The Vegan Winter 2004

ISSN 0307−4811 04

9 770307 481000

in this issue Dear Friends

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Regardless of our beliefs, we all acknowledge the world’s most celebrated holiday, New Year’s Day, when many people remember last year's achievements and regrets and look forward to the promise of a new year and a new beginning.

When parties, fireworks and champagne toasts are over, many of us become more serious about life. We take stock and plan new courses of action to better our lives. This is best seen in one of the most popular customs - making resolutions.

Throughout the world, similarities arise as people want to change by losing weight, exercising more or smoking less. They want to do things better and become better people.

Is there a philosophic meaning to New Year's resolutions? Every resolution you make on this day implies that you are in control of your self, that you are not a victim fated by circumstance, but an individual who can make choices to change your life.

“Instead of weeping at the dark, try to light one candle,” is AC Grayling’s message to those who despair at the state of the world today, because every little bit really does count. You can’t let those that cause suffering win; you have to do something by your own light.

Go vegan at least two days a week as a personal protest against battery farming; incorporate more raw and living vegan foods into your diet as a backlash against junk food culture and to reduce energy consumption by eliminating the need for cooking. If you are already vegan, encourage your friends to be vegan for a week or month or life.

Avoid fast food because of the industry’s use of battery-farmed animals, excessive packaging and its promotion of a global monoculture.

But what is the purpose of making such goals and resolutions?

Why bother? On New Year's Day many people accept that happiness comes from the achievement of values. That is why you resolve to be healthier, more skilled, and more confident.

You want to enjoy that sense of purpose, accomplishment and pleasure that one feels when achieving goals. It is New Year's, more than any other day that makes the achievement of this more real and possible. This I believe is the meaning of New Year's Day and why it is so important and significant to people throughout the world.

So every day, fill your champagne glass of life to the brim with values - and drink deep to your life and the joy that it can and should be.

Happy New Year. Happy life to all beings.

NEWS SHOPAROUND SHOPAROUND EXTRA LOCAL ACTIVISTS’ NEWS VEGAN HEALTH ON A BUDGET RETROSPECTIVE MUSHROOMS VEGILANTICS VEGAN PRISONERS MAKE YOUR OWN XMAS MAKING A DIFFERENCE RECIPES TURKEYS VEGFAM: VEGAN FAMINE RELIEF GROW VEGAN DIET MATTERS REVIEWS POSTBAG MEGAN THE VEGAN LOCAL GROUPS NEWS EVENTS & LOCAL CONTACTS NEWS LOCAL CONTACTS CLASSIFIEDS LIMERICK COMPETITION

Kostana Azmi Vegan Society Chief Executive

The Vegan Society

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Donald Watson House

Local rate 0845 45 88244

Editor Catriona Toms Design www.doughnutdesign.co.uk Printed by Hastings Printing Company On G-print chlorine-free paper Cover Kostana Azmi

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Tel. 01424 427393

7 Battle Road l

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St Leonards-on-Sea

Fax. 01424 717064

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UK

e-mail: info@vegansociety.com

© The Vegan Society Registered Charity no. 279228 The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Vegan Society Council. Nothing printed should be construed to be Vegan Society policy unless so stated. The Society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement. The inclusion of product information should not be construed as constituting official Vegan Society approval for the product, its intended use, or its manufacturer/distributor. Contributions intended for publication are welcomed, but unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a SAE.

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News n GOT THE SHAKES? Now there’s no excuse not to, as milkshake virtuosos Shakeaway have introduced the option of organic soya ‘ice cream’, to complement the organic soya milk they have offered for some time. For those who have never tried a Shakeaway before, it’s the milkshake with a difference, the difference being the sheer range of options available. From bourbons to Jelly Tots, Weetabix to After Eights and just about anything else you can think of, the huge variety of flavours is complemented by the thickness of the ice cream. With branches in Bath, Bournemouth, Brighton, Croydon, Reading and Southampton, and more on the way, there’s a Shakeaway near you (so long as you live in the South). www.shakeaway.com The first twenty readers to email Shakeaway will receive two soya shake vouchers.

Emails should be sent to shake@shakeaway.com with ‘Vegan Offer’ in the subject box.

Please remember to include your name and address.

n RED MEAT LEADS TO INCREASED DIABETES RISK

n VEGAN CAFÉ OPENS Pogo, a workers’ co-operative, has opened in Hackney on the site of the former Pumpkins Café, at 76 Clarence Road. Entirely vegan, and with an ambience backed by live music and art installations, Pogo is open from lunch time until late every day bar Tuesday. They organise regular events and themes, and have special offers, so right now if you spend £10, they’ll give you a free copy of Vegetarian London. www.pogocafe.co.uk 020 8533 1214

Women who consume red meat substantially increase their chances of developing type 2 diabetes, a report in the medical journal Diabetes Care has revealed. 37,309 women aged over 45, with no medical history of heart disease, stroke, cancer, or diabetes were studied for an average of 8.8 years. Those women who ate the most red meat were 28% more likely to develop diabetes than those who ate the least.

When analysing specific foods that increased this incidence, bacon and hot dogs were found to be particularly significant.

n SAVE LIVES THIS XMAS! To ensure none of your Xmas gifts have been tested on animals, BUAV are giving away copies of their Little Book of Cruelty-Free, the guide to all companies who have signed up to their Humane Cosmetics Standard.

For a copy, telephone 020 7700 4888 or email info@buav.org

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

n RACING PIGEONS MAY BE HIGH AS A KITE Recent years have seen an increase in positive drugs tests within competitive sports. This has included the practice of drugging racehorses.

However, few people would have anticipated racing pigeons joining the ranks of the doped.

Yet this is exactly what is believed to be happening, with top officials demanding that the birds undergo random testing for steroids.

The most prestigious pigeon races offer six-figure sums as prizes, with greed leading to cheating. Officials are now visiting coops 24 hours after races to take samples of droppings. Owners could face a lifetime ban. This follows the announcement by Belgian authorities of a three-year ban for owners of pigeons that test positive.

n FURTHER DOUBTS OVER ATKINS A review in The Lancet has cast aspersions over the scientific claims and asserted health benefits in Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. While it leads to immediate, rapid weight loss, a year on it is no more effective than traditional diets. Echoing an article in the Winter 2003 edition of The Vegan, the review finds that the lack of fruits and vegetables may lead to increased long-term risks of heart disease and cancer, and side effects such as constipation, headache, muscle cramp and halitosis. The claims of how Atkins works are also called into question, as they can only account for a tiny part of the weight loss.

What is found to be more likely is that the lack of choice of permitted foods leads to a diet higher in protein, that makes people feel fuller. Of course if this is the important factor, then high-protein vegan foods such as tofu, beans, and nuts are a far healthier option. www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/

n WORLD MUST CONSUME LESS MEAT

n TOYOTA INTRODUCES ‘VEGAN’ CAR Toyota’s new hybrid duel-fuel (petrol and electric motors in layman’s terms) Prius has been trumpeted for its low emissions and running costs. In addition to this, Toyota has acknowledged the growing influence of vegan consumer groups, and proudly states that the Prius does not even have the option of leather seats. This follows the announcement from Mercedes-Benz that from 2005, they will offer leather-free package on all models. Not to be outdone, Ford Motor Company proudly boasts that 11 of the design team working on its new hybrid Escape are vegetarian, and the leader of the project is a vegan.

