon, or if youcan describe the benefits of veganism through a personal story,our Media Relations Officer, Amanda Baker, would like to hearfrom you.

Have you ever been ‘famous for 5 minutes’ or, had a letterpublished in your local paper, or do you work in the media?Share your ‘media experiences’, and help your fellow vegans gettheir voices heard too!

If you have either a story or a media experience to share, pleasecontact Amanda Baker on: 0121 523 1737 or e-mail:[email protected].

n LIFESCAPE SPECIAL OFFER

Get five issues of Lifescape magazine delivered to you postfree for £15 and a third of your subscription will go tothe animals at the vegan-owned Hugletts Wood Farmsanctuary – www.huglettswoodfarm.org.

A glossy magazine with a conscience, Lifescape is editedby vegans and dedicated to everything that is eco-

friendly, fair trade, crueltyfree and organic, withregular features onveganism and animalissues as well as oncruelty-free food,fashion and beauty –www.lifescapemag.com.

To take advantage ofthis offer, send yourname, address and £15to Lifescape Magazine,Dept VS, 353 ShenleyRoad, Borehamwood,Herts, WD6 1TN.

n VEGFAM NOW HAS A WEBSITE!

Those of you who have long wished that Vegfam (one of the charities thathelp to feed the world without exploiting animals) would get a proper websiteup and running will be pleased to know that there now is one.

Check it out at www.vegfamcharity.org.uk.

n VEGAN VENTURES COURSE AT THE CORDON VERT SCHOOL

Are you under the age of 26? Would you like to learn tocook some yummy vegan meals in a fun and excitingenvironment? The Vegetarian Charity is running anotherVegan Venture Cookery Workshop at the Cordon VertSchool. The day is full of inexpensive and simple recipes,aimed especially at young people who may be living awayfrom home for the first time.

Our Education Officer, Rob Jackson, attended one of thesecourses last year and found it very rewarding: “I learnedsome new and inventive recipes and got chatting to a lot ofinteresting people. The chefs were enthusiastic and really athome in the sometimes hectic surroundings, though ofcourse the best part of the day was eating all we hadcooked!”

The course is to be held on Saturday 30 August at theVegetarian Society headquarters in Cheshire. It is completelyfree but the number of places is limited.

n SHOPPERS CARE MORE ABOUT ANIMALS THAN CLIMATE

The Co-op hasconducted what theyclaim is the biggestpoll of consumerethics ever undertakenand found that animalwelfare and fair tradeare far biggerconcerns to UKconsumers thanclimate change.

The supermarketgroup analysedresponses to adetailed four-pagequestionnaire from

more than 100,000 members and customers. Only 4% ratedclimate change as their top ethical priority compared with 21%who thought that animal welfare was the most important issueand 14% who rated fair trade as their key concern.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 13

n LONG-DISTANCE VEGAN

I survived and completed the Paris Marathon, and ran it in atime of 4 hours, 11 minutes and 52 seconds. I was quitepleased with my time, though I did initially aim for a sub 4 hourtime when I started my training, but during the race, I sloweddown during the second half (I guess if I trained harder in thepreceding months, I could have achieved this). This was my 4thmarathon, with my previous 3 being: Edinburgh, and Loch Ness(in 2005), and London (in 2006).

My time for the BUPA Great South Run was: 1:25:36. It wasonly a 10 mile race, and not a half marathon, like its sister race,the BUPA Great North Run. Through my races, I have raised afew thousand pounds for local and national animal welfarecharities, e.g. Cats Protection, and Scottish SPCA. For this one, Iraised over £500 for my local Cats Protection Shelter, coveringArbroath and District.

For the rest of the year my targets are: Dunfermline HalfMarathon, Glasgow Women’s 10k, Dundee Half Marathon, andthe Great Scottish Run 10k in Glasgow.

I run as a hobby, and have recently bought a bike, and amentering some duathlons also. My times are certainly notexceptional, but for a 43 year old female, who stoppedparticipating in regular sport after I left school, I think I doalright. Being on a vegan diet also helps fuel my fitnesstremendously, especially in terms of weight control, andgenerally feeling energised.

Liz Begg

n A NOTE FROM THE FINANCE OFFICERRE: ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Dear Members who pay by standing order,

It is possible that you are paying either too much ortoo little:

Full price of membership is £21. Low waged (under £8000 per year) is £14. Add an additional member (same address) for just £7.

You will need to contact your bank directly to amendthe amount as we are not able to do this.

Alternatively, if you would like to change to payingby Direct Debit, please contact me for a form on0121 523 1732, or by e-mail at:[email protected] or by post at the usualaddress. It is possible to pay monthly or quarterlyfor membership and don’t forget to gift aid it!

Don’t forget that the revenue from your paymentshelps to cover the Society’s overheads and runningcosts. It enables us to attend fairs and exhibitions,to produce information leaflets and ‘The Vegan’Magazine, as well as to promoting veganism at everygiven opportunity!

Thank you for your continued support – we couldn’tdo it without you!.

Fiona SylvaFinance Officer

n BRITAIN’S BEST DISH 2008

If you are a keen amateur vegan cook with an original starter,main course or pudding, then why not enter ITV’s Best BritishDish competition? You could win £10,000 plus the opportunityto get great publicity for vegan food. Applications must be inbefore 7 June and phone calls are expensive so we recommendthat you e-mail them if possible to [email protected].

n MISS THE CHICKEN!

If you are looking for a bit of fun, why not play a gamecalled ‘miss the chicken’? It is played online atwww.hiltl.ch/werbung-online_en.php. The object of thegame is to shoot as few cartoon chickens as possible.Thirty shots are fired automatically and you move yourmouse or cursor to miss the chickens because every oneyou hit earns you minus points.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 14

YOU’VE SEEN OUR WHYVEGAN? BOOKLET, NOWSEE THE LEAFLET!

The Vegan Society has produced a

one-page Why Vegan? for members

to use when leafleting. These leaflets

are cheaper to produce than the

booklets and so they can be posted

though people’s doors and used in

other places where they may or may

not be read.

Contact us at [email protected] or on

0121 523 1735/6 for a free supply.

WHY VEGAN?


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 15

Sadhana Forest, Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India – a wonderful

place to spend two weeks, two months or two years.

Please come and visit – and perhaps volunteer at – this

amazing vegan ecological reforestation project!

Ifirst heard about Sadhana when it was advertisedas a place to visit after the 2007 International Vegan

Festival in India. At the time I was looking for a newvolunteer project, and having already spent twowonderful years volunteering in Bangalore thought Iwould try another country for a change. But somehowI kept going back to projects in India and realized Iwould have to follow my heart and return there.So, excited by the idea of living in a vegan community,I arrived here at Sadhana on 13 February 2008 andhave settled in well, even getting used to startingwork at 6.30 am – no easy task for an ‘owl’!

Sadhana Forest is an amazing reforestation project the aim

of which is to restore the very rare Tropical Dry Evergreen

Forest (TDEF), of which there is only 0.01% left in the world.

It is endemic to Tamil Nadu and some parts of neighbouring

Sri Lanka. The ancient, dense forest was felled mainly by

British and French colonists approximately 200 years ago,

which left all the topsoil bare and exposed to the

elements. The heavy rains during monsoons completely

washed away the topsoil and deposited it in the sea – the

Bay of Bengal – a few miles away. Subsequent monsoons

began eroding the subsoil, creating deep canyons and

gullies throughout the land.

In December 2003 Aviram and Yorit Rozin were given

stewardship of 70 acres of degraded land at Sadhana, within

the boundaries of Auroville, and their primary task was to prevent

further erosion and begin a major water-conservation scheme.


