The Vegan 2016 Issue 1

The Vegan 2016 Issue 1

The Vegan Society magazine

ON THE ROAD Travel tips for vegan adventures

COUNT ME IN! How many vegans in the UK?

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Up to £60 donation to the Vegan Society when you switch to Ecotricity* We’re an energy company unlike any other – we take the money our customers spend on their electricity and gas bills and use it to build new sources of renewable energy, such as windmills.

People:Power is at the heart of what we do – the more people who join us, the more sources of green energy we can build. Join us and we’ll donate up to £60 to the Vegan Society* – it couldn’t be easier to switch and takes less than five minutes.

Call us free on 03000 302 302 (quoting VEGAN1) or visit www.ecotricity.co.uk/vegan-society Terms and conditions *For full terms and conditions, please go to www.ecotricity.co.uk/vegan-society. **Our ethical pricing means all customers pay the latest, best price, no matter when they joined and regardless of how they pay.

You can see our latest fuel mix at www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-fuel-mix.

We hope you’ll never need to, but if you’d like to make a complaint or would like to see our complaints procedure, please visit www.ecotricity.co.uk/complaints or call us on 0845 555 7 100.

Editor’s Letter & Contents

Editor’s Letter

T

he start of a new year is the perfect time to consider the adventures we want to have over the next twelve months.

Travelling as a vegan automatically gives you purpose. Sniffing out the best cafes and restaurants to find local vegan fare is always exciting, as is finding ways to observe wildlife in their natural habitat, discovering animal sanctuaries and local vegan-friendly causes and companies, and the possibility of making international vegan friends.

for Faustine Ladeiro’s top three vegan-friendly UK getaways (page 24), and hear from an ex-farmanimal carer on the rise of sanctuaries as a vegan travel destination in The highlight of your holiday (page 22).

You may have noticed that this issue is reaching you one month earlier than usual. We are now operating on a new magazine timetable to ensure a three-month gap between each issue. Look out for copies on your doorsteps at the end of January, April, July and October.

Happy travelling!

We open with an article from Kristin Lajeunesse, vegan nomad, foodie and author who Will travel for vegan food (page 10). You can also look out

Contents 03

Achievements

08

Media highlights

10

Will travel for vegan food

15

Recipes

20

Sport

22

The highlight of your holiday

24

UK getaways

28

Active vegans

36

Shoparound

39

2016 AGM

40

Reviews

10

Essential updates on Vegan Society news

The Vegan Society in the press

Tips for the budding foodie traveller

Simple yet sensational recipes

15

Meet fast bowler Jason Gillespie

Thoughts from a sanctuary founder

Faustine Ladeiro’s top weekend breaks

Keeping up with our amazing volunteers

22

New vegan products to look out for

Information on voting and council

Test-driving new recipe books Spring 2016 | The Vegan 1

From the CEO Editor Elena Orde Art Director Lia Cumming Contributors Kristin Lajeunesse, Marie Laforêt, Faustine Ladeiro, Sarah Rehmatullah Cover image: Jennifer Simmons

From the CEO Looking back on a productive year

Print kingsdown.uk.com Submissions We welcome articles on a range of topics relating to veganism, as well as photographs, images, and illustrations.

Please email editor@vegansociety.com for more information.

Staff Chief Executive Officer Jasmijn de Boo Head of Communications Peter Smith Head of Business Development George Gill Head of Campaigns & Policy Heather Graham Chief Finance Officer Stephen Hirst Senior Advocacy & Policy Officer Amanda Baker Senior Campaigner Andrea Speranza Volunteering & Engagement Manager Alex Douglas Media & PR Manager Jimmy Pierce Office Manager & Fundraiser Sarah Cook Merchandise & Sales Manager Spencer Harris Finance Officer Allan Oakes Web & Digital Communications Officer Ali Ryland Communications & Campaigns Officer Elena Orde Trademark Relations Officer Abigail Stevens Business Development Officers Paul Philbrow & Laura Faliveno Business Development Assistants Sally Murray-Fella, Rhiannon Delo, Jo Connop, Dean Bracher Research Officers Dr Terri Holloway, Dr Lorna MarquesBrocksopp Supporter Services Officer Andy Davidson Supporter Services Assistant Debbie Latham Council Edward Daniel (Chair) Stephen Walsh (Vice-Chair) Ruth Jenkins (Treasurer) Menna Jones (Assistant Treasurer) Jenifer Vinell, Paul Crouch, Alex Kapila, Sagar Shah, Felix Hnat, Constantin Imbs 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 The Vegan Society's policy unless so stated.

The society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.

2 The Vegan | Spring 2016

W

inter has been a very busy and productive time for all staff and volunteers at The Vegan Society.

We had two top months of media coverage (66 pieces across print, online, radio and TV). We have now successfully established ourselves as the go-to organisation for commentary on vegan-related issues, and continued to generate our own timely and engaging content.

We also piloted a hospital catering and nutrition workshop, which was well received and will be extended in 2016, bringing reliable information on affordable vegan nutrition to all involved in the hospital catering service. We launched several other projects, details of which you can find in this issue.

We celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Vegan Trademark with a parliamentary reception hosted by the new vegan MP Christina Rees. This included two fascinating presentations from Alpro and LUSH, as well as very generously donated bespoke cupcakes from Melissa Morgan, AKA Ms Cupcake.

I spoke about veganism at a university, as well as the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in Paris. I also gave a speech, alongside our ambassador Fiona Oakes, at a World Vegan Day Extravaganza, which was hosted at Karamel Cafe Bar. A wonderful way to start off the celebrations!

We were delighted to receive two very generous anonymous donations in November. In one case, a new vegan loved our work and was keen to offer their support in a very tangible way.

The numbers all seem to be going in our favour, as: • Membership has increased by over 50% in just three years • The Vegan Pledge now attracts over 1,000 people a month, most of whom plan to stay vegan • Trademark-registered products approach 20,000 globally.

We are looking forward to a very effective 2016, and we thank all of you for your continued support.

Staff Updates We were delighted that in October, Spencer Harris returned to The Vegan Society as Merchandise and Sales Manager. As one of our longest-standing staff members, he was greatly missed. We wish him the best of luck in his new role.

We would like to thank Jess Olley for her temporary assistance in the membership department for several months. Jess has helped us to keep on top of our new membership applications, and her helpful and friendly personality has been much appreciated.

Donald Watson House 21 Hylton Street Birmingham B18 6HJ UK

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Achievements

Achievements Parliamentary reception celebrations On 17 November The Vegan Society hosted a parliamentary reception in Westminster, sponsored by vegan MP Christina Rees. The event celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Vegan Trademark, and the success of vegan business.

Journalists and MPs, as well as their researchers and advisers, met to hear of the rapid growth of the vegan market.

Success stories were heard with talks from leading figures in the industry. Alpro’s Sue Garfitt detailed the company’s meteoric rise in the nondairy sector, and spoke about the next vegan products Alpro could be bringing to the market.

LUSH’s Hilary Jones regaled guests with a fascinating history of the company and the importance it places on ethics. She also paid tribute to the Vegan Trademark as integral to LUSH’s business, while also emphasising the value of the under-acknowledged “vegan pound”.

As well as discussing the boost vegan businesses bring to the UK economy, the widerranging implications were also recognised. The positive impact of vegan business on public health and the environment were discussed, as well as the inclusive nature of vegan food. Our parliamentary reception was an unequivocal success, helped along by Ms Cupcake’s generous (and delicious) donation.

Vegan MP Christina Rees and CEO Jasmijn de Boo

Our sampling stall was a huge success

West Midlands vegan weekend This year, West Midlands Vegan Festival expanded to cover the full weekend – a marker of the growth and success of vegan events. The decision to expand was a resounding triumph, as Wolverhampton Civic Hall was packed with visitors and stallholders from the get-go.