What this is, although not exactly a sign that cars are suddenly vegan and environmentally friendly, is a clear indicator of how seriously big corporations are being forced to take vegan lifestyles.

In August, scientists at World Water Week in Stockholm were told of how depleted world water supplies cannot support production of meat and animal products at current rates. In order to meet food needs, the world will need to drastically change its consumption patterns. At present, 70% of water consumed is used for growing crops, much of which is then used as animal feed. As The Vegan Society has argued for a long time, growing food crops is a vastly more sustainable use of precious resources. A day’s food for a meat eater requires over 15,000 litres of water, compared with 5,000 for a vegetarian and just 1,150 for a vegan.

For more information see the Vegan Society leaflet Are Your Meals Costing the Earth?

n A VEGAN WORLD IS POSSIBLE The Vegan Society had a very busy stall at the third European Social Forum, which took place at London’s Alexandra Palace from October 15th – 17th. A panEuropean gathering of more than 30,000 activists from social, political and environmental backgrounds, the ESF provides a forum for discussion and sharing of ideas, one of the key themes of which was the environment and sustainable ways of living. A number of topics relating to veganism were debated in meetings including GM crops and the issues of EU farm and food subsidies, leading to a final call for a more ecologically sustainable Europe. The next ESF will take place in Athens, Greece in April 2006. www.fse-esf.org

n BAN ON HUNTING APPROVED BY PARLIAMENT

n VEGANS ON TOP OF THE WORLD! Freespirit Paul Marsh, a vegan from Ipswich, makes quite a habit of mountain climbing to raise money for vegan and animal rights charities. Having previously scaled some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas (pictured), his next expedition will be to Aconcagua, in the Argentinian Andes. This is the highest peak in the world outside the Himalayas, and is notoriously difficult to climb, with a peak of 23,000 feet. On the climb, only vegan materials will be used, including a Gore Tex jacket rather than the traditional down coat.

As well as raising money for charities, Freespirit hopes to promote veganism by demonstrating the high level of physical fitness that is possible under a vegan diet. He set off on World Vegan Day, 1st November.

Thanks to Steve Bell for the use of the cartoon.

(There’s no way anyone missed this, but we could hardly let it pass without a mention!) On 16th September, the House of Commons voted by a majority of 184 to ban hunting with dogs, although the bill will be delayed for 2 years before becoming law. The vote, accompanied by violent scenes outside the Palace of Westminster as hunt supporters clashed with police, brings into place a ban that was a feature of the Labour Party’s manifesto when elected in 1997, provided it is approved by the House of Lords or rubber-stamped through the Parliament Act. www.league.uk.com

n VEGAN SHOES HIT THE STYLE PAGES The October edition of fashion bible Vogue carried a section entitled ‘The Gorgeous Shoe Guide’, which featured a selection of footwear from two Vegan Society Trademark users: Vegan Store and Beyond Skin. Noting the growing market for cruelty-free products, Vogue reserved especially high praise for Vegan Store’s Sorrento Sandal (pictured).

With their Polar Boots being lined up to feature in a NOW Magazine fashion special, it is clear that vegan fashion-wear is reaching an increasingly mainstream audience. www.veganstore.co.uk www.beyondskin.co.uk

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Shoparound Andy Lawson

‘Tis the season to be jolly! So whether you’re searching for some extra-special stocking fillers, trying to find that perfect present, or just looking forward to some delicious self-indulgence, we’ve got the pick of the season for you. Enjoy!

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STOCK UP ON STOCKING FILLERS

Our friends at Veganstore.co.uk have outdone themselves again, with a vast range of sweet things. Exasperated that vegans don’t get to hang chocolate on their Xmas tree? Now there are these fantastic tree decorations to tuck into (sorry, we mean hang on the tree). Better yet are Holy Cow after dinner chocolates – perfect when you’re acting sophisticated - available in both orange and mint. Perfect stocking fillers include jelly beans, American hard gums and jelly babies, and the one item we have all been waiting for: vegan marshmallows. Although it is perhaps too late in the year to roast them over a barbecue, they make the perfect accompaniment to a hot chocolate on a cold day. Finally, there’s the Golden Crunch – a honeynotcomb delight that proves you don’t need to hurt bees to make great tasting, crunchy, chocolate treat. Ain’t Xmas great?! www.veganstore.co.uk Tel. 01273 302 979

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Veganstore are offering a bag of Tuck Shop Sweeties to the first 35 readers to write to: Vegan Tuck Shop Sweeties Offer, VeganStore Ltd, 15 Chichester Drive East, Saltdean, Brighton, BN2

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WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND?

Well, you might want to get yourself a pair of these splendid new his-and-hers boots from Freerangers.

They offer all the support and comfort needed by vegan feet over the cold winter months.

The men’s Glen Boot is rugged and chunky, while the women’s Jess Boot comes in a striking shade of red. With uppers fashioned from waterproof lorica, they are both tough and stylish, going equally well with jeans or smart work suits. And when they eventually do wear out, Freerangers offer a quick and easy repair service – now that’s what we call customer care!

Also from Freerangers are these lavish bath melts. Simply pop one under running water, and forget about needing to use body lotion after your bath. Available in lavender & chamomile or Sensuous – with ylang ylang, lavender & juniper, they make ideal stocking fillers. www.freerangers.co.uk Tel. 01207 565 957 The first five readers to contact Freerangers on 01207 565957 and quote VO1 will receive a £5 discount on either pair of boots. The first five readers quoting VO2 will receive a £1 discount when purchasing both sets of bath melts.

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PUT A LITTLE SPRING IN YOUR WINTER!

Clearspring have come up trumps with these mouth-watering munchables, perfect for when you’re feeling peckish. The delicious snack bars come in sesame, sesame & raisin, and almond varieties, and all are glazed with organic corn syrup, so there is no added sugar. As crunchy as they are tasty, they’re sure to fill a gap. In addition, for those who are bored of peanuts, there are roasted pumpkin seeds and a roasted snack mix, comprising soya beans, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds.

High in fibre and protein, and rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, they make great little nibbles for a winter evening, although the fact they are salted means it’s best to eat them in moderation. www.clearspring.co.uk Tel. 020 8749 1781 The first 50 readers to write to info@clearspring.co.uk or - Pumpkin Seed Offer, Clearspring, 19A Acton Park Estate, London W3 7QE will receive a free pack of roasted pumpkin seeds.

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PIPING HOT PIES

Ambrosian Vegetarian Foods titillated our taste buds with these two new pies. For the vegan who likes sweet and savoury at the same time, there is the delicious Porkless & Apple Pie, a treat for those seeking a cruelty-free alternative to the ubiquitous pork pie. For those who don’t necessarily fancy something quite so sweet, try the Cheez’n’Onion Pie, in which crisp pastry melts into vegan cheese-smothered potato and onion filling. Both pies are organic and are, well, ambrosian, whether eaten hot or cold. www.synergynet.co.uk/ambrosian Tel. 01283 225 055

All Shoparound products have been authenticated as

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WONDERFUL WINTER WARMERS

New from Suma Wholefoods are these tasty soups, perfect when getting in from the cold on a harsh winter’s day.