VOLUNTEERINGAT THE SADHANA FOREST PROJECT IN INDIA

Sandra Ellis

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:26 pm Page 16

They have been very successful in raising the water table

by six metres and to date over 17,700 native trees and

shrubs have been planted, with over 95% survival rates –

very impressive in such a hot, dry climate.

So what does a volunteer do? Well, we all share in the

planting and watering, water-conservation bunding,

cooking and cleaning, and indeed any other tasks that

arise.

We start work in the forest at 6.30 am and break at 8.30

for breakfast. From 9.30 to 11.30 the work is mostly in

the vegan organic vegetable garden. Tools are usually

stored safely away by 12 and lunch is at around 12.30.

After that your time is your own, and there are many

diverse activities in nearby Auroville township. About 12

km away from Sadhana there is sunbathing and swimming

at the beautiful sandy beach on the east coast, ideal for

sun-worshippers. As a professional gardener my primary

role is to set up a kitchen garden to enable us to grow

more of our own food and so spend less on buying local

organic produce. One of the nicest things for me is that

many musicians and singers stay here so there is always

music: impromptu jamming sessions or songs throughout

the day!

Volunteers come for a minimum of two weeks and can

stay for as long as they wish! I plan to stay until the end

of July and hope to return in the future. We live in

thatched huts made of natural local materials and sleep on

raised platforms in the huts. Some huts are communal,

some for couples or families.

There are dry composting toilets using fine sawdust and

compost heaps for kitchen waste. Aviram also installed

two large solar panels to provide electricity, with bicycles

to produce power on cloudy or rainy days! Long-term

volunteers are especially welcome and after the forest

work you might find that your other skills can be used to

benefit the forest. Accommodation is free and food is

the only thing you pay for – 100 rupees per day,

approximately £1.10p. This is very cheap for a wonderful

and possibly life-changing experience! Within the past

year we have had 408 volunteers from over 35 countries,

a great opportunity to make new friends! Please

consider volunteering at Sadhana this year or next. Late

July to November is the main tree-planting season and all

help is most welcome, at any time of the year.

If you cannot visit but would like to support the amazing

environmentally important work here, donations are very

welcome. The charity is registered in the UK so if you are

a UK taxpayer you can make a donation under the Gift

Aid scheme, and you can do so safely online via

www.aviuk.org.

I am sure you will be inspired by all that Yorit and Aviram

have achieved in just a few short years.


For more information please look up Sadhana

Forest on its new website – www.sadhanaforest.org

– or for more information on the international

township at Auroville – www.auroville.org.

You can also telephone Sadhana for more

information on 00 91 413 2902655 or 2677682,

but please remember that we are five and a half

hours ahead of UK time!

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 17

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 18

VEGAN SOCIETYANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2008

The next Annual General Meeting of The Vegan Societywill be held on Saturday 22nd November at the PrioryStreet Centre, 15 Priory St., York YO1 6EZ

PROPOSALS FOR RESOLUTIONProposals for resolution, to be considered by Council forinclusion on the AGM Agenda, must be received at theSociety’s office (The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ) not later thanFriday 25th July.

For your guidance Ordinary Proposals should:n be proposed and seconded by paid-up full (not supporter)

membersn in the interests of economy and clarity, not exceed 200

words, including any supporting materialn propose some form of actionn propose one single action i.e. they must not be composite

proposalsn not simply comprise a statement of opinionn Members considering submitting Special Proposals (those

seeking to change the Memorandum or Articles of Association) are advised to contact the Company Secretary (Nigel Winter) or the Chair (George Rodger) c/o the Society’soffice. Special Proposals must not exceed 200 words.

n Proposers are requested to limit their proposals to two.

NOMINATIONS FOR COUNCILThe Vegan Society needs high calibre individuals on its Councilof Trustees. Being a Trustee is a practical unpaid post, andrequires skill and ability to be effective. Trustees are ultimatelyresponsible for the charity, and are also directors of the VeganSociety as a limited company.

Each candidate must:n have been a full (not supporter) member of the Society for

12 months or longer (as at 22nd November 2008)n not be disqualified under company or charity law from

being a trustee/directorn submit a written nomination duly signed by a proposer and

seconder who are paid-up full membersn submit a profile of him/herself stating in 100-200 words

his/her full name (and any previous names), skills, experience, views and intentions if elected.

Candidacy is open to all members of the Society meeting the criteria outlined above. Members with relevant professional skills and qualifications are particularly invited to consider nomination.

Essential Trustee qualities are a co-operative and team-spirited work ethic, an understanding of good governance (see governancehub.org.uk and www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc60.asp) and a strategic way ofthinking to advance veganism.

Ideal attributes that Council will find helpful to move the Society and veganism forward include any of the following: business acumen (in particular project management and business planning), campaigning strategy, financial skills(including accounting and bookkeeping skills), fund-raising,charity law, journalism, TV or radio production, medicine,applied or clinical psychology and human resources expertise.

Having time to give is a key factor with up to 12 meetings ayear and time between to contribute to governance andstrategy via email/post/telephone.

Candidates need a clear understanding of the differencebetween the role of staff and trustees. Being a Trustee is aboutstepping back and nurturing an environment in which staff andvolunteers can get on and fulfill the Society’s strategy effectively.

A Council of Trustees is there to provide oversight, policy andstrategy.

Past minutes of Council meetings can be read here:http://www.vegansociety.com/forum/You will need to register to access the minutes.

We look forward to your applications for standing for election.Please attempt to address the above needs of Council that arerelevant to your abilities in your personal statements, as wellas giving a glimpse of your personal vision for the future ofpromoting veganism.

If you feel your skills are more directly suited to practicalveganising activities, please instead volunteer to staff to helpthem.

Nominations to The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 21Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ not later thanFriday 25th July.

For further details, ask for a ‘Prospective CandidatesNomination Pack’ by sending an A5 SAE marked ‘PCNP’ to:Council Elections, The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House,21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HJ or byemailing [email protected]


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 19

Matthew Cole and KarenMorgan discuss ‘promotingethical veganism throughacademic research andteaching’ on their newwebsite –www.vegatopia.org.

Why is veganism utopian?

Many, perhaps all, vegans have at

some time or other daydreamed about

living in a vegan world, a utopia free

of cruelty, liberated from violent and

bloody traditions. A vegan utopia, or

‘vegatopia’, would be a world in which

compassion was extended to all human

and non-human animals. It would also

be a world in which our energies could

be directed towards increasing the sum

of human and non-human animal

enjoyment and pleasure instead of trying

to hold back the tidal wave of torture

and killing inherent in the mechanized

meat and dairy industryi. The scale of

this task is daunting but also inspiring.

It reminds us that veganism is utopian

in the sense that it challenges the

existing social order and has the

potential to transform the way humans

relate to non-human animals as well as

transforming our shared environment.

Ethical veganism and compassion

The decision to become and remain a

dietary vegan is undoubtedly morally

significant in itself and contributes

to reducing the sum of real and

potential suffering in the world.

But if it remains a largely private and

individual matter it can take us only

some of the way towards vegatopia.

If we have an ethical commitment to

veganism we have a responsibility to

attempt to extend its reach, to encourage

others to help us along the way. It is

the potential for extending our sense of

compassion, without limit, towards all

human and non-human animals that is

distinctive about ethical veganism.Whichever of the various arguments for

going or staying vegan motivates our

decision, it is the moral value of

compassion that is central. But compassion

ought not to be confused with

sentimentalism, because compassion

makes demands on us to act, to work

for as great as possible a reduction in

non-human and human animal suffering.

We are in a poor position to argue for

a more compassionate future if we are

not prepared to put in the practical

and emotional work that compassion

demands.