The Vegan Society managed an outreach stall and a food sampling stall, where visitors could compare samples of vegan products, including cheese, chocolate and flavoured milk. We partnered with many of our Trademark Holders, including Vegusto, Pana Chocolate and Rebel Kitchen, to introduce people to products they may not have tried. Many visitors were transitioning towards veganism, and said that this would be easier for them now they had identified some tasty vegan substitutes for their old favourites.

Vegan Society Nutritionist Dr Terri Holloway gave two talks on vegan nutrition, which proved very popular. Terri educated listeners on the basics of healthy vegan living, and reinforced the importance of including reliable sources of vitamin B12 in your diet.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 3

Vegan labelling in Luxembourg As the EU explores whether to regulate vegan food labelling, The Vegan Society’s Senior Advocacy Officer Amanda Baker has been working to positively influence these labelling laws. During World Vegan Month, Amanda attended a meeting in Luxembourg, which currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU. This meeting included Claude Turmes MEP and the EU Working Group, which The Vegan Society leads.

Amanda presented the Vegan Trademark as the leading vegan labelling standard in the EU and beyond. Claude Turmes MEP actively supports our work to achieve robust EU vegan food labelling, to benefit humans, non-humans and our planet.

Claude Turmes named the SAFE Vegan Working Group a ‘Climate Hero’ for vegan outreach on sustainable living. SAFE will proudly display our Climate Hero certificate!

Photo: Laura-May Abron Alex Douglas shows off our shiny new award

Award-winning London Vegfest Vegfest events are always marked as highlights of The Vegan Society’s calendar, and London Vegfest in October was no exception. This twoday event has grown enormously over the past year with the weekend attracting an amazing 12,000 visitors, from well-seasoned vegans to people curious to learn more about veganism.

As soon as the doors opened, on both Saturday and Sunday, The Vegan Society’s stall was flooded with people wanting to join us as members – and that was before we mentioned the free goodie bag, filled with treats from some of our Trademark holders. Visitors also took advantage of our offers on merchandise, books and clothing.

We were delighted to win the Vegfest award for Best Vegan Website, an achievement which celebrates an enormous amount of work and planning at Vegan Society HQ. Volunteering and Engagement Manager Alex Douglas collected the trophy and gave a speech at the awards show.

This was a fun event hosted by vegan comedian Jake Yapp, who later swung by our stall to sign up as a life member.

Fantastic volunteers joined us throughout the day, each bringing a unique skill to the team – be that nutritional knowledge, a great sense of humour, or a super-friendly demeanour. Thanks to everyone who contributed to such a successful weekend!

4 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Amanda and Claude Turmes discuss the Trademark

Record-breaking Pledgers A swathe of the vegan-curious joined our Pledge in the last days of October ready for World Vegan Month on 1 November, while more joined during the month. Between October and November we had the largest number of Pledgers to date: 2258! Help this month be a similar success by suggesting your friends and family take the Pledge today: vegansociety.com/pledge.

Encourage your friends to sign up!

Achievements Forest Green Rovers go vegan Forest Green Rovers are now the first fully vegan football club in history, after The Vegan Society advised on the practicalities of making their dream a reality. On the day before World Vegan Day, The Vegan Society proudly attended the club’s first 100 percent vegan game as guests of honour.

Rovers have gone vegan over a four year period. They first removed red meat from their menu, before going vegetarian and then almost vegan last season. Throughout September and October, The Vegan Society were consulted and duly helped the club replace their final few nonvegan products. We suggested various Vegan Trademarked products, a non-dairy milk taste test and much more. Our recommendations were gratefully received.

The day itself was an unequivocal success, and a glorious celebration of vegan fare. Rovers won 2-1 and remain well on course for their first ever promotion to the Football League. Head of Communications Peter Smith rounded off the celebrations by officially awarding the player of the match award to Rovers’ defender James Jennings.

The club’s permanent switch to a wholly plantbased menu did not go unnoticed by the press.

Sky Sports News produced a feature on the food and drink offerings, while the BBC, ITV and CNN among others also reported the story.

We look forward to continuing our excellent relationship with the club and its owner Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity. Here’s to a great season and (fingers crossed) a promotion party come the end of the season in May!

Comedian Jake Yapp joins as a life member

Photo: Laura-May Abron

Record numbers of new members The Vegan Society has been delighted to welcome a huge influx of new members this season. Each event that has been attended by Vegan Society staff has been flooded by a record number of visitors keen to sign up and to support our work. This is vital for us as an organisation to increase our influence – the more of us there are, the bigger the impact we can make on policy and decision-makers to create a more vegan world for everyone.

Welcome to any first-time readers of The Vegan – please do write in with your comments, suggestions and letters to editor@vegansociety.com.

International Trademark promotion

Peter Smith awards player of the match

At the end of October, Trademark Relations Officer Abigail Stevens and Business Development Officer Laura Faliveno exhibited on behalf of The Vegan Society at the Natural & Organic Products Scandinavia trade show. This was a fantastic opportunity for us to speak to potential new Trademark clients, and to raise awareness of the importance of accurate labelling to make life easier for vegans and those shopping for vegans.

Providing companies with an incentive to ensure their products are suitable for vegans increases the options available to us, and allows us to demonstrate that customers’ ethical and environmental concerns are of great importance.

Running our first Vegan Pavilion at this event, the show was such a success that there is talk of greatly expanding the Pavilion next year to include even more stalls for Trademark holders.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 5

Achievements Sustainable cosmetics summit

Vegan cosmetics – kind and sustainable!

From 21 to 23 October, staff represented the society at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in Paris. We contributed to important discussions about ethical ingredients, and the similarities and differences between vegan and eco-labels.

Participants learned about the value of ethical labelling for companies who want to be consumer-oriented and give themselves a political voice. It is also useful for companies to differentiate themselves from ‘green-washers’ – companies who spend more time and effort proclaiming that they are good for the environment than they do implementing business practices that minimise environmental impact.

‘Green’ is now a beauty buzzword, and indicators show that beauty bloggers are now focusing on high-quality ethical products.

CEO Jasmijn de Boo gave a presentation on the benefits of vegan labelling for both companies and consumers, as well as the animals and the environment. Jasmijn also talked through the non-vegan ingredients commonly used in cosmetics. This is a useful point as there is still confusion over whether ingredients such as honey and shellac are suitable for vegans, illustrated by the fact that The Vegan Society’s Trademark team is regularly approached by cosmetics companies seeking to register products which contain these ingredients.

Food Matters Live As a cross-sector event, Food Matters Live brings together professionals from across nutrition and health and the food and drink industry. The aim is to address one of the most important challenges of our time: understanding the relationship between food and nutrition, and their connections with the environment, population, health and wellbeing.

Our Trademark team attended the event in London from 17 to 19 November. It was great to be surrounded by so many of our longstanding Trademark Holders, including Booja Booja, who kept us stocked up on ice cream and chocolate!

We introduced ourselves to many exciting new potential clients, including a company selling Coconut Jerky. We also met with the creators of a new app designed to help people with specialised diets find suitable food and places to eat. Our coloured tote bags went down a storm, and proved to be so popular that some people remarked that it looked like The Vegan Society had sponsored the event.

We also had a Policy and Advocacy stall, where our Policy and Advocacy Officer spoke to people involved in all stages of food production, making the case for a fully sustainable, healthy food system.

6 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Our tote bags went down a treat

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Media Highlights

Media highlights

Another record-breaking season in the press

WHO news sparks global reach

Other top coverage

CEO Jasmijn de Boo was interviewed live on Sky News about the World Health Organisation report which classified processed meat as a carcinogen, on a par with tobacco. To a worldwide audience, Jasmijn spoke of the benefits of veganism in a five-minute piece shown multiple times. Our separate written quotes were used in over 20 news stories spanning seven different countries – UK, France, Belgium, Portugal, Brazil, Chile and Colombia, demonstrating our widening global reach. On the same day, Media Manager Jimmy Pierce appeared on BBC Radio West Midlands to discuss the report’s findings and make the case for veganism.

• The write-up of our parliamentary reception featured in six publications including Global Business and Finance, Food & Drink International Forum and Better Retailing magazine.

• Ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, we wrote an opinion piece calling for a plant-based solution to climate change: our Grow Green campaign. It was published in two regional daily newspapers, three environmental websites and The London Economic.

• Quotes from Researcher Dr Terri Holloway gave some much-needed balance to an article in The Sunday Times about an isolated instance of a malnourished vegan teen.

• Jimmy appeared on BBC Radio Scotland, speaking to Kaye Adams about the Chatham House report which called for a ‘meat tax’ to curb climate change. Jimmy revealed his favourite recipes and was dubbed, rather dubiously, ‘Nigella’.

• Jasmijn de Boo’s recent Huffington Post blog, which compared the climate impact of being vegan with the 5p carrier bag charge, became her most widely read yet.

• To celebrate World Vegan Day, Elena Orde wrote an excellent piece which made Female First, Nutrition Rocks and Donegal Now. • We were quoted in The Daily Mail celebrating Guinness going vegan, and also in The Independent’s sister newspaper, the i, in a story about Glasgow’s burgeoning vegan scene.

Coverage: Sky News daily audience 1.72 million

The Independent To coincide with the start of the new academic year, Jimmy Pierce wrote a piece aimed at students which was published in full in The Independent. Titled ‘Students should go vegan at university this year to save money’, it compared the price of seven staple student dishes against their plant-based alternatives, dispelling the myth that veganism has to be expensive. It inspired a similarly-themed article that appeared in The Guardian a few weeks later, which included a link back to Jimmy’s original piece.

Coverage: Shared on social media over 6,000 times 8 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Travel

Will Travel for Vegan Food

Photo: Jennifer Simmons 10  The Vegan | Spring 2016

Travel

F

ive years ago, Kristin Lajeunesse embarked on the trip of a lifetime.

Quitting her job, selling her possessions and moving into a van, Kristin set out to travel the USA and eat in every all-vegan establishment. Several years – and over 500 restaurants – later, and she’s still on the move.

On culinary tourism We’ve all been there, right? Sitting down to plan an upcoming adventure – it might be for work or for leisure – but there is one thing we all share, one thing we must do before even booking the flight: find the nearest vegan eats. I’d go so far as to say it’s become a running joke within the vegan community, how we plan our travels around vegan food options. I even went so far as to spend a full two years travelling specifically for vegan food!

After making the decision to move to a completely vegan lifestyle I, like many others, soon fell head-over-heels in love with food.

It wasn’t just the palate pleasures though, as I soon found myself just as thrilled with the visual aspect; taking pictures of my food and sharing them with other vegans, with non-vegans, and with anyone who queries, “What do you actually eat?” We vegans love that we can enjoy food without cruelty, and this is something that we can connect over.

On becoming a full-time nomad When the realisation sank in that I was actually going to follow through with the “Will Travel for Vegan Food” project, there was no turning back.

By the time I quit my job I was fully committed to what I’d set out to do. I accepted that I didn’t know exactly how things would work out until I started, but what I couldn’t have foreseen was how deeply I’d fall in love with living nomadically and travelling full-time.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 11

Travel

1

Pre-road-trip I read copious amounts from people who called themselves “lifestyle designers.” These were people who were typically self-employed and most often lived a relatively mobile lifestyle. They talked of working out of coffee shops, travelling monthly to new countries, living minimalistically wherever there is internet connection. I was incredibly drawn to the idea that I too could design my life around my greatest passions: food and travel.

Once the formal road trip concluded in August 2013, I knew my travels would not end. I couldn’t fathom returning to a traditional nine-to-five desk job. Though I no longer live out of a van (at the moment), I still city-hop every three to six months.

I am now self-employed, make my own schedule, and can pick up and go at a moment’s notice, or stay longer, explore more, and meet new people almost daily. It’s truly magical.

It’s not always a perfectly lit sunset walk in the park – it can sometimes be tough, and lonely, and sad to leave behind new friends and romantic interests. But at the end of the day, the positives of this way of living – adventuring weekly, travelling monthly, being free to pursue any creative projects, and ultimately being fulfilled creatively in ways I never knew were possible – far outweigh the negatives.

12 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Tips for the vegan traveller • If you’re on Facebook, look for a local vegan group to join, for example, “Vegans of Berlin.”

You can post about your travel plans, ask questions about where to eat and/or find anyone who might want to meet up.

• Grab a copy of the Vegan Passport. It contains easy-to-flip-to keywords designed to help convey your vegan needs, in 74 languages.

• Keep track of your plans by making notes. I do this to keep track of restaurants I want to visit, transportation methods, landmarks etc.

• Finally, my three favourite apps for finding nearby vegan eats are More Than Salad, Yelp! and Happy Cow.

An unlikely story from the road The following is an excerpt from Will Travel for Vegan Food: A Young Woman’s Solo VanDwelling Mission to Break Free, Find Food, and Make Love.

My mom flew into Missoula Montana to join me for a week of my journey. The following scene takes place at Omar’s Rawtopia in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mom and I had just finished a meal with a local couple who had reached out to me early in my travels, suggesting we get together when I arrived in town.

Meet Gerty – Kristin’s home throughout her travels 2 Living nomadically helped Kristin find fulfilment and happiness 1

Travel

We vegans love that we can enjoy food without cruelty, and this is something that we can connect over I stood in line, just in front of a middle-aged woman waiting for takeout “What have you got there?” the woman behind me asked, pointing to the stickers.

“They’re bumper stickers. They say, ‘Will Travel for Vegan Food.’” I saw Mom look over at us just then.

“Oh. Are they for something?” she asked.

“Yeah. Well, kind of. I’m waiting to talk to Omar and tell him about this trip I’m on. I’ve been living out of a van for the past year, traveling the country in an effort to eat at every single allvegan restaurant in the United States,” I said.

“You’re kidding!” the woman replied.

“Yeah. It’s quite literally changed my life,” I told her. “Would you like one?” I added, extending a bumper sticker toward her.

The woman was a few inches shorter than me, thin and inquisitive. She carried a yoga mat slung over her left shoulder, and was holding a menu.

We stood in eye contact for a few more seconds. I smiled and was about to look for Omar again when the woman’s expression changed.

She suddenly seemed tense. I thought she was about to say something, but she instead looked down and to the right. She opened the top of a sizable black handbag and pulled out a wallet, unzipped it, and handed me a folded bill.

“Here,” she said, pressing the paper money into my hand. I was confused for a second while she stared silently up at me, now holding my hand in both of hers.

“I want to donate to your journey,” she said, still holding my hand. The intensity in her eyes had me locked in, but I noticed peripherally that Mom was standing a little closer to the woman now.

“What you are doing is so very important. I want you to be safe out there and to keep spreading the vegan message. Keep going. What you do matters so much,” she said.

“Wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.

Thank you so much!” I said.

“You’re welcome,” said the woman. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go, and placed the bumper sticker I handed her into the black bag.

Without another word, the woman smiled as warmly as a soothing mug of chamomile tea. She

looked ahead and walked up to the counter to place her order.

I looked down at the folded $20 bill, still in mild shock as I staggered toward Mom. When I reached her she was on the verge of tears. “Oh, Kris,” she said. “That was incredible.”

“I don’t even know how to react,” I said to Mom. The woman was completely foreign to me and to my project and had heard only a snippet of my endeavors. How did she know I was even telling the truth? What compelled her to hand me that money? I couldn’t get over the kindness of this complete stranger.

That moment reinforced something I’d come to learn on the journey. Something that rarely makes headlines, let alone everyday stories at all. And it is this: most people are good people.

Follow Kristin’s travels on wtfveganfood.com and kristinlajeunesse.com

2

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 13

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14  The Vegan | Spring 2016

Vegan Bible Simple yet sensational recipes from ‘the only vegan cookbook you will ever need’

Orange & miso-glazed tofu Ingredients 1 tbsp brown barley miso 3 oranges, juiced 1 tsp five-spice powder 250g firm tofu, cut into triangles about 1 cm thick 1 tsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp agave syrup Pepper

Directions Mix the miso and orange juice in a flat-bottomed dish and add the spices. Marinate the tofu for 1-2 hours. Oil a frying pan and cook the tofu pieces for a few minutes on each side. Mix the agave syrup with the marinade and pour into the pan. Reduce the mixture over a low heat.