Available in tomato & red pepper, pea, minestrone, carrot & coriander, tomato and spicy lentil varieties, we found it impossible to get bored. As with all Suma products, they are fully organic and certified by the Soil Association. See www.suma.coop or call 0845 458 2291 for details.

Suma are giving away a tin of organic tomato and red pepper soup to the first 12 readers who write to: Vegan Soup Offer, Suma Brand Co-ordinator, Suma Wholefoods, Lacy Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 9DB

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ACHOO! ACHOO! ACHOO!

Sadly, winter’s not all fun and self-indulgence – it’s also the season of sniffles, colds and flu. And at this time of year, that’s the last thing you want to have to deal with. Fortunately Lifeplan have thought ahead, and come up with just the things to get your immune system ticking along nicely. When you are unwell, your body uses up stocks of vitamin C very quickly, and so this 500mg supplement is more than welcome. This can be helped along by a 10mg Zinc Gluconate tablet, which increases the function of the immune system, to stop viruses taking a hold.

Echinacea is an antiseptic herb, often used to combat colds and available in a powerful 1000mg time-release tablet. Golden Seal comes in vegetarian capsules and contains 420mg goldseal, an antibiotic herb, which can help to soothe a sore throat. For more information, call 01455 556 281 or email nutrition@lifeplan.co.uk.

Lifeplan have ten pots of Echinacea 1000mg Time Release to give away. Please send postcards to Vegan Offer, Lifeplan Products Ltd., Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 4ND. Offer ends 5/11/04.

GOT THE WINTER BLUES?

These new ‘Organic Blue’ bath and massage oils from Healthquest proved both sensual and evocative, combining citrus aromas and menthol scents, amongst many other natural relaxants. Perfect for tired bodies and tired minds, a bath with just a few drops of one of these oils is a welcome reward at the end of a long day. The ‘Easy Breathe’ oil is also an excellent pick-me-up if you have the misfortune to suffer from a cold or the flu. ‘Muscle Rub’ oil, meanwhile, also doubles as an excellent massage oil, and can be rubbed directly onto the skin for a truly luxurious experience. For details see www.organicblue.com or telephone 020 8206 2066.

Healthquest have ten bottles of ‘Easy Breathe’ to give away to the first ten readers to write to: Vegan Giveaway, HealthQuest Ltd, Unit 7, Waverley Industrial Park, Hailsham Drive, Harrow, HA1 4TR.

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MUNCHY SEEDS

This nutritious selection of pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds is rich in both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, zinc, iron and other essential nutrients. Available in original mix (sunflower and sesame seeds), pumpkin mix (pumpkin, sesame and sunflower seeds), chilli mix (sunflower and pumpkin seeds with crushed chillies) or vanilla pumpkin mix (pumpkin seeds dusted with vanilla sugar), or in the form of a roasted sunflower & pumpkin seed oil; there is a variety of tastes to suit all moods and palates, the seeds being exquisite when employed in recipes, and equally delectable when enjoyed by themselves. For more information see www.munchyseeds.co.uk Tel. 01728 833 004

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OH, BRING US SOME CHOCOLATE PUDDING! These exquisite chocolate puddings from Trufree arrived in our offices amid much excitement. Deliciously moist, and topped with a rich, fudgey sauce, unsurprisingly they didn’t survive very long. Treat your omnivorous friends to one of these, and then challenge them to maintain that vegan food is boring! Of course, you could just greedily keep them to yourself. For more info, call Trufree on 01225 711 801 or visit www.trufree.co.uk.

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Shoparound extra Andy Lawson

n QUINOVA BANYAN – VERSATILE VICTUALS Anglesey Natural Foods have added to their series of Quinova – an Andean quinoa tempeh – with a new range of banyans.

These large blocks, available in Welsh Onion & Chives, Indian Spice, Mediterranean Flavour and Plain varieties, are ideal for making a wide assortment of dishes, including quarter pounders, schnitzels, fingers, curries and kebabs; and with the selection of flavours, it takes a long time to become bored. Where tempeh has previously been the sole preserve of tofu-eaters, the fact that Quinova is made from quinoa means that it is suitable for those people with soya allergies, and it provides a very rich source of carbohydrates and minerals. www.quinova.co.uk Tel. 01248 422 011 Anglesey Natural Foods have Quinova cotton bags to give away to the first 30 readers to write in with the answer to the following question: On which island is Quinova made? (You’ll find the answer on Quinova packs). Answers on a postcard to: The Vegan Society Offer, Anglesey Natural Foods, Celtic House, Gaerwen, Anglesey, LL60 6HR.

n ALPRO – SOYALICIOUS!

n THE FOOD DOCTOR - DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS From the nutritionists at London’s Food Doctor nutrition clinic come these new food bars and seed mixes. The food bars are made using quinoa and buckwheat, with sunflower, hemp and linseeds. Fruit, nuts and spices are added to these, creating a nutritious snack that is not only vegan, but is also free from both wheat and soya. They are available in Apple & Walnut, Apricot & Almond, Fig & Mango and Tomato & Chilli varieties, with more on the way.

The seed mixes, high in protein and rich in Omega 6, as well as being low in carbohydrates, are available in Original, Rosemary & Onion, Fennel & Caraway, Chilli & Garlic and Thyme & Sage seasoned varieties. They are gluten- and cholesterol-free. www.thefooddoctor.com Tel. 020 7792 6700

n HARTLEY JACKSON – AN ACCOUNTABLE ACCOUNTANT

Have you got your own business? Would you prefer to pay your money to someone who understands and shares your beliefs, and won’t spend profits on fox hunting or invest in animal testing? Vegan accountant Hartley Jackson from Jackson and Jackson could be just the man you’re looking for. He is offering a free guide to business success - simply register at www.jacksonandjackson.co.uk, to receive your free guide.

Alpro have added two new products to their already burgeoning range of soya-based treats. First up is the Vanilla Flavour OY Dairy Free Shake. With a flavour mildly reminiscent of custard, this joins Alpro’s chocolate, banana and strawberry shakes as an excellent example of how delicious flavoured soya milks can be, with a variety to suit all tastebuds. We also tried the Chocolate Flavoured Custard, a delicious reminder of a childhood favourite, and delectable when served with chocolate brownies. Along with their plain custard, Alpro now have an accompaniment for almost any dessert.

Both products are fortified with calcium. www.alprosoya.co.uk Tel. 01536 720 605

n PERTWOOD EXTRA VIRGIN GOLDEN RAPESEED OIL Those who know about essential fatty acids also know that using too much sunflower or vegetable oil, high in Omega-6, can upset the balance between linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. One of the best solutions is to prepare food using rapeseed oil, which is high in Omega-3. To help with this, Pertwood have now come up with this high quality extra virgin rapeseed oil, which has already won a Gold Medal in the National Great Taste Awards. The rapeseeds used come from what is believed to be Britain’s only organic rapeseed plantation, and are cold-pressed rather than being treated or heated. Find out more at www.pertwood.co.uk or by calling 01747 820 719.