Why we created vegatopia

Our new web resource for the academic

study of veganism, www.vegatopia.org,

is therefore inspired by a sense of

responsibility to work to oppose sources

of violence against and exploitation

of all animals. Our positions as

professional sociologists working in

universities grant us access to

information and research opportunities

and allow us to engage with students

and colleagues. As vegans working

within academia we feel a responsibility

to use these opportunities to further

the case for ethical veganism. The

website is therefore an extension of

our existing commitment to promoting

ethical veganism through research and

teaching. We hope that the website

will encourage and inspire other vegans

working in academia, whether students,

lecturers or research staff, to join us.


“As vegans

working within

academia we feel a

responsibility to use

these opportunities

to further the case

for ethical veganism.

The website is

therefore an

extension of our

existing

commitment to

promoting ethical

veganism through

research and

teaching.”

SHOW ME THE WAY TO

VEGATOPIA!Dr Matthew Cole & Dr Karen Morgan

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 20

We also hope that the website can

become a valuable source of

information for vegan organizations

and for individuals wanting to find

out more about veganism.

What does vegatopia offer?

At the core of the site is a huge

bibliography on all things vegan.

We recently completed work on

cataloguing the library of The Vegan

Society at Donald Watson House, and

as a result of this being combined with

material gleaned from our own

research over the years the website

already contains categorized academic

references to more than 1000 sources

relevant to veganism. Subjects covered

include activist literature, sociological

and psychological studies of vegans,

nutritional studies, cookery books,

philosophical and spiritual arguments

against eating animal products,

lifestyle guides to being vegan and

much more besides. We also have

an archive of media resources,

lectures and conference papers on

veganism and run a research forum

where we invite discussion of ideas

for future academic work on

researching and promoting ethical

veganism. As part of our belief in

the importance of connecting

academia with the wider community

the website also archives public

statements on vegan issues, for

instance letters to editors in response

to relevant press reports, and provides

links to other organizations promoting

veganism. We very much encourage

active participation in vegatopia and

welcome contributions, suggestions

and (constructive!) criticisms.

We hope that raising the profile of

veganism in and through academia

can move us all a little closer to the

utopian vision of a compassionate

vegan world.

For more information log on to

www.vegatopia.org or contact

Matthew and Karen at

[email protected] and

[email protected].

iAs Peter Singer puts it in Animal Liberation

(1974), consideration of the interests of human ornon-human others includes their interests inpursuing pleasure as well as avoiding pain.


“Subjects covered

include activist

literature,

sociological and

psychological

studies of vegans,

nutritional studies,

cookery books,

philosophical and

spiritual arguments

against eating

animal products,

lifestyle guides to

being vegan and

much more

besides.”

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 21

RECIPES


ASPARAGUS BRUSCHETTAServes 4

A rich white sauce and delicate asparagus on crusty bread, perfectas an appetizer or light supper.

250ml soya milk1 small white onion, peeled and halved1 bay leaf25g vegan margarine25g plain white flour1 tsp mustard powder2 tsp white wine vinegar1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped12 slices crusty baguette, sliced and toasted36 medium asparagus spears, steamed until tender

Place the onion and bay leaf in a saucepan with the milk, and heat.Leave to stand for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse themilk. Remove the bay leaf and the onion and discard. Set themilk aside while you make the roux.

For the roux, melt the margarine in another saucepan. Add theflour and stir well with a wooden spoon until the mixture is theconsistency of wet sand.

Gradually add the soya milk in small amounts, stirring well witheach addition to ensure a smooth consistency.

Continue to cook, stirring until the sauce thickens.

Mix the mustard powder and vinegar together until smooth.Add to the white sauce with the parsley and stir to mix.

Spread the sauce on the warm toast (1-2 tbsp per slice).

Arrange three spears of asparagus on each slice of the toast.

Serve immediately.

OKRA AND BABY CORN SOUPServes 2

This light soup is naturally thickened by theokra.

1 tsp olive oil1 small red onion, finely sliced4 slices fresh ginger root2 cloves garlic, finely sliced400ml vegetable stock40g (3 cobs) baby corn, thinly sliced25g (3 fingers) okra, thinly sliced

20g Fresh or frozen peas

Place the oil in a saucepan. When hot, addthe onions and ginger and cook over a lowheat, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for a further 30seconds.

Add the stock, the baby corn and the okra.Bring to the boil and simmer for 6 minutes.

Add the peas, return to the boil and simmerfor 3 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Helen Edwards

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 22

Cut the limes in half. Carefully squeeze the juice from thelimes, reserving the peel for later. Place the juice in a smallsaucepan, making up the volume to 30ml (2 tbsp) with water ifnecessary. Add the sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer untilthe sugar has dissolved and the syrup has thickened slightly.Allow to cool.

Blend the silken tofu with a stick blender until completelysmooth.

Add the lime syrup to the tofu and mix well. Place in the fridge

to chill.

Remove any remaining flesh and pith from the inside of the limepeel halves, using a grapefruit knife or small sharp vegetableknife.

Fill the lime halves with the lime tofu cream.

Melt the chocolate and the water in a small saucepan over avery low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Pipe or drizzle the chocolate sauce over 4 serving plates.

Cut the papaya in half vertically and then cut each half into 4wedges. Remove the seeds and discard.

Rub half a teaspoon of icing sugar onto the cut surfaces of eachof the 8 papaya wedges.

Place the wedges onto a hot non-stick griddle (or frying pan)and cook for 2 minutes on each cut side.

Arrange 2 papaya wedges on each plate, with the chocolatesauce, and add a cream-filled lime half.

Serve immediately.

GRIDDLED PAPAYA WITH LIME CREAMServes 4

You can prepare the lime cream the day before to make this a quick dessert to prepare for a dinner party.

2 limeswater as required30g granulated sugar120g firm silken tofu20g dark chocolate 2 tsp water1 medium ripe papaya4 tsp icing sugar


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 23


SHOPAROUNDVerity Hunt-Sheppard

n MUNCHY SEEDS

Munchy Seeds are deliciously nutritiousmixes of dry roasted sunflower,

pumpkin and sesame seeds,available in seven varieties.

They can be eaten straightfrom the pack as a healthysnack or used as adelicious addition toalmost any dish.Naturally packed with

goodness including Omega3, 6 and 9, Munchy Seeds

are free from artificialcolourings and preservatives and

are available in 40g snack packs aswell as a range of tubs.

For more details visit www.munchyseeds.co.uk or telephone01728 833004.

n TRUELOVE ORGANICS

Fall in love with Truelove Organics’incredible organic raw chocolate:you will never believe that it’s sugarfree! It’s made from luscious rawingredients such as cacao powder,cacao butter, agave nectar, maca andgogi berries. Choose from boxedchocolates, solid chocolate hearts and petitfours available in plain, orange, mint, goji, fruit &nut, goji & orange, goji & plain, coconut, andlemon.

To win a box of these luscious treats simply send apostcard with the words ‘Truelove Organics’written on it to the Vegan Society by the 30 June.And if that wasn’t generous enough the folks atTruelove Organics are also offering a 10% discounton any chocolates purchased before 30 June. Just enter the discount code VEGAN 001 when

ordering through the website.

For more details visit www.trueloveorganics.comor telephone 0870 919 4237.

n TISSERAND

Tisserand’s range ofproducts containstherapeutic essential oilblends. Choose fromtheir gorgeous range ofbath soaks, hand andbody lotions, skin-kinddeodorants, soaps,perfumes, body oils andskin treatments. You’llfind everything you needto care for your body fromtip to toe. Treat yourselfto their new wild rose andlemon leaf range forbeautifully scented summer

skin.

Tisserand is offering a 15% discount on all webshoporders until 30 June. Simply enter the code ZGQK5Gat the checkout when you order. You can place asmany orders as you like until 30 June and still receivethe same discount!

For more details visit www.tisserand.comor telephone 01273 325666.

n RAW MAGIC!

