The Vegan Winter 1988

GM-GtFT IDEAS CRUELTY FREE-FOR-ALL _ ft CONFLICT OF STANDARDS

IheV^D^Ul Information Managing Editor: Colin Howlett Editor: Barry Kew C o m m o d i t y News Editor: Lis Howlett Design by Identity Printed by KSC Printers Ltd., Tunbridge Wells The Vegan is published quarterly by The Vegan Society Ltd Publication Date: Late February, May, August, November Copy Date: 1 st of month of publication ISSN 0307-4811 © The Vegan Society Ltd

T h e Vegan Society T h e Vegan Society Ltd Registered Charity No. 279228 33-35 George Street Oxford OX1 2AY Tel. 0865 722166 President: Arthur Ling Deputy President: Chris Langley Vice-Presidents: Eva Batt Serena Coles Freya Dinshah Jay Dinshah Grace Smith Council: Vincent FitzGerald Colin Howlett Lis Howlett Chris Langley (Chair) Arthur Ling Hon. T r e a s u r e r : Vincent FitzGerald Secretary: Barry Kew Publications Director: Colin Howlett Office Manager: Susan Kew Administrative Assistant: Jim Crawford

Vegan ism may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom for food, clothing or any other purpose.

In dietary terms, it refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce — including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, (non-human) animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.

The Vegan Ethic challenges all who preach compassion yet acquiesce in institutionalized animal abuse, especially the cruel practices inherent in dairy, livestock and poultry farming.

Abhorrence of these practices is probably the single most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are also drawn to it for health, ecological, spiritual and other reasons.

The Vegan Society was formed in England in November 1944 by a group of vegetarians who had recognised and come to reject the ethical compromises implicit in lacto-(i.e. dairy-dependent) vegetarianism and consequently decided to renounce the use of all animal products.

Since those early days it has grown considerably in both size and influence, reflecting the increasingly wide recognition of veganism's ethical, health, ecological and other advantages.

The Society now has the status of an educational charity, whose aims include encouraging the development and use of alternatives to all commodities normally derived wholly or partly from animals.

If you would like more information on veganism a free Vegan Information Pack is available from the Society's Oxford office in exchange for an SAE. If you are already a vegan or vegan sympathizer please support the Society and help increase its influence by joining. Increased membership

means more resources to educate and inform. Full membership is restricted to practising vegans, as defined above, but sympathizers are very welcome as associates of the Society. Both members and associates receive The Vegan free of charge.

Vegan Society Publications The Society publishes a wide range of free leaflets and lowpriced books and booklets of interest to the newcomer. See the section in the magazine entitled Publications and Promotional Goods. This Section also lists a number of works which although produced independently of the Society and not necessarily vegan in viewpoint are nevertheless felt to be useful and informative.

Vegan magazines In addition to The Vegan — the official organ of the Society — the following independent publications may be of interest: Vegan Views 6 Hayes Avenue, Bournemouth BH7 7AD. An informal quarterly with articles, interviews, news, reviews, letters, cartoon strip. Subscription rate for four issues: £2.40 (Europe and surface mail overseas: £2.80).

New Leaves 47 Highlands Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 8NQ. Quarterly Journal of The Movement for Compassionate Living — The Vegan Way (see below). Annual subscription: £3.00. Cheques/POs payable to: 'Movement for Compassionate Living'.

Y Figan Cymreig (The Welsh Vegan) Bronyr Ysgol, Montpelier, Llandrindod, Powys, Wales. Bi-lingual quarterly. Annual subscription: £1.25.

The Vegan Community Project, an organization independent of the Vegan Society, exists to form a contact network between people who are interested in living in a vegan community and to establish one or more such communities. While

some of its members seek merely to live close to other vegans, others wish to establish a vegan land project or centre for the promotion of a vegan lifestyle. Contact: .

The Vegan Families Contact List provides a link between parents throughout the UK seeking to raise their children in accordance with vegan principles. To receive a copy of the list and have your name added to a future edition, please write in to the Oxford office — marking your envelope 'Vegan Families Contact List', enclosing an SAE, and giving your name, address and names and dates of birth of children.

The Movement for Compassionate Living — The Vegan Way, an organization independent of the Vegan Society, seeks to spread compassionate understanding and to simplify lifestyles by promoting awareness of the connections between the way we live and the way others suffer, and between development, consumption and the destruction of the planet.

Co-ordinators:

Veganism Abroad There are active vegan societies in Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA, as well as contacts in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand.

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 as Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements does not imply endorsement. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed, but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by an SAE. 2 The Vegan, Winter 1988

B

eing disturbed the other day by a country road commotion, I went out to find an empty livestock truck's wheel sunk in a soft verge. Cows in the field all stopped cud-chewing to watch in silence as the redneck driver consistently failed to free the vehicle and eventually gave up the ghost.

God only knows what the cattle were thinking. Is there such a thing as bovine schadenfreude? Had Nemesis tired of waiting in the wings?

(But we musn't anthropomorphize, we're told, and a reader tells me I musn't be too pedantic). I couldn't help thinking of the inevitable question, flung with pseudo animal concern at vegan speakers and inducing in them a dubiety attack: "But what would happen to all the animals?"

(What would happen to all the clever dicks?), as if the grazing cows they see on their way to work were always the same cows.

"What's happening to them now?" is a worthy immediate response. The Meat Trades Journal reported on 6 October a Tipperary vet citing TB reactor calves deemed unfit for human consumption having their legs cut off while still conscious to prevent them moving around at an Irish slaughterhouse.

(But we musn't be alarmist nor emotional, yet see News item, 'Emotion OK').

So, from future-theory to present horror maintained by a deliberate or subconscious subscribing to de Sade's "I have destroyed everything in my heart that might have interfered with my pleasures". Livestock farming is something of a nostrum — a bourgeois hoax erecting selfinterest into universal moral principle? — most often propounded by those (I know some people... well, they're not exactly people) who could belong to the flared nostril school of acting, as if moral objection were some form of

3 The Vegan, Winter 1988

seediness. And, when push comes to shove, the ranks get closed.

Advertisements are banned; fur labelling is stopped before it begins; Radio Times consistently refuses to publish Vegan Society responses to successive slaggings-off; 'opposition' representatives decline, en masse, invitations to take part in Oxford Debates during Food & Farming Year (see Noticeboard); television chiefs 'bin' suggestions to show a vegan cookery series, proper discussion of the issues, videos on

stepping on each others' toes.

We have those promoting one thing as if it were another, others who rove outside their brief (chewing more than they've bitten off?) and still others who usurp the role of those better placed (with a little help) to perform it (and see feature on ppl2-I3). End result? Lack of structure and utter confusion, in relation to which the public we appeal to must at present feel, individually, like one who goes to university only to find professors stalking the corridors shouting their lectures. And this compounded by noises off about how wonderful 'organic' is (see page 25).

Wishing and needing to stamp a stronger vegan identity — for if the concept of animal rights doesn't equate with veganism what g^ does? — through increased outward promotion, we find I that too much of M this Society's time m is taken up instead by phone calls and letters from vegans enquiring about things they would know of if only they were publicationbuying members, and by other non-member vegans (joining ain't their style; organizations are a curse) who tell us what we ought to be doing but they're damned if they're going to help us do it.

This experience is not alien to our sister Societies.

Pointing out these things doesn't win us many friends, alas, but if we're serious . about "making haves out of the have-nots" then there's a place for old-fashioned hard thinking, straight talking and a pint when you're finished.

Anybody want to join me?

'Carping' aside for now, watch out for further developments of The Vegan in 1989: new regular columns; more pages; restyling; fundraising ideas (and see page 24). The difference won't be just a few adjectives.

Happy Christmas. Don't get stuck in the mud.

I

the livestock industry; and Prof. Blakemore is defended by the press — not on scientific grounds, but as being a victim of militants' telephone threats.

And then the curtain's brought down. On Friday, 18 November Central Television shows animal rights activist John Curtain thrown to the floor by a fur trader during a studio 'debate' in which some (well-cast) clergy-playing actor suggests that if you're wearing leather you can't object to others wearing fur.

Right or wrong, there isn't time to argue that one. Don't wear leather.

It's taking a long while to pass through this period; a long time before we operate as a cohesive movement. Even now, we have a string of different organizations still

Barry Kew

Contents • News 4 • EGM/1988 AGM Report 8 • Ethics on a Plate 10 A vegan restaurant offers service with scruples • Cruelty Free-for-AII 12 Lis Howlett joins the fray

• A Caring Christmas Vegan gift ideas

• Drop into Your Deli says Leah Leneman • Christmas M e n u s Janet Hunt puts on a seasonal spread • Shoparound • Tips from the T o p — Part I to give you a flying start in Plamil's Spring Half-Marathon

• Double our Money!

Chipping in against cruelty • Organic: Costs and Values An airing of views • Reviews • Postbag • Noticeboard • Publications & Promotional G o o d s • Classifieds

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16 18

20 22

25 26 28 30 32 34

News

and newsletters will be issued in the meantime. Details from:

Fun Run Fun Congratulations to the all-vegan teams Runner Beans and Green Soles who came 79th (second in category) and 359th (sixth in category) out of 1,542, and to all the other vegans who took part in the Sunday Times Fun Run on Sunday, 25 September.

Organizer Chris Phillips is aiming for over 20 vegan and vegetarian teams next year.

Contact him at: [Ed. See also 'Noticeboard', Fun and Funds]

Watch Out 1. Farley's newly-launched OsterSoy infant milk formula, which has been promoted as 'suitable for vegans', is not in fact animal-free. The claims, made in good faith, were made in ignorance of the fact that the product contains an animalderived source of vitamin D (D, — cholecalciferol).

Following representations made by the Vegan Society, in consultation with Plamil Foods Ltd., the company (part of

A CAMPAIGN BY WSPA World Society for the Protection of Animals

FIR

Fur Out A worldwide anti-fur campaign is being initiated by the World Society for the Protection of Animals. Wim J. de Kok, WSPA's Europe Field Representative says, "It is you, the people on a national, local and community level who can help.

We will help you by providing information, materials and advice." Details from him at: WSPA, PO Box 11 7 33,1001 GS Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Tel. 31 (20)227884.

Vegan Business Connection Having changed its name from the originally agreed 'Vegan Inspired Proprietors', full or associate membership of the Vegan Business Connection is now open to all veganmotivated businesses, depending on whether trading as exclusively vegan or not. A fourth meeting of the group is scheduled for June '89 to discuss a formal constitution.

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Boots) is, however, to bring the product into line with vegan criteria just as soon as present stocks are exhausted — which, it is anticipated, will be by March/April next year. Further details in next issue.

2. Lactitol, a new sweetener to be permitted by MAFF for use in food such as reduced-sugar jams, jellies and marmalades is derived from whey, a byproduct of cheese and casein production.

Mean Jeans Levi Strauss Ltd. has contracted with private labs in the USA to perform skin experiments on animals. As reported in the last Vegan, the Lee Jean Company discontinued such methods in favour of non-animal tests after consumer outcry. To encourage Levi Strauss to follow suit write to them at: Levi's Plaza, PO Box 7215, San Francisco, CA 94120, USA. According to correspondence, the Wrangler jean company has also been involved with and sponsored

rodeos. To protest against their link with the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association and rodeos in general write to: Wrangler Brands, 335 Church Ct., Greensboro, NC 27401, USA.

Oxford D e m o 1,000 anti-vivisection demonstrators converged on Oxford on Saturday 22 October to protest against the 'blinding research' on animals carried out in the University's laboratories

by Prof. Colin Blakemore.

Following the march round the city centre Dr. Nedim Buyukmihci, Associate Professor of Opthalmology in the Dept. of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, who has now renounced vivisection, addressed the rally. "It became clear to me," he said, "that essentially all experimental work using non-human animals, including Blakemore's work on cats and monkeys, is irrelevant vis-i-vis application to human animals. Animal experiments are absolutely indefensible, ethically and scientifically."

Further details of the campaign to bring about a ban on sight-deprivation experiments on animals from: Animal Aid, 7 Castle Street, Tonbridge TN9 1BH. Tel. 0732 3645466

Vegan Family Camp This year's camp was held in August at Glenridding, Ullswater in the Lake District — where the weather was often stormy, but a scaling of Helvellyn was nevertheless managed. Seven people attended the youth camp, with 30 joining them in the second week for the main holiday. As 12 months seems too long a wait for the campers to meet up again there's a veg£gi Easter meet planned for 23-28 March 1989 (See 'Noticeboard' for details.)

Only Language According to Pauls Agriculture's Paul Sugg descriptions such as 'maternity units' and 'nurseries' should be used in place of farrowing crates and flat-deck cages in order to counteract consumer concern.

Meat Trades Journal 25.8.88

No Pleasure Cruise In 1987 some 372,000 veal calves were shipped across the Channel for finishing in Europe.

Meat Trades Journal 8.9.88

Pig P l u n d e r "Injected and in-feed products, including hormones, enzymes and antibodies to improve pig growth rate, feed conversion and carcass uptake, are now being developed . . . Trials have shown that porcine somatotropin (PST) can boost growth rate by 16% . . . the beta-agonists clenbuterol and cimaterol prompt the body to deposit more lean and less f a t . . . Research to help producers get the most out of their breeding sows for as long as possible is also being pioneered by the Institute for Grassland and Animal Production's pig department at Shinfield, Berks".

Farmers Weekly 21.10.88

SelFish Geneticists from the Ecological and Evolutionary Research Group at Swansea have been given a grant of £350,000 by the British Overseas Development Administration to manipulate the genetic and anatomical sex of fish by breeding, the use of hormones and a hot bath for the eggs in order to produce males only.

The two sexes of the Nile Tilapia are difficult to tell apart and separate (the males grow faster) and when together put all their resources into reproduction instead of growing and turning themselves into food.

How inconsiderate of them.

Independent 24.10.88

Biotech Conference The Athene Trust's international conference. Action Alert: the Bio Revolution — Comuco pia or Pandora's Box?, held on 7/8 October explored the options created by genetic engineering, with lectures from 17 speakers covering growth hormones, environmental impact, transgenic animal patenting and the human response. Opposing views were illustrated by the cold, clicheridden contribution of Dr. Grahame Bullfield, senior The Vegan, Winter 1988

scientist at AFRC Physiology & Genetics Research Station, Edinburgh, which gave rise to many unanswered questions from outraged animal welfarists but was neatly countered by the disciplined passion of Dr. Michael Fox of the US Humane Society calling for a notampering policy. The Conference endorsed resolutions calling for: an immediate ban on the mixing of BST-treated milk with that of untreated cows; a moratorium on the deliberate release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment; a prohibition on the patenting of geneticallyengineered living organisms; a ban on transgenic manipulation of animals. The urgent need for a global debate on the subject was also stressed.

International Conference on the S t a t u s of A n i m a l s Nottingham, England. 19-21 September Gill Langley reports: This three-day animal welfare conference at the University of Nottingham in September attracted 200 animal welfarists and rightists, industrialists, academics, veterinarians and government department representatives to discuss current issues in education, farming, experimentation, human/animal interactions and the r6le of veterinarians in animal welfare.

The Status of Animals —Attitudes, Ethics and Education tackled ethical dilemmas and explored practical solutions and was notable for the breadth of views of both the speakers and the participants. Discussion was lively but refreshingly amicable, despite obvious differences of opinion.

Professor Donald Broom of Cambridge University ex

Milk to M e a t Very few pure beef cattle are raised in Britain, with the bulk of British beef coming from dairy cows and their offspring.

About half the dairy herd are artificially inseminated with beef bull sperm to produce cross-bred calves, the rest are inseminated with dairy bull sperm to produce pure-bred dairy cattle to perpetuate the dairy herd. A new cattle breeding service — Bullpower Mastercalf, to be launched next year, will transfer tiny frozen beef calf embryos into dairy 5 The Vegan, Winter 1988

Breast is B e s t Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health in Washington and at the University of North Carolina have announced they have found a "positive association" between artificial feeding in infancy and childhood cancer (lymphoma) following a study of 201 American children who developed cancer between the ages of one and fifteen.

The Lancet, 13.8.88, Vol 2, pp365-368. 'Infant Feeding and Childhood Cancer'. M.K. Davis, D.A. Savitz, B.I. Graubard.

Token Gesture

Violence-Free Science The National Anti-Vivisection Society, with the support of the National Union of Students and the National Council for Civil Liberties, has re-launched two campaigns — The Right to Refuse (Universities/Further Education) and Dissection, a Relic of the Past (schools) — for the 1988/9 academic year.

Information Packs have been sent to thousands of educational establishments detailing alternative teaching techniques.

Contact: NAVS, 51 Harley Street, London WIN 1DD.

cows, and the Milk Marketing Board, wfiich already carries out 1.7 million artificial inseminations each year, will be taking the embryos out to the nation's dairy farms.

Independent 14.9.88 "The chance to produce three-quarter bred quality beef out of any old dairy cow cannot be ignored".

Farmers Weekly 23.9.88

plained the need to consider each animal as an individual rather than a production unit. Making clear his dislike of depersonalizing terminology such as 'harvesting' animals and farm animal 'vices', he highlighted the importance of changing public attitudes to animals, promoting discussion and humane education — a thread which ran through the whole conference.

James Serpell reported on a survey he had conducted of the attitudes of people who kill animals for 'sport' or as part of their employment, noting that hunters, factory farmers and 'pest' exterminators had all developed rituals or thought patterns which allowed them to suppress guilt and to prevent any feelings of empathy for their victims.