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OUT AND ABOUT WITH OUR LOCAL VEGAN CAMPAIGNERS For complete listings of Vegan Society local contacts and local groups, see pages 36 to 39

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ur network of local contacts and local groups is the lifeblood of The Vegan Society. There are over 150 people and groups throughout the UK, ranging from Inverness in the north to way down south in Cornwall, and it is thanks to these campaigning crusaders that the vegan message is being spread far and wide. Here, in the first of a regular update on what they’ve been up to, we meet just a few of the people who really are making a difference.

NEWSPAPERS, RADIO… n taking a great deal of My local media have bee As I iety's 60th anniversary. interest in the Vegan Soc s thi , sm ani veg ut people abo am always eager to tell rd. wo the ead spr to y rtunit has been an ideal oppo al a press release to my loc I started off by sending paper, which then phoned me for an interview. The interview was very easy; they asked lots of questions and two days later almost a full page was given to a very positive piece on veganism.

The local radio station contacted me after reading the article in the paper and asked if I would go to the studio to be interviewed on their afternoon be s about this, as it would show. I felt very nervou s he ng thi of t sor ed as to what going out live. I enquir He . on be uld wo I g w lon would be asking and ho he around ten minutes and for on be uld wo I me told of nce erie exp my personal would mostly ask about n a vegan for almost 22 bee e hav I As being vegan. to answer without taking e years I felt I would be abl notes. t as start of the interview bu I was very nervous at the re mo e am to relax and it bec we got going I started d 15 ed up chatting for aroun end I t. cha like a friendly can u Yo . on ry car to d e like minutes and would hav t over you should have said, bu s ng thi of nk thi ays alw well. all I think it went quite h their ers to get in touch wit I would encourage oth od way go y ver stations - it is a local papers and radio . people of reaching hundreds of indon Society Local Contact, Sw Marilyn Harrison, Vegan

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

…TELEVISION… When Vegan Society Local Contact for Malmesbury, Eva Gray, and her husband Rob were offered the chance to appear on a Channel 4 reality TV show, they thou ght it was too good an opportunity to miss. Not only wou ld The Coach Trip allow them to tour Europe for a few wee ks, meeting new people and gaining all sorts of new experiences along the way, it would also be an ideal way for them to prom ote the vegan lifestyle to millions of people.

Due to be screened in Spring 2005, filming for The Coach Trip began in September. Sadly, or perh aps fortunately for Eva and Rob, our heroes were voted off the show quite early on, but not before they had seized the chance to show off their animal-free clothes, shoes, bags, toiletries and cosmetics. Eva says: ’We were both wearing our handma de Freerangers lorica shoes and belts, and the gorgeous bag they sent me was in full view of the camera all the time we wer e on the coach … I also got my Beauty Without Cruelty cosmetics and Honesty and Green People toiletries out every so often when I saw the camera pointing at me.’

They even convinced a couple of their fellow travellers to start thinking a bit more about what they eat. Quite an achievement for just a few days’ wor k!

Eva tells us that she didn’t want to seem too over-zealous, but she did get the chance to present her reasons for being vegan and never missed an opportunity to show off her vegan merchandise. So look out for som e Vegan Society bags and t-shirts making a cameo appearance on Channel 4 next Spring!

Eva also runs the VIP Network, an organisation for vegans who work in film, television, stage, radi o or other media. See www.thevipnetwork.com for deta ils.

Rob and Eva (left) with some of thei r fellow Coach Trippers

…CHILDREN’S PARTIES AN D PICNICS… Since April 1994, vegan families have been meeting in the London area for picnics and parties, usually three or four times a year. A few of us started these gatherings when we became aware that many vegan families isolated and do not kno often feel w any others. We wante d for ourselves and oth to have the opportunit ers y to meet with more like -minded parents, and for children to have fun tog our ether and not always fee l that they were the on vegan children in the wo ly rld.

Some of us ran the fam ilies’ drop-in at the Veg an Festival in July, and have met over the years we for picnics at such places as Corams Fields, Hyde Park and Clapham Comm on, parties at various pla ces, Easter Egg hunts in Highgate Woods, and held a 10th Anniversary party at Jackson's Lane, Highgate.

We would like to hear from any vegan familie s interested in joining us.

Lesley Dove, Vegan Fam ilies Group

…ACTIVISTS’ DAYS On Saturday 4 September members from the Birmingham area and beyond attended an Activists' Day at the Friends of the Earth Warehouse in Digbeth. The day was packed with discussions and talks. Stephen Walsh’s illustrated talk on nutrition had been advertised to the public so for a while we were bursting out of the Andrea Elson meeting room! This session also helped to increase the number of ed Nutrition up and sales of Plant Bas members of the local gro Local Contact , on Els a dre hlight was An and Health. Another hig to set up a of useful advice on how in Rugby, giving us lots else to set up e r and persuade someon group, write a newslette al and to me g nin eve stayed on for an a website! Most of us to the two informally. Many thanks continue our discussions essa and Van h the arrangements, to all those Barbaras for helping wit to and s flet rchandise and lea ble Stephen for bringing me oya enj st mo the , g it, I reckon who attended for makin Activists’ Day yet.

Such is the diversity of the population in London that there are social groups to cater for just about every minority.

The Lesbian Vegan Group is one such group, and although it may sound very niche, the group has had many members during the nine years it has been in existence.

Since it was founded, however, its remit has been widened to include vegetarians and bisexual women in order to boost the numbers!

The group started in 1995, following adverts placed in the gay press. For its first meeting, the group arranged to meet at a vegetarian women-only restaurant near Victoria, but arrived to find the venue was under new ownership and was no longer vegetarian or women-only! Only two women turned up for this first ill-fated gathering, but the second get-together saw four women attend and the Lesbian Vegan Group took off.

The group meets in vegetarian restaurants in London and in members’ houses for ‘pot luck’ gatherings where everyone brings a different dish.

During the summer months, picnics have also been popular. All of the members eat vegan food while with the group.

The group is open and friendly, with a very international membership – so much so that Brits are often in the minority! Favourite restaurants for meeting at include the Peking Palace on Holloway Road, Neal’s Yard near Covent Garden and Mildred’s in Soho. Get-togethers usually see between five and ten women in attendance.

The Lesbian Vegan group welcomes new members. For more information contact

Katie Silvester, London Lesbian Vegans

ntacts’ Coordinator Patricia Tricker, Local Co The Vegan l Winter 2004

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GOOD HEALTH ON A BUDGET © Stephen Walsh PhD

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e all want to live long and healthy lives, but if you're short of funds the array of supplements and so-called superfoods can seem prohibitively expensive.

Stephen Walsh shows that we don't need to be wealthy to be well and provides valuable tips on shopping for health using ordinary everyday foods and a few simple low cost supplements.

The idea that good health requires expensive or exotic foods or supplements is an illusion vigorously promoted by the purveyors of such products – so much so that it sometimes seems as though good health is something to be bought by the wealthy but unattainable on a tight budget. In fact, both these beliefs are largely false – at least in the developed world – and the vast majority of our nutritional needs can be readily met by ordinary everyday foods.