Kate Wood of Raw Living is themagic behind the brand-new bookRaw Magic: Recipes for theRevolution. You can purchasecopies from the lovely Shazzie atDetox Your World. Raw Magic ispacked with 160 recipes includingMany Ways Mayonnaise, SuperSexy Curry, Call The Police Puddingand It Just Gets Better Biscuits.The book is filled with stunningfull-colour photos for you to droolover too!

For more details visit www.rawliving.eu or contact Detox Your Worldat www.detoxyourworld.com or 0870 011 3119.

Five lucky winners will receive a signed copy of Raw Magic. Send apostcard with the words ‘Raw Magic Competition’ on it to the VeganSociety office. (N.B. Some recipes in Raw Magic contain beeproducts which can be substituted.)

Discount

Giveaway

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 24

The Vegan l Summer 2008 25The Vegan l Summer 2008 25

n BATEMAN’S BREWERY

With the warmweather here it’s time tokick off your shoes, pullup a chair and sit backwith a nice bottle of beer.

Bateman’s Brewery hasjust added four new

ales to theirselection of veganbeers which alreadyincludes Dark Lord,Rosey Nosey andSummer Swallow.Now you can sup onXB English Ale,Golden Ale, IndiaPale Ale and Treble XAle too. Bottomsup!

For more details visitwww.bateman.co.ukor telephone 01754880317.

n EARTH & WEAR LTD

Earth and Wear’s NoSweat range is made

in Indonesia byworkers who are

all members oftrade unions.Their funkyfootwear is100% veganwhile theirhand-dyedhemp hi-tops

are made from100% organic

hemp. Availablein 17 different

colours, thesegorgeous hemp boots are

just the ticket for summer.

Earth and Wear are offering a 10% discount for readers:just use the promotional code VGN058 on their webshop or quote it if you phone them.

For more details visit www.earthandwear.com ortelephone 0845 257 5725.

n FRY’S

Fry’s have extendedtheir fantastic range

of meat-freegoods. Their Veg

Express sausagerolls consist of

a braaicountry

herbsausage

withwholegrain

mustard encased in alight, crispy puff pastry while Fry’s

Veg Express cottage pies consist of Fry’sveggie mince, gravy, fresh peas and carrots, all topped

with creamy mashed potato.

Fry’s products are free from nuts, genetically modifiedingredients, cholesterol, hydrogenated fats, artificial flavours,colours and preservatives.

Fry’s Veg Express sausage rolls are £2.99 for a box of four andVegan Express cottage pies are£2.99.

For more details visitwww.beanieshealthfoods.co.uk or

telephone 01489 574593.

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

Giveaway

Discount

n FREERANGERS

It’s all happening at Freerangers: theirbrand-new Rosie Shoe is sure to drawattention for all the right reasons.Covered in a pretty rosebud print,these slip-on shoes feature a paddedinsole and a flexible shock-absorbing

sole – a real treat for your feet. The Rosie Shoe costs £74 + p&p.

If you feel your skin has faded away beneath your winter layers youcan now give it a golden glow with Freerangers new Self Tan Lotion.Just use a small amount on a regular basis to build up your preferredsummer shade.

Self Tan Lotion is £14 + p&p.

For more details visit www.freerangers.co.ukor telephone 01207 565957.

Freerangers has a bottle of Self Tan Lotion to give away to the firsttwo people to write in. Mark your entries ‘Vegan MagazineCompetition Entry’ and send them to Freerangers, 87 Derwent Street,Chopwell, Tyne & Wear, NE17 7HZ.

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 25


SHOPAROUNDVerity Hunt-Sheppard

n MOONCUP

Mooncup has been rated ‘Best Buy’ ofall sanitary products, including tampons,disposable and washable pads and othermenstrual cups, by the Ethical Consumermagazine.

Mooncup is a medical-grade silicone reusable menstrualcup distributed in over 30 countries worldwide. Withproper care one Mooncup will last for up to ten years,drastically reducing landfill. It’s available from health-foodshops and some branches of Boots.

For more details visit www.mooncup.co.ukor telephone 01273 673845.

n PENNANGALAN

If you’re looking for some far-out funky footwear thenPennangalan is right up your street. You’ll find platform, minx,gladiator, commando, flare, corset, ramp and fetish boots.

Pennangalan also stocks other brands of vegan footwearsuch as Mad Fish boots and shoes. For more details visitwww.pennangalan.co.uk or telephone 01753-678076.

Pennangalan is giving away a free pair ofits vegan boots and you get to choose thestyle and size. Send a postcard to theVegan Society office marked ‘PennangalanCompetition’.

If that wasn’t generous enough you can geta 10% discount on Pennangalan purchasesthrough its web shop until 30 June. You will

need to enter the discount code VeganSocwhich will show on your final bill.

n SKIN BLOSSOM

Skin Blossom is a new organic skincarecompany which believes that everyone isentitled to beautiful, healthy skin. Giveyour mitts the pampering they deservewith Skin Blossom’s Care and Protecthand cream. This easily absorbed creamcontains plant oils, shea butter and rosegeranium to soothe and nourish dryhands. Skin Blossom Care and Protect handcream is £5.25 for 60ml.

For more details visitwww.skinblossom.co.ukor telephone 0208 332 7622.

n FOREST SECRET SKINCARE

Need a beauty boost?Forest Secret Skincare newiRejuvenate 2-stepprogramme should do thetrick. Step one is theLifting Pro-Youth Face Oilwhich contains lupin seedextract, organic argan oil andorganic rosehip. Step 2 is theRegenerating Skin Serum whichcontains organic aloe vera gel, chlorellapeptides and aguns castus extract.

iRejuvenate Step 1, Lifting Pro-Youth Face oil and iRejuvenateStep 2 Regenerating Skin Serum cost £36 each.

For more details visit www.forestsecretsskincare.comor telephone 0208 242 4746.

Discount

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 26

When the American cartoonist Elzie Segar cast around for acharacter to woo his newly-created Olive Oyl he came upwith Popeye the Sailor Man, famous ever afterwards forbeing ‘strong to the finich, ‘cos I eat me spinach.’

Popeye preferred his spinach in thecan. I would rather lightly sizzle theleaves in a saucepan with no morewater than the leaves were washed inor, better still, eat it fresh and raw in amixed salad.

Spinach lost many of its friends whenit was served as recommended by this1930s Illustrated Garden Encyclopaedia:“The leaves are gathered, boiled andpassed through a sieve before serving.”That’s a terrible fate to befall whatthe Persians (who grew it first)described as the ‘prince of vegetables’.

The Arabs, who named it isfanakh, almost certainly carried it intoEurope when they crossed the Straits of Gibraltar into Spain.Perhaps it was here that the Crusaders first found the plant andbrought the seed back to these shores.

In the Middle East spinach grew as a tall, spiny plant not unlike alettuce that had bolted and was running to seed. Under its newnorthern climate spinach thrived, growing into the richand succulent vegetable we know today.

Is it any good for you? Did it make Popeye strong?Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, bothantioxidants that help combat free radicals, themolecules that can be especially damaging tothe proteins in the lens of the human eye. If itdid nothing else for Popeye it helped hiseyesight.

Bill Laws is the author of Spade, Skirret andParsnip – The Curious History of Vegetables (Sutton Publishing).

CURIOUS VEGETABLES:SPINACH

Bill Laws


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 27

GROW VEGANIta West

FLOWER POWER IDEAS

From the front door of my cottagein County Limerick I look onto a

flowerbed 10m in length and 2mdeep backed by a south-facing stonewall just over 1m high. There’s alittle corner in my heart where I storea huge amount of affection for thisflowerbed because in the first placeweeds never thrive in it – it’s too fullfor them to attempt to take over –and secondly and most importantlyalmost every plant in it was free.Even if you can’t obtain free plantsyou can use my ideas to design yourown beds. Remember that everyflower under the sun can be grownwithout animal inputs or chemicals!Add a little seaweed meal to yourflowerbeds in early spring as a soilconditioner.