Dr Michael Balls of FRAME saw a growing trend of resistance in the scientific community to animal welfare/rights campaigns, as evidenced by increasing activity by provivisection groups in the USA and this country. Many scientists appear to equate medical progress with animal experiments, seemingly unaware that there is any other sort of research approach. The number of animals used in Japanese experiments actually increased last year, and Canadian regulatory authorities still demand precise LD50 test results, as well as recommending the use of monkeys in eye irritancy tests if rabbits are deemed unsuitable for testing a particular substance.

The conference was generally judged to have been well worthwhile. Some people felt that clear statements against animal abuse should have been more prominent in the crowded programme, but the 'grey' areas of animal welfare were tackled with some success, and contacts were made and information exchanged between interest groups which usually do not meet.

Milk tokens are no longer issued to families receiving Family Credit. Instead, a cash increase is included in the Family Credit allowance. The Social Security leaflet explaining this development goes on to claim that "it's important, especially for children under five, that the extra money is spent on milk". Cash instead of tokens will be a great benefit to vegan parents receiving the allowance who, knowing that cow's milk is for calves, will now be able to spend the money on more wholesome products for their children.

afetafflt^lattcr^

<V Palatable P l a t t e r s London now has its own vegan bakery. Run by vegans Pat and Midge Watkin, 'Palatable Platters' supplies outlets in the London area with a wide selection of healthy and tasty desserts — incl. cakes, tarts, slices and biscuits, as well as baking for special occasions.

Contact: The Annexe, 8 Nursery Road, London SW9 8BP. Tel 01-7373831.

Emotion OK The meat industry's new 30second TV advertisement (part of a £ l m autumn campaign) concentrating on beef stews and casseroles is described by the Meat & Livestock Commission's Jim Munday as "aspirational" and will be seen six times on average by 85% of housewives. Last year's "You can't do better than b e e f ' ad will also run in order to emphasize what the MLC's meat promotion director calls the "emotional appeal".

Meat Trades Journal 22.9.88.

Water Worry Run-off of fertilizer from fanning land has polluted 125 groundwater sources in England and Wales supplying 1.8 million people in 1983/4, exceeding EC safety limits. The most severely contaminated water was found to be in central Lincolnshire.

The Independent 9.9.88

eight consecutive days. Says the Live Aid hero, " Chernobyl happened near Kiev, but it's with us on our Sunday lunch table when we eat Welsh lamb." Looks like one to miss.

And will Bob have the bottle to include details of dairy farm pollution? (The book of the series, published in 1985 speaks of "harvesting wildlife . . . a natural resource", etc. See Reviews, The Vegan, Summer '85).

Evening Standard 17.10.88

outlines the Muslim theological teaching on a wide range of animal welfare topics. Sponsored by, and available (at £40 purchase) from: IAAPEA, PO Box 215, St Albans, Herts AL3 4RD.

D e s e r t of O z Australia's farmland is turning to desert. Estimates suggest that unless there is a dramatic rethinking of land management 4.3 million hectares will become permanent desert. Less than one third of Australia's total land area supports 98% of the population and all its grazing and crop production.

Problems include erosion, salinity, acidification, the effects of introduced animals and pollution from agTOchemicals.

Environment Digest, No. 16, September '88

Education Pack

Regan Release Professor Tom Regan's classic work, The Case for Animal Rights, is now available in paperback (Routledge) and can be purchased from the Vegan Society at £7.95 plus £1.00 p&p.

Catapult Cop-Out Home Office plans to ban, under the Criminal Justice Act, potentially lethal weapons now exclude catapults due to ministers' discovery that they are used by fisherman to cast bait.

Independent 24.8.88

Maxi Murdox

BjTCV Let's Plant a Million The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers has launched a campaign to plant one million trees over the next three years and is now looking for donations. Contact: BTCV, 36 St. Mary's Street, Oxon OXIO OBR. Tel. (0491) 39766.

Geddoff!

Bob Geldof is to write and present a £2.4 million eight-part environmental series — The Gaia Atlas of Planet Management — which he hopes will be broadcast around the world on 6

Open Eye Film & Video has released It's Outrageous — a fully animated 4minute film in which 'Maxi Murdox' is revealed as the unsavoury face of the press through its sensationalism, distortion and lies about battery hen farming. Intended for educational purposes to raise awareness of the popular press tendency to distort, and to introduce the campaign for press and broadcasting freedom and its aims for media democracy. Details from: Open Eye, 90-92 Whitechapel, Liverpool LI 6EN. Tel. 051 709 9460.

N e w Video Creatures of God, a 30-minute video made in the Arabic language and presented by AlHafiz B.A. Masri (see Reviews in The Vegan, Winter '87),

The Humane Research Trust has launched an Education Pack about the use of animals in research and the alternatives that are replacing them. Ideal for schools and colleges and useful for anyone wanting to know more about the subject it contains two booklets, three leaflets and ten study cards and costs £3.75 incl. p&p. Available from: The HRT, 29 Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, Cheshire SK7 2DN.

Tackle Fishing

Youth mag

The Campaign for the Abolition of Angling has produced a new leaflet and poster on lost and discarded fishing tackle. For sample copies send SAE to: CAA, Dept T, PO Box 130, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5NR.

The Young Peacemakers has been formed by the Peace Pledge Union as a club for young children aged between 7 and 11 which has its own magazine encouraging them to co-operate instead of competing, to love instead of hating, to understand instead of being prejudiced. Details from:

Food Campaigner Dies Caroline Walker, known to many of our readers as coauthor of The Food Scandal, which put the suppressed NACNE Report into everyday language, died of cancer in September, aged 38. She was a Council member of the London Food Commission and the Coronary Prevention Group, for whom she helped develop a consistent labelling policy for all foods — rejected by MAFF, but now being tested abroad.

Natural Food A study by market researchers Frost & Sullivan has shown that seven European countries — Belgium, Luxemburg, France, West Germany, Italy, Holland and the UK — used a total of 2,231,400 tonnes of additives in 1987.

Meat Trades Journal 25.8.88 The Vegan, Winter 1988

Vegan Nutrition

A Survey of Research Gill Langley M A P h D Pbk, ix + 124pp

The most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of scientific research on vegan diets (more than 180 references cited), Vegan Nutrition is aimed at vegans, would-be vegans, health professionals and interested laypersons.

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Do vegan diets provide adequate protein and iron?

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Do children thrive on a vegan diet?

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Where do vegans obtain vitamin B12?

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Are healthy pregnancies possible on a vegan diet?

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Can vegan diets protect against cardiovascular disease?

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Can vegan diets have a therapeutic value?

These are just some of the questions addressed in this landmark publication, which includes summaries of main sections, highlighted major points, information on all essential nutrients and their availability in vegan diets, easy-

7 The Vegan, Winter 1988

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EGM The Extraordinary General Meeting passed (by the required 75% majority) a Special Resolution to alter the objects of the Society (Clause 3 of the Memorandum of Association), thus returning the Society to the stance it took at its formation in 1944 regarding all animal products (as set out in its original Manifesto).

Members are referred back to the Annual Report Notice of Meeting which detailed the Resolution, and to ' Noticeboard' (Membership Status) which outlines the implications.

Arthur Ling In his welcotningaddress,President Arthur Ling drew members' attention to the Society's pioneers, its co-operating spirit, and to how only the shortage of funds was holding back the progress of which it was capable.

L a t e r in the meeting, Arthur was unanimously reelected President.

Chris Langley In his opening remarks Chairman Chris Langley made it known that the Society's 44th

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year had been one of itssmoothest in recent history, with the current Council and staff having developed an efficient working pattern and sound basis for future achievement.

In winding up, Chris called for a vote of thanks to past and present staff, expressed heartfelt gratitude for legacies received (Smith and Grainger) and alerted members to the imminent publication of the Society's new Vegan Nutrition.

The meeting unanimously re-elected Chris Langley Deputy President.

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S e p t e t

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Annual Report In presenting the Annual Report, Secretary Barry Kew stressed that despite being hamstrung by shortage of funds and staff the Society's first success Had been to continually expand the range of people being reached. It was passing through a certain phase of development — building up materials, facilities and capabilities, with a strong desire to move into a new phase of activity.

The year had been a successful exercise injudicious management, working to good effect within severe restrictions: a limited success fraught with frustrations yet showing what can be done.

The Annual Report was adopted with no votes against.

i n s t i L o i

Annual Accounts On delivering the Accounts, Hon. Treasurer Vincent FitzGerald emphasized how, in the normal operation of the Society, everything had to be judged on a cost-effectiveness basis.

Many of the money-making, promotional ideas stuck on the shelf needed cash input to get them into production — e.g. new, best-selling publications.

The Annual Accounts were adopted unanimously.

Vincent FitzGerald was reelected to the Council.

The Vegan, Winter 1988

88 M / i M

>ort ih e r 1 9 8 8 r C a t h e d r a l :e C e n t re d o n

Donald Watson In a talk entitled The Early Years and the PresentChallenge, guest speaker Donald Watson — the Society's T rst Secretary and coiner of the word vegan in 1944 — surveyed veganism in relation to wider societal and ecological developments.

"JamesHough [of the Manchester Vegetarian Society] arranged for me to deliver an address on veganism at the 11th.

Congress of the International Vegetarian Union at

L - j v .at* 9 The Vegan, Winter 1988

Stonehouse, Gloucestershire on 2nd August 1947. This was the first occasion that veganism had been presented to an international audience, and soon after branches were formed in other countries..."

Stalls—StallsattheAGM were held by the Vegan Society, Vegan Views, Plamil Foods, Dr. Hadwen Trust for Humane Research.

"... Unlike the seals that are now dying in their thousands in northern Europe man can place himself at any point he chooses in the food chain. By choosing the vegan end we avoid the buildup of poisons that pass through the bodies of other creatures, and we must thereby avoid one of life's many hazards. From this point of view alone, veganism must emerge as one of the great reforms of our age."

Donald was later elected Vice-President of the Society.

Catering—The buffet and other refreshments provided by Castle Catering Service received a vote of appreciation.

Creche — The best-ever creche at a Vegan Society AGM was organized by the Lewisham Mobile Creche Unit

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Attendance — The added attractions of this year's AGM asan opportunity to reunite with older members, to view a memorabilia display and to hear Donald Watson's talk prompted a larger-thanusual attendance of over 100 members and associates.

General "I think it is the feeling of the meeting that it is to the credit of the Vegan Society that in obvious financial difficulties we still find it possible and necessary to give financial support to the MeatOut campaign" — Colin Howlett, Vegan Society Publications Director

A summary of the 1988 EGM and AGM Minutes will appear in the 1988/9 Annual Report/Accounts.

Photographs by Henry Heap.

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Rosemary Burton visits Veganomics one of the most stylish additions yet to the growing ranks of vegan enterprises

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t hadn't been the most encouraging of weeks — three times I had been forced to enter into those tedious "No, actually fish isn't vegetarian"-type conversations. Three times I had ended up with a plate of rice and vegetables salvaged from among the liberal offerings of dead flesh. I blame Colin Spencer, the professional 'vegetarian' whose Guardian col umns convince a large number of people that fish are vegetables — with the result that those of us who do not subscribe to this peculiar view are often left with frayed tempers and inadequate meals.

But this article is a celebration rather than a complaint, because, if Mr. Spencer represents a step backwards for the cause, a new restaurant in south London amounts to considerably more than two steps forward. Veganomics opened at 312-314 Lewisham Road, London SE13 in April. It is a totally vegan restaurant — not a modest little cafe doing lunchume take-away tofuburgers and little else, and not another Sixties-style stripped pine and earthenware establishment offering lunch and tea only. This is an elegant, highly

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original restaurant where vegans can feel totally confident that they are not being offered any animal products whatsoever.

Owners Melody Lovelace and Ron Bailey want to show even the most sceptical lactovegetarian and omnivore that ethical food can also be gourmet food. Gourmet food in Lewisham? Gourmet vegan food in Lewisham? Is it possible? Certainly.

Surprises At Veganomics I found a number of surprises. First of all, the premises. Melody and Ron have bought a pair of shops which are two halves of one rare whole. The buildings have been restored and refurbished to accommodate a shop on one side and a restaurant on the other. The restaurant is entirely gas-lit and the glow of the lighting is reflected in the magnificent polished cupboards and cabinets, which belonged originally to an apothecary. Some very appealing prints—the work of a local artist, and all for sale—hang on the walls.

T h e restaurant is entirely gas-lit a n d the g l o w of the lighting is reflected in the magnificent polished cupboards and cabinets, which belonged originally to an apothecary.

Then the menu. Britons are criticized for their very unadventurous attititude towards mushrooms — forget the boring, cultivated ones, here were strange varieties, locally grown. It was unadventurous of me not to try them, perhaps, but the other starters were not disappointing: a thick lentil and tomato soup and miniature nut and vegetable rissoles with a sweet pepper sauce.

The menu changes regularly — half the items are new each week and it is rare for dishes to be repeated. With four or five starters, main courses and desserts available each night this indicates considerable inventiveness.

It is true that not everything was available The Vegan, Winter 1988

on the night I visited, but I was told of this before ordering and not left to ask for something and then suffer disappointment.

Setting S t a n d a r d s There are arguments over the definition of the word gourmet, but Veganomics isc\ear\y keen to set high standards. Food is prepared to order, which means that there will be periods of waiting that could try the patience of those reared to expect fast food delivery times. But when the food arrives it is well presented and carefully prepared; in other words it is worth waiting for.

Melody concedes that they may not always attain top gourmet standards but they are always aiming to offer high quality and originality. Head chef is Keith Burton (not a relation of mine!), who has worked atTyringham — a naturopathic centre — and at the 4star Hotel Normandie in Bournemouth. A vegan, he has travelled all over the world and uses his knowledge of other cultures in his recipes.

Seaweed and tofu both featured in the special salad I tried, and it was intriguing to see the normally very non-vegan Indian dessert, rasmalai, on the menu. Sadly, it was not available that evening. Cr£me Caramel was available and was, one would have thought, an equally difficult dish to reproduce using no animal products. It was an excellent effort, though a little more caramel would have been welcome. But this is perhaps not the best way to win non-vegans over to the dairy-free life—offer them something which has a dairy equivalent and they will probably hanker after the original. A dessert such as the mango, raisin and apple smoothie which we sampled does not call for comparisons with any dairy product and ought to win approval from vegans and non-vegans alike.

I am not suggesting that vegans should be denied Crfeme Caramel, merely wondering what the average meat eater makes of Veganomics. Could a non-vegan be persuaded to change his or her diet as a result of a trip to this new restaurant? The proprietors certainly see the establishment as having an educational role and the building is also used for meetings and slide shows, while the shop acts as a centre for information on acti vites such as vivisection and the use of animals in cosmetics testing.

C a u s e for C e l e b r a t i o n According to Melody, meat eaters have been more than pleasantly surprised by what the restaurant has to offer. Vegans, of course, are delighted — until now South East London has had very little to offer, even in the way of vegetarian catering.

But the arrival of Veganomics is cause for celebration on more than a purely local level.

At last, vegan entrepreneurs have been able to borrow money from a bank to refurbish premises and open an entirely vegan restaurant.

For nine months now that restaurant has been serving inventive, often gourmet-standard meals to a satisfied public — and with such The Vegan, Winter 1988

success that it is advisable to book your table, for if you don't you may arrive to find the place full.

To put things in perspective, it would be naive to assume that the collected listening, thinking and action banks have decided that vegan restaurants are sure-fire money-spinners, and, of course, money lent for building refurbishment is almost always a safe investment. But the success of the Veganomics initiative is still of tremendous significance and other restaurateurs, or vegans with ambitions in that direction, should feel greatly encouraged. Vegans are no longer assumed by the world at large to be a mere handful of people leading a joyless and malnourished existence. Encouraged by demand from an increasing vegan population, as well as by greater public awareness of the issues which lie at the heart of the vegan ethic, a few pioneering restaurants are beginning to demonstrate commercially what those 'in the know' have never doubted—that vegan food can be attractive, delicious and, yes, even gourmet.

Still-too-few Ironically, at the same time as respect for the vegan ethic has increased, there has been an unwelcome trend towards the arbitrary, at times plain dishonest, use of terms like 'cruelty-free'. It is important to give our support as consumers to the real thing, and this applies to the catering business as well. We may rightly applaud the fact that the odd smart hotel, the occasional restaurant, offers a vegan dish on its menu, and by ordering these dishes we may persuade them, in time, to offer two or three, but we should remember that those still-too-few idealistic concerns which are prepared to suffer commercial disadvantages in order to promote the vegan ethic are even more deserving of our support, especially while they are struggling to get themselves established.

Veganomics is not the only restaurant serving high-quality vegan food, but, as far as I know, it is the only one to have opened, and stayed open, with the declaration that no animal products will be used.

It is also the only restaurant I know which

announces that 10% of any profits will be given to Third World charities and which also insists that no South African produce will be used. It is a brave enterprise and one which deserves to be supported, to succeed and to be learned from.

V e g a n o m i c s is not the o n l y restaurant serving high-quality v e g a n food, but, as far a s I k n o w , it is t h e only o n e to h a v e o p e n e d , and stayed o p e n , w i t h the declaration that no a n i m a l p r o d u c t s will be used... It is a brave enterprise a n d o n e w h i c h d e s e r v e s to be s u p p o r t e d , to s u c c e e d and to be l e a r n e d f r o m .

The bill came to a little over £20 for my companion and I, and we didn't splash out on any of the exotic drinks such as non-alcoholic elderflower champagne. Considering the time and trouble that goes into the preparation of the food, and the pleasant surroundings, this is good value. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday from 7pm. Booking is advisable and special Christmas menus are promised.

Telephone 01 852 7978.