The few exceptions come where our modern environment diverges substantially from what is natural to humans and other great apes: n eating sanitised foods purged of bacteria and insect contamination so that we lose a key natural source of vitamin B12; n mass agriculture and food distribution which favour storage and shelf life rather than nutritional value, shifting the natural balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids from about 2:1 to more like 10:1 and potassium to sodium from about 10:1 to about 1:1; n living so far from the equator that for part of the year our skin cannot produce vitamin D and most fruits and vegetables will not grow; n having spread across the world into areas where the soil, and hence the plants growing in it, is undesirably low in iodine and selenium.

This article aims to highlight the most costeffective ways of restoring the natural balance and stacking the odds in favour of good health.

The foundation of a good diet The starting point is plenty of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, such as oranges, tomatoes, spinach, spring greens, beetroot, lettuce, etc.

Sadly, the cost per calorie is much higher than staples such as bread and potatoes, but there are ways to reduce this significantly. Supermarket prices are generally much higher than street market prices, though a quick check for special offers may pay off. Visiting a street market towards the end of the day, particularly on a Saturday, can often yield good bargains. In the country, buying direct from a local farm may also cut costs. If a particular item is

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

plentiful and you need ideas for preparation, there are nearly 2000 recipes searchable by ingredients at www.vegansociety.com/html/food/recipes/ivu_search.php As well as being expensive, many processed foods offer less support to health than they should. If the label lists hydrogenated fat, the product is at best suitable for occasional use. White flour and sugar are less harmful, but should not form a large part of the diet. A variety of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables and no more than a moderate amount of highly processed and refined foods provides a sound foundation for a healthy diet.

Home cooking is another powerful tool for improving food quality without additional cost as it puts the consumer in control of the ingredients and cuts out one group of middlemen.

Even wholemeal bread comes with much more salt (sodium) than is desirable and is often produced by rapid baking, making it less digestible than bread baked by traditional methods.

Thanks to the availability of economically priced bread machines, home baking is far less time consuming these days, allowing you to use low sodium salt and better quality ingredients, which can be bought in bulk to reduce costs.

A few teaspoons of vinegar and a long proving time will improve the availability of minerals such as iron and zinc without detracting from the final taste. Home baking is also a convenient way of incorporating healthy foods such as ground flaxseed (linseed) and kelp as a routine part of your diet.

Omega-3 fatty acids Vegan diets are generally healthfully low in saturated fats, but often include too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 fatty acids. Excessive omega-6s can be avoided without reducing overall fat intake by emphasising foods high in monounsaturated fats. Olive oil and the cheaper rapeseed oil are both mostly monounsaturates, as are avocados, hazelnuts, macadamias, cashews and almonds. In contrast, sunflower, safflower, grape and corn oil are all very high in omega-6 fats while coconut and palm kernel oil are high in saturated fats. Peanuts and Brazil nuts fall in the middle and are fine in moderation.

A further key step to restoring balance is to add about 2 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids. For most people, either flaxseed or rapeseed will be the most economical. If you use a significant amount of vegetable oil, using rapeseed oil as the main oil will provide omega-3s without extra cost (it is usually the cheapest vegetable oil). Each litre of rapeseed oil provides about 100 grams of omega-3s, so about 2 dessertspoons a day will provide 2 grams

Vitamin B12 The Vegan Society recommends 3 micrograms per day of vitamin B12 from fortified foods or supplements. Foods which may be fortified with vitamin B12 include breakfast cereals, yeast extracts and plant milks. Often there is no price difference between the fortified and unfortified products, making them a sensible choice if you use the product anyway.

The previous price premium on fortified plant milks has recently been broken by several supermarkets, including Tesco and Safeway, whose own brand fortified soya milk now sells at about 65p per litre.

of omega-3s, with most of the fat being healthy monounsaturates.

Rapeseed oil is not suitable for deep frying but is fine for baking and other forms of cooking, including shallow frying.

It is increasingly used in margarines as well, but many of these include unhealthy hydrogenated fats.

The cheapest way to get 2 grams of omega-3s per day from flaxseed is to grind the seed (important for absorption) and sprinkle it on cereal or use it in baking or porridge A kilogram of organic flaxseed can be obtained for under £4 and provides about 200 grams of omega-3s. Two dessertspoons of ground flaxseed will meet your omega-3 needs for 4p per day. The same amount of omega-3s from flaxseed oil will cost about twice as much, while the so-called “balanced” oils will cost three or four times as much without any additional benefit for vegans.

Iodine Iodine is crucial for brain development and thyroid function.

Deficiency is tackled worldwide by using iodised salt, as in the USA, or adding iodine to animal feed, as in the UK. The recommended intake for adults is about 150 micrograms per day, with half this being sufficient for children. Kelp is a good source for vegans. True kelp usually contains 3 to 4 micrograms of iodine per milligram, so just 50 milligrams per day provides the entire required intake. One form of true kelp available from most health food stores is Clearspring kombu, which is sold in 50 g packs (1000 daily portions) for under £3. The simplest way to consume the very small amounts required is to grind 5 to 10 grams at a time (coffee grinders work well) and add a pinch to stews, cereals or home baked bread.

Alternatively, powdered kelp is widely available in tablets which can be crushed by hand and used as above or eaten directly.

Just two tablets per week with a declared iodine content of 150 to 250 micrograms per tablet is sufficient for one person. (The amount of kelp in the tablet may be up to ten times higher than the 50 milligrams suggested above as other brown seaweeds may be used rather than kombu.) Kelp tablets can be obtained for just over 1p per tablet (e.g. Lifeplan, a Vegan Society trademark holder), so a year's needs can be met for just over £1.

If there are no fortified foods that you would normally use in sufficient amounts to obtain 3 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day, the most economical alternative is generally a supplement.

One hundred 25 microgram tablets can be obtained for under £2 (e.g. Lifeplan) or less than 2p per day. The tablet can be split in half to cover two days, bringing the cost below 1p per day. B12 supplements should be chewed to maximise absorption.

Calcium Calcium levels in common grains and many other cultivated foods are lower than in most wild plant foods, but green leafy vegetables such as spring greens, kale and broccoli are an important exception. Oranges are also a useful source, as is tofu produced with calcium sulphate. Soya products fortified with calcium are now becoming available at little or no cost premium.

Some people may nevertheless wish to take a supplement as an extra guarantee. The pricier versions may make claims about being more readily absorbed, but in practice there is little variation. The cheapest animal-free calcium carbonate supplement (even a common or garden antacid tablet if you can find a vegan one) will be as effective as anything else.

Most economical of all, some local pharmacists will order calcium carbonate powder for about £1 per 100 grams enough for a family of four for a month.

Vitamin D The most natural (and cheapest) way to get vitamin D is to get out of doors when the sun is high enough in the sky for the required radiation to reach the ground (your shadow should not be much longer than you are). If you are light skinned, exposing skin without sunblock for about 15 minutes maximises vitamin D production. Further unprotected exposure will increase risk of harm without further benefit. If you are dark skinned, up to an hour may be needed to get the same benefit.