Serves 2-4

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 15

Recipes

16  The Vegan | Spring 2016

Recipes

Ingredients 3 courgettes, sliced into thin rounds 1 garlic clove, finely sliced 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp pine nuts 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 sheet vegan puff pastry 200 ml soy cream (or other nondairy cream) 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp herbs de Provence, plus a little extra for sprinkling Salt and pepper

Grilled courgette, pine nut & herb tart Directions Sauté the courgettes and garlic with the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until the courgettes are lightly browned. Mix well with a spatula to avoid them browning too much. Add the pine nuts and lemon juice. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes and remove from the heat. Place the puff pastry (with its parchment paper) in a tart tin and bake blind for 5 minutes at 180°C (Gas mark 4). Mix the cream with the mustard and the herbs de Provence in a bowl. Season to taste. Spread the mixture onto the pastry crust. Top with the courgettes and the pine nuts and lightly sprinkle with the extra herbs de Provence. Bake at 180°C (Gas mark 4) for 25 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Quinoa flake & vegetable croquettes Ingredients 150g quinoa flakes 50g brown rice flour 50g raw, grated vegetables (carrot, courgette, sweet potato, red kuri squash, etc.)

400 ml non-dairy milk 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp chopped chives 1 tsp dried wild garlic Salt and pepper Breadcrumbs (gluten-free if desired) Vegetable oil for cooking

Directions Put the flakes, flour, grated vegetables, milk, sesame oil and spices in a saucepan and mix together. Turn the heat to high and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes very thick and is difficult to mix. Remove from the heat.

Take a small amount of the mixture. Roll it between your hands and shape into a ball. Roll between your hands again to make a cylindrical shape and flatten the ends. Roll each croquette in the breadcrumbs.

When all the croquettes are ready, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan and brown them. When they are done, place them on kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.

Tip: To make gluten-free breadcrumbs, whiz crispy gluten-free bread (made with buckwheat, maize flour, chestnut flour, etc.) in a food processor.

Makes 12 croquettes

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 17

Recipes

Crystallised orange peel & chocolate chip brioche Ingredients 250g white flour 30g light brown sugar ½ tsp salt 125 ml soy milk, warmed, plus extra for glazing ½ sachet dried baker’s yeast 40g neutral vegetable oil 3 tbsp dark chocolate chips 2 tbsp crystallised orange peel, chopped

Directions Mix the flour with the sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix the warm soy milk with the yeast and leave to stand for a few minutes. Pour it onto the flour and mix in with a spoon.

Mix in the oil. Knead well for 5-10 minutes by hand, folding the dough over and over itself. The idea is to incorporate as much air as possible into the dough. The dough should be supple and smooth, and not sticky. Leave to rise in a bowl covered with a clean tea towel for 1 hour, ideally at 25°C. Knead again for 1 minute and add the chocolate chips and the orange peel. Knead again to incorporate them well.

Shape the dough as desired: for a classic brioche, shape the dough into medium-sized balls and place side by side in a loaf tin or spring form cake tin. Leave to rise for 2 hours in a turned-off oven with the door closed. Brush with soy milk and bake for about 30 minutes at 180° (Gas mark 4). Keep the brioche wrapped in a tea towel as it tends to dry out quickly.

Makes 1 medium brioche

Vegan Bible is by Marie Laforêt, and published by Grub Street Publishing

18 The Vegan | Spring 2016

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Sport

Bowled over

20  The Vegan | Spring 2016

Sport

J

ason Gillespie, one of the most decorated Australian fast bowlers of the modern era, last year joined compatriot Peter Siddle in going entirely plant-based.

In doing so he became the first vegan in English cricket.

Facing reality The loss of his father to a heart attack in 2013 prompted a pursuit of better health. Jason keenly researched diets, leading to the enlightening discovery of the realities of the meat and dairy industries he had bought into for so long.

“My wife and I watched Earthlings. It took the blinkers off, really opened our eyes and gave us a lot of clarity. How we treat animals is deplorable.

“So I made the conscious decision that I didn’t want to be a part of that, I don’t want to exploit animals. For me, it’s wrong and cruel. Every person who goes vegan is making a stand and saying ‘I don’t believe this is acceptable.’ This is my little protest.”

An accepting community In the four years since taking over as the coach of Yorkshire, then of the second division, Jason guided his county to promotion then successive Division One championships; remarkable feats giving rise to speculation he would get the England job.

Indeed, he was the bookmakers’ favourite before current coach Trevor Bayliss took the post.

But Jason could hardly be happier at the Leedsbased club which, much like the wider cricketing fraternity, has accepted Jason’s new lifestyle without exception.

“I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s desire to help and cater for my vegan diet. Everyone’s been so respectful, understanding and incredibly supportive.

“At Yorkshire, the catering has been unbelievable, both home and away. There are always options, I get looked after really well,” added Jason who, like many new vegans, sees food in an entirely different light.

“I was very stubborn in my food choices, very set in my ways – a meat and two veg type person.

Now I’m experiencing all kinds of new culinary delights. I’d never had baked beans before I went vegan, now I really enjoy them!”

Naturally healthier Jason struggled with injuries throughout his career, the only blips on an otherwise immaculate CV comprising 394 international wickets. Typical of a retired pace bowler, Jason felt some niggles when he stopped playing in 2008, tweaks which have since subsided.

“My joints feel better, and my aches and pains have settled down. Without a shadow of a doubt my veganism has helped,” said Jason, who has also now found his ‘natural’ weight.

“Last year I was five or six kilos heavier than I was in 2008. Now I’m two kilos below my playing weight. I’m feeling fit, healthy and strong. I must also have had some intolerance to dairy.”

Cricket throws up the odd googly for vegans.

The balls continue to be made of leather, for example; an issue Jason describes as “interesting” but not overly disconcerting since it is something he has “no control over, unfortunately.” Have there been any other difficulties?

“No. Everyone thinks it’s such a massive change, but for me it’s one of the easiest things I’ve had to do. If it’s something you’re passionate about, you find a way. I felt it was my duty to go down this path. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.”

By Jimmy Pierce

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 21

Interview

The highlight of your holiday Lauralee Blanchard, owner of Leilani Farm Sanctuary, speaks about the increasing popularity of animal sanctuaries as a vegan travel destination How was your sanctuary founded?

After becoming vegan, and learning about farm animals’ personalities and intelligence, I became curious to meet them. I visited a farm sanctuary, where I met turkeys who were so friendly that they ran right up to me for hugs, pigs who loved belly rubs and kisses on the snout, and cows who enjoyed being brushed the way cats do.

The experience was so inspiring to me that when I returned to the office environment I began dreaming of living on a farm, where I could provide refuge to animals.

I cashed out my life savings and bought acreage on Maui, Hawaii. Little by little, I started building barns and rescuing farm animals. We’re a non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, and we now care for nearly 300 animals.

Is interest in visiting your sanctuary increasing?

I think farm sanctuaries are becoming more popular travel destinations for vegans, because it is meaningful for people who refrain from consuming animal products to meet the species of animals they are saving with their lifestyle choices. It is heartening for vegans who are acutely aware of the suffering of billions of animals on factory farms to witness the opposite end of the spectrum – happy animals saved from slaughter who are well cared for, loved, and thriving in a healthy environment. The experience of visiting a sanctuary reinforces one’s commitment to a vegan lifestyle.

What kind of experience do your visitors get?

Visitors continually tell us that their visit to Leilani Farm Sanctuary was the highlight of their entire vacation in Hawaii. Visitors can either volunteer on the farm, or come along for a personalised tour. Vegans love connecting with animals such as pigs, chickens, cows, goats, ducks, and sheep, and discovering their special personalities. Many people (vegans included) have never cuddled a chicken, pet a deer, fed apples to a pig, held a huge goose, or kissed a donkey.