If you're likely to be down that way,Veganomics is just a few minutes' walk from Lewisham BR station...

11

Lis Howlett, Editor of the best-selling Cruelty-Free Shopper, takes the lid off some unseemly aspects of the cruelty-free phenomenon T h o s e of us w h o represent the V e g a n Society know only too well h o w easy it is for an organization like ours to offend and m a k e itself unpopular merely by 'telling it like it is'.

So, you may be wondering, whose nose is going to be put out of joint this time? Well, if you put it in those terms, several noses actually...

Fraudulent

L

et me start as I plan to proceed — with absolute candour. This article is not going to go down too well in some quarters. Once again fingers will wag and that stock anti-vegan adjective' self-righteous' will be dusted off and hurled at us in fierce condemnation of what seems to be the only national organization with the integrity and the guts to defend to the hilt the rights of animals, all animals. I repeat, all animals — no convenient exceptions in the interests of mass appeal or, as one compromise apologist recently put it, 'accessibility'.

Those of us who represent the Vegan Society know only too well how easy it is for

12

an organization like ours to offend and make itself unpopular merely by 'telling it like it is'.

The VSUK 'Burgergate' scandal and its still more scandalous aftermath, which we covered in the Spring and Autumn '87 issues of the magazine, raised more than a few hackles.

We came in for unprecedented abuse, most of it—needless to say—totally unrelated to the charges levelled. We saw it as our job to expose a flagrant betrayal of principles and dereliction of duty; others—including many still in positions of responsibility in that Society — saw it as interference in its 'internal' affairs. (As though the whole movement is not diminished when one of its leading members is caught with its pants down.)

Question: When is what is cracked up to be cruelty-free actually cruelty-free? Answer: Hardly ever.

Sad to say, for all the swanky presentation, celebrity endorsements and self-applause — much of what currently passes for cruelty-free is, in fact, fraudulent. And this state of affairs is due in no small measure to a single bold, but tragically flawed initiative: The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection's continuing 'Choose CrueltyFree' campaign.

Let's start with the organization's 'cruelty-free' criteria. What are they? Well, your guess is as good as mine, since despite repeated requests to BUAV — including one made directly to National Campaigns Organiser, Steve Mclvor — we've not been able to lay hands on a copy. A strange contrast to our own way of doing things, with our criteria set out with crystal clarity in an appendix to The Cruelty-Free Shopper. Perhaps we can form some impression of the criteria from other, more readily available BUAV publications?

Let's take a look . . .

The Liberator, BUAV's bi-monthly magazine, accepts 'cruelty-free' ads which The Vegan, Winter 1988

the Vegan Society flatly refuses to carry in its publications on the ground that a number of items promoted contain animal derivatives.

These include ads from the Beauty Without Cruelty and Cosmetics To Go companies.

Let's look in particular at the second of these — a new-generation 'cruelty-free' company established in January this year and clearly intent on rapid expansion.

BUAV and Cosmetics to Go appear to have developed an unusually close working relationship, each giving the other major publicity. How do the company's products, as listed in its lavish and reputedly oae-millionprint-run brochure, stand up to scrutiny? Well, how cruelty-free do you rate products containing goat's milk? Who, I wonder, does the 'cruelty-free' slaughtering of the 'useless' male kids which is part and parcel of this vile industry? Do they, one wonders, qualify for some BUAV award? And how cruelty-free and, to quote the brochure, "ethically perfect for vegetarians" do you rate products containing derivatives of factory-farmed eggs? Even the non-too-scrupulous VSUK has bridled at that "ethically perfect.. ." bit. Maybe they were all roaring drunk at Crane Grove when Cosmetics to Go got the go-ahead? Or have they got their very own Ollie North running a parallel 'Thumbs up to Cruelty' campaign down there?

Caveats For further enlightenment let's now tum to BUAV's just-published 'Choose CrueltyFree' Approved Cosmetic & Household Product Guide, described in a press release as "the most comprehensive list produced to date". Included in the ad-packed 16-page brochure (wow, how comprehensive can you get on a £250,000-plus budget?!) are such caveats as V (for vegetarian) after a company's name and then the phrase "except for a few products", and in the key it explains that for those companies marked with an asterisk "some products still contain ingredients obtained from the slaughterhouse, although the company is currently changing to ingredients suitable for vegetarians". Well bully for them, but what on earth is BUAV playing at describing these companies as cruelty-free in the here and now? What about giving proper support to those ethical companies which explicitly exclude all animal-testing and all animal ingredients, as a number already do, and then expanding the list to include others — as and when they are prepared to comply with genuine cruelty-free criteria?

To be honest, the best use for BUAV's

T h e Cruelty-Free

Approved Cosmetic & Household Product Guide is to serve as raw material for a 'Cruelty-Free Phonies' appendix to the next edition of the Cruelty-Free Shopper!

Not A l o n e B ut, although by far the worst offender—and consequently the main focus of my attention, BUAV is not alone in promoting a bogus cruelty-free standard. Several other kindred organizations have sought, in one way or another, to encourage the view that a product can contain animal derivatives and be cruelty-free. In late 1987, for example, the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) published Cruelty-Free Products: Cosmetics & Toiletries, based on the responses to an ineptly compiled joint questionnaire from which the Vegan Society disassociated itself in the summer of 1986. Despite its title, the NAVS guide — like Animal Aid's earlier Cruelty-Free Cosmetics List—quite shamelessly includes products containing animal derivatives. So much for animal rights. And human rights too, for surely consumers have a right not to be exposed to false claims.

Don'tmisunderstand me, ethically-tested (ET — what a promotional opportunity was missed there!) is fine, as far as it goes, but it's not the whole story — not by a mile. Only a product that is 100% animal-free can honestly be described as cruelty-free; to maintain otherwise is a betrayal of the animal rights ethic and a downright con.

Ethically-tested is fine, as far as it goes, but it's not the w h o l e story — not by a mile. Only a product that is 1 0 0 % animal-free can honestly be described a s cruelty-free; to maintain otherwise is a betrayal of the animal rights ethic and a downright con.

And things are likely to go from bad to worse, as more and more people, animal 'defenders' and canny entrepreneurs alike, clamber aboard the bandwagon, each with their own set of 'cruelty-free' criteria (See Postbag, 'Free-for-AU') and each pouring more money into perpetuating a cosy myth.

Defeatism and Condescension One of the reasons for the cruelty free-for-all described above is, I am convinced, the consistency with which the active promotion of a

Shopper

The most comprehensive cruelty-free listing in the UK (124 pages), including sections on toiletries and cosmetics, remedies and supplements, household goods. No animal testing, no animal ingredients. £2.50, plus 35p p&p from: The Vegan Society (Merchandise), 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. Cheques/POs payable to: The Vegan Society Ltd.

The Vegan, Winter 1988 13

genuine cruelty-free (i.e. vegan) standard is seen, even by self-styled animal rights 'radicals', as an exercise in futility. The essence of this thinking is that the general public is not yet ready for the real McCoy and must be offered instead a less potent, watered-down ethic. What an appalling mixture of defeatism and condescension! I suspect that history will also show it to be an example of extremely poor judgement of major shifts, or potential shifts, in mass consciousness.

Time and again it is assumed that the uncompromising vegan stance on animal abuse is 'unsellable' to theoaverage man and woman in the street. But is this really so? Am I and the Vegan Society really so out of tune with 'reality', or is it simply that the passion

A m I a n d the V e g a n S o c i e t y really s o out of tune w i t h 'reality', or is it simply that the p a s s i o n of commitment burns so much more brightly in u s t h a n in t h e more faint-hearted s e c t i o n s of what can sometimes o n l y laughably be called 'the a n i m a l rights m o v e m e n t ' ? of commitment burns so much more brightly in us than in the more faint-hearted sections of what can sometimes only laughably be called 'the animal rights movement'?

Shrill If the tone of this article has struck you as a little shrill, let me ask you to consider carefully what has given rise to such strength of feeling. How happy would you be see your Society's Herculean efforts frustrated at almost every tum? How long would it take for your patience to snap in the face of such provocation? We're pulling out every stop in the book, yet we're hamstrung by underfunding and the uncooperativeness of those we feel should, and (self-criticism permitting) might still be our natural allies.

Maybe my remarks strike you as off beam, or in poor taste—in which case please tum to a lighter piece, or even toss this issue into the bin. If, on the other hand, my plain speaking has struck a responsive note please be sure to tum to page 24 and see if you can see your way to helping us to generate the resources needed to make something constructive and positive emerge from the present cruelty-free chaos. With your support we can perform something close to our proper role in this key area.

For vegans, the Yuletide season is a time of distressing contrasts. Behind the facade of joy, celebration and feasting lurk unspeakable cruelties to animals — worse at this time of the year than any other. Not only must turkeys die in their millions for Britain's Christmas dinners but we are painfully aware of the countless numbers of other creatures which have been tortured for food, clothing, cosmetics, perfumes and other gifts to be purchased and presented to friends and family in the name of the Christmas spirit. Furthermore, while this orgy of consumption is taking place in the affluent nations, hundreds of millions of people are born to desperate poverty and hunger in the rest of the world and the destruction and pollution of the environment grow apace.

Fortunately, it is still possible to participate in the season's festivites and to stand aside from some of the cruelty and exploitation. A vegan diet takes care of one aspect of this, and by carefully choosing cards, gifts and wrapping paper from the ever-growing range of catalogues from animal rights societies and other organizations sharing the same basic aim of a more just world we can use our resources to work against the mainstream exploitative trend. It also saves trekkinground the shops! Choose carefully, though, since not all organizations extend their creditable aims to non-human animals in choosing items for inclusion in their catalogues. A case for dropping a line to the charities concerned early in the New Year perhaps?

A Caring Christmas

Hilary Sadler takes us on a tour of favourite Christmas gift catalogues

G o o d Start Here is my own selection of gift ideas. The catalogues contain hundreds more. To get the season off to a good start, charity Christmas cards are essential. The new Lynx range* is particularly attractive. One set contains four each of three prints of Fox, Lynx and Racoon (£4.00 per pack, incl. VAT and p&p), another contains 10 cards with a Lo Cole illustration of a Wolf (£3.10, incl. VAT and p&p), and the final set is 10 cards with an Anita Kunz design (£4.00, incl. VAT and p&p).

[Ed. Stop Press. By the time you read this Lynx should have opened its new shop at 79 Long Acre, London WC2] If you prefer more traditional designs, N A VS have a large selection —ranging from large cards at five for £1.30 to smaller ones at ten for £1.10.

If you can't afford a lavish present, the catalogues have plenty to choose from. What about a colourful mug, for instance? The BU A V's range is very reasonable at £1.95 per mug, and one of my current favourites is their red and white on black design with the slogan ' Rats have rights'. Green peace are offering a mug with their new whale design, black and blue on white, for £3.00.

Join the Baggy Brigade!

If you've a little more to spend, colourful baggy T-shirts are very popular. The Vegetarian Society has some bright new full-col14

The Vegan, Winter 1988

our T-shirts with a picture of a chicken and the slogan 'Liberate' (£9.99 adult size and £5.20 for children). Excellent value are the 'Meat Out' T-shirts, red and black design on white, available with slogan or without, and only £6.50 (XXL only) from the Vegetarian Society. Still in the clothes line, Lynx and the League Against Cruel Sports do some snazzy boxer shorts (£6.50 and £5.50, incl. p&p) respectively or, for a more down-toearth present, Friends of the Earth have some colourful new socks — green frog on white sock and black hare on red — at £5.00 for both pairs.

Jewellery always makes a good gift and many of the catalogues feature some lovely pieces. The silver dove of peace ear-rings from CND (£5.25) are very pretty and the LACS's jolly pig or frog ear-rings are most reasonable at only £1.20 per pair, incl. p&p.

And suitable for any age or sex, and priced at just £1.25, is the stylish enamel pin bearing Zoo Check's logo.

If your friends are well supplied with jewellery, how about something to put it all in — such as a bangle box in environmentallysound shesham wood fromTraidcraft (£5.25) or, more lavish, a three-piece box set, also in carved shesham wood, £9.50 from Greenpeace.

Real M c C o y Bath items make another popular present and nowadays it is possible to obtain a wide range of excellent vegan toiletries. Do beware though, since many products which are hyped as 'cruelty-free' are, in fact, merely free of animal testing and contain any one of a number of animal ingredients. If you need help sorting the real McCoy from the 'cruelty-free' fakes consult the Vegan Society's CrueltyFree Shopper at £2.85, incl. p&p. Leatherhead-based New Age Products provide a mail-order service from a wide range of firms and guarantee that everything they supply is fully vegan. They stock bath essence from Honesty (Jasmine and Tea Rose or Apricot and Lemon), which would make a lovely gift, and a wide range of perfume — from ranges including Pure Plant Products and Beauty without Cruelty—priced from £2.52 to £7.50.

ftiiMiiiM* The Vegan, Winter 1988

Just launched is BUAV's new range of cosmetics, which is fully vegan [Ed. unlike some of the products endorsed in this anti-vivisection society's misnomered 'Choose CrueltyFree' campaign]. Very nicely packaged, they would make excellent and reasonably inexpensive gifts. The orange, lavender or pine soaps cost 50p, henna or jojoba shampoo £1.35, jojoba conditioner is £1.55 and calendula moisturizer costs £1.65. My favourite, though, is the tablet of unscented soap packed in a box depicting the 'Rats have rights' character. Only 95p, it would make an excellent stocking filler for children and adults alike.

Write on!

Gifts/gift catalogues mentioned in the article may be obtained from: Animal Aid, 7 Castle Street, Tonbridge,KentTN9 lBH.Tel.0732 364546 BUAV, 16a Crane Grove, London N7 8LB. Tel. 01 700 4888 CND, 22-24 Underwood Street, London N1 7JG. Tel. 01 250 4010 Conservation Papers, Freepost, Reading RG6 1BR. Tel. 0734 668611 Friends of the Earth, 26-28 Underwood Street, London N1 7JQ. Tel. 01 490 1555 Greenpeace Merchandise, PO Box 10, Gateshead NE8 lLL.Tel.0914910033 League Against Cruel Sports, 83-87 Union Street, London SE1 1SG. Tel. 01 407 0979 Lynx, PO Box 509, Dunmow, Essex CM6 1UH Tel. 0371 2016 NAVS.51 Harley Street, London WIN 1DD. Tel. 01 580 4034 New Age Products, PO Box 22, East Horsley, Leatherhead, Surrey KT24 6SX. Tel. 04865 5115 (24/hr) Oxfam, Murdock Road, Bicester, Oxon OX6 7RF. Tel. 0869 245011 Traidcraft, Kingsway, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 ONE. Tel. 091 491 0591 Vegan Society (Merchandise), 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. Tel. 0865 722166 Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham Cheshire WA14 4QG. Tel. 061 928 0793 World Wide Fund for Nature (UK), Panda House, Wayside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR. Tel. 0483 426 444. (Catalogue Hotline: 0533 460011) Zoo Check, Cherry Tree Cottage, Coldharbour, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6HA. Tel. 0306 712091

Some new stationery would come in very useful for writing all those thank-you letters.

Oxfam's Colour Bazaar compendium consists of 48 sheets in six bright and cheerful colours, plus envelopes at £3.75, and the elegant Forestsaver Writing Case of cream imitation leather contains a recycled pad of 50 sheets, plus envelopes, at £9.95 from Conservation Papers. If you have a young upwardly-mobile friend, and £19.95 to spare, you could push the boat out with the World Wild Fund for Nature's cloth-bound personal organizer. Better perhaps to settle for some recycled Filofax refill paper from Friends of the Earth — a snip at £2.00 per 100 sheets in four colours.

Finally, food! To prove that delicious things don't have to contain animal products, Animal Aid's hand-made vegan chocolates are a special treat for anyone at £3.20 for 175g (inclusive of p&p). Or why not put together a selection of food from Traidcraft (the proceeds go directly to benefit the growers).

Prices vary but a 500g pack of beans costs 70p, 250g of mixed nuts £1.25 and a 50g pack of their spices 30p. Add to this a vegan cookery book from the Vegan Society's excellent range (Janet Hunt's The Caring Cook is unbeatable value at only £1.99) and you could put someone else on die road to veganism.

You might even get invited to dinner!

To wrap the whole lot up, you will need some gift paper. Again, the catalogues contain a wealth of different designs, but Greenpeace have a very original black and white set with matching tags (4 sheets for £2.20) and Oxfam have 20-foot rolls of recycled wrapping paper in two different designs for £3.50 per roll.

And there my brief tour ends. You'll have to see the rest of the sights with your own eyes!

15

H

ealth- or wholefood shops and greengrocers are the obvious places for vegans to shop, and supermarkets are getting better all the time, but there are many unexpected vegan treats to be discovered in any local delicatessen. Just walk in and inhale the aroma of roasted coffee beans being roasted, look at the plump green and blackolives, at the Polish pickled cucumbers, the colourful shelves full of jars, bottles and tins from all comers of the globe, and you realize that you have left the familiar behind and entered an exotic new world.

T o S h o p or not to Shop?

One reason why vegans may choose not to shop at delicatessens is because there is usually a counter of cold meats somewhere fairly conspicuous from which it is necessary to avert one's eyes. (My own local deli was offering two vegan bean patis for months before I realized it, because I was so accustomed to not looking in that direction.) But, morally, shopping at a deli is no different from shopping at a supermarket, and the more vegans who shop at delis the more vegan products they will stock. For vegans to deny themselves the gastronomic pleasures of sampling such a wide range of ethically acceptable foods really is senseless, especially as the staff of most delis are generally so very knowledgeable and helpful.