What’s in this bed? There are twospiraea Snowmound and two cotoneasterthat give the bed height and structureand clothe the wall to a certain extent.When covered in its millions of tinywhite flowers the Snowmound is a purepleasure to look at. Columbine Grannies’Bonnets and Petticoats dominate thebed from late April to the end of May.These were raised from seeds given by afriend and have now set seed themselveselsewhere. There are two hardygeraniums Johnson Blue and WargravePink, both obtained as cuttings from anold friend now passed away. When theyappear in early April they are a livingmemory to her.

Alchemilla vulgaris or lady’s mantle –where would we be without it? It seedsitself here, there and everywhere. I dig upthe small plants when they’re about twoyears old and transfer them to other beds.

The folklore says that the drop of dew inthe centre of the leaf is magic, and ofcourse the plant itself is a much-usedherb. When a friend turned up with acutting it reminded me of the first houseat which I’d grown lady’s mantle. At thattime I didn’t know the plant at all andspent the next summer waiting for thepale-green fronds to develop into flowers:only when it had all died back in theautumn did I realize that the delicatefrothy bit sticking up was the flower. It really is impressive in large clumps butdon’t be disappointed with the flower –just accept it.

The majestic leaves of montbretia standunadorned at the back of the bed untilthe spiral of orange flowers starts tomake an appearance. Sitting in a pot tosee if it will thrive is a peony that Irecently received as a birthday present.Nasturtiums appear in the gravel in frontof the bed and climb through everythingelse. Their variegated and unvariegatedleaves and bright red and yellow flowersset off the bed until the first frostcomes and makes a mush of them.

I hate clearing that up but they comeevery year for free. Last year I ate oneof the seeds, something you want toexperience only once in a lifetime.

The Michaelmas daisies, a cutting that Icould not refuse, grow up through lastyear’s cut-back woody stems. They lookall pale and green and delicate untilthey grow so tall that I have to stakethem, and their purple flowers will bethe last ones in the bed until thesnowdrops appear next winter.

Looking back on what I’ve written I cansee why this bed is no problem: everybit of bare earth is covered, there are noannuals that create gaps in the springand nothing in it is ever bothered byslugs, although I do spend a lot of timepicking snails off the Snowmound. Theydon’t seem to do any damage; perhapsthey just like climbing it.

Joining Vegan-Organic Network is anexcellent move for the vegan-organicgardener. The twice-yearly magazineand how-to-do-it advice sheets arepacked with helpful information.Remember there is a world of differencebetween vegan-organic (stockfree) andconventional organic. Support VON andhelp get real vegan-grown food in theshops.

Contact VON80 Annable RdLower BredburyStockport SK6 2DF.0845 223 5232 (BT local rate, 10am to 8pm) or [email protected].

Visit the VON website and joinonline at www.veganorganic.net.

Grow Vegan PuzzlerName a variety of geranium

Send your answers ona postcard to: The Vegan Society(address details on page1) by 16th June 2008.The winner willreceive a copy ofPlants for a Future byKen Fern.

Answer to the Spring Grow Vegan Puzzlerwas: Berlicum (carrot)

Winner: Justine Bourne from Hove


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 28


AN

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 29

24 The Vegan l Summer 200830 The Vegan l Summer 2008

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 30

The Vegan l Summer 2008 31The Vegan l Summer 2008 31

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 31

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 32

For the Ongoing Excellent OverallCare of Vegans by ensuring equalopportunities in both their dietaryand prison shop requirements:

HMP Lowdham Grange (CateringManager Graeme Mann)

For providing nutritious and variedvegan foods and helping to ensure thatprisoners’ vegan prison shop purchaseswere met via Suma.

For their Excellent Overall Care ofVegans by ensuring equalopportunities in both their dietaryand prison shop requirements:

HMP Winchester (Head ofCatering/Canteen Services SandyPowell and Catering Manager WillySheekey and team)

Winchester were nominated by a prisonerwho said, “Winchester have done anexcellent job of providing vegan mealsin a nutritional and imaginative way.”

For the Ongoing Excellent Care ofVegan Prisoners:

HMP Bronzefield (Catering ManagerJamie Gibson)

Jamie Gibson won an award for thecare of vegans in 2006 and his standardremains high. Two prisoners nominatedhim to receive another award this year.

For their Excellent Catering forVegan Prisoners:

HMP Onley (Sarah Brown and Holly Hill)

A prisoner nominated them for an award.He felt that every effort was made toensure he was given equal opportunities.

.

PRISONCATERING AWARDS

The Vegan Society in

partnership with the

Vegan Prisoners Support

Group (VPSG) gave out

the 2007 prison awards

on March 12th and 13th

at a prison catering

workshop. The standard

of nominated prisons

was high, making the

decision a difficult one.

After hours of deliberation,

the following prisons

were given awards:

For their Ongoing ExcellentCatering for Vegan Prisoners:

HMP Downview (P/O CatererEverton Cummings and team)

Everton Cummins won an awardfor the care of vegans in 2006 andhis standard remains high. He isalways available to listen to vegansuggestions, to show inmatesround the kitchen and to showthem the products he uses. Oneprisoner said the vegan food wasthe best she had come across inprison.

For their Excellent Catering forVegan Prisoners:

HMP North Sea Camp (CateringManager Bob Betts and team)

A vegan prisoner nominated thisprison for all their efforts inensuring equal opportunities. He said, “The food here is superband I can’t fault them in any waywhatsoever.”

For their Ongoing Excellent Careof Vegan Prisoners:

Isle of Wight Prisons (DavidClough Head of Catering andstaff)

David Clough and his team haveover 100 vegans to cater for atthree prisons and their standardremains high. In fact they havealso recently won a four-star prisonservice rating which they fullydeserve. They work closely withprisoners to meet their needs.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 33


ReviewsSTRIKING AT THEROOTS: A PRACTICALGUIDE TO ANIMALACTIVISMby Mark Hawthorne

Foreword by

Bruce Friedrich

Published by

O Books

RRP £9.99

280 pages

Reviewed by Ray Dann

This book is not just a guide to activism as

the title may suggest: it offers some

background on the issues of concern to

the animal rights’ movement and notes

successful campaigns in various countries

across the world. It also tells the stories

of various people and how they were

originally brought into the animal

advocacy community, some of them

starting off quite unwilling to acknowledge

that non-human animals are sentient.

This offers an insight into just how

effective the various forms of activism

(letter-writing, leafleting, demonstrations,

food as outreach, sanctuaries etc.) can be

and more importantly why they may be

successful.

The book is divided into eleven chapters,

each dedicated to the discussion of a

specific form of activism. The most

effective ways of carrying out the tactics

and their suitability for different causes

and different people are dissected. At the

end of each chapter is a summary and list

of useful resources and contacts.

Striking at the Roots is easy to read for

both seasoned campaigners and

newcomers to the animal rights’

movement and is useful to anyone

interested in animal advocacy because of

its democratic approach to the subject.

MAKING A KILLING: THE POLITICAL ECONOMYOF ANIMAL RIGHTSby Bob Torres

Published by AK Press

Cover price $11.00

ISBN number

978-1904859673

Reviewed by Sandrine Revert

Bob Torres, an American

professor of sociology and

a vegan, analyses the

deeply rooted prejudices that make humans treat

animals as commodities. Drawing from various

ideological schools of thought such as Marxist political

economy and social anarchism, which he has himself

embraced, he explains that because of capitalist society,

which values property and commodities, social relations

are structured on hierarchy, domination, oppression and

exploitation of the weakest. As such, animals, which

are legally acknowledged as nothing more than

property, become “superexploited living commodities”

whose lives have only monetary value. Without

restructuring our social relationships to one another we

cannot respect nature, of which animals are a part.