Exposing just your face and hands for this time will produce about 10 to 20 micrograms of vitamin D (enough for two to three days) while exposing the whole body would produce 100 to 200 micrograms (enough for almost a month).

Unfortunately, for those us living in the British Isles or similar latitudes, during much of the winter the sun is too low in the sky to produce vitamin D and it is too cold in early spring to want to expose much skin, so we have to rely on stores of

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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GOOD HEALTH ON A BUDGET

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vitamin D, holidays further south (often neither cheap nor feasible) or dietary intake. Plenty of exposure in late summer and early autumn may well build up adequate stores, but for many people a dietary source may be helpful in winter.

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Margarines in the UK are legally required to be fortified with vitamin D2 (the vegan form of vitamin D) and many plant milks and breakfast cereals are also fortified. Intake from these sources is unlikely to exceed about 3 micrograms per day – a useful but not ideal amount. Most supplements in the UK contain vitamin D3, derived from animal skins or wool. Neither "synthetic" D3 (derived from cholesterol) nor so-called vegetarian D3 (derived from wool) are suitable for vegans. D2 in tablets also often involves a gelatine-based preparation. Freeda Vitamins in the USA produce 10 microgram vegan D2 tablets at a cost of $8 per 250 (plus postage and UK VAT) which may be useful if access to sunlight in the autumn is a problem.

We have been very fortunate to have recently received a £10,000 donation from the Primrose Trust for our educational CD-Rom. At the Jubilee Ball, we received a £1,000 donation from Mr & Mrs Fenwick-Paul for our Why Vegan? publication.

Selenium Like iodine, selenium levels in soil and hence in plants vary widely from one region to another. No more than 80 micrograms per day is needed to maximise antioxidant activity, but up to 200 micrograms per day may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Average vegan intakes in the UK are probably about 40 micrograms, while meat eaters average about 50 micrograms. Brazil nuts are the richest natural source: just three per week (10 grams) will add about 30 micrograms of selenium per day, making total intake sufficient to maximise antioxidant activity. For those who dislike Brazil nuts, a 200 microgram supplement once a week provides an economical alternative.

Conclusion While ideal nutrition cannot be simply left to chance or a "balanced diet", it need not be expensive or difficult. The core of a healthy diet is plenty of fruit and vegetables and a broad mix of other whole plant foods. Flaxseed, rapeseed, kelp and Brazil nuts act as superfoods, compensating for significant weaknesses in modern diets.

This leaves vitamin B12, and in certain circumstances vitamin D, to be boosted to ideal levels by fortified foods or supplements.

For those without access to a good healthfood shop, the Lifeplan website, www.lifeplan.co.uk, carries good value vegan supplements clearly highlighted with the Vegan Society trademark. Anyone wishing to discuss these issues further may wish to subscribe to the Vegan Society discussion group (send an email to join.vs.talk@anyware.co.uk with your name, postcode and membership number).

Further information can also be obtained from Plant Based Nutrition and Health, published by the Society and available from www.vegansociety.com/shop at £7.95 plus p&p.

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PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK

The Vegan l Winter 2004

he Vegan Society relies on people like you to help us fund our vital work. If you feel strongly about the work we do, please show it by supporting us. The Society does not receive any Government funding and is completely reliant on the generosity of our supporters.

Regular donations are of vital importance to The Vegan Society. They allow us to plan and carry out long-term projects safe in the knowledge that our funding is secure.

Your gift can make a real difference. Thank you all.

How to make a tax-free donation Payroll Giving (Give As You Earn) is a tax-free way of giving regularly to The Vegan Society, making it one of the most efficient ways of supporting us.

Each time you are paid, a donation is deducted by your Payroll Department before tax is calculated. For example, if you give us £5 every month, and you pay the basic rate of tax, your donation will cost you £3.90 and the taxman will make up the difference.

Donate shares to The Vegan Society Share giving can be one of the most tax effective ways to give money to The Vegan Society. Charitable gifts of shares are free from capital gains tax and donors can claim income tax relief on the value of the donated shares. This tax relief applies no matter what the total value of the shares.

Leave your tax refund to charity If you are completing a self-assessment tax return, you can nominate a charity to receive any tax refund you are due.

The scheme is open to UK taxpayers only and will first apply for tax returns for the year to 5 April 2004.

The Government will treat this refund as a Gift Aid donation.

This means that The Vegan Society will get 28p more for every pound donated – at no extra cost to you.

To ensure The Vegan Society receives your tax refund, please include the charity's unique identifier number on the tax return form. This number is UAA95LG. About Gift Aid Under the Government's Gift Aid scheme, The Vegan Society can reclaim the tax made on donations by UK taxpayers. This means that, if you pay tax in the UK, your gifts to us can increase by nearly a third – at no extra cost to you.

The amount of tax you pay in a given financial year must be at least equal to the amount of tax reclaimed by The Vegan Society in that same year.

Further information If you have any queries about making a donation to The Vegan Society, please call us on 01424 448836 or e-mail donations@vegansociety.com.

RETROSPECTIVE LOOKING BACK AT THE VEGAN SOCIETY’S HISTORY Christina Harvey

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n the last issue of The Vegan, we printed this lovely photograph of an early Vegan Society meeting and asked our readers to get in touch if they recognised any of the faces. We were pleasantly surprised to receive a letter from one of our Life Members who was actually present when the photograph was taken. Christina Harvey is the lady at the front with the big smile. Here, she recalls her memories of the day the photograph was taken, and the people who made up the Vegan Society committee 50 years ago.

The meeting was held on Saturday 30th January 1954 in the library of John Heron’s home at Reigate. We took our picnic lunches and John provided us with nut savouries, Nuttolene, chocolate Ryvita, chocolate peppermint creams, dried fruit and nuts.

1 DONALD CROSS was the sole member of the committee who had a car! He gave Leslie Cross, Hilda Honeysett and me a lift after the meeting.

2 GORDON McGINLEY AND 3 ANTHONY CLARK were on the committee a very short time. I remember their faces but cannot recall anything about them.

4 JEANNE ARNOLD had a flat in St John’s Wood where most of the vegan committee meetings were held. However, she also ran a vegan guest house at Westgate in Kent. I spent a summer holiday there and was amazed to see a No Smoking sign in the hall. She was obviously ahead of her time! I think she was a Mazdaznan.

5 JOHN HERON was a brilliant, sensitive young man and an intellectual. When it was decided to change the cover of the vegan magazine, he produced a mystical design which was approved by the committee. He was the editor.

6 MURIEL DRAKE was a housewife living in Bromley with her husband and two children, all of whom were vegetarian.

The marriage broke down, she had to work and she became a computer operator (quite rare in those days!) Later she ran a health food store in Blackheath.

She re-married, lived in Lee and finally moved to Ilfracombe in Devon where she died in 1974. For our vegan meetings she would make delicious chocolate oat balls. I think she was a member of the Order of the Cross.

7 SALLY SHRIGLEY [standing] was the chairman of the Vegan Society and was, I believe, one of its founder members. In the early days she would hire a tiny room at Friends’ House for the AGM and it was a tremendous struggle to get ten people to attend so that we had a quorum. She used to make extremely wholesome vegan cakes which were scarcely edible!