For v e g a n s to d e n y t h e m s e l v e s the g a s t r o n o m i c pleasures of s a m p l i n g s u c h a w i d e range of ethically a c c e p t a b l e foods really is s e n s e l e s s , especially as t h e staff of m o s t delis are generally so v e r y k n o w l e d g e a b l e a n d helpful.

If bread is the staff of life then delis are a much better source than almost any

where else. Why British bakers still confine themselves to one standard type of loaf (whether wholemeal or white) I cannot understand, but at present if you want rye bread, black bread, sourdough bread, pumpernickel and other types of bread it's at the local deli you will find them.

The majority of delis also offer a far larger selection of tinned beans than you will find elsewhere — like borlotti beans, Spanish white beans (halfway between butter beans and haricot beans), andfool medames (Egyptian brown beans). And because these are not British brands, they do not contain sugar.

Other handy supplies for the larder include bottled vegetables and fruit from the Continent (the latter will contain sugar, but nothing like as much as British tins, and no artificial colouring). Continental jams are of a very high quality; my favourite — blueberry — still isn't produced by any British manufacturer. This is not to say there are no British products at delicatessens, because other than in National Trust shops delis are about the only places you will find really good British chutneys and mustard.

Pass the Pasta Pastas may now be available at supermarkets and health-food stores but not in a fraction of the different shapes and sizes — like penne, rigatoni, and zite — that you'll find at a deli.

Do check the ingredients — especially of tagliatelle — as some contain eggs; the majority, however, are made just from durum wheat.

Pastas m a y n o w be available at s u p e r m a r k e t s a n d health-food stores but not in a fraction of the different s h a p e s and sizes — like penne, rigatoni, a n d ziti— that you'll find at a deli.

The Vegan, Winter 1988 16

There are some delicious savoury Continental foods to be found at delis. I am thinking particularly of Kartoffelpuffer made by Knorr. Surprisingly, in view of the fact that their soups all contain animal derivatives, this fried mix is vegan and produces better potato pancakes than any home-made ones I have ever managed to produce. They could be served as a side dish, but I like them for lunch topped with soya yoghurt; those who like to mix savoury with sweet might also like to try another Continental custom and top them with apple sauce.

Moving across to Middle-Eastern products, look out for dried mixes for falafel (chickpea fritters) — which are always vegan. The same is true of tehina dip and hummus. The latter — which comes either fresh, in tins or fried in packets to be mixed with water—is great forcamping and also for a single person, as you can mix up just as much as you need at the time and then seal up the packet to keep indefinitely.

non-wholefood treat. I adore Dominosteine — layers of gingerbread, marzipan and jam coated in chocolate.

particular interest to children of all ages because of the many vegan ice creams, whipping creams etc.

The Kosher Connection

A separate category of delicatessen is the J e w i s h deli, usually only f o u n d in J e w i s h districts of large cities. T h e s e offer far and a w a y the largest selection of v e g a n f o o d s .

A separate category of delicatessen is the Jewish deli, usually only found in Jewish districts of large cities. These offer far and away the largest selection of vegan foods.

Any food marked 'parev' or 'pareve' contains no dairy derivatives of any kind (it is, however, still necessary to read the ingredients because eggs are allowed, but in practice very few parev foods do contain eggs). Many foods are imported from Israel, including packet soups and dried convenience meals, offering vegans a choice of foods unavailable elsewhere in the UK. (One curiosity which I have not had any desire to try is a vegan 'chicken' fat.) The frozen food cabinets are of

T a s t e of t h e O r i e n t Go on moving further east and you come to specialities of the Orient. Dried instant tofu mix from Japan is useful for vegans, especially those who do not have easy access to health-food stores selling fresh tofu. Following the instructions on the packet makes a soft ('silken') tofu, but in my International Tofu Cookbook [Ed. available from our Merchandise Dept. for £4.95, plus 75p postage and packing] I explain how to make a firmer tofu from this product. The end result is particularly nice for recipes where a 'custardy' texture is desired. The La Choy brand of tinned Chinese foods is actually American (there are a lot of Chinese people living in America).

Look out for fried rice, meatless chop suey, and chow mein noodles.

Also from America are Mexican-style foods like tacos and refried beans, which are made with vegetable oils. The instructions on taco filling packets call for minced beef, but mashed tofu, tempeh, TVP, or mashed beans also work well.

Vegans with a sweet tooth will find much to tempt them in a deli. The finest Continental chocolates tend to be vegan and can often be found at delis (ingredients will be listed). It's also well worth scanning the ingredients lists of Continental biscuits on the shelves; the great majority will not be vegan, but those that are tend to be of much better quality than their British counterparts. It would be pointless to recommend specific brands, because in my experience delis tend to change their stock fairly frequently (very frustrating when one has discovered a particularly good kind — only to return to the shop to find it no longer on the shelf).

However, around Christmas in particular it is worth looking out for the Dona Jimena range of Spanish biscuits, all of which are vegan; they are expensive (partly, no doubt, because each biscuit is individually wrapped) but have a wonderful taste and texture. They would make a good present for any sweettoothed vegan who enjoys the occasional The Vegan, Winter 1988

Heather Lamont Gollancz £4.95 Pbk Suddenly, it seems, we 're spoilt for choice!

The new wave of glossy, larger-format 'gourmet'-type vegan cookbooks offers new ideas to established vegans eager to broaden theirrepertoire, and demonstrates to the uninitiated that vegan food can be delicious and colourful, as well as being both nutritionally and socially acceptable.

Presentation seems to be the key word here. Gourmet cuisine appeals to all the senses — delighting the eye, nose and taste-buds. In a cookbook of this type we may well expect that its presentation will reflect this notion of quality, providing us with an interesting addition to our own collection or, for around a fiver, an attractive present to tempt non-vegan friends to discover for themselves that high-quality food need not contain a single animal product; Wakeman and Baskerville's The Vegan Cookbook contains, for example,

The foods one finds at delicatessens do not on the whole belong to the category of necessities (dried pulses and the like are usually far more expensive than in a wholefood shop), but they do offer vegans an opportunity to indulge themselves or their loved ones in some luxuries, and what better time is there for such indulgence than the festive season?

an excellent section on dairy alternatives guaranteed to tempt even the most determined cream addict.

Having said all this, I'm sorry to say that to call Heather Lamont's offering The Gourmet Vegan is rather like trying to pass off a pinny as a party frock! Priced in the same range as the above-mentioned Vegan Cookbook and Janet Hunt's The Compasionaie Gourmet, it really isn't in the same league, either in content or presentation — although it does contain some tasty recipes. The title (which I suspect has more to do with publishers' liking for bandwagons than with the author herself) is an unfortunate misnomer, which raises the wrong expectations.

What we have here is a large number of fairly basic recipes which could be of considerable use to someone in the process of switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet. We are presented with many sound suggestions for soups, dressings, sauces, savouries, salads, spreads, puddings, breads, cakes and dips, as well as a section on barbecues and another entitled 'Eating to Survive'. We don't, however, get the complementary nutritional information which might give confidence to the tentative convert, nor do we have any useful product-type information relating, for instance, to different types of vegan margarine or tofu now available. The brief introduction also contains a number of inaccuracies, including a curious definition of honey as being "a plant product manipulated by animals"! Equally baffling is that only a handful of the many recipes are marked as being suitable for non-vegans.

Whilst I shall happily add the review copy to my collection for occasional dipping into.it won't be the one I'll go for when looking for an attractive Christmas presentto impress upon non-vegan friends that vegan food can be fancy, festive and fun!

• Jill Godwin 17

Janet Hunt shares her ideas on Christmas menus with a difference

T

here are those who think of Christmas as a traditional occasion to be celebrated each year in much the same way, and — even though they might forgo the turkey — would feel cheated if they didn't have some stuffing, chestnuts with brussels, and Christmas pudding topped with brandy 'butter'.

Personally, though I admit to the occasional mince tart, I'm not a great follower of tradition. I like to make Christmas meals that bit more special in other ways. By cooking dishes that are maybe fiddly and time-consuming to prepare.

Or by indulging in ingredients I tend to avoid the rest of the year because of their high prices. This year I'm planning an exotic feast! Never before can I recall seeing so many fruits and vegetables on sale in not just the occasional shop, but in supermarkets too. Apart from moolis and dasheens there are kumquats, custard squash, karellas, boysenberries, lamb's lettuce, chow-chows, radicchio... the list goes on. What better time to incorporate a few of them into the meals I serve? I can't guarantee that my guests will like them — but at least they won't forget this Christmas!

I've worked out two menus that include the easier-to-find exotica. If yours is one of the few areas where such ingredients are still unknown, you can alway substitute a more mundane variety. Recipes, after all, are not like manuals that have to be followed down to every last detail. Instead, they should be seen as starting points from which you can go on and create more dishes of your own using the ingredients you have handy, or like best.

All recipes are for four average servings. An asterisk before a dish indicates that a recipe is supplied.

18

*Pumpkin Soup *Spinach and Pine Nut Pie Salad (lamb's lettuce, baby sweetcorn, radicchio, sliced mooli) Jacket Potatoes *Pimento •Avocado Ice Cream Pumpkin Soup loz (30g) margarine lib (455g) pumpkin (fresh or tinned), peeled and diced 1 small onion, sliced pinch ground cinnamon 11/2 pints (850ml) water or vegetable slock loz (30g) wholemeal flour 1/2 pint (285ml) soya milk seasoning to taste Melt the margarine and fry the pumpkin and onion gently forlO minutes, stirring often, until soft but not coloured.

Add the cinnamon and water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Pur6e them in a blender. (Use a sieve if you don't have a blender.) Stir the flour into a little of the milk to make a smooth paste and add this to the pur6e with the remaining milk, stirring well so that there are no lumps.

Bring back to the boil, cook for a few minutes to thicken, and season to taste. Serve hot.

Note: Late-autumn pumpkins can be kept for a few months in a cool, dry spot. Alternatively, the soup can be made in advance and frozen.

For filling: lib (455g) spinach, fresh or frozen equivalent 1 small onion 3 tbs vegetable oil loz (30g) wholemeal flour 3 tbs dry white wine (optional) seasoning to taste 4 large tomatoes loz (30g) pine nuts, raw or lightly roasted Make the pastry first by sifting together the flour and salt, then using fingers to rub the margarine into the mixture to make coarse crumbs. Work as quickly as possible and keep everything cool. Add enough water to make a lumpy dough and wrap this in a polythene bag, seal the top, and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, clean and shred the spinach.

Slice the onion and cook in half the oil. When it becomes transparent, add the spinach and continue cooking gently until tender. Heat the remaining oil, stir in the flour, add this to the spinach with wine and seasoning. Heat until the mixture thickens slightly.

In a pie dish (or four individual dishes) layer the spinach, sliced tomatoes, and a sprinkling of pine nuts. Repeat to use all ingredients.

Roll out the dough on a lightly-floured board, again handling it as little as possible.

Cut into rounds and lay them over the spinac h mixture. Bake at 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 20-30 minutes, until pastry is crisp.

Pimento 2 large green peppers 1 large red pepper 1 larger yellow pepper Cook the whole peppers under a hot grill, turning them frequently, until the skins blistei and turn black. Put the peppers into a plastic bag to cool. When easy to handle, rub or peel off the skin. They can then be sliced and served cold alone or in salads. Olive oil and black pepper, plus a few chopped olives make pimento that much tastier.

S p i n a c h a n d Pine Nut Pie Avocado Ice C r e a m For quick puff pastry: 8oz (225g) wholemeal flour pinch of salt 6oz (170g) hard margarine (e.g. Tomor), chilled cold water, plus squeeze of lemon juice

2 large ripe avocados 6 tbs orange juice 2 tbs lemon juice 3oz (85g) raw cane sugar 1/2 pint (285ml) creamy soya milk grated orange peel and biscuits to serve The Vegan, Winter 1988

r.Xl

MENU 2 Mash the avocado flesh so that it is very smooth, then mix in the orange and lemon juice, sugar (you can grind this to a powder" first if you prefer), and milk. Stir very well.

Tip the mixture into a freezer tray and leave in the freezer until it begins to firm up. Beat well again and re-freeze.

Serve in glass dishes topped with orange peel. Crisp almond biscuits or muesli biscuits go well with this ice cream.

Stuffed Tomatoes 8 medium-sized tomatoes lemon juice seasoning to taste fresh basil approx. 6 tbs wholemeal bread crumbs or cooked brown rice 3oz (85g) mixed chopped nuts 2oz (55g) mushrooms (optional) 1 tbs vegetable oil (optional)

*Stuffed Tomatoes with Melba Toast *Sweet and Sour Okra Pancakes Green Salad (chicory, watercress, mange-tout peas, alfalfa bean sprouts) *Kiwi Cheesecake

For the pancakes: 4oz (115g) wholemeal flour 2oz (55g) soya flour pinch of salt 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 pint (285ml) water oil for frying

Top and tail the okra and steam them briefly until just tender. (If you prefer they can be sauteed in a little vegetable oil for five minutes, then drained.)

Melt the margarine and fry the onion briefly, then add the vinegar and cook for five minutes. Add the sugar and carefully stir in the chick peas and the okra (this is a fragile vegetable and breaks easily). Simmer for a short time to heat through.

Take the pancake batter from the fridge and whisk again. (This should be the consistency of thin cream.) Heat a pan, add a drop of oil. Pour in just enough batter to cover thinly, tipping the pan to spread it evenly. Cook over a medium heat until the pancake begins to colour underneath, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side. Keep cooked pancakes warm whilst using the rest of the batter in the same way.

Fill each pancake with some of the okra mixture, roll them up, and serve hot accompanied by a crisp green salad. (If preferred, arrange the pancakes in a greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle them with breadcrumbs, dabs of magarine, slices of tomato, and bake at 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 for about 10 minutes.

For filling: lib (455g) okra, washed loz (30g) margarine t/2 small onion, chopped fine 4 tbs wine or cider vinegar 1 tbs raw cane sugar 4oz (115g) cooked chick peas (use tinned if preferred) Breadcrumbs, extra margarine, tomatoes (optional) Sift together the flours, salt and baking powder. Add the water, beat well, and then put the mixture into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

For base: 3oz (85g) margarine 6oz (175g) wholemeal digestive biscuits For filling: lib (455g) tofu, well drained 2 tbs tahini approx. 4 tbs syrup (or maple syrup) 2 tbs concentrated orange juice 1/2 tsp natural vanilla essence good pinch ground ginger good pinch cinnamon

Use a sharp knife to cut the tops off the tomatoes (and a sliver off the bottom to make them stand firm). Remove the pulp. Arrange two tomatoes on four small plates.

Mix the pulp with lemon juice, seasoning, chopped fresh basil (or use dried). Add breadcrumbs or rice and the nuts. If liked, fry some chopped mushrooms in a little oil and add to mixture. Divide mixture between the tomatoes, replace the tops, garnish with any extra basil. Serve with Melba toast.

Sweet and Sour Okra Pancakes

The Vegan, Winter 1988

For topping: 2-3 kiwi fruit lemon juice chopped walnuts (optional) For glaze (optional): 1/3 pint (200ml) water 1 tsp rosewater 1 tsp raw cane sugar 1 tsp arrowroot Melt the margarine and add the finely crushed biscuits, stirring well. Press the mixture evenly across the base and sides of a medium-sized flan dish (or flan ring standing on a tray—this is easier to remove!)

Either mash the tofu until very smooth and mix with other ingredients, or put them all into a blender and puree. Spoon into the biscuit base and bake at 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes or until beginning to colour. Leave to cool.

Peel and slice the kiwi. Arrange on top of the cheescake. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, if used. (Brush the fruit with lemon juice to keep the colour, though even then it's best to add the fruit just before serving.)

Alternatively, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring continually. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and clears. Cool and then pour over the top of the kiwi fruit, spread evenly and leave to set. Add nuts if liked.

Note: Any fruit can be used instead of kiwi.

Fresh pineapple slices are especially good.

Kiwi C h e e s e c a k e

Illustr. Juliet

Breeze

19

Shoparound Lis Howlett surveys the latest vegan products

Leah Leneman, who oftens sends in helpful titbits for this column, particularly recommends you to look out in Safeway and Tesco for Apple Strudel in puff pastry made by Conditorei Coppenrath & Wiese. "It's gorgeousl", she says.

Beware

S

o w h a t ' s new on the vegan food front for the festive season? Not that much I have to admit, but there are some old favourites around again and the range of goodies on offer has widened in some areas.

The number of vegan mincemeats on the market increases each year and this year M e r i d i a n have brought out Suet-free and No-added sugar versions. Remember, by the way, that neither the N o r f o l k P u n c h company's Mincemeat nor its Puddings contain the honey that is added to the drink marketed under the same name. G r a n o s e Puddings are available again in their distinctive red basins, all ready to p o p in the pan.

More and More There is a much greater choice of carob confections available this year, especially from E a r t h l o r e . Look out for their dairy-free items (the sugar-free ones are not vegan), including L e m o n Fans, Orange Segments, and Nut/Apricot/Raisin Clusters. Boxes of Carob Gold Chocolates are again in the shops f r o m a new company called F o o d c r a f t L t d . And d o n ' t forget the wide range now available from Plamil.

Note that in the Dove C o t t a g e range only De Luxe CarobCoated Dates, and CarobCoated Fruit Nuggets are vegan.

In the way of more everyday fare look out for the following: a Carob & Banana Organic Drink from Unisoy, and from G r a n o s e — Banana Soya Milk and Vegetable 20

Margerine in smaller 250g tubs — less economical, but more convenient for taking away and for friends and relatives to buy.