Torres points out various problems within today’s

animal rights’ movement. He questions Peter Singer’s

contribution to animal rights and condemns the

violence used by the ALF and the consumerist attitude

of groups such as PETA.

Drawing extensively on the work of anarchist thinker

Murray Bookchin, Bob Torres urges the reader to

challenge hierarchy, domination and oppression of both

humans and non-humans. He advises the reader to

embrace social anarchism and veganism in order to

embody the change we want to see in the world and, in

order to be more efficient, to form what he calls affinity

groups and educate the public in order to recreate a

society based on freedom, creativity and cooperation.

This is an inspiring book and food for thought and

action for any animal rights’ activists out there and

anyone willing to challenge the order of things.

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 34

MEMBERSHIP / RENEWAL I wish to become a member and support the work of the Vegan Society.

I wish to renew my membership.

Membership No. (if known)......................................................................

Name:................................................................................Address:..........................................................................................

Postcode:........................................Tel:..........................................................Email:..................................................................

Date of Birth: (for security purposes)........../.........../..........Occupation:.....................................................................................

Please tick this box if you are a dietary Vegan. This entitles you to voting rights in the Society’s elections if aged 18+.

Please treat my membership subscription as Gift Aid. I have paid UK income or capital gains tax equal to the amount the Society reclaims.

My income is less than £8000 per year and I qualify for the low income discount of 33%.*

I wish to enrol other members of my household for an additional £7 each.**

A copy of the Society’s rules (Memo & Articles of Association) can

be viewed on our website or at our office. Alternatively you may buy

a copy for £5.

Please give full names of additional members and specify if dietary vegan and / or under 18. (If more than four additional members please attach separate sheet.)

Individual £21

* Less £7 low-income deduction (if applicable)

** Add £7 per additional household member

Under 18 years old £7

Memo & Articles of Association £5

Overseas: Europe +£5 / Rest of World +£7

Donation

Total:

Cheque / PO payable to The Vegan Society

Credit / Debit card (enter details below)

Direct Debit (phone for details)

Website: www.vegansociety.com

Payment may be made by

credit card, sterling

International money order

or sterling cheque drawn

on a British bank.

Membership How to pay

Please debit my Visa / Mastercard

Access / Visa Delta / Connect / Switch

Solo card number

Name on card:.........................................................................Signature:..................................................................

Today’s date........./........./.......Start date:......../........Expiry date......../........Switch Issue No.:.....................

ccccccccccccccccccc

21

THE ASIAN VEGAN KITCHENby Hema Parekh

Published by Kondansha International Ltd

ISBN 978-4-7700-3069-6

Price £10.99

Reviewed by Clare Persey

This beautifully illustrated book features recipes from across Asia including Japan, India and

Korea, each country having a special section in the book. Author Hema Parekh, who has

been teaching Asian cooking for almost two decades, takes traditional recipes that have

been enjoyed for years and tweaks them so that they are suitable for vegans.

The results of Hema’s innovation are highlighted with over forty full-colour photos in the middle of the book: the dishes

look appetizing and delicious. With such fare as tofu teriyaki steak, chow mein, tempura, poori, sushi, spring rolls,

green curry and wontons, the book offers the opportunity to learn some exciting Asian cuisine.

The recipes are described as simple to make and while the method for each dish tends to be reasonable many have a

long list of ingredients which could be off-putting, so be prepared for drawn-out shopping lists in an otherwise

tempting book.


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 35

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 36

n MAY

Bristol Vegan Fayre (organized by Yaoh)

Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June, 11am to 9pm

The Bristol Vegan Fayre enters its sixth year – live bands, talks and stalls in

the centre of Bristol as thousands of people come together to celebrate

the best of the vegan lifestyle www.yaoh.co.uk

n JUNE

Redditch Green Fair (organized by the Redditch Alliance of Greens)

Saturday 7 June, 10.30am to 3pm

Redditch town centre

The 3rd annual independent green fair in Redditch will promote

sustainable eco-friendly living by bringing together a range of `green`

companies, campaign groups and organizations. Includes a free vegan

food sample stall by Redditch Veggies & Vegans, a Viva stall and a

Vegan Society stall. Tel. 01527 458395, www.redditchgreenfair.org.uk

n JULY

The Incredible Veggie Roadshow (organized by Viva!)

Saturday 5 July, 10:30am to 4:30pm

The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham, NG1 2DT

Food tastings, cookery demonstrations, talks, free diet and health

advice, stalls, beauty products, information and campaign news,

competitions and more.

E-mail [email protected], tel. 0117 944 1000, www.viva.org.uk

38th International Vegetarian Union World Vegetarian Congress

Sunday 27 July to Sunday 3 August

Kulturpalast, Dresden (Germany)

Special centenary event 100 Years of Food Revolution, jointly organized by

the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) and the Vegetarier-Bund

Deutschlands e.V. (VEBU)

Tel. (UK) 0207 928 7459, e-mail [email protected],

www.ivu.org/congress/2008

n AUGUST

Vegan Camp

Saturday 2 August to Saturday 16 August

On the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park and close to the Forest

of Bowland, North Yorkshire

The 28th vegan camp, 600-1100 visitors over two weeks, programme of

voluntary activities, camp on-site or visit during the day

E-mail www.vegancamp.co.uk

n SEPTEMBER

London Vegan Festival

Sunday 7 September

Kensington Town Hall, Horton Street, London W8

90 stalls, speakers, music, entertainment, vegan food, workshops and

good vibes! Tel. 0208 670 9585, www.vegancampaigns.org.uk/festival

The Incredible Veggie Roadshow

Saturday 27 September, 10.30am to 4.30pm

Portsmouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AB

FREE entry

Food tastings, cookery demonstrations, talks, free diet and health advice,

stalls, competitions, beauty products, books, vegan food products,

information and campaign news

n OCTOBER

World Animal Day

Saturday 4 October

www.worldanimalday.org.uk

n NOVEMBER

World Vegan Day

1 November

www.worldveganday.org

West Midlands Vegan Festival (organized by Midlands Vegan

Campaigns)

Saturday 1 November, 11am to 5pm

Wolves Civic, North St, Wolverhampton, WV1 IRG

Celebrate World Vegan Day in style: 40+ stalls, food, speakers, films, a

cookery demo, information, campaign news and lots more. Tel. 01527

458395, www.midlandsveganfestival.org.uk, [email protected]

Vegan Society AGM (for Vegan Society members only)

Saturday 22 November

The Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory St, York, YO1 6EZ

Food from Veggies will be available on arrival and throughout the day.

Tel. 0121 523 1730, e-mail: [email protected]

n DECEMBER

East Midlands Vegan Festival

Saturday 13 December, 11am to 5pm

The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham, NG1 2DT

The festival features vegan food, clothing, toiletries, cosmetics, gift and

campaign stalls and live music. www.eastmidlandsveganfestival.co.uk

eventsUpdated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.vegansociety.com


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 37

THE VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CONTACTS

Local Contacts are Vegan Society members who actvoluntarily as a point of contact for those interested inthe Society’s work. They are not officialrepresentatives of the Society and their levels ofactivity and knowledge vary according to theirindividual circumstances.

Some Local Contacts run groups, in which case detailsare below their names. Groups not run by LocalContacts and non-geographic groups are listedseparately and Youth Contacts are listed on p. 29.

For details of group activities please check the websiteor get in touch with the Contact.

Veg*ans = vegetarians & vegans.When writing to a Contact please enclose a sae.If you’ve been a full member of the Society for at leastsix months and would like to be a Local Contact pleaseget in touch with the Coordinator, Patricia Tricker (see under Yorkshire, no phone calls before 8 pm please).

VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CONTACTS & GROUPS


Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 38


CONTACTS & GROUPS

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 39


PATRONS

Freya DinshahManeka GandhiRebecca HallDr Michael KlaperMobyGordon NewmanCor NouwsWendy Turner-WebsterBenjamin Zephaniah

COUNCIL

Vanessa Clarke (InternationalCoordinator)Graham Neale (Vice Chair)George Rodger (Chair)Jagdeesh SinghSubra Sivarajah Patricia Tricker (LocalContacts Coordinator)Stephen Walsh (Treasurer)

STAFF

Chief Executive OfficerNigel Winter

Head of Marketing & ITDave Palmer

Head of InformationServicesRosamund Raha

Information OfficersVerity Hunt-SheppardClare Persey

Business DevelopmentOfficerColm McBriarty

Trademark AssistantSandrine Revert

Office Manager / FinanceOfficerFiona Sylva

Education OfficerRob Jackson

PR/Media OfficerAmanda Baker

Sales AssistantPaul Xuereb

VolunteersPhilippa LennoxDean BracherRobert EmbersonRow KattWendy AtwoodLenka PaganJohn Davis

VEGANISM may be definedas a way of living whichseeks to exclude, as far aspossible and practical, allforms of exploitation of, andcruelty to, animals for food,clothing or any otherpurpose. In dietary terms itrefers to the practice ofdispensing with all animalproduce — including meat,fish, poultry, eggs, animalmilks, honey, and theirderivatives.

Abhorrence of the cruelpractices inherent in anagricultural system based onthe abuse of animals isprobably the single mostcommon reason for theadoption of veganism, butmany people are drawn to itfor health, ecological,resource, spiritual and otherreasons.

If you would like moreinformation on veganism afree Information Pack isavailable from the VeganSociety.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY wasformed in England inNovember 1944 by a groupof vegetarians who hadrecognised the ethicalcompromises implicit inlacto-vegetarianism (ie dairydependent). Today, theSociety continues to highlightthe breaking of the strongmaternal bond between thecow and her new-born calfwithin just four days; thedairy cow’s proneness tolameness and mastitis; hersubjection to an intensivecycle of pregnancy andlactation; our unnatural andunhealthy taste for cows’milk; and the de-oxygenationof river water throughcontamination with cattleslurry.

If you are already a vegan orvegan sympathiser, pleasesupport the Society and helpincrease its influence byjoining. Increased membershipmeans more resources toeducate and inform.

LISTINGS

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 40

CORNWALL

Award-winning organic vegan &vegetarian B&B in Lostwithiel, Cornwall.Please contact Julie Tamblin on

www.learnenglishincornwall.co.uk

CUMBRIA

DEVON

DORSET

HAMPSHIRE

NEW FOREST - The Barn Vegan/VegetarianGuest House. En Suite rooms, eveningmeals. Perfect for walking/cycling etc 0238029 2531 or www.veggiebarn.net

ISLE OF WIGHT

LANCASHIRE

CRAZI-CARROTS.De-tox, relax or learn a skill in Lancashire.Healthy, creative & vegan weekends.Yoga, massage or just relax.Ensuite & comfortable B&B.Tel. 01204 [email protected]

SCOTLAND

SUSSEX

WALES

YORKSHIRE

WHITBYB&B FALCON GUESTHOUSE.Vegan/vegetarian Quiet location, sevenminutesí walk from centre and harbour.Lounge and sunny breakfast room.Teamaking facilities. No smokingthroughout. Ample breakfast, withorganic fare. £20 p.p.p.n. (for couple). Tel 01947 603507

Alpujarras - Andalucia Attractive, wellequipped townhouse. Sunny roof terrace.Wonderful views, birds, walks, mountainvillages. Wholefood shops, Restaurantsserving veggie food. Sleeps 2-6. (10%discount for Vegan supporters) 01736753555 Email:


(UK) HOLIDAYS

people animals environment

Donald Watson House21 Hylton StreetHockleyBirmingham B18 6HJ

Tel: 0845 45 88244 Fax: 0121 523 [email protected]

THE VEGAN DISCOUNT CARD

DISCOUNT CARD

HOLIDAYS ABROAD

CLASSIFIEDS

ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE

SUBMITTED BY

13TH JULY 2008

FOR INCLUSION IN THE

AUTUMN 2008 ISSUE

OFTHE VEGAN

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 41

Andalucia - remote mountain village 40mins sea - walking, wildlife - from £100per week - 2 persons - £180 4 persons.Tel 01202 431867 www.orgiva.org/alfornon

Legassi Gardens. Holiday apartments,Accra, Ghana. Vegan cafe, drumming,dance, yoga, massage and heritage tours.From $35 per night per [email protected]

Kerala & South IndiaVegan and vegetarian cuisine, eco-friendlyresorts & hotels, beaches, backwaters,wildlife, trekking & camping.Brochure: 01892 722440Fax: 01892 724913E-mail: [email protected]

WEST CORK-vegetarian self-cateringapartments for singles, couples andfamilies in peaceful wooded surroundings.Organic vegetables & vegan wholefoodsavailable. Green Lodge, Trawnamadree,Ballylickey, Bantry, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel: +353 2766 146, 00353 0861955451.Email: [email protected] or website http://homepage.eircom.net/-greenlodge

South of France- at the edge of thebeautiful Cevenne. Self-cateringvegetarian/vegan gite. Nestled in quietand peaceful wooded hills, ideal forwalking, mountain biking, painting,writing. Local attractions including asteam railway and a gorgeous grotte. Tel:0033 4 66 61 02 38 e-mail:

www.veggygite.com

VEGAN VIEWS - informal quarterly forVegan Opinion. Sample copy £1. 4 issues£4 inc p&p. Harry Mather, Flat A15, 20Dean Park Road, Bournemouth BH1 1JB

SUNSHINE AND SHADOW. Autobiographyof Wilfred Crone, well-knownvegan/fruitarian. £7.50 inc P&P. HarryMather, Flat A15, 20 Dean Park Road,Bournemouth BH1 1JB

VEGAN VOICE magazine promotes anonviolent lifestyle beneficial to the planetand to all animals. For the latest onveganism and animal rights, subscribenow to Vegan Voice, Australia’scelebrated and singular quarterlymagazine! www.veganic.net

Single? Online dating for vegans,vegetarians, environmentalists and humanitarians. Meet your like-mindedmatch in your local area.www.ethicalsingles.com

Brittany, France - ‘La Sittelle’. Gardener(s)required to help with upkeep of 5,500 sq metres of land overthe summer months. Free accommodation plus meals to anyonewho can help with a couple of hoursgardening each day. Week long stays overthe Summer months.

DIVINE FROG web services. A veganbusiness. Website design,implementation, development,maintenance and hosting. Please contactIan : Tel : 07981 057697 Email : [email protected]

‘Jesus was a vegetarian’www.donateatus.org

KINDNESS UNLIMITED is a fellowship ofChristian vegetarians and vegans of anydenomination or none. For details pleasewrite to Kindness Unlimited, the OldVicarage, Llangynog, Carmarthen SA335BS or email [email protected]

The Christian Vegetarian Association(CVA) believes that a plant based way oflife represents good, responsible ChristianStewardship for all God’s creation. Forfurther information on our work or to joinus visit www.christianvegetarian.co.uk or

PUBLICATIONS

DISCOUNT CARD

REFERENCE CODE

This card entitles thebearer to discounts ata range of outlets,restaurants and hotels.A full list of discountsis available fromThe Vegan Society.