22 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Do people have a different experience to the one they expect?

Visitors often tell us they were surprised to see the various species of animals together, coexisting harmoniously. At most sanctuaries, they are separated into different paddocks. Most people don’t expect goats, deer, pigs, and donkeys to follow them along on the tour the way dogs would do. They are amazed to see full-grown goats sitting on my lap like big babies. They are also surprised at the beauty of the grounds and ocean views. It rains enough to keep the plants and pastures bright shades of green and there are colourful flowers everywhere.

Recently, a non-vegan couple came to visit and were so inspired, they decided to go vegan overnight. This is the best news people can give us because it affirms that we are fulfilling our mission.

Does it get any better than cuddling goats for a living?

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Spring 2016 | The Vegan 23

UK travel

UK getaways Faustine Ladeiro shares her top local retreats for UK residents

N

othing beats finding a restaurant that serves fantastic vegan food in a foreign destination – nothing apart from finding the same restaurant in a city only an hour’s train journey away, that is. There’s so much to be said for travelling locally, from saving money on plane tickets and gas emissions to expanding your options for weekend breaks.

24 The Vegan | Spring 2016

UK travel

The UK is home to some of the most veganfriendly cities in Europe – and we’re not even talking about London! Here are some of our favourite destinations to enjoy good vegan food and cosy lodgings.

Glasgow In 2013, Glasgow was named the most veganfriendly city in the UK. Home to half a dozen 100 percent vegan restaurants and over ten other establishments all offering great vegan options, it places top of the list for any vegan travelling to Scotland.

Mono, a few minutes’ walk from St Andrews Cathedral, is a cafe, bar, restaurant, music venue and record store. A fresh, tasty vegan menu, as well as year-round musical entertainment, has made this little place so popular it is packed every night – booking in advance is advised.

The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) is the beating heart of Glasgow’s creative scene.

The centre curates fantastic exhibitions and is also a performance space presenting the best of Scottish art. Stop for a pre-theatre meal or relaxed Sunday brunch at Saramago Cafe Bar, the Centre’s exclusively vegan restaurant. They serve an impressive range of teas and fresh homebaked bread, and their menu is so extensive it’s almost impossible to decide on a meal. Dishes vary from haggis fritters to breakfast burritos – just make sure to leave some room for dessert!

Brighton

Vegan Society volunteer Rich hanging out at Lake Buttermere in the Lake District

Quirky, cool and endlessly entertaining, Brighton is home to Brighton Fringe, VegFest UK (returns 27 and 28 February – do not miss it), Brighton Fashion Week and many other festivals throughout the year. If you come down during the summer, be sure to attend Brighton Pride, one of the best LGBT pride festivals in the UK. Take a walk through the Pavilion Gardens, then head to Gardner Street for a bit of shopping at Vegetarian Shoes’ flagship store. All their products have been made with 100 percent vegan leather since 1990 and the owner, Robin Webb, now sources the shoes exclusively from British and European factories.

Spend your lunch break at Loving Hut, an international vegan fast food chain with branches all the way to Vietnam. Grab a seat and tuck into some of the best vegan ‘duck’ around before exploring the city – why not go on a bike tour and learn about the history of Brighton?

Maybe go to VBites Cafe – a proud holder of the Vegan Trademark, the brand is already famous for their meat substitutes. The hottie dog and fish-style wrap are particularly tasty.

The UK is home to some of the most vegan-friendly cities in Europe The Lake District If you’re travelling around the Lake District, make a stop by Lancrigg’s Vegetarian Country House Hotel. It is situated half a mile from the village of Grasmere, which is home to Grasmere Gingerbread – the only thing we know about their secret recipe is that it is absolutely vegan.

Grasmere also has its own mostly vegan hotelrestaurant, the Green Valley, which has a strong emphasis on organic food and locally sourced ingredients.

Another great place to stay is at Kendal’s vegan guesthouse, Fox Hall B&B. You could spend the day exploring Kendal Castle and Levens Hall, before stopping for a meal at the Waterside Cafe, which offers enough options to keep you full all afternoon. Pop by KAN’s Health Foods to stock up on vegan cheese and unique whole foods.

The Lake District offers fantastic opportunities to walk, hike, and observe animals. Home to mountain birds, red deer, otters and owls, everyone can enjoy spotting animals thriving in their own habitats – much better than supporting a zoo or safari park.

Whether it’s a Scottish city break, a seaside holiday or a rural retreat, you can be sure to find some tasty vegan food, drink and fun activities.

So grab a friend, book a train ticket, and have a fantastic weekend!

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 25

Buy Online

Buy Online New Books Plum by Makini Howell (Hardback) RRP £20.00 – Our price £13.99 Plum Bistro, Seattle’s wildly popular vegan restaurant, is known for its delicious and innovative vegan recipes using local ingredients.

Sure to please both vegans and non-vegans, this photo-filled cookbook features Plum’s flavourful, comforting dishes for brunch, soups, salads, entrées, desserts, and more.

Gluten-Free & Vegan Bread

by Jennifer Katzinger (Paperback) RRP £16.99 – Our price £11.99 Jennifer Katzinger makes the tricky task of baking artisan gluten-free and vegan breads at home simple. This cookbook contains recipes for yeasted breads, fougasse, flatbreads, sweet breads, sourdough, quick breads, savoury breads and sandwich breads.

Gluten-Free & Vegan Pie

by Jennifer Katzinger (Paperback) RRP £16.99 – Our price £11.99 Home-baked pie, fresh from the oven … who doesn’t love it? Here you’ll find techniques and tips for mixing and working with dough that doesn’t contain butter or lard, and for luscious fillings that contain neither cream nor egg.

Super Seeds by Kim Lutz (Paperback) RRP £9.99 – Our price £7.99 Five super seeds covered in one super volume!

Chia, hemp, flax, quinoa, and amaranth are tiny powerhouses that deliver whopping amounts of protein, essential fatty acids and great taste in every serving. Perfect for vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets, they each get to take a star turn in these 75 mouth-watering recipes.

Vegan Street Food by Jackie Kearney (Hardback) RRP £16.99 – Our price £12.99 Jackie Kearney, MasterChef finalist in 2011, has brought her two lifelong passions, travel and vegan food, together in a stunning new book.

Jackie and her family ate their way around Asia, sampling street food and jotting menu ideas on the back of napkins. Inspired by the food cultures she embraced on her travels, Jackie has brought new life to healthy, meat- and dairy-free food, inspired by the sheer quantity of vegan food on offer in Asia.

26 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Offer Buy any of these books between 1 February and 30 April and receive 10% off by simply entering the code SPRINGBOOKS2016 at checkout. Please note that this offer only applies to purchases made through vegansociety.com/shop.

Discount List

Discount List The Vegan Society’s Discount List is a network of vegan and vegan-friendly businesses who offer a discount to The Vegan Society members and The Vegan subscribers.

Over the coming months new businesses will be joining us, so check back regularly to see the latest offers available to you.

Your Vegan Society membership or The Vegan subscription already entitles you to 10% off at Holland and Barrett and further discounts at over 70 companies.

For full details on discounts and our complete list of participating businesses, please visit us online at vegansociety.com/resources/discount-list.