She lived in the Purley area and was married to a vegetarian dentist. She died in 1978.

8 HILDA HONEYSETT was a delightful old lady, sweet, courteous and kind.

Somehow she was not in touch with the real world! She lived in Ewell.

9 LESLIE WARREN was reputedly an anarchist but never brought anarchy to the Vegan Society. In fact he hardly ever spoke. He was something of a mystery!

For the committee meetings he used to travel up to London from his home at Dovercourt in Essex.

10 SERENA COLES gave many years of dedicated service to the Vegan Society.

She spoke on its behalf at many vegetarian and vegan conferences both in the UK and abroad. When traveling overseas she had a car accident and never fully recovered. She is vicepresident of the society and is currently in a nursing home. She must be well into her nineties now. She has always lived in the Purley area.

11 LESLIE CROSS was a family man living at Uxbridge. He was the brother of Donald Cross. In 1948 he gave a talk on veganism at Friends’ Meeting House, Westminster and converted me!

12 CHRISTINA HARVEY was born at Stonefield vegetarian nursing home, Blackheath. She is a life vegetarian and since the age of 17 she has been a vegan. At this particularly committee meeting she produced the first “vegan trade list” – the forerunner of today’s Animal Free Shopper. She was a teacher of mathematics in a variety of secondary schools. Now she is 73 years old and has lived in Highgate all that time!

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MUSHROOMS Katherine Prowse

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hey are mysterious, many-coloured and come in all shapes and sizes. Country or town, wild or cultivated, there is a whole world of mushrooms out there waiting to be discovered. Katherine Prowse unravels the secretive world of cultivated mushrooms, looks at mushroom growing from a vegan perspective, and finds that there is more to it than being kept in the dark and fed on poo!

We all know that there is more than one kind of edible mushroom, but take a look in any grocers or supermarket and it’s the button mushroom you’ll see prominently displayed. Other varieties are out there but are elusive, tucked away and usually double the price. Button mushrooms are everywhere and they’re cheap.

Read on and find out why not all mushrooms are equal.

Why does the button mushroom dominate?

Before the 1900s, mushroom growing was a small-scale, outdoor, rural activity that was very much a hit and miss affair, producing just a few mushrooms to be eaten on the farm or sold locally.

This farming sideline all changed in 1932, when Dr James Sinden patented a new system using sterilized grain to carry living mushroom mycelium (pronounced my-see-le-um). Called mushroom ‘grain spawn’, it is basically mushroom seed which the whole of the modern mushroom industry is built on.

Agaricus bisporus – the latin name for the common button mushroom – was the first mushroom to be cultivated in Europe, and Dr Sinden’s process allowed this small-scale industry to expand rapidly. The British Pure Spawn Company became a world leader and exported all round Europe and to the USA. Sadly, the company was eventually taken over, and nowadays Britain produces virtually no grain spawn in what is now a global multimillion dollar business.

While we Brits were busy with the buttons, the Chinese had, for years, been cultivating a far richer variety of fungi. These pioneers were growing mushrooms on logs as early as 1313 and their whole culture is steeped in fungal tradition. So much so that, historically, the Reishi – named Mushroom of Immortality because of its medicinal properties – was only allowed to be eaten by the Emperor. This is one of the reasons why the button mushroom enjoys such market domination. As far as other mushroom varieties go, we are playing seven hundred year catch-up!

Here in the UK, we have no real history of mushroom-love. Think of Alice in Wonderland, and white-spotted red poisonous mushrooms.

I’m sure many of you reading this have enjoyed an autumn fungal foray into the woods. But how many of you are confident enough to eat your pickings? As children we are not traditionally taught anything about mushroom identification – if anything, we are warned away from them, for fear of being poisoned.

So, link together a traditional lack of mushroom familiarity with higher prices, and you’ve got a pretty big reason why the button is king.

What price cheap mushrooms?

Button mushrooms are cheap and the main reason for this is intensive animal farming. They require nitrogen-rich, composted material to grow on, and this country has no shortage of nitrogen-high poultry manure. In fact new legislation has meant that there is actually a problem getting rid of the stuff. Cheap raw materials lead to a cheap product – certainly without the surplus of animal manure, the button mushroom industry would not be what it is today. This is bourne out by the problems faced by organically-certified mushroom farmers - since organic certification systems, such as the Soil Association, have insisted on raw materials, including manure, being organic, the final product has shot up in price and gone down in availability.

As vegans, we are acutely aware of the conditions that intensively-farmed birds have to suffer, but for the average mushroom farmer, it simply represents a cheap and readilyavailable ingredient in his mushroom compost. Why would he stop and consider that manure is a byproduct of cruelty, when he is having to compete with cheap imports? Such is the nature of global business.

The author with her first home-grown shiitake.

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What’s the alternative?

Vegan-friendly mushrooms are out there, usually sold under the guise of ‘gourmet or exotic’ varieties. These wood-eating mushrooms such as Oyster, Shii-take and Enoki are delicious and all grow using cellulose-based material such as cereal straw and sawdust. An added bonus is that these mushrooms do not use mined peat in the growing process, which the UK and Irish button mushroom industry consumes at the alarming rate of 110 million cubic metres per year. The environmentalists amongst you please take note because this is a fact the industry does not like to shout about.

So, just how easily can you find these gourmet mushrooms, and are they really that expensive? Here’s a quick description of the three most readily available vegan-friendly mushrooms in the UK. Oyster mushrooms The most commonly cultivated after the button mushroom is the Oyster mushroom – this can be purchased in most larger outlets of major supermarket chains. They are often labelled as ‘exotic’ or even ‘oriental’, presumably as a cunning marketing ploy – take a look at the ‘country of origin’ and you will most likely see ‘Leicestershire, UK’!

Mushroom hunters among you will know that it is also to be found growing wild all over the British Isles. It’s worth checking out smaller, local grocers and healthfood shops, as they are in a position to deal with smaller growers who tend to produce better quality mushrooms.

Shii-take Fresh Shii-take can also be found in many supermarkets and some grocers and healthfood stores.

Mainly European in origin, quality is not yet up to Oriental standards.

The Chinese believe that drying Shii-take improves the flavour, and certainly the most flavoursome dried Shii-take I’ve ever tried was from a Chinese supermarket.

Enoki Enoki (or the ‘Winter Mushroom’) is one of our tastiest and most common wild mushrooms. In fact, during the colder months, you’ll probably have more success finding it wild than in the shops! It is a very much loved variety in the Orient, but so far hasn’t really taken off in popularity here. If you’re keen on wild food, it is well worth learning how to identify this strikingly pretty, orange mushroom.

Hopefully, this article has shed some light on a somewhat secretive industry. Some of you may have tried, and been a little disappointed with gourmet mushrooms. Give them a chance - we’ve not been growing them for very long in Europe and the UK. Quality, price and availability will improve – it is doing so already – and greater demand for mushroom variety can only help this.

Remember, they are a cruelty-free, ethical purchase.