Ref:FDB 008

VALID FROM

UNTIL

THE VEGAN

may 2008

august 2008

ORGANISATIONS

INTERNET SERVICES

DISCOUNT CARD

HOLIDAYS ABROAD

PERSONAL

JOB VACANCIES

CLASSIFIEDS


FRANCE (Brittany 56) ‘La Sittelle’Vegan B&B 22E pp Enjoy a warm

welcome & good food in ourcomfortable old farmhouse.Relax in

peaceful gardens, walk/cycle inbeautiful countryside or explore the

many places of interest.Nearby lake forswimming, sailing; canal for

canoeing.Dinner optional.Easy accessSt Malo/Roscoff/Dinard.Members 10%

Discount. TEL: 0033 297 93 00 61 or Email [email protected]

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 42

FREE YOURSELF FROM LOW ENERGYLEVELS, FATIGUE AND ILL-HEALTH! I offerpersonal health and nutrition consultations(in-person/by telephone/email), group andindividual fasting/detox supervision,iridology, health books and a home-studycourse in Natural Health. Contact me foryour free brochure - www.vibrancyUK.com (01626) 352765

Sanctuary In Desperate Need

Hillfields Animal Sanctuary, near

Bromsgrove West Midlands, has 300

mouths to feed. The owner is

battling against almost impossible

odds and desperately needs help,

both practical and financial. Please

contact

Web site

www.hillfields-sanctuary.co.uk

Save A Life- Adopt A Goat

The ideal gift for the person who haseverything. We take into care those

who have suffered from neglect,abuse and abandonment. Providing aloving home for the rest of their days

Buttercup Sanctuary for goats,Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JU

Tel: (01622) 746410Registered Charity: 1099627

www.Buttercups.org.uk

PRACTITIONERS


“VEGAN VENTURE” THE MAXWELL LEE MEMORIAL WORKSHOP

Applications are invited from vegetarians/vegans aged 16-25years for a vegan cookery day to be held at the VegetarianSociety near Manchester on Saturday, 30 August 2008.

This course, with specially designed nutritious meals for youngpeople by the Cordon Vert School, will be totally funded by TheVegetarian Charity in memory of the late Maxwell Lee.

Maxwell became a vegetarian at the age of 12 for moral reasonsand then a vegan in 1985. His commitment to the VegetarianSociety spanned 50 years in various roles. He was HonoraryGeneral Secretary of the International Vegetarian Union for 17years and later President of the European Vegetarian Union aswell as being involved in setting up The Vegetarian Charity ofwhich he was Chairman from 1985 until his untimely deathin 2005.

Please inform us where you saw this advertisement

Application forms from:

Grants Secretary, PO Box 473, Crewe, CW3 OWU

or e-mail [email protected]

If you are a vegan or vegetarian, keen on the non-exploitation of animals and theenvironment, an appropriate Overseas Aid Charity to support is

VEGFAMRegistered Charity No.232208 Inland Revenue Ref. XN8555 & XAD67AG (Gift Aid)

VEGFAM “FEEDS THE HUNGRY WITHOUT EXPLOITING ANIMALS” The Fragile Environment cannot support TWO populations – Humans and their Food Animals.

Since 1963, VEGFAM has been raising funds to alleviate hunger, thirst, malnutrition and starvation, helping people in over 40countries, by financing sustainable, self-supporting plant food projects and safe water supplies.

VEGFAM helps people to help themselves by providing funds for seeds and tools for vegetable growing projects, fruit & nut tree planting, irrigation and water wells.Emergency feeding in times of crisis and disaster.

Food security prevents malnutrition and starvation. Using plant foods is a far more efficient and sustainable way of addressinghunger overseas.

VEGFAM is professionally operated, entirely by volunteers, so as much as possible is spent on famine relief projects.

GENERAL DONATIONS paid into a/c No. 65023307 00 will be apportioned between: Projects (90%) Administration Expenses (9%) Office Building (1%)

The Co-Operative Bank plc, 242 High Street, EXETER, EX4 3QB Sort Code 08-92-90

SUPPORTERS ARE INVITED TO PAY DONATIONS DIRECT INTO THE ABOVE BANK ACCOUNT, ONLINE, OR BY POST TO THE ADDRESS BELOW.

For more information (Project News, Bankers Orders, Gift Aid, Legacies), please send an SAE to:VEGFAM, c/o Cwm Cottage, Cwmynys, Cilycwm, Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, SA20 0EU.

Telephone 01550 721197 Facsimile by arrangement.Online Giving: http://www.charitychoice.co.uk/vegfam Website: www.vegfamcharity.org.uk

Thank you for your support.

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:27 pm Page 43

Kate Sweeney & Vega


CROSSWORD

QUICK CROSSWORDset by Kate Sweeney

Solution to The Vegan Prize Crossword 51 (Quick:left/Cryptic:right)

The winner of the Cryptic crossword is: Carolyn Griffin

The winner of the Quick Crossword is: Dr H.G.A. Hughes

Across

1 Esential oil with antiseptic and antifungal properties (3,4)5 Any protective covering to insulate or enrich the soil

around a plant (5)8 Small rounded bread buns (5)9 Food eaten off the premises (US) (7)10 More sugary (7)11 Strain, sift (5)12 Lump, blob (of food) (6)13 Small storage cabinet (6)17 More (5)20 This has a fibrous husk and white ‘meat’ (7)22 Break down (sugar into alcohol) (7)23 Pizza originated in this country (5)24 This is used to 22 Across or raise dough (5)25 Sanitary practice important in the kitchen (7)

Down

1 Open pies with fruit fillings (5)2 Any of several plants e.g.Valerian believed to have wide

medicinal powers (7)3 Rice dish (7)4 Restaurant or cafe (6)5 Creates (5)6 Fruit and vegetables may be sold like this; free (5)7 With the highest temperature, most intense (7)12 Cook in a lot of fat (7)14 Using the tongue to taste (7)15 Dry in the open air e.g. tomatoes (7)16 Drop scone, griddle cake or _ _ _ _ _ _ pancake (6)18 Dry land, _ _ _ _ firma (5)19 Awake, attentive (5)21 Herb (5)

Across

1 Lady of Tennyson’s poem is a tear-jerker (7)5 Six vehicle clergyman (5)8 Cap embedded in amber et cetera (5)9 Speciesist species and mink struggled (7)10 Endless call back precedes unfinished query for varnish (7)11 Labyrinth sounds corny (5)12 Mother Carey’s hen or free seabird? (6)13 A hundred voles disturbed spices (6)17 Pallid sticky pie (5)20 A canoe I cast adrift to get to large south Pacific island

group (7)22 Engage five in love intrigue (7)23 Penny for new pylon backing sedentary coelenterate stage (5)24 Bottomless pit abbey uses oddly (5)25 Oar gone wrong herb (7)

Down

1 Profit, we hear, is up by fifty (5)2 Rip coat off fruit (7)3 Latvian high church greens (7)4 River I get soy sauce from (6)5 Vegan loses Georgia over Missouri uprising causing spite (5)6 Cooking hot ingredient (like Indian) initially sounds cool (5)7 Compensate communist replacing head of green salad plant (7)

12 Irk papa goulash pepper (7)14 Sleek piebalds devoured vegetable dish (4,3)15 Plain pod article in Roman house (7)16 Marco carries me to large Southeast Asian fruit (6)18 European region, hotel and house of cabbage (5)19 You old records produce high pitched barks (5)21 Soya milk brand in polar circulation (5)

CRYPTIC CROSSWORDset by Vega

Please send in solutions to either crosswordalong with your name and address by16th June 2008PPrriizzeess nneexxtt iissssuuee:: QQuuiicckk:: A pack of our new blackcurrantflavour Veg1 and a Vegan Society WalletCCrryyppttiicc:: A box of twelve beautifulhandmade soaps

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:28 pm Page 44

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:28 pm Page 45

Summer 2008 6/5/08 4:28 pm Page 46

Documents

The Vegan Summer 2008