P r o v a m e l Soya Dessert is now vegan, the cochineal (dried Mexican beetles!) previously used as colouring has been removed. C a u l d r o n Foods have just added Marinated Tofu — tofu marinated in a mixture of soy sauce and ginger — to their range and a tasty addition it is too. The Claremont Cheese Co. has also expanded its range of soya cheeses, adding a Plain and an Onion & Chives to the two original flavours of Garlic and Hickory Smoke. If you have not yet had an opportunity to try these cheeses ask your local HFS to try ordering some.

Vege-Dine have introduced a range of four non-dairy frozen desserts; these mousses are available in the following flavours: Strawberry, Carob & Walnut, Vanilla and Orange with Kiwi Fruit. In Heinz's Weight-Watchers range of frozen meals Vegetable Curry with Pilau Rice is vegan, as is the same dish from Sharwoods.

In the Birds Eye MenuMaster range the Vegetable Casserole with Mashed Potato is also vegan, as are packs of the same company's Vegetable Rice Mixtures marked ' N e w ' .

Beware of Quorn — a mycoprotein product currently being widely advertised as being of vegetable origin. It contains egg albumen. (Seen any nice eggs growing in the fields lately?!)

And also beware of Simpson's ready cooked beans in cans — they have added honey; their Mild Vegetable Curry, and Mexican Beans are vegan, however.

If you like your rice to be pre-processed and to come in fancy packages rather than straight from the sack the Uncle Ben range takes a lot of beating — pricewise! Their canned three-minute rice could be a lifesaver one day, however, and the canned rice bowls in two varieties — Chinese Fried Rice and Mild Curry Rice — are certainly very tasty. They also market rice cakes called Crispy Slices and packets of that very fashionable item Wild Rice — at a thumping £3.99 for 8oz!!

Some good news for fans of Vive soya ice-cream. Allied Foods inform us that it is now available again in larger branches of the Sainsbury chain. Something else new in Sainsbury, but only at the moment in twelve top London stores is the Ecover range (all bar one — the washing-up liquid — are vegan) of biodegradable cleaning products.

If you would like a traditional Christmas hamper brim-full of vegan goodies then contact Lesley Wood of Harvest Hampers, 4 Chapel Lane, Stoke, St. Mary bourne, Hants SP11 ONF. Tel. 0264 738443 and she will pack it up for you. This would make a

C F S A c h i e v e s Record Sales As the anniversary of the publication of The Cruelty-Free Shopper (18 December 1987) draws near, we are pleased to announce that the sales achieved to date — more than 6,000 copies — have broken all Vegan Society records. With stocks now running low, work is shortly to begin on the preparation of a new edition, the publication date of which is still to be fixed. Details will be announced in these pages just as soon as they are available.

super seasonal gift for nonvegan friends or relatives.

Alternatively, if you feel inclined to make some extraspecial food gift yourself take a look at a new book called Food as Gifts by Jo Marcangelo, published by Thorsons at £4.99. This not only has lots of recipe ideas, both sweet and savoury, but also gives you hints on how best to present each item in a festive way.

BrockWatch Now what has Old Brock got to do with vegan commodities?

Well, after it came to the attention of Whole Earth Foods that badgers are rather partial to peanut butter sandwiches the company nobly offered to supply free peanut butter to bona fide badger watchers and Badger Groups this winter. If you want to know more contact Simon Wright at Whole Earth on 01 965 1355.

More conventional news from the same company — their new Pasta Pots have proved so popular that they have introduced two extra varieties, Garden Vegetable and Savoury Noodle, and their no-added sugar soft drinks will soon be available in bigger boyles.

Miscellany The relative lack of new food products gives me space to pop in one or two miscellaneous gift possibilities that have come to our attention. Firstly, if you have ever fancied treating yourself or somebody special to a traditional Guernsey sweater now you can, since there is an all-cotton version available in five colours from Rainbow Leisure, 92A Elm Grove, Hayling Island, Hants POl 1 9EH. Send for a catalogue or phone 0705 469382. The same company also sells fine 100%cotton polo-necks.

And how about a set of posters from Leicester Wholefood Cookery School? Both attractive and informative they would brighten up any suitable wall-space. There are three to choose from, or get all three for a big wall: Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit; Beans & Peas; and the latest — Grains, Flakes & Hours. They cost £1.50 incl. p.&p. (in a tube) from the school at 16 and 18 Bushloe End, Wigston, Leicester LE8 2BA. The Vegan, Winter 1988

In these compelling and readable essays that address some of the major causes of animal suffering and exploitation - on the farm, in the lab, and before the law - Tom Regan demonstrates anew the power and cogency of the philosophy of animal rights.

ecological, physiological and nutritional.

Packed with information, statistics, quotations, nutritional and dietary data

THE DREADED COMPARISON Human and Animal Slavery Marjorie Spiegel A penetrating study in picture and prose of parallel oppressions, loaded with shocking comparisons of human and animal slavery, of racism and speciesism.

A book with which to challenge those who would accuse the animal rightist of exaggerating the case.

The Caring Coo k

1

Cruelty-Free Cooking for Beginners

Written by top cookery , writer Janet Hunt, The [Caring Cook Is both an |ideal beginner's vegan 7 5 p p&p^ cookbook and just the thing for older hands wishing to offer friends and relatives a low-cost guide in,Of, to the art of compassionate dreaded eating.

THE 'comparison

Its comprehensive and variea range of everyday and special-occasion reel pes, wealth of practical advice and helpful hints, and sturdy, wipe-clean cover make an unbeatable combination.

51?

Tii fct'

The Vegan, Winter 1988

21

W

ith the 2nd Plamil Half-Marathon only four months away there will be many vegans and vegetarians wondering how they can get fit enough to complete the 13.1 miles. As I myself am in a relatively unfit state, having run only intermittently during the past year due to professional pressure^, I am having to start from scratch, so I'll suggest some training schedules both for regular runners and also for those who perhaps have only run occasionally but would like to 'have a go' on 8 April next. [Ed. Perhaps encouraged by accounts of vegan successes in the Sunday Times Fun Run — see 'News', Fun Run Fun, or by sponsorship opportunities — see 'Noticeboard', Fun and FundsJ

Wrap Up! When I have not run for a while I start with 5 - 8 miles steady going, until I am into the pattern of running more each day without feeling stiff for a couple of days. In the winter it is important to keep warm, so wrap up well.

I wear tights and a long-sleeve polypropolene Helly Hanson top, with a vest on top of that, and on cold days beret-type head gear and gloves. For night running it is a good idea to wear a reflective 'vest'. Certainly where I live in Wales this is absolutely essential.

Once I have reached a plateau of reasonable fitness I run 10-15 miles week days and spend 11/2-2 hours running on a Sunday. I will try to do what's called 'interval training' at least once a week, which consists of striding out for 100-400 metres with a short recovery jogging. Another version is fartlek (a

Swedish term meaning 'speed play'), which involves changing pace on a regular run for short periods. This type of training is much easier in a group — I certainly find it hard to do on my own.

Comfortable Running

TIPS FROM

THE

1986 title holder Ian Snow offers our more athletic readers pointers on how to lay a sound foundation for success in running events like the 2nd Plamil Half-Marathon (St. Mary's Bay, Kent - 8 April 1989)

For the complete novice I suggest starting with relatively short distances, even if it is only a mile at a time, and then gradually increasing until comfortable running is achieved. Running is fun, so try to make it as enjoyable as possible. Certainly running on roads all the time is boring, and you will also be more liable to get injured. Injuries are a problem that can occur from time to time, particularly when one increases the workload, so it is important to do stretching exercises to warm up properly, especially during the winter months. Assuming all goes well, by mid-March or thereabouts you should try to run the distance in training so that you feel physically and psychologically able to complete the course under race conditions. This is, if you like, the athlete's equivalent of a dress rehearsal before the opening night and a good way of reducing the risk of stagefright.

Good luck and remember, persistence is a must. It does not matter whether you win or not — all of you are winners in a sense.

Look out in the Spring issue for Part II — a follow-up feature on how to run your best on the day — by Sally Eastall, winner of the overall Women's category in the 1st Plamil Half-Marathon (1986).

sprouts are allowed to appear in a healthy condition, contributing vitamin C and a touch of fibre.

Cranberry and Orange Sauce sounds good, and also boosts vitamin C intake, but the recommended 1/4 pint of chicken stock spoils the fruity flavour with the all-pervasive taint of poultry.

Healthwise

Healthful helpings

WARM

Compare this with Janet Hunt's suggestions. Spinach and Pine Nut Pie ensures a good helping of protein, plus calcium, iron, fibre, and B-complex and A vitamins, with moderate amounts of fat.

Her Sweet and Sour Okra Pancakes are a healthy and tasty vegan version of the more usual highcholesterol egg-and-milk pancakes, and okra (ladies' fingers) contains useful amounts of iron, as do several of the ingredients of the green salad. Jacket potatoes allow us to savour all the good nutritional things this underrated vegetable has to offer: complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins B and C, and fibre.

lllustr. Juliet

Breese

Chris and Gill Langley look at popular magazines' idea of a Christmas 'feast'... and the wholesome vegan alternative

H

ow does the modem meateating family fare nutritionally with its Christmas meal? We have skimmed through a few festive issues of popular magazines to discover, from a vegan and nutritional perspective, what is recommended for the jollification of a carnivore's palate at this hedonistic time of year.

For starters, Chestnut and Orange Soup sounded hopeful, and but for the 2i/2 pints of game stock would have been entirely vegan. The chestnuts supply protein, fibre and fat, and the orange juice a good helping of vitamin C. The Filo Pastry Basket with Chips of Sweet Potato and Potato could also have been vegan, but the contributor proposed greasing the baking tin and covering the filo pastry sheets with butter (saturated fats and cholesterol). The two types of potato could have made useful contributions of fibre, had the recipe not demanded that they be peeled!

Meanwhile, in the cookery pages of this magazine [Ed. ppl8-

The Vegan, Winter 1988

19] Janet Hunt's Pumpkin Soup is a tasty, low-fat creation which will also ensure a vitamin A supply, and her Stuffed Tomatoes with Melba Toast will do likewise — as well as providing protein, iron and fibre (from nuts and wholemeal breadcrumbs), and C and B-complex vitamins.

H a n d s u p in horror However, it's when we look at the main course of a carnivore's Christmas meal that the nutritionists are bound to throw up their hands in horror. Turkey is, of course, a fairly low-fat meat as flesh goes; but its treatment at the hands of the cookery writers ought to qualify it for a Government health warning, especially for Grandad (and even Dad) who may already have hardening of the arteries and a slightly dodgy heart.

The traditional turkey requires two stuffings — one of forcemeat, which fills the neck end, and the other a meatless stuffing which causes less concern all round. 'Proper' forcemeat stuffing has lots of fatty sausage-meat (saturated fats and cholesterol,

possibly some dubious pink colouring, ground-up bones and gristle), and white breadcrumbs (no fibre), and is bound to mushrooms, sultanas and chopped dried apricots (no quibbles there) with an egg (cholesterol, yellow colouring in the yolk, and possibly pesticide or drug residues).

The glossy magazines suggest coating the dead bird with streaky bacon (enormously fatty and loaded with cholesterol) and smothered with 2oz. of melted butter (ditto). Not content with this 'feast' of fat, the trimmings must include chipolata sausages wrapped in more sneaky bacon and roasted in with the turkey, as well as denuded potatoes roasted in oil (thankfully not in butter or lard). /Ve/edcarrots and parsnips (the cookery writers seem determined that not a shred of roughage shall cross the average family's lips) are cooked in boiling water — with the addition of the perennial 'knob' of butter and "a little" sugar, presumably to disguise the delicious naturallysweet taste that carrots and parsnips have. Only the Brussels

And so to that seasonal classic—Christmas pud. In the vegan version, suet is replaced with vegetable fat (both are largely saturated but only one is crueltyfree) and eggs are eliminated.

Wholemeal flour contains extra B vitamins compared to the white version. Dried fruits, such as currants and raisins, provide iron and all-important calcium, and the addition of dried apricots would increase mineral intake further — as well as adding an extra tang.

One original alternative — called Port and Claret Jelly Meringue Fruit Gateau — suggested in a glossy magazine is a nutritionist's nightmare: 19ozof sugar and one pint of double cream, 3/4 pint red wine and 1/2 pint port wine combine to strike fear into the heart of anyone hoping to keep their waistline under control over the festive holiday. Janet's suggestions of Kiwi Cheesecake or Pimento and Avocado Ice Cream provide the sumptuousness required of a Christmas dessert without the cruelty or the nutritional horror story. The cheesecake is based on tofu, a protein-rich, low-fat soya product high in calcium, and the ice cream similarly makes use of the versatile soya bean.

And finally, if you like an alcoholic tipple at Christmas, don't forget that (vegan) beers and wines are a source of the elusive vitamin B.,!

23

»

I

says Vegan Society Treasurer, Vince

I

| | ello! I'm takH H ing time out a ^H^^l I I from poring over the Society's accounts to put to you what I think i s a very exciting i d e a — a variation on the theme of 'Double Your Money' — an old TV programme which some of you will remember with affection, and others are too young to remember at all! Remember Hughie Green, and his Cockney aid — Monica?

(Where are they now, one wonders? Rehearsing a Christmas panto maybe?).

•

M a j o r Initiative

As you may have noticed, running right through this issue is the cruelty-free theme.

Regrettably, considerable emphasis has had to be placed on the way in which the term is being abused by the short-sighted and the just plain cynical. This was also touched on in our recent Annual Report ('Body Blows') and will, no doubt, be returned to in the future.

It seems clear that unless a major initiative is taken to uphold the purity of the concept it will soon be devalued into utter meaninglessness.

First in t h e W o r l d And, funding apart, who better to take such an initiative than the Vegan Society? Well, as usual, we've got no shortage of ideas, just a lack of cash — but more of that anon. For the time being let's concentrate on ideas, and one in particular — the establishment of a 24

computerized Cruelty-Free Database. We envisage this as a vast, yet instantly accessible, body of authoritative and bang-up-todate information — available to members, kindred organizations, the press, researchers and others — on cruelty-free companies, products and services, and as much more as funds and staffing permit. With this data accessible at the proverbial press of a button we'll be in an unrivalled position to advise and inform on the practical aspects of crueltyfree living. This would be the first of its kind in the world — like veganism itself, another great British 'invention', if you like.

But to return to the question of funding, let me stress — and stress heavily — that it's an initiative that can only come to fruition with your financial help. Interested, at least in principle, in doing what you can? If so, please read on...

Pennies and Pounds

FitzGerald

have had a very challenging offer: an anonymous would-be donor has informed us that s/ he will match — penny for penny, pound for pound — any donations we receive in response to an appeal for funds with which to set up and run The Cruelty-Free Database, as outlined above. Whether we get £5 or £5,000, s/he'll double that sum without further ado.

It's as refreshingly simple as that.

While for some of us it may only be pennies, for others it will be pounds — and the more of them the merrier! But let's all make use of this very special opportunity not only to chip in against cruelty, but to 'double our money' in the process. I can't imagine a nicer Christmas present.

Ed. For readers' convenience the sub-renewal form enclosed with this issue incorporates a special section marked 'Cruelty-Free Database Appeal'.

By now you may be wondering where the Double Our Money! bit comes in. Well, let me now enlighten you.

I have great news — or, rather, potentially great news. No, we still haven'tmade the financial breakthrough our efforts deserve, but we The Vegan. Winter 1988

I I COSTS & VALUES REAL FOOD OR RIP-OFF?

- w o n d e r s Paul Appleby

Juliet

Breese

John Baguley, Director of the Soil replies to Paul Appleby's challenging or Rip-Off? published in the Autumn "Dear Paul, It may surprise you to know that we are with you all the way! The organic movement does not see itself as a niche in the market for rich 'guppies' (Green upwardly etceteras).

Indeed our aim is to bring down the price of organic produce so that everyone who wishes to eat healthy food grown in environmentally benign conditions can afford to do so. Why then the high price of organic food? The answer is very simple. Organic farmers do not receive the heavy subsidies, advice from the Government-backed research projects and marketing opportunities that the chemical farmer does. They can only grow a proportion of the crops that a chemically assisted farmer does due to the crop rotation system and yields are not artificially boosted. Again an organic farmer is disadvantaged in the early days whilst converting to an organic system, because he or she can neither grow the same amount of food nor charge the organic 'premium'.

What the Soil Association is arguing vociferously for is a fair deal for organic producers. The Ministry of Agriculture should give adequate support to farmers, growers and market gardeners, not only to convert to organic but also on a permanent basis. When 60% of fresh organic produce is imported something is wrong!

Despite the scoreboard, consumers are prepared to pay well over the odds for healthy food produced in an environmentally-benign way that does not exhaust the soil. More is at The Vegan, Winter 1988 25

Association, Real Food issue.

stake here than the lives of small mammals and insects, important though they are. The current system of chemical agriculture is unsustainable. It is not only poisoning our water supplies, it is eroding the very soil the crops are grown in and using up an enormous quantity of energy in the heavy inputs it demands. All this will end inevitably but we cannot wait for that great collapse to happen.

The Soil Association, you will be pleased to hear, launched the Living Earth movement for consumers like you who are fed up with the choice between high prices and chemically produced food. Readers who would like to know how they can use their power as consumers to make far reaching improvements in the environment should contact me at the Soil Association, 86 Colston Street, Bristol BS2 5BB for further details of the Living Earth Campaign."

Barry Kew provides a footnote to the exchange, drawing readers' attention to how animal-based organic farming and produce fall short of the vegan ideal.

Organic is rarely vegan. Whilst the Soil Association makes great play out of its genuine concern for animal welfare and conservation it seems not to understand or recognize animal rights yet.