Our newest participants include: • New Grounds Food – Health food company specialising in energy bars • Raw Halo – Raw chocolate bars • Aqua Natural – 100 percent natural sugaring hair remover • Gaia Creams – Raw skin food made to order • B Neill Hypnotherapy – Help with healthy eating and weight loss • Loveletter Cakeshop – Boutique bakery specialising in custom designed wedding cakes • Ecolade – Eco-friendly and vegan handbags • The Vegan Punk Website Marketing – A variety of helpful services to create and improve your website • Farplace Animal Rescue Vegan Charity Shops – Animal rescue charity with three vegan charity shops • The Garden Shed Cafe – Small, quirky cafe serving good karma comfort food • Swami Health Foods Ltd – Health food shop based in Middlesex • Vegetology – Effective nutritional solutions, providing Vitamin D supplements and more • Chasing Change – Ethical advertisement agency • Vegan Hippo – Vegan cafe based in the heart of London • DYFI Wholefoods – Wholefoods shop based in Machynlleth, Wales • El Buda Profano – gan sushi bar based in Peru • On the Eighth Day Co-operative Ltd – Health food store and cafe in Manchester • Raw Passion – 100 percent organic vegan ethical skin food • Imhannahchloe.com – E-books from a YouTuber promoting a healthy vegan diet and lifestyle Do you have a great vegan-friendly business near you? Why not ask them to join the discount list? They can find out more at vegansociety.com/yourbusiness/discount-list or email us on discount@vegansociety.com.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 27

Volunteers

Active Vegans Alex Douglas, Volunteering & Engagement Manager I hope you all had a great World Vegan Month and celebrated in style! I’m a keen tourist, and usually spend World Vegan Day exploring brilliant new vegan cities and cafes.

Last year I was travelling in the States, and spent 1 November in Chicago, eating some of the best vegan food there is. Veganism is definitely on the rise, with the demand for vegan food being met at all corners of the world! Let me know how you enjoyed World Vegan Month or how you celebrated a compassionate festive season – email volunteer@vegansociety.com.

Winterfest wonderland Leeds Winterfest took place in November, featuring many stallholders selling ethical seasonal gifts. Vegan Society member Philippa Lennox ran a beautifully-presented Vegan Society stall. She spoke to visitors about the work of The Vegan Society and signed up many people to the Vegan Pledge and our newsletter. Thank you Philippa for managing such a lovely stall on behalf of The Vegan Society!

VEG Edinburgh The VEG Edinburgh group had a great World Vegan Day, handing out Vegan Society leaflets in the busy area of Princes Street and St Andrews Square before going out for lunchtime pizza.

After this, those of the group who still had room visited a new vegan diner in South Queensferry.

This sounds like the perfect way to spend World Vegan Day – good outreach, good company and good food.

New vegan sustainability magazine Bronwyn, Local Contact for Cork, has started a vegan sustainability magazine, aided by several other volunteers. Vegan Sustainability Magazine is a free online resource, each edition coming out quarterly. Anyone can submit articles and topics can be in any area related to veganism, sustainability and the environment. To find out 28 The Vegan | Spring 2016

more about the magazine, visit the website – vegansustainabilitymagazine.wordpress.com.

Bronwyn has also managed two information tables around Cork over the last year, one at the university and the other in the city centre, where she distributed leaflets and spoke to a variety of people about veganism.

Student outreach Autumn is the season for freshers fairs and university welcome weeks, and lots of veg*n societies took this opportunity to do some great vegan outreach. Rebecca at Queen Mary University of London is president of one of these societies, and got in touch with us to request some resources. Rebecca was glad to be able to hand out our leaflets on the arguments for going vegan, vegan nutrition, and a range of recipe cards. Rebecca says that people are always keen on recipes – this can be a great way to introduce people to the concept of fantastic vegan food.

Amy Pease, who is VegSoc president at the University of York, took part in York’s freshers fair.

The group signed up three times as many new members as they had done the year before. This shows a great surge of interest, and means that the group is now bigger and better than ever.

Amy and VegSoc organised a campaign for World Vegan Month, signing people up to the Vegan Pledge throughout the whole of November.

Thank you for this great work Amy! The group are going to keep their campaigns running into next year, with plans to introduce people to Veganuary.

If you’d like to hand out our leaflets at your university event or for any other outreach, please email leaflets@vegansociety.com.

Volunteer-run stalls The end of the year is always extremely busy.

Between October and December staff attended four large events, which was nothing compared to the numbers of volunteer-run stalls across the country. Thank you to Dean who went to Cheltenham and Derby, Michelle who ran our stall at the Northern Vegan Festival, Local Contact for Newcastle Gordon who ran a stall at NEVFest, and Local Contact for Suffolk Annette who managed a stall at Cambridge Vegan Fair. Local Contacts Jo

Volunteers

1 Our wonderful events volunteers are always friendly and welcoming 2 Get in touch if you would like to help us distribute our leaflets 3 We’re always excited to hear about grassroots vegan publications!

2

1

Photo: Laura-May Abron

in Canterbury and Martin in Devon also displayed our leaflets and gave out information to people at the Kent Vegan Festival and the Exeter Green Fair.

Thank you all so much for your help – without you it wouldn’t be possible to share our message with so many people.

I’m currently planning our 2016 events calendar, so get in touch with which ones you’d like to see The Vegan Society attend. Or, even better, let me know if you’d like to run a stall for us! Email volunteer@vegansociety.com.

Empowering families Independent Socio-economical movement, NESEHNUTÍ, based in Brno in the Czech Republic, applied for a Vegan Society grant in 2014 and recently completed their project. Their aim was to empower vegan families to spread veganism among their friends and other family members and within their local communities, with the desired outcome of veganism being more widely accepted in these communities and in Czech society more generally. This was achieved by organizing events, including group cooking for vegan parents. Organiser Kristýna Pešákova said the parents’ evenings were very amicable. She mentioned one particular occasion when a new vegan family joined and shared their story of how their daughter’s veganism spread to the whole family. This sounds like a really worthwhile project – well done NESEHNUTÍ!

3

At TeenVGN, we are firm believers in experiencing the world and its cultures through travel. Recently we visited Toronto in Canada and were so excited by the amount of vegan food available. We stopped off at Hogtown Vegan to enjoy a delicious southern meal and also went to the chain restaurant, Fresh, to check out their gigantic salad bowls and wraps.

Loving Hut was nearby and we even found a Tofurky hot dog to enjoy whilst we watched the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks (that’s for all you sports fans).

For the days that we didn’t want to eat out, there were plenty of whole foods markets which sold some of our favourite vegan brands.

Even the UK’s very own Bute Island Foods is now available in Canada! It’s safe to say that veganism is definitely growing, and people all over the world are catching on to this amazing lifestyle. Toronto is certainly one of our favourite city breaks for vegan food, along with Berlin in Germany.

Travel now, and take any opportunity to educate yourself on another part of the world.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 29

Volunteer of the season

Introducing Rich Hall, our first Volunteer of the Season for 2016!

How did you get involved with The Vegan Society?

I wanted to give more than just my membership, so in 2014 I ran the Great North Run in aid of The Vegan Society, which was such a cool experience.

When I was volunteering at Vegfest London I ran into Alex (Volunteering Manager) on The Vegan Society stall, and she invited me to help out at another couple of events that year.

Rich shows he isn’t afraid of mud at the Total Warrior race

Tell us about the events you have been involved in I’ve helped out at several events now. Each one is a new experience which draws a different crowd.

I’ve done different tasks at each one – taking care of the stall, selling merchandise and books, talking to attendees about veganism and The Vegan Society, and signing up new members.

The best part is talking to people face-to-face about veganism, vegan food or the work of The Vegan Society. I get to share information and interact with people in a more human way rather than through usernames and profile pictures on the Internet. But when someone signs up as a member of the society, that’s pretty awesome too.

I have also noticed that vegan events are getting bigger and better every year, which is great to see!

Are you involved in any other kinds of outreach?

I run an Instagram account (@veggyrich) showcasing the food I eat, how simple it is yet great for your health, the animals and the planet.

I also started up a local group on Facebook for

30 The Vegan | Spring 2016

vegans in and around Cumbria (Cumbria Vegans) late last year and we’ve grown to around 90 members. We organise meet-ups, and share information on great places to eat in Cumbria, new vegan products and general veganrelated news.

Vegans can also make great walking billboards, so you can usually find me wearing something with a vegan or animal rights message on it, whether it’s my Vegan Runners vest or the activist’s favourite black “Vegan. Compassion.

Non-violence” T-shirt. That one gets the most questions asked as it’s a bold design and has a tonne of info on the back. Perfect when standing in a queue.

What are your tips for talking to new people about veganism?