In the main, products labelled 'organic' have behind them too a story of animal exploitation. So let's not get carried away with the organic buzzword. Unless it is qualified in

some way (and it isn't at present, but should be) as, for instance Organic (V) — vegetable — we must assume that an organic product has been produced without recourse to artificial inputs, OK, but with an acceptance of animals as a resource. Organic, as currently understood, still assumes a human right to (ab)use animals — though, admittedly, the abuse is less gross.

A further problem is the tendency of some within the organic (A) movement to mislead with, for example, the idea that even meat can be labelled 'cruelty-free'. This highlights a fallacy inherent in the organic (A) concept — which is that animal farming and slaughter can be 'humane'. Agreed, organic (A) can be taken to mean a less callous (e.g. free-range) approach than intensive/agrochem, but only organic (V) or veganic can rightly be called humane.

Organic (A) — animal— may, like lactovegetarianism, be a step in the right direction (to accept this one has to assume that the Soil Association does not see organic (A) as an end in itself) and it may well be preferable to the non-organic ethic inherent in conventional livestock-based agriculture, but these cannot be foregone conclusions.

Again, unless the organic tag is qualified it can be seen as a deception, and the fear is that thousands of people are being duped into thinking that organic = veganic and that livestock-based agriculture is not, of itself, a pollutant. It is. I can do no better here than to quote Kenneth D. O'Brien: "animal organics... not only introduces harmful types of bacteria and micro-organisms into the soil, in proportions far outside any found in nature: it also stimulates the quite unnatural growth in numbers of naturally occurring soil organisms which are needed to assimilate the foreign substances into the soil. In short, animal organics, like chemicalfertilizers, createasoil imbalance."* (And this ignores the poison-polluting potential of animal products, by-products, diseases, slurry and silage resulting from livestock methods).

Moreover, in rightly claiming the current system of chemical agriculture to be unsustainable the Soil Association omits to mention that, unless we have infinite land resources, so is organic( A): it cannot overcome the basically flawed economics of animalfarming land use.

Unfortunately, the shopper's limited choice at present would seem to be between organically produced (unqualified) or chemically induced (courtesy of the vivisection lab?). Choose as you will but choose knowing the choice.

•From Veganic Gardening (Thorsons 1986), available direct from the Vegan Society for £6.99, plus £1.00 p&p.

Readers are also advised to refer back to Nigel Dudley's 'The Killing Fields' in The Vegan, Autumn '87 and to watch out for the Spring '89 issue o / T h e Vegan, which will carry a feature on stockless organic agriculture.

Reviews MAKJOKIC SPISOBL

THE DREADED COMPARISON HUMAN AND ANIMAL

SLAVERY

nma »» ALICE

WALKER

The Dreaded Comparison Marjorie Spiegel Heretic Books £3.95* Pbk,105pp Loaded with shocking comparisons of human and animal slavery, of racism and speciesism, this powerful book is one with which to dare those who would accuse the animal rightist of exaggerating the case. Expressed here in picture and prose are parallel oppressions worthy of further academic study.

American literature fixed a stereotype of the brute negro, whilst society threw up 'nigger breakers' to whom 'uppity slaves were sent. Horses continue to be 'broken'. Dogs were trained to hunt down runaways ('bucks'?) and just as animals' actions and responses were 'instinctive' the human slaves experienced not love, just 'animal lust'.

The 'black savages', part of 'wild nature', equated in the white Christian mind with the chaos, evil and darkness from which it had to be distanced.

(Blacks and animals have both, in their time, experienced a subjugation ordained by God, hence Bibles bound in calfskin or 'niggerskin').We still brush over the reality — coming to believe hens happy crammed five to a cage ('thankful' slaves), or remove it from sight — the isolated location and barred entry to the laboratory.

And we are all too familiar with how this attempt to gain distance accompanies a pseudo26

superiority; one is somehow above all that.

Here is a penetrating insight into the psychology of the oppressed-cum-oppressor syndrome; the need to climb the ladder by pushing someone down with power-exerting pleasure. These are the delusional plays which serve to indoctrinate whole generations with the fears and inhibitions of their forebears, thus maintaining the prejudices against those appearing to represent forces one cannot control within oneself. Hence the lynching of slaves for rapes committed by whites and the hunting/shooting of 'vermin': turning someone into something.

Snatched from their homelands, transported 'like cattle' good slaves, like good pets, earned the title only by compliance with the wishes of their 'masters' and, like dairy cows, were on a hiding to nothing: punished (slaughtered) for failing to maintain a onceachieved output/yield.

"Do you think nothing of their families left behind? Of the connections broken? Of the friendships that are burst asunder?"—William Pitt.

Speech on the Slave Trade, House of Commons, 2 April 1792.

Could a PM, 200 years later, have the conviction to stand in the House and ask the same regarding the animal trade?

• Barry Kew * Available from the Vegan Society for cover price plus 75p p&p.

Food Adulteration a n d H o w to B e a t it The London Food Commission Unwin £4.94 Pbk, 295pp

Adulteration covers all nonaccidental, preventable changes to food which reduce its quality or create health risks. The authors discuss extensively additives, pesticides, chemical fertilisers, water in food, irradiaton and food poisoning and expose the poor quality of, and secrecy surrounding, British food compared with that of other EEC countries.

It seems the basic purpose of adulteration is to deceive consumers into buying food that appears to be something it isn't to make profits for the manufacturer and in some cases food surplus. Adulteration is so complex that without a book like this consumers cannot possibly make an informed choice, even if they read labels.

Although not intended as a pro-animal rights/veganism book, it discusses at length the unreliablity of animal toxicity tests (LD 50); growth hormones; the introduction of chemicals such as BST in dairy cows, and the undesirability of modem animal husbandry in relation to toxic residues and food poisoning: "It would be hard to devise a better, more efficient system of recycling salmonella than modem livestock farming". Irradiation apart, the methods of adulteration discussed in the book are all used mainly for animal products, which I'm sure would encourage the reader to reject meat on these grounds alone!

The end of each section gives advice on what you can do; what action the government should take; extensive references; useful addresses and booklists for further information.

Of particular interest to the vegan/vegetarian reader are the sections on pesticide residues found in non-organically (not to mention non-veganically) grown fruit and vegetables; nitrate fertilizers — "the average intake of nitrate from food is 0.4g per week, in vegetarians it may be as much as 1.4g per week"; and irradiation, which is permitted in 30 countries for spices, fruit and vegetables, dried fruit, fruit juices, nuts seeds, pulses and grains.

This is an extremely wellresearched and stimulating book, to be read by anyone who would like to enjoy good food.

• Amanda Sweet

Sacrificed on an Altar of Profit a n d Lies Various Artists

The Animal's S o n g / T h e Abattoir Robb Johnson/ Carta Lane Artists For Animals £5.00 and £1.80, incl p&p* Artists For Animals have done it again: produced an excellent album which this reviewer, at least, finds almost impossible to criticize.

Starting with my personal favourites, the line-up includes: 'All Cats Are Grey' by The Cleaners from Venus, which echoes those ridiculous 'arguments' we hear from meat eaters trying to justify their outdated diet: "Tradition must be maintained. And they don't feel any pain, We finish them off with a gun, Or the country would be overrun ..."; "The Boyne Hunt Saboteurs' by Gone to Earth — a lively, enjoyable track with some fine violin playing; this song should, perhaps, be adopted by the BUAV for its current 'Health With Humanity' Campaign.

John Peel's favourite is the Frank Chickens' 'One Million Hamburgers' — what it lacks in lyrics it more than makes up for in a popular, funky, beat.

Attrition's powerful track 'Death Truck' makes a welcome change from 'Monkey In A Bin', and 'When The Last Ship Sails* by The Enure Population of China, is a The Vegan, Winter 1988

»

similarly strong track. Captain Sensible's 'A Sporting Life' gives a lively ending to the album — the best I've heard from the Veggie Captain in recent years.

One last comment: how about something a bit special for the next album? Perhaps an animal rights reggae track from Aswad or Misty in Roots? *

Some in the animal rights movement may find 'The Animals' Song' verging on the flippant, although I personally believe it will appeal to children and make them think. However, to put Carla Lane's sophisticated and somewhat depressing piece — 'The Abattoir' — on the same single seems rather odd. Is the record aimed at children or an adult market?

These two tracks simply do not mix.

• Roger Roberts *Available from AFA, PO Box 18, South PDO, Manchester M14 5NB

Health With Humanity VHS video (25 min.)

British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, 16a Crane Grove, Islington, London N7 8LB £12.95 This is a useful video, showing how animal 'resea _ ch' and 'testing' harm humans as well as laboratory animals. It should, however, mention the biohazards, as stressed by NAVS. It portrays how public health depends on social improvements rather than medical discoveries; and should stress that these discoveries did not actually come from The Vegan, Winter 1988

vivisection, which delayed implementation in several instances. It emphasizes prevention and the dangers of animal-iested drugs, but not with the dangers of the vast array of other animal-tested products.

Weight is lent to the video

by Dr David St George, a community physician, Dr. Robert Sharpe, author of The Cruel Deception, and Dr. Vernon Coleman. A contribution from a prestigious uniformed nurse would have improved the impact, as would have citing Dr Coleman's The History of Medicine^ The Health Scandal, Lancet contributions and Fellowship of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Further effective comments are given by the highlyexperienced naturopath Norman Eddie and by Sue Croshaw of Disabled Against Animal Research and Exploitation.

Alternative therapies are outlined without implying professional axe-grinding, and Dr. Gill Langley of the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research describes humanlyvalid research methods, without implying that abolition of vivisection depends on their full development, which will only come afterwards.

The narrator is TV personality Sue Cook — congratulations to her and BUAV; her and Dr. Coleman's summaries are fine. The closing comments seem prompted to please some campaigners, as viewers who care about vivisection being cruel and immoral probably do not need telling and those who do not care will possibly not change by being told yet again.

They leave final thoughts that the video is just animal rights propaganda.

Those minutes should have been used to expose the motives behind vivisection. People decide for themselves on, say, hunting or architecture, but on vivisection most go along with the majority of professionals, of

whom vivisectors can field an army against our small column, so we must expose the motives — commercial and selfishly academic — as in the Hidden Crimes video.

A useful resource then, despite the above inadequacies, which we can try to make up for when introducing it.

• Terry Hunt

THE

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The Green Consumer Guide John Elkington and Julia Hailes Gollancz £3.95 Pbk, 342pp //

Green Pages John Button Optima £9.99 Pbk, 320pp These two volumes have a similar aim — namely, to act as guides to 'green' lifestyles and products. However, their approaches differ markedly.

The Green Consumer Guide is fairly limited in its scope. A brief paragraph mentions the option of reducing consumption, but the emphasis is on

Reviewers D i a n e A r m s t r o n g is a freelance editor specializing in environmental issues T e r r y H u n t is a member of the 11th Hour Group Barry K e w is Secretary of

the Vegan Society R o g e r R o b e r t s is an animal rights activist and life-long vegetarian/vegan A m a n d a S w e e t is author of The Vegan Health Plan (Arlington Books)

'what to buy', not 'whether to buy'. Various green issues are outlined in three short introductory chapters, and we then travel down the 'Green High Street', stopping at the DIY store, garden centre, garage, chemist, electrical shop, supermarket, travel agent and gift shop.

Each section has an introduction, followed by a discussion of products, with tables showing which are 'environment-friendly' and which to avoid, finishing with useful addresses. Animal 'welfare', third world exploitation, and health aspects are considered, in addition to environmental impact.

It's not easy to decide which car, holiday, or paint causes the least environmental damage. This guide should help you make these decisions — buy a copy and consult it before heading off to the shops, though beware its 'cruelty-free' listings. *

Green Pages is wider in scope, and much more radical. For example, regarding consumerism, it states "However natural, environmentally safe and healthy a product is, the first thing to ask is 'But do I really need it?'"

The 12 chapters cover such subjects as 'Work and Leisure', 'Technology', 'Women and Men', and 'Therapy and Spirituality', as well as the obvious 'Environment', 'Wholefoods', etc. The emphasis is not on the superficial 'which hairspray should I buy?' but rather, how can I change my lifestyle (so that hairspray becomes less important?). Within the chapters there are short sections on different topics (e.g. selfbuilding, co-operatives, recycling and, in an idiosyncratic manner, veganism), with information, ideas, many book reviews, and helpful addresses.

The book considers the deeper questions of where our society is going, and how we can choose alternative directions in many aspects of our lives. Empowering, useful, witty and highly recommended, but its next edition would be a better bet; this one needs updating already!

• Diane Armstrong 27

Postbag Contributions to Postbag are welcomed, but accepted on the understanding that they may be edited in the interests of brevity or clarity.

Send your letters to: The Editor, THE VEGAN, 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX 12AY

Ethics a n d Tactics I'd like to deal with a few points arising from the Tom Regan interview in the Autumn issue.

1. Tom's admission that "some people really are a dead loss" (when it comes to properly caring about animals) was particularly significant. I would suggest that, sadly, this is a considerable percentage of the general public. Therefore the idea of putting the animal abusers out of business by "drying up their market" really is untenable. Public education is vitally important, but on its own it cannot bring about animal liberation.

2. The description of damage to the property of animal abusers as 'violence' is confusing because it offers no distinction between actions against property and attacks on the person. 'Economic sabotage' is therefore a better term.

In any event, whatever they are called, it is hard to see how animal liberation can be achieved without such acts of damage, given that the general public cannot be relied upon to put the animal abusers out of business.

3. Violence (or the use of physical force, to give it a less emotionally-weighted description) is surely not an absolute moral wrong, but rather right or wrong according the circumstances. Would it be wrong, for instance, for me to use force to prevent a mugger attacking an old lady, if this were necessary (and there are no doubt cases where it would be)? Am I really then going to go on to violently attack the innocent? Total pacifism is not always in accordance with morality, and can sometimes be the very opposite — by allowing horrific events to take place through lack of appropriate action.

4. If animal liberators give themselves up they become prevented (for some while, at 28

least) from taking part in important liberation actions, and there are few enough people carrying out such action as it is. Yes, the publicity surrounding the surrender of such activists could help with public education, but there are many other ways to educate the public without putting good liberators out of action. And visual evidence of cruelty in labs can be presented without the need for the activists to give themselves up (e.g. the Pennsylvania primates).

5. The suffering that religion has caused far outweighs any good it has done.

There's nothing wrong with attempts being made to educate religious people about animal rights, provided religion is not supported and encouraged at the same time. This could easily happen if we're not very careful, and probably already has.

Although I disagree with several of Tom Regan's views, I am pleased that the interview with him was published. We need far more debate within the movement on what I would call "the philosophy of tactics". The Vegan is to be congratulated for helping to bring this about.

• Ronnie Lee, HMP Long Lartin

Free-for-AII Your previous correspondents [Spring and Summer '88 issues] seem to miss a crucial point. Abuse of the term 'cruelty-free' occurs because there is no recognized standard.

Currently Animal Aid, BUAV, NAVS and the RSPCA all endorse companies as being 'cruelty-free' but have no common standard or authority to impose or police anyone.

Consequently the term is abused, as companies try to

cash in on a growing market of genuinely concerned consumers.

As manufacturers we increasingly understand the complexity of the issue, but feel that consumers must be certain when they buy a product termed 'cruelty-free' that this will meet exacting standards that are meaningful.

•Honesty Cosmetics Cooperative, Chesterfield [Ed. Point taken. As is clear from

the necessarily candid remarks in Lis Hewlett's feature article on ppl2-13, we in the Vegan Society can only lament and deplore the current 'crueltyfree-for-all' , which is a direct and inevitable consequence of kindred organizations' failure to consult and co-operate in this key area.]

Dolphin Fund On 16 September four of us (vegans) were found guilty at Lancaster Crown Court of conspiracy to steal Rocky, a bottle-nose dolphin from Morecambe Dolphinarium.

Rocky was caught off the Florida coast when he was seven; he is now 24, spending the last seven years without any dolphin company, performing degrading tricks in hearing, smelling distance of the sea.

At all times our only consideration was Rocky's welfare — for this we were handed hefty fines and, for two of us, suspended prison sentences. If anyone can help with a contribution to these fines it would be much appreciated. Thank you.

•Barry Home, Ravensthorpe [Ed. Donations may be sent to Barry at: Morecambe Defence

Lost Post Like the Vegan Society, others in the anti-animal abuse movement are finding mail delayed or going missing.

I have just had a third package of my pamphlets, The Cancer Business, "lost in the

post" — two lots to the same person in Leeds, who reports tampering with other mail.

I do not know if the Syndicate(?) is using agents in sorting offices or whether official antiterrorist personnel from the Home Office dirty-tricks department are helping out their very good friends in the hope that we will become demoralized.

Could readers please contact me with any details of lost/missing mail experiences or advice.

•Patrick Rattigan ND,

Is T h e r e A D r . . . ?

Dr. David Ryde's articles [Healthwise, Spring and Autumn '88] have interested me and I am eager to find out if there are any such doctors one can see on the NHS. I get so upset when doctors are not helpful when I refuse to eat meat and drink milk. They just do not understand my beliefs. There must be vegetarian and/or vegan doctors out there, surely. I live in private sheltered housing for the over 55s and could move to anywhere in England so long as it is not too expensive.

• Miss B. St Clair Macfarlane, Peterborough The Vegan, Winter 1988

*

Green Questions Brian Burnett's 'Green Guardians' [Summer '88] raises several issues of interest.

I applaud his opposition to regimented plantations and encouragement of mixed afforestation of native species.