The best tip I can offer is to be very knowledgeable about all aspects of veganism, because then you can give advice on the health, animal rights and environmental sides of the vegan way of life. You can also defend your position well in any discussion. Oh and of course be positive and friendly, and recommend useful websites or documentaries.

What would you say to others who want to help progress the vegan movement?

Join or start a group for your local area, meet other vegans and inspire each other to make changes in your own areas – at work, at school, at a local cafe, for example.

Just get out there – run with a Vegan Runners vest, cycle with a Team Vegan jersey, cover your bike or laptop with animal rights stickers, make an Instagram account, or if you’re comfortable on camera then get on YouTube. Be a great representative for veganism – attraction-activism is very powerful.

Who cares about older vegans and vegetarians?

We do!

Vegetarian for Life, 83 Ducie Street, Manchester M1 2JQ. Email: admin@vegetarianforlife.org.uk Tel: 0161 257 0887 VfLUK @VfL_UK

www.vegetarianforlife.org.uk

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  Spring 2016 | The Vegan 31

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Campaigns

Strength in numbers How many vegans are there in the UK? of how many vegans there are in the UK we will be able to influence government, business and non-vegans.

About the survey

I

n 2006, The Vegan Society estimated that there were around 150,000 vegans in the UK. Since then, veganism has gained a lot of traction – a fact shown by our expanding membership, huge rise in Google search trends and the growing number of vegan products on the market.

We are frequently asked how many vegans there are by the media, our members, and the public. It’s a figure sorely lacking in our reports, press releases, statements and campaigns.

Reflecting our ultimate vision of a world free of animal suffering, we want to calculate how many animals are saved through people being vegan, and use this to encourage more people to go and stay vegan. We will use this figure to show how vegans contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions and improved health and wellbeing.

We already have a substantial amount of evidence demonstrating the link between a vegan diet and the positive impact on both human and nonhuman animals alike, as well as the environment and public health. By obtaining an actual figure

The project is being led by our own researchers, Dr Terri Holloway and Dr Lorna MarquèsBrocksopp, who are working with our Research Advisory Committee and specialist advisors from several research survey organisations. We want our survey to capture the most accurate picture possible, so we will be using the large sample size of 10,000 people, and using a face-toface interview method to ensure no groups are excluded. Our estimates indicate that it would take a sample of at least 50,000 people to target those who follow a vegan lifestyle, so we will concentrate this project on identifying those individuals who follow a vegan diet.

When will we have our answer?

At the end of last year we began a campaign to pay for a survey to count the number of vegans in the UK. We asked for help online using a JustGiving crowdfunder and were really pleased with the result. We have also received two large donations, which have enabled us to go ahead and commission the survey.

You choose Whatever cause is closest to your heart – be that hospital catering, encouraging farmers to transition to crop farming, supporting outreach events or improving EU labelling – we are grateful for any donation received, whether large or small.

You can donate by texting VEGN44 followed by your donation sum (eg £10) to 70070, or online at vegansociety.com/take-action/donate. You can also send a cheque to Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton St, B18 6HJ or call us on 0121 523 1730 to make a donation by phone.

With your support we are stronger.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 33

Nutrition

Getting back to basics Keeping an eye on processed foods

T

oday’s vegan experience is very different to how it was 30 years ago. However, while we celebrate the modern culinary strides for vegans, it is also important to go back to basics when it comes to incorporating fruit and vegetables into your everyday meals.

The good news is that it is much easier to meet fruit and veg recommendations on a vegan diet.

Nonetheless, it’s still good practice to incorporate proper planning to ensure that your diet is full of non-processed whole foods, with processed options as an occasional treat. Here are a few tips to help you minimise your intake of processed foods.

Keep fruit and veg on display In addition to serving as colourful décor, crudité trays and fruit bowls are fantastic for getting your household in the habit of snacking on healthier options throughout the day. Filling up on these strategically placed snacks will offer your loved ones the chance to indulge in tasty fruit and veg more regularly.

Introduce combo meals Meat alternatives make creative options for main meals; however, when serving processed foods at home, make sure your plate is dominated by colourful vegetables. Having a ready-made veggie burger with chips can be a convenient meal option, but it would be better to replace the chips with some delicious broccoli. You’ll be left with a full tummy and the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve eaten another portion of your daily seven to ten fruit and veg recommendation.

Keep a Food Diary If you are unaware of just how much processed food you are consuming regularly, it might be a good idea to record your meals, snacks and drinks in a food diary. This will give you an idea of which changes need to be made to improve your diet.

34 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Nutritionists recommend recording at least two weekdays and one weekend day to get an accurate snapshot of your normal eating pattern.

Prepare ‘fast-food’ at home Many of the most popular processed food options can be prepared at home with very little effort. It’s always a fun idea to invite friends over for a movie night when everyone helps to prepare pizzas or other commonly processed foods from scratch. Preparing food at home means that you know exactly what’s included in the meal and is a great way to avoid consuming sneaky additives.

Remember the Vegan Plate Vegan dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina have produced a great guide to help us to remember the correct amount of vegan food groups that should be consumed daily.

Referring to this image regularly will help to keep the balance right and avoid overindulging on processed foods.

The weight of scientific evidence today strongly supports consuming a diet of minimally processed foods dominated by plants, as the best way to avoid common diseases and enjoy a vibrant life. Vegans are leading among healthful dietary groups primarily because of our reliance upon delicious plant foods. Let’s continue to enjoy a healthy balanced lifestyle by going ‘back to basics’ and regularly consuming a full colourful plate and minimising processed foods. The benefits are endless, and of course fresh food is delicious.

By Dr Terri Holloway

Image from Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina (Book Publishing Co. 2013)

Beneficiaries for Life

Please remember The Vegan Society in your will For a Legacy Guide please call us on 0121 523 1730 www.vegansociety.com

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Maria Nila Stockholm Swedish salon brand Maria Nila have registered their haircare ranges with the Vegan Trademark after a longstanding commitment to making vegan, sulphate- and paraben-free products. Pure Volume gives fine hair body and structure, True Soft softens and moisturises, Luminous Colour protects colour and shine, Structure Repair repairs and strengthens and Sheer Silver helps neutralise brassy tones. Non-permanent colour pigments are also offered in a range of colour refresh masques, lasting up to ten washes and available in a variety of shades. Available from sallyexpress.com.

Shoparound Shop with confidence for products registered with our trusted Vegan Trademark

Costa Coffee After listening to demands for more vegan options, Costa Coffee have happily obliged. Over the festive season coffee lovers everywhere were thrilled to see the Crimbo Crumble, a gluten-free mincemeat and biscuit slice, proudly displaying the Vegan Trademark.

From January Costa will be replacing this product with the Fruity Crumble, a cinnamon spiced biscuit base with a plum, cranberry and sultana filling and a crumble topping. Here at the office we love it with a vanilla soy latte to kickstart the cold mornings. Available in stores across the UK, find a store near you at costa.co.uk.

36  The Vegan | Spring 2016

Bathing Beauty This company first caught our eye with their beautiful bottles and simple yet elegant packaging. Handmade with natural ingredients at their workshop (aptly named The Source) in Wales, Bathing Beauty is a breath of fresh air in a world of chemical-laden cosmetic concoctions.

A particular favourite of ours is Jones the Bones Muscle and Joint Oil, developed for the management of muscle and joint pain. It acts as a gentle and effective massage oil, perfect for post-exercise TLC or to reduce joint pain or aching muscles. To learn more, visit bathing-beauty.co.uk.

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YOGABODY New Vegan Trademark Holders YOGABODY have registered a liquid B12 supplement. Naturally sweet tasting, the B12 is easily absorbed into the system, making it an effective way to supplement a healthy vegan diet. For fans of yoga, they also produce YOGABODY Stretch, a supplement containing MSM, vitamin C and trace minerals. MSM has been shown to relieve inflammation and reduce recovery time. Buffered vitamin C, when combined with MSM, has been shown to aid in the health of connective tissues. Read more about these products at yogabody.com.