Unfortunately, he fails to present adequate evidence to substantiate his claims that the uplands support "relatively few" sheep or that "environmentally, sheep farming is one of the most destructive of man's activities". I would not feel confident presenting his conclusions on sheep fanning to those that currently practice it without much more supporting data. (Ed. But see 'Ethics in Action' in the Autumn issue.)

Breed survival is touched upon by Mr. Burnett, who acknowledges a decline in populations of species of open habitats to be a consequence of afforestation. However, he contends that "we should support any (his italics) tree-

planting schemes". We may be prepared to accept the disappearance of human-engineered breeds of 'domestic' livestock in the name of animal welfare, but are we ready to face the consequences of the total afforestation of the Scottish Flow Country, a once extensive bogland still of international importance?

Are the only alternatives to the State-subsidized overgrazing of moorlands forestry or grouse moor?

•Richard Pollard, Leicester

The primary aim would be to provide a club we could all represent and indeed use to show to the rest of the nation that, as we all know, vegans and vegetarians can and do match others and often beat them.

•John Strettle,

IEd. Readers with a purely sporting bent are asked to see

the 'Fitness First' item in this issue's Noticeboardy

In H a r m o n y Please let me know if you have any musicians or music lovers among you. We'd love for anyone in your Society to join us in our endeavour of cause and culture. Please get in touch.

• The National Society of Musicians for Animals, 61 Hedgely Road, Springfield OH 45506, USA.

Activegans I would like to hear from any readers who may be interested in forming a vegan & vegetarian activities club (VEEGACS/ Vee-jaks?).

I could visualize this as an organization that all active people (absolutely any sport or activity would be welcome), competitors or fun/social seekers, could associate themselves with.

"The bosun says he's a vegan, sir, and won V be joining us later when we eat the cabin boy"

"8 Q. <D QC

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(animal rights, cruelty-free c o o k e r y , nutrition, health), badges, T-shirts, stickers, notelets and more — all in the Vegan Society MERCHANDISE LIST

Get yours now, free of charge, from: The Vegan Society (Merchandise), 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. The Vegan, Winter 1988

29

Noticeboard Diary Dates 22 January. Co-ordinating Animal Welfare meeting: poultry slaughter and circuses.

Conference Hall, Manchester Town Hall, 1-6 pm. Tel. 0272 428969.

18 March. One Day Everyone Should Give Up Meat. The Great British MeatOut/ Sponsored No-Meat Day. London and Manchester main events and local activities.

Contact: The Vegetarian Society 061 928 0793 or Animal Aid 0732 364546.

8/9 April. The second Plamil Half-Marathon, St. Mary's Bay, Folkestone, Kent. Runners and helpers to contact

(Intending participants see also p22).

1989 is British Food & Farming Year: a 'celebration' by the agriculture industry marking the centenary of MAFF and the 150th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.

events to follow her family's lead in seeking sponsors for the Vegan Society.

F i t n e s s First Encouraged by vegans' increased activity in the sporting domain, the Vegan Society is actively considering the launch of the first-ever Vegan Athletics Club. Enquiries are invited both from sportsminded readers wishing to join such a club and those interested in functioning (in a voluntary capacity) as Club Co-ordinator.

Introductory Otter After a series of delays, the Society's most ambitious publication to date — Vegan Nutrition by Gill Langley (see ad on p7) — is now in stock.

As a special introductory offer this major work is priced at £3.50, plus 60p postage and packing. After 31 December it will be sold at £4.95, plus 75p p&p.

Fun and Funds Sending a welcome donation to help the Society in its current promotional work, Frances Howard — a participant (along with three daughters and a son!) in this year's Sunday Times Fun Run (See 'News, Fun Run Fun) — urges those planning to take part in similar future 30

Easter M e e t The first-ever vegan Easter Meet (all ages welcome: hostel and camping choice) will be held during 23-28 March 1989 near Wantage, Oxfordshire.

Details from:

Summer Camp The 9th annual family (and others) vegan camp will take place 6-12 August,1989 (youth event: 13-21) and 11-20 August (main event: families, couples, singles). Venue: Margate/Hastings. Full details from:

Something Off

Subscriptions Waged members and associates of the Society are asked to note that, as from 1 January 1989, subscriptions will be increased to £10 for individuals and £12 for families. Rates for the unwaged, juniors (under-18s) and life membership will remain unaltered, despite increased operating expenses.

Those paying their subscriptions by Bankers Order/ Covenant are asked to alter them in line with the new rates.

Those not currently paying their subscriptions in this way are asked to do so, thus considerably easing the administrative burden entailed in processing subscription renewals.

original status — i.e. as an animal product, as set out in the Society's original Manifesto of 1944. Full membership therefore now requires nonconsumption of honey.

Members are asked to notify the Oxford office if, as a consequence, they now wish to alter their status to Associate.

Last Chance In the run-up to the publication in March 1989 of a supplement to the strong-selling Vegan Holiday <& Restaurant Guide, the Guide Editor welcomes lastminute additional information to ensure that the supplement can be made as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible.

Membership Status Please note that following the Special Resolution passed at the Society's AGM in London on 24 September (see EGM/AGM Report on pp8-9) the consumption of honey is no longer left to individual conscience, having now been returned to its

Vegan Society members can now enjoy a 10% discount off meals at Spices Restaurant (see feature, The Vegan , Summer '88) and Xmas plans are for special vegan menus in the five days leading up to Xmas Eve. Spices, 30 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0LU. Tel. 01-254 0528.

A 10% discount to VS members is also available from Friends Foods of 51 Roman Road, London E2 (Tel. 01 980 1843).

Vege Tables London Vegans produce a periodically updated guide to vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the capital under the above title.

For a copy of the current edition please send SAE, plus 50p, to: London Vegans, 7 Deansbrook Road, Edgware, Middx HA8 9BE

O z Kids C o n t a c t 8-year-old Tudor Holton — son of the Australian Vegan Society's Secretary, Trevor — has started the Children's Vegan Society there and would like to hear from UK vegan

kids, especially those who are "coming down from the UK".

Address: PO Box 85. Seaford, Victoria 3198, Australia.

Dodgy Contents Many supposedly animal-free, dairy-free products are mislabelled (See 'News', Watch Out). Some compound ingredients, for example, contain milk products without any mention of the fact on the wrapper. This can mislead vegans indefinitely but the highly allergic, for whom the results of consumption can be horrific, must avoid all products which merely state 'flavouring' on the label.

It would seem that concentrated flavour additive is often mixed with a "harmless, flavourless" dispersing agent, usually whey powder, which can turn up even in say, a packet of crisps. Companies using the ingredient 'vegetable fat' would seem in some cases to be disguising the fact that this contains caseinate and lactose. Unwillingness to disclose suppliers' details makes tracing ingredients far more difficult than should be the case. If you have experience of any of the above please forward the information to Cruelty-Free Shopper Editor, Lis Howlett at the Oxford address.

Hog(less)manay Bookings are now being taken for a Christmas/New Year special at the newly-opened, exclusively vegan Highland Guest-house at Ballater, Grampian. Steve and Julie promise extra scrumptious food, spectacular mountain scenery and free use of bikes.

Skiing available half-hour's drive away. Tel. 0338 55759.

Health Study Dr. David Ryde (see 'Healthwise', Spring and Autumn '88 issues) requests information from vegans regarding the following: experiences of feeding vegan infants and children; osteoporosis; vitamin B12; changes upon going vegan — e.g. sports performance, endurance, mood, flatus, headaches, fluid intake, odours, digestion, micturition frequency, chilblains, scurf, sight, wei ls

The Vegan, Winter 1988

«

Hold-up Mention was made in the Autumn issue of the possibility of holding a Christmas/New Year Draw. In view of the launch of our 'Double Our Money' initiative (See p24) this will now be held over until Spring 1989. Full details in next issue.

Print F u n d Arc Print, an independent voluntary group printing leaflets for local animal rights groups and publishing booklets for the movement — e.g. Kill or Cure by Jim Crawford (Vegan Society Administrative Assistant), is desperately seeking financial support in order to continue its work.

Contact: Arc Print, 265 Seven Sisters Road, London N4 2DE.

THE COUNCIL AND STAFF OF THE VEGAN SOCIETY Extend the warmest Seasonal Greetings to readers and wish to thank all those who have, in one way or another, contributed to our progress in 1988

A B M Move The headquarters of the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) have moved to: JO Herschell Road, London SE23 1EG. This is also the address of the ABM Order and Subscripuons Dept. The organization's 24-hour answerphone service remains unchanged at 01 778 4769. Any direct enquiries by phone (other than counselling queries) can be made to ABM Publicity Officer

Why not support - or perhaps just find out m o r e about — those working positively t o w a r d s a n e n d to all animal a b u s e and t h e widespread adoption of a m o r e ecologically sound w a y of life? Simply fill in t h e f o r m below a n d return to: The Vegan Society (Memberships), 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. Please tick as appropriate: PLEASE S E N D M E A FREE VEGAN INFORMATION PACKor which I enclose a stamped addressed envelope, n I W I S H T O B E C O M E A M E M B E R of t h e V e g a n S o c i e t y L t d and undertake to abide by its rules as set out in the Society's Memorandum and Articles of Association. I declare that I a m a practising vegan.

• I W I S H T O B E C O M E A N A S S O C I A T E of t h e V e g a n S o c i e t y Ltd. Although not a practising vegan, I agree with the Society's aims and would like to support its work.

I enclose payment as follows (please tick as appropriate): Cheques/POs should be made payable to: The Vegan Society Ltd • Individual £10.00 • Family £12.00 • Unwaged individual £5.00 • Unwaged family £7.50 • Junior (under 18) £5.00 • Life membership £125.00

e

• I W I S H T O S P O N S O R your w o r k , for which purpose I enclose a donation of •

Local Groups Avon Vegan & Vegetarian Group meets on the second Monday in the month at 7.30 pm. Newsletter, discounts.

Vegan Xmas Cookery Demonstration, 10 December at 2.30 pm at SWEB showrooms, The Centre, Bristol. Contact: The Vegan, Winter 1988

South Bucks Vegetarian Group welcomes vegans.

Regular talks, socials. Details from:

District Vegetarian Group. Campaigning, social events, food and cookery. Vegans welcome. Tel.

Animaline This source of information on animal rights/welfare events, campaigns, materials etc. (See Autumn issue, 'News') goes from strength to strength.

Relevant items for publicizing to be sent to PO Box 10, Ryde, Isle of Wight, P 0 3 3 U X o r telephoned in on 0983 616980.

Barnet Animal Rights Group meets the first Wednesday of every month at the Quaker Meeting House, Alexandra Grove, North Finchley at 8pm.

Contact: BARG ,PO Box 76, Barnet, Herts EN4 9AW Berkshire Vegetarian & Vegan Group welcomes new members. Details of events, campaigns from:

£5.00

•

£10.00

•£25.00

Title (please delete as appropriate)

•£50.00

Name (please print) Address (please print) _ -Postcode (please Signature _

• £

Miss/Mr/Mrs/Ms

print)Date.

Hackney & Islington Animal Rights Campaign. Public meeting with speaker and video/slides on first Monday of every month except Bank Holidays/Xmas at Gillespie Neighbourhood Office (2nd floor), 102 Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park, London N4.

Contact H & I ARC, Box 17, 198 Blackstock Road, London N5. Tel. Hemel Hempstead. Anyone wishing to help start a vegan and vegetarian group (emphasis on socials and veganism is fun) in this area should contact Nottingham Vegan & Vegetarian Society Christmas Dinner at ' T e n ' restaurant, Commerce Square. Guest Speaker: Dr. Alan Long.

Tickets £7. Contact NV&VS, co Rainbow Centre, 180 Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG1 3HU. The Vegan Action G r o u p would welcome new people who are actively committed to veganism and public education.

We meet fortnightly. Please write for more details to: VAG, Room 16,136 Ingram Street, Glasgow G1 1EJ. Wiltshire Vegans & Vegetarians meet on the second Wednesday of the month in Calne, with other meetings in Swindon. Contact:

31

»

Publications & Promotional Goods The items shown in this section are just a selection from the range stocked by the Vegan Society. Please send for our free Merchandise List for a full listing.

All prices include VAT, where applicable, but are exclusive of postage and packing (See Order Form for rates). Items marked [VS] are published by the Vegan Society.

PUBLICATIONS GENERAL

[VS] The Vegan Holiday & Restaurant Guide (Ed.) Colin Howlett Standard 136-page guide to vegan holiday accommodation and eating places in the U.K. Just under 600 clearlyorganized entries, incl. new section on vegan holidaymaking abroad. Handy, pocketsized format. £2.50

COOKBOOKS

Soya Foods Cookery Leah Leneman

choosing 100% animal-free products as part of a vegan lifestyle. Thousands of entries organized intoeasy-to-consult sections. Handy, pocket-sized format. £2.50

FOODFOR A FUTURE Tho Comotote CM* tor

V >>•

Food for a Future Jon Wynne-Tyson A classic work, powerfully arguing all aspects of the vegan case — moral, economic, ecological, physiological and nutritional. Packed with information, statistics, quotations, nutritional and dietary data. £2.95 Compassion: The Ultimate Ethic Victoria Moran An examination of the history and philosophy of the vegan movement. £4.95

GARDENING

•0 H•

main course dishes and desserts. "A gem of a book" — Leah Leneman. £6.95

First-rate introduction to this vast subject, with hints and more than 100 adventurous recipes for soya yoghurt, soft 'cheese', mayonnaise etc. £4.95 The Compassionate Gourmet Janet Hunt [VS] The Caring Cook Janet Hunt An ideal, easy-to-follow first vegan cookbook produced with those new to cruelty-free living in mind. A comprehensive selection of everyday and special-occasion recipes, plus a mass of hints and tips. Sturdy, wipe-clean cover. £1.99

Exotic dishes from all around the world for those who love animals and food! £4.99

The Vegan CooH&ak

The Vegan Cookbook Alan Wakeman and Gordon Baskerville 200 richly varied and carefully graded recipes — ranging from the quick and simple to "the slower or dearer or more complicated but delicious!"

Complete with nutrition notes and checker. £4.95

Vegan Cookery Eva Batt An updated [1985] and restyled edition of the first major vegan cookbook ever published, with over 300 recipes, plus practical advice and nutritional information. £2.99

ANIMAL RIGHTS THE STRUGGLE FOR

ANIMAL RIGHTS TOM REGAN

The Afcrnafryo SystemtorHpalifwr Crop*.

NMWiMHO«n

[VS] The Cruelty-Free Shopper (Ed.) Lis Howlett Best-selling, informationpacked (124 pages) guide for those seeking assistance in 32

Veganic Gardening Kenneth Dalziel O'Brien A comprehensive, yet easy-tofollow guide to the subject by the system's greatest living exponent. £6.99

Tofu Cookery Louise Hagler Superbly illustrated, largeformat collection of more than 200 recipes, from appetizers to

NEW! The Struggle for Animal Rights Prof. Tom Regan A leading philosopher lucidly puts the case for animal rights.

Chapters on farm and laboraThe Vegan. Winter 1988

•f

tory animals, hunting, dissection, plus autobiographical sketch. £3.50

THE EXTENDED CIRCLE

PROMOTIONAL GOODS T-Shirts Adult: Two designs on 100% cotton: 'Give Bottle the Boot' — red and white on navy blue; 'Ban Blood Foods' — red and black on white. Sizes: 'Bottle': S/M;'Blood Foods': Small only. £3.50 Children's: Multi-colour 'Famous Vegans...' design on white cotton Sizes: 22", 26", 28".

A DICTIONARY Of HUMANE THOUGHT EDITED BY J O N W Y N N E T Y S O N

£2.75

The Extended Circle: A Dictionary of Humane Thought (Ed.) Jon Wynne-Tyson Indispensable, award-winning anthology of quotations concerning our treatment of non-human species. £5.95

Button Badges (11/2") Two colours. Please specify design(s) required using letter code.

25p each, four for 90p Multi-purpose Stickers (11/2") Same designs and colour schemes as button badges, in sheets of 12 of same. Please specify design(s) required using badge letter code.

20p per sheet, five sheets for 90p

Envelope Savers (Re-use Labels) 100%- recycled paper, nonanimal gum. Two designs: 'Globe' — black and green on white; 'Botde' — black and red on white. £1.15 per 100 (of one design)

Ballpen Red and black casing, with slogan 'Ban Blood Foods' printed in white on clip.

Refillable.

35p

GIVE BOTTLE THE BOOT • Car/Window Sticker Bearing slogan 'Give Bottle the Boot — Go Vegan!' and printed red and black on white self-cling plastic. 11" x 21/2".

50p

NUTRITION & HEALTH

ORDER FORM Order now (BLOCK CAPITALS THROUGHOUT PLEASE) from: The Vegan Society (Merchandise), 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. Item

I ..III i.-.U M \ 11.1

NEW! Vegan Nutrition: A Survey of Research Gill Langley MA PhD The most authoritative and upto-date work on the subject, complete with summaries, highlighted major points, easy-touse tables, and a detailed index.

Meets the needs of the layperson and health professional alike. £4.95 The Home Herbal Barbara Griggs A handbook of simple remedies. £2.95 The Vegan, Winter 1988

Quantity

Cost

Notelets Printed on high-quality, 100%recycled paper. Colour scheme: chocolate brown on cream. Pack of twelve, with four different seasonal designs. £1.25

TOTAL COST OF MERCHANDISE. POSTAGE & PACKING Inland: Order up to £2.50 in value — add 35p • £2.51 to £3.50 — add 60p -£3.51 to £5.99 — add 75p • £6.00 to £9.99 — add £1 • £10 to £20 — add £1.50 • over £20 — free Eire and Overseas: Please increase total payment by further 10% to cover additional surface-rate postal charges. (NB Goods sent airmail by special arrangement only.)

TOTAL REMITTANCE* I enclose a cheque/postal order for £ . . made payable to: The Vegan Society Ltd. Name Address Postcode •Orders to be sent to Eire or overseas must be paid for by International Money Order or by Sterling cheque drawn on an English bank

Bookmarks Printed on high-quality, 100%recycled card. Colour scheme: chocolate brown on cream. Set of four different designs, with recipes on reverse. Ideal small gift.

45p 33

V

H I G H L A N D S , near Loch Ness.

Vegetarian guest-house, vegan meals always available. Disabled access.

Gendale, MandaJly Road, Invergarry, Invemess-shire. Tel. 08093 282.

ACCOMMODATION A C C O M M O D A T I O N in exchange for help — o d d j o b s — house/land — vegan f a m i l y . Please write V E G F A M , T h e Sanctuary, N r L y d f o r d , Devon E X 2 0 4AL. S T A T I C C A R A V A N to let in rural West Wales. Suit house hunter. Also vegan B & B . N o smokers. Tel. Pencader 800.

ACCOMMODATION WANTED U X B R I D G E . Non-smoking, vegan student requires quiet, self-catering a c c o m m m o d a t i o n within reasonable distance of public transport to Brunei University. Box No.140.

ACTIVITY HOLIDAYS

GLASTONBURY VEGAN RESTAURANT FOR SALE. Well-established, 13-year lease, fully licensed, prime position. 1,075 sq. ft., with open courtyard. Total seating 100.

Nationally known for its organic vegan cuisine. Two options: one at £29,000; the other at £33,000. For details tel. 0458 31182.

FOR SALE I S L E O F W I G H T . Busy wholefood shop in attractive village setting.

SAV. Full details:

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

For comprehensive list see Special-Interest Holidays and Holidays Abroad sections of The Vegan Holiday & Restaurant Guide ( £ 2 3 0 + 35p p & p ) W I L D W A L E S . " A f t e r climbing Aran F a w d d w y , w e all stripped off and had a shower under a waterfall and a bath in a rock pool"... If y o u ' d like to sample the delights of Wild Wales send an S A E to:

EVENTS THE WATERS OF AQUARIUS Saturday, 25 February 1989 •10.30 a.m. to 1.00 pan.

Talks and sharing on the theme Vegetarian/vegan lunch available*

A B E R D E E N . Vegan/Vegetarian bed and breakfast. (Non-vegetarians welcome). Central location, near bus/rail stations. Open all year. Central heating, television and tea/coffee facilities in rooms. Packed meals available. Arden Guest House, 61 Dee Street, Aberdeen.

Tel. (0224) 58700.

A N G L E S E Y . Modem 6-berth caravan (not on site), animals welcome, 2 miles from Beaumaris. Ideal touring location.

Tel. 0248 810530.

B O D M I N . Cottage vegetarian/vegan B & B . Country location; central for beaches, moors etc. 1 en suite and 1 private bathroom. Colour T V & kettle in rooms. N o smoking in cottage. Tel. (0208) 872316.

Contact:

34

P E N Z A N C E . Self-catering accommodation for 3 - 4 . T w o miles from Penzance with large garden, sea and country views. Occasional vegan meals available. Tel. 0736 62242.

ST IVES, Cornwall. Exclusively vegetarian/vegan guest-house overlooking St Ives Bay. Close to beach and scenic coastline. Open all year.

C

"THE BERJAC" 69 Westborough.

Scarborough YOll ITS * Close to shops and entertainments • * Wholefood/Vegetarian/Vcgan meals * * Special diets if required • * Non-vegetarians welcome • • Private car park • • Midweek bookings *

- VEGAN/VEGETARIAN GUESTHOUSE IN THE HEART OF WALES PARK CRESCENT, LLANDRINDOD WELLS, POWYS. Tel. (0597) 2186.

LAKE DISTRICT

BEECHMOUNT Hear Sawrey, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0LB

Vegetanan/Vesan MB. excellent country house accommodation Situated in Beatrix Potters picturesque village of Near Sawrey with its olde woride inn, 2 miles from HnftslMd. Like Windermere (car ferry) 2 miles Delightful bedroom with tee/coffee. TV. etc.. and lovely views over Esthwaite Water Ideal centre lor lakes, lams, fells end Gm»dale Forest Ambleside. Comston. and Bowness only • short drive away For details and booking Tel.

T E N B Y . Enjoy Welsh hospitality at Duneside vegetarian/vegan guest-house, Penally, Tenby, Pembrokeshire SA70 7PE. Central heating, open all year.

Phone 0834 3365.

Y O R K . Historic city for all seasons.

Close to Centre. Easy parking. AA/RAC Listed. Imaginative menus. Non-vegans also welcomed. November-April (excluding public holiday weeks) 3 nights plus: £15 p.p.pJi. for bed. breakfast and evening meal.

H E W O R T H GUEST HOUSE. 126 East Parade, York Y 0 3 7YG. Tel. (0904) 426384.

• Free child-listening service * "WOODCOTE" The Saltings, Lelant, St Ives, Cornwall Tel (0734) 753147 Quiet country hotel overlooking beautiful tidal estuary and bird sanctuary. Britain's oldest vegan/vegetarian hotel is family owned ana stands in its own grounds close to beaches and unspoilt coastal walks.

Superb cuisine ana friendly personal service. nformation and brochure

appreciated)

Crosthwaite Mill Cottage LAKE DISTRICT - LYTH VALLEY

THE RE-AWAKENING OF T H E SOUL Saturday, 29 April 1989 • to • as above The Order of the Cross 10 De Vere Gardens Kensington W8 SAE

NORTHERN SCOTLAND. Overlooking sea. Beautiful area. B & vegan B. £8/night, £40/week. EM available. No smokers. "Ataireachd Ard", Salt Street, Brora, Sutherland. Tel. (0408) 21512.

atmosphere. B&B & EM. Vegan proprietors. Details: Merefield House, East Street, Crewkeme, Somerset. TA18 7AB. Tel. 0460 73112.

The perfect retreat for non-smoking vegans and vegetarians, next to our unspoilt water mill. A very special place for bed and breakfast with evening meal by arrangement.

Mill. Nr KENDAL.

(044 881 314

CUMBRIA

B&B £7.50 B.B.E.M. £9.75 Reductions for children sharing and OAPs out of season Guaranteed Prices, no extras!

Brochure:

S C O T T I S H H I G H L A N D S . Vegan guest-house and self-catering cottage next to the River Dee in the Grampian mountains. B&B. EM. No smoking.

Ideal for walking, cycling, skiing, seeing the wildlife and relaxing. Free use of cycles for guests. Christmas and New Year "Hog(less)manay" special. Bring the family — make it one to remember.

For details ring Ballater 55759.

S H R O P S H I R E . Bentley House.l8C house in unspoilt countryside, close Ludlow, Strcllons. Iron bridge.

Exclusively vegetarian/vegan wholefood. Vegan proprietors. Central heating. No smoking. B&B, EM, packed lunches. Te. 05887 255.

S O M E R S E T . Exclusively vegetarian/ vegan accommodation in 16th. Century listed house. Situated bordering Devon and Dorset. Is an ideal base for louring, country walks or just relaxing. Informal

MAIL ORDER A R O M A T H E R A P Y . The fastest growing alternative therapy in Britain.

(Probably the oldest dating back 4000 years.) Top quality, pure Holistically blended therapeutic oils. Essential oils.

Vegetable carrier oils, for massage, inhalation, vaporization. For information and price list send S.A.E to: AROMATIQUE, 4 2 Glyn Simon Close, Danescourt, Cardiff CF5 2RZ.

New Generation Spirulina. Increased Iron and Calcium levels. The finest available in freshness, purity and nutritional potency. Please send for our free information leaflet. Available by mail order: Powder 100g-£7.00. 250g£15.25. Tablets 5fl0mg x 100-JL5.0D. 200-£8.00, 50CM19.25. Prices include postage.

Life Stream. Ash House. Stedham.

Midhurst. W. Sussex. GU29 OPT. Tel. (0730811 3*42.

The Vegan, Winter 1988

D R A G O N S D R E A M — Spells, potions, jewellery, oils, crystals, esoteric clothing & objects. List £2 (refundable) from: DRAGONS DREAM, 6 Penfold Street, Aylsham, Norfolk.

ITALIAN O R G A N I C W I N E delivered direct to your doorstep. For further information and a price list phone NEW A G E C R U E L T Y - F R E E PRODUCTS. A complete range of vegan personal care and household products from various manufacturers.

Not tested on animals. Catalogue from New Age Products, PO Box 22. East Horsley, Leatherhead, Surrey KT24 6SX. Tel (24 hours): (04865) 5115.

P O L O - N E C K E D sweaters for the vegan (crew- & V-neck also). All sizes, made to order in best quality yarns (not wool), varied colours. Very reasonable.

Box No. 145.

P R O U D T O BE V E G A N ? Say so in an original vegan sweater. Colourful designs, witty slogans, fashionable styles. Brochure from: Body Badges, Dept VI, 45 Great Norwood Street.

Cheltenham GL50 2BQ.

VEGECAT is now available in the U K .

Send SAE for details about auellyfree diet for cats and dogs to: Hampshire Wholefoods Ltd. The Black Hone. Winchester Road. Shedndd.

Southampton, Hampshire S03 2HS

NURSING HOMES R O O M S AVAILABLE. £185 per person/week. Bethany, Stone. 0785 760708. New, 28-bedded home, sea views, due to open Oct, £185 per week.

PERSONAL ANY VEGANS out there keen to establish a sanctuary for small animals and/or keen in growing veganic veg?

Shared accommodation, chores etc. If you're single or a family, wish to live among trees and hills and you don't take drugs, drink excessively or have any social diseases, why not phone 0588 61417?

herbalism, 'green' issues, feminism, music (folk, rock), people. Seeks vegan man 24-30, sense of humour, romantic, sensitive, for friendship initially. North West/anywhere. Photo appreciated. Box 143.

NATURAL FRIENDS

^

V

^

Make new friendships with others interested in veganism/vegetarianism, fitness, alternative therapies. New Age philosophies, 'green' issues, the countryside, animal welfare. Peace, astrology, paranormal phenomena, alternative lifestyles, and all things natural. NATURAL FRIENDS is a unique friendship organisation.

There are many hundreds of members nationwide — and we're growing fast, but organically! Very reasonable fees! Yearround advertising! Regular update lists! Plus a members' magazine! Please send a stamp for details to: NATURAL FRIENDS (VGN), 15 BEN YON GARDENS. CULFORD. BURY ST. EDMUNDS. SUFFOLK. IP28 6EA. TEL 028484-315 (ANYTIME).

PUBLICATIONS AHIMSA. Quarterly magazine of the American Vegan Society. Veganism, Natural Living, Reverence for Life.

Calendar Year subscription S8. Address: 501 Old Harding Highway, Malaga, NJ 08328, USA. I N T R O D U C T I O N T O BUDDHISM. 'The Buddha's Victory' — a crystalclear talk by the Ven. Sangharakshita, a leading Buddhist teacher. Cassette: £4.40 post free, or send stamp for free catalogue. Dharmachakra Tapes VAN, PO Box 50. Cambridge CB1 3BG.

SITUATIONS VACANT Secretary Shorthand/ Typist (or audio/typist).

Tremendous work satisfaction and wonhwhile career for exclusively vegan woik, leading to varied and interesting administrative duties for right person with pleasant personality.

Write staling availability and enclosing C.V ll Gardens.

Folkestone. Kent CT19 6PQ ASSISTANT M A T R O N — vegctar.an/ vegan nursing home. Free accommodation offer arrangement. Apply:

VEGAN AND SINGLE? Introductions, socials and friendship network nationwide.

Get-together with like-minded people by contacting Gail at:

VEGETARIAN MATCHMAKERS Century House, Nelson Road, London N8 or ring 01-348 5229 (anytime)

T H E Q U A R R Y S H O P needs a third coordinator to join a small lively team of workers. Experience of cooking vegetarian and vegan wholefoods is essential. Some knowledge of accounts and wholefood retailing is desirable. A sense of humour is paramount. Please

T R A I N I N G O P P O R T U N I T Y offered to 16-18 yr old interested in guest-house management in vegetarian/vegan guesthouse. Please apply (with photo) to: Stredders Vegetarian Guesthouse, Park Crescent, Llandrindod. Wales LDI 6AB. VACANCY FOR C O O K at Bethany Nursing Home, near Stone/Stafford, specialising in vegetarian cookery. Livein available. Contact 0785 760708.

The Vegan, Winter 1988 35

SITUATIONS WANTED

PAYMENT

I M M E A S U R A B L E G R A T I T U D E for any work with animals within compassionate limits. Vegan female prepared to move anywhere needed, possibly abroad. Any suggestions? Box No. 142.

5.

MISCELLANEOUS H A N D W R I T I N G analyzed, know yourself, your partner, your personnel.

Pre-payment please by cheque or postal order made payable to 'The Vegan Society Ltd' and sent to: The Advertising Manager, The Vegan, 33-35 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AY. Eire and Overseas: payment must be by sterling cheque drawn on an English bank or by international money order.

PUBLICATION DATES Late February, May, August, November COPY DATES First of month of publication

V E G F A M feeds the hungry — vegetable foodstuffs, leaf protein, horticulture, irrigation, afforestation etc.

The Sanctuary, Nr. Lydford.

Okehampton, Devon EX20 4AL. Tel. 0822 82203.

V E G G I E S catering campaign: vegan caterers to the animal rights movement.

Also McCataiogue of leaflets, badges, posters. SAE to: 180 Mansfield Road, Nottingham. Tel. 0602 585666.

RATES AND CONDITIONS All p r i c e s inclusive of V A T .

Personal : £3.50 for 20 words (minimum).

Additional words: 17peach.

Commercial : £4.75 for 20 words (minimum).

Additional words: 25p each.

Box No : £2.00 extra Semi-display : £5.00 per single column centimetre Series discount (4 consecutive insertions): 10%

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE The submission of an advertisement is deemed to warrant that the advertisement does not contravene any Act of Parliament nor is it in any other way illegal or defamatory or an infringement of any other party's rights or an infringement of the British Code of Advertising Practice.

The Vegan Society reserves the right to refuse or withdraw any advertisement without explanation.

Although every care is taken, the Vegan Society cannot accept liability for any loss or inconvenience incurred as a result of errors in the wording, or the late or non-appearance of an advertisement.

CALLING AUTHORS & A R T I S T S The Editor invites authors, artists and cartoonists to submit material for possible publication in The Vegan Negotiable fees payable for work of suitable quality.

For further details please write to: The Editor, The Vegan, 33-35George Street, Oxford OX 12AY. MSS or other original work submitted to b e accompanied by an SAE.

When replying to an advertisement please mention that you saw it in The Vegan

B L I N K E R S

Q f

Dolphins slaughtered in tuna nets

O F F

n c e t h e b l i n k e r s of m y t h a n d

A report in from S a n Francisco today tells h o w millions of dolphins are dying at the h a n d s of t u n a fishermen.

A former cook o n a fishing boat in the E a s t e r n Pacific O c e a n witnessed t h e m being drowned, mutilated a n d butchered H e went on to say that the m e n

compla-

c e n c y a r e c a s t o f f t h e n i g h t m a r e of i n s t i t u t i o n alized

a n i m a l a b u s e is p l a i n t o s e e : t h e

ob-

s c e n i t y of t h e f a c t o r y f a r m a n d the v i v i s e c t i o n l a b o r a t o r y ; t h e d a i l y h o r r o r of t h e

slaughter-

h o u s e ; t h e t r a g e d y of t h e d a i r y c o w d e p r i v e d of her n e w - b o r n calf so that h u m a n s c a n t a k e her milk.

And

there

can

be no plea

of need.

Succes-

s i v e g e n e r a t i o n s of v e g a n s h a v e s h o w n t h a t w e d o n ' t n e e d t o c r e a t e a h e l l o n e a r t h for a n i m a l s in o r d e r to live w e l l o u r s e l v e s .

One piece o| news you can do something about.

The D o l p h i n C o n s e r v a t i o n S o c i e t y d e s p e r a t e l y needs your help. P l e a s e c o m p l e t e and send a c h e q u e / P . O . for your membership or d o n a t i o n to the a d d r e s s b e l o w . M a k e cheques payable to ' W h a l e and D o l p h i n C o n s e r v a t i o n Society'.

Name

T h e V e g a n S o c i e t y p r o m o t e s a w a y of life

Address.

e n t i r e l y f r e e of a n i m a l p r o d u c t s for t h e b e n e f i t of all—

h u m a n s , animals and the environment.

For a free Vegan Information Pack send an SAE to: T h e V e g a n Society, 33-35 G e o r g e Street Oxford OX1 2AY

_ Postcode.

Membership ( t i c k box)

|

I I

Adult £7 50

•

Family £12 5 0

I a m w i l l i n g to b e a n a c t i v e m e m b e r in f u n d r a i t i n g a c t i v i t i e s ( t i c k box)

Donations (pleese specify amount):

Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society ts a registered charity. No. 298656.

•

j

016

DOLPHIN CONSERVATION SOCIETY 2 0

PfVimiC

C h i l d r e n OAP's I Unemployed £2 50 I

W E S T

L E A

R O A D

The Ve§an

v e i l I I X V firm introduce FOUR NEW PRODUCTS

PLAMIL FOODS LTD Plamil House Bowles Well Gardens Folkestone Kent -CT19 6PQ

B A T H

A V O N

B A 1

3 R L