The Coconut Company Recently registered with the Vegan Trademark, The Coconut Company’s coconut milk powder is a hassle-free way to add a tropical taste to any meal, bake, drink or shake. Simply mix 1-2 tablespoons of the powder in a cup of warm water and stir to form a rich instant coconut milk or cream. Produced from freshly-squeezed coconut milk, the dairy and gluten-free powder doesn’t contain lactose stabilisers like many other brands, and is much more versatile than canned coconut milk.

To read more and see the entire range, visit thecoconutcompany.co.

Bod’s Natural Products Another new Vegan Trademark holder, Bod’s Natural Products, have launched a range of foods and high quality natural health supplements. Moringa Oleifera teabags, created using rich moringa leaves, are high in vitamin C, calcium, potassium, vitamin A and iron, making them a great addition to a healthy vegan diet.

Free from additives or preservatives, Bod’s Natural Products range are made from natural ingredients and sourced from specially selected farms around the globe, and are available to buy from Amazon and Ebay. For more information, visit bodsnaturalproducts.com.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 37

Your Views

Your views Social media and veganism

Remembering Mary Bryniak

With social media on a euphoric global rise, knowledge on many subjects can be produced and supplied here in abundance. So has this affected veganism?

A survey recently carried out by South Birmingham Vegans (SBV) showed that people were not only influenced by various forms of media – but that a single item acted either as a tipping point or made them go vegan immediately.

The SBV survey revealed that tipping points for some people were by these channels:

On 14 November, very sadly we lost our good friend Mary Bryniak. I had the honour and privilege of officiating at her funeral – she was a dear friend of ours.

Mary was born in 1924. She was eight years old when, much to her delight, her parents decided that it was time they followed a vegetarian lifestyle. During the Second World War, she worked for the Land Army at a market garden in Cottingham. The experience gained there enabled her, along with her family, to create Glen Park Nurseries in Leicester. It was there that the family met Donald Watson, before the term vegan was coined. The Vegan Society’s first Newsletter records a membership of just 25 – Mary was among these founders.

We will always remember Mary for being thoughtful, compassionate and kind to all other living creatures, as well as her work for the vegan cause. Mary saw the movement grow from those initial 25 members to hundreds of thousands today.

63% by films 15% by books 7% by spoken word 5% by music 4% by other non-media influences 3% by podcast 3% by animals A large percentage of the above are available online and through various social media sites. I wonder if people will look back and make any connection between the rise of social media over the last ten years and the global rise in veganism in this same period.

Getting the word out there has never been more important – whether a festival, Facebook group, film screening or just by wearing a T-shirt – all will be a worthwhile success, for the animals as well as the planet.

So use your channels – promote a vegan way of life as best you can. It will make a difference.

Michael Wright

Frank Thunder Vegan Society Local & Group Contact

Have your say!

Write Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Birmingham, B18 6HJ Email editor@vegansociety.com Facebook /TheVeganSociety Twitter @TheVeganSociety Comments may be edited for publication.

38 The Vegan | Spring 2016

Your Views

Nominations for Council & proposals for the 2016 AGM Council (the board of trustees/directors) is pleased to invite nominations for council and proposals for the 2016 AGM, to be held on 28 May in London. There will be at least four vacancies on council to be filled by election in 2016.

The trustees are ultimately responsible for the society and are elected by and accountable to the members. Their work includes attending meetings, preparing and voting on governance proposals, reporting back to members, and reviewing and adjusting the society’s strategic direction and policies. Further information can be found at gov.uk/guidance/charity-trustee-whatsinvolved and in the society’s candidate pack.

Candidate trustees should support the society’s objectives and mission. The most important qualities for trustees are having commitment and enthusiasm, the ability to communicate and work well with others, and the ability to consider issues thoughtfully. In order to ensure an effective and diverse board, members from a wide range of backgrounds and with a broad base of skills are sought. The following skills and experience would be useful, but if you feel you have something else to offer please don’t hesitate to stand for election: • HR • Finance and investment • Fundraising • IT, communications, media and PR • Human behaviour change and sociology • Promoting veganism • Establishing and managing organisations • Policy development and legal issues • Nutrition • Environment • Strategic planning • Governance

The time commitment is around eight days per year for meetings and training plus about six hours a week for contact via email, post, or phone. The role is voluntary but expenses can be claimed.

To be eligible for appointment you must: have been a full member of the society for a year or more by the time you are appointed; submit a written nomination signed by a proposer and seconder who are both full members; submit a personal profile; and be willing to sign the trustee code of conduct.

Proposals to the AGM should: • Be proposed and seconded by full members • Not exceed 300 words, including any supporting material • Propose a single form of action (i.e. they must not be composite proposals, and must not simply comprise a statement of opinion).

In accordance with a change in the articles in 2015, council will, in so far as is practicable, arrange for a counterargument of up to 150 words to be circulated with each proposal to provide members with a more complete picture when they vote.

If you have any questions about becoming a trustee, wish to receive a copy of the candidates’ pack or want advice about a possible proposal, please email ceo@vegansociety.com, or contact the chair of council, Edward Daniel, at edward.daniel@edwarddaniel.com.

Nominations for council and proposals must be received at the society’s office before 5:00pm on Friday 18 March.

Spring 2016 | The Vegan 39

Reviews

Reviews

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The New Vegan by Áine Carlin Reviewed by Sarah Rehmatullah

Spiralize! by Beverly Lynn Bennett Reviewed by Elena Orde

Áine’s new book begins by detailing the reasons to be vegan in a non-judgemental manner, before tackling the subject of where to begin.

The section on what a vegan can eat, including restaurant eating, answers many of the questions new vegans will most certainly have. Also included is a section on addressing the inevitable questions new vegans are asked.

The ideas will assist you to navigate fresh waters, and find the peace you are seeking from a vegan diet.

The layout is very appealing, with a clear type setting, and attractive watercolour images of food. Images clearly show which recipes are raw or gluten-free. The food photography artfully styles each vegan creation. In addition, Áine does not limit herself to the kitchen as she also provides recipes for beauty that are kind to the skin, as well as animals.

A great way to start your day is with the warmth of spice in the Indian Style Crepes filled with spicy butterbeans. Black Bean Taquitos with Enchilada Sauce is a relatively simple and quick tasty recipe for a weeknight and great for sharing. But the star of The New Vegan surely must belong to the Aduki Bean Casserole, bursting with a myriad of flavours. The richness of miso and marmite gives depth to the dish, and the addition of coconut milk adds just the right amount of creaminess.

With straightforward recipes and useful tips, The New Vegan is a simple beginner’s guide, with recipes for anyone starting out on their new journey.

For those of you not in the know, a spiralizer is a kitchen tool most commonly used for turning vegetables into noodle shapes. Spiralizers are great for people looking to incorporate more veggies into their diets, minus the faff of endless slicing, peeling and chopping. They’re also ridiculously fun to use, and feel slightly like a child’s play-doh fun factory.

I recently entered the spiralizer club as I was given one for my birthday. Although the initial excitement of making huge salads with endless courgette noodles took a while to wear off, I was definitely ready to try some new ideas.

Spiralize! was just the book I needed, including plenty of options for breakfasts, snacks, sweets, soups and side dishes. Spiralizers can be used to prepare fruits and vegetables for a number of different uses. These include noodling carrots to be baked in muffins, and finely cutting potatoes or sweet potatoes into slices or spirals for baking into crisps. The very simple Baked Veggie Chips recipe works a treat, and is so much easier than trying to finely cut vegetables into equal slices.

The book also includes recipes which incorporate fruit – try out the Fruit-filled Oat Waffles made with spiralized apple, or the Pear and Cranberry Crisp Dessert.

The variety, creativity and flair of the recipes make up for the book’s plain aesthetic, coupled with the added bonus that most recipes use everyday, easily accessible ingredients. So why not hop on the spiralizer bandwagon – everything is better when it’s noodle-shaped.

40 The Vegan | Spring 2016

1 Áine’s new book looks as inviting as her first 2 Everything is better when it’s noodle-shaped