There are also gourmet growing kits available online and via mail order. Our company, Gourmet Woodland Mushrooms, produces vegan products only, and is currently expanding a range of kits that allow people to enjoy their own home-grown, freshly-picked gourmet mushrooms. See www.gourmetmushrooms.co.uk for details.

Fascinating Fungal Facts n There are an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi worldwide n Around 75,000 (less than 5%) of these have been identified and classified n There are an estimated 4000 species in the British Isles - 200 edible and good to eat n More than 30 species can be cultivated

n The largest native mushroom, Dryads Saddle, can grow to a weight of 14kg in as little as three days

n A common field mushroom has been found with a cap circumference of over a metre! n There are mushroom species that can lift a 35kg cemented down paving slab 4cm off the ground n The largest Oyster mushroom ever recorded was found in Italy and weighed nearly 19kg

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Welcome to the Christmas 2004 Kids’ Page

Bronwyn Welcome to the Christmas 2004 Kids’ Page.

Bronwyn We also went to the Isle of Wight RSPCA shelter in Godshill, to walk some dogs.

Aisha On Friday, we took out Rosie and on Sunday we took one dog each.

Bronwyn had Willy the Whippet, Mummy had Dusty, and I had Jessie.

Bronwyn On the Sunday afternoon, we went to the Isle of Wight Vegetarians and Vegans barbecue. There was only one other child there, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

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Aisha Since September, I’ve been homeeducated because we are going travelling around mainland Europe.

Aisha We went to the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, which was fun, but we thought there would be more about garlic. Most of the stalls were just local businesses, and much of the garlic food was not vegan – there was even one stall selling garlic dairy ice cream and another with garlic octopus! Yuck!

Bronwyn I still went to my new Year 4 class, with a very nice teacher even though I did not get the teacher I wanted, and when Mummy told her we were leaving, she said she would miss me even though she’d only known me for a few weeks, and that I was a little treasure.

Aisha We are making progress with our transition to a raw diet, and we are enjoying it. We still enjoy the occasional warm meal though.

Bronwyn In the mornings, we have lemon juice with warm water first thing, and then later a smoothie for breakfast, with things like cucumber, plums, kiwis, lots and lots of bananas, coconut, and prunes in them. Sometimes we have had our five servings of fruit per day before school!

Aisha I found a recipe for a really nice chocolate smoothie. It’s just four scoops of chocolate ice cream and three bananas.

We sometimes add soya milk or home-made almond milk.

Bronwyn It’s really yummy. We made almond milk to go on our cereals as well.

It’s really nice with a few dates added.

What you do is soak raw almonds overnight, rinse well, then put them in the blender with four cups of water to one cup of nuts, and a few soaked dates, and blend.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

Bronwyn (life vegan) is 8. Aisha her sister is 11 and has been vegan as long as Bronwyn and vegetarian since before she was born!

Please send your stories, poems, pictures & photos to: Bronwyn & Aisha’s Vegilantics c/o The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 7 Battle Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 7AA or Email media@vegansociety.com with “Vegilantics” in the subject line.

Aisha We had loads of burgers, sausages and salad, but my favourite thing was mashed potato mixed with lots of tomato sauce.

Bronwyn There were lots of cakes!

Elaine and Alan gave us some cake for our ferry journey home.

Aisha My favourite cake was the cherry

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and almond, and Bronwyn’s favourite was the plum crumble.

Greece, now that we have sold our home.

Bronwyn After we got home, we found out Mummy’s exam results. She got an A, and in one of her exams she got 100%.

we haven’t decided on our main meal.

Aisha And in another she got 96%.

and a handful of soaked raisins. To

Bronwyn We are planning to spend our first raw Christmas on the beach in

decorate, dust it with some carob powder

SAVING RHINOS

Life vegan Jack Beaumont-Woods, aged seven, became interested in endangered species last year.

He joined the organisation Save The Rhino International. Soon after joining, he asked: “Where’s the club?” We explained that the club was all the members and supporters, and that the activities were whatever the members chose to do – and Jack decided to have a stall at his school.

He designed and painted posters, and ran (almost) single-handedly a ‘Guess the Name of the Rhino’ stall, complete with seven rhinos made from wood and plastic and about a 100 names, each bought separately. The winner, picked at random, received a rare Save the Rhino t-shirt; everyone got a vegan lolly and all proceeds went to Save the Rhino.

The stall was such a success that Jack repeated it at Sheffield Vegan Society’s main fundraising event – the Cruelty-free Christmas Fayre.

I made a recipe for banana pudding, but

Aisha Take three large bananas, mash them and then mix in a little almond milk

through a sieve.

Jack cheered the runners on at Save the Rhino’s major fund and awareness raising event – the London Marathon.

Jack has asked if the rhinos can come to Sheffield’s Half Marathon. (Well, the rubber rhino models!). They may come next year.

Jack’s next event is again at school. He’s got the Buzzer Game. Anyone to complete the circuit gets the star prize. But as it’s very difficult, he’s hoping for lots of money for the rhinos.

Anyone interested in knowing more about rhinos can talk to

She’s very friendly and helpful.

Good luck!

Alyson Beaumont & Ged Woods

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BEHIND BARS THE WORK OF THE VEGAN PRISONERS SUPPORT GROUP Jo-Ann Brown

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his year sees the tenth anniversary of the Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG). Jo-Ann Brown, founder of the VPSG, looks back at the reasons it was set up and highlights its continued work on behalf of vegans behind bars.

Those of us who have never spent any time in prison can have little or no awareness of what life is like ‘on the inside’. However, we do know that it can be challenging enough to find good vegan food when we have our pick of restaurants and shops, so imagine how much more difficult life must be for those vegans who, for whatever reason, find themselves detained in police stations or sent to prison for months or years. The Vegan Prisoners Support Group (VPSG) exists to help vegan prisoners of conscience who find themselves in just such a situation.

“My main concern in prison was to make sure I got a vegan diet and with the help of VPSG I knew I would.”

Sylvia O’Brien, ex-prisoner.

In the beginning…

The VPSG was formed in April 1994 in response to the lack of provision for vegans in prison. It was initially established to support just two animal rights prisoners – Angie Hamp and Keith Mann – and to help ensure that they were allowed to live by their ethics whilst inside. This meant making sure that prison officers understood the specific needs of vegans, and ensuring that animal-free food and toiletries were made available to them.

When Angie and Keith were released, the plan was that the VPSG would no longer be needed – what wishful thinking that was!

When two more animal rights prisoners – this time Greg Avery and Dave Callender – were fed cold corn on the cob on Christmas day, we realised just how much work still needed to be done.

We began working on a case by case basis – fighting for the rights of individual prisoners. Whilst this had undoubtedly helped those individuals, we soon realised that what was needed was proper prison guidelines to ensure that every vegan prisoner in every prison in the country would be properly provided for. It was time for change!

The aims of the VPSG are to: n give moral and practical support where needed n help to obtain vegan food for prisoners or anyone arrested whilst in police custody n help to obtain vegan toiletries for prisoners n highlighting and working to improve the inadequate facilities for vegans in prison shops to ensure equal opportunities

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

“It's not until you find yourself in prison or in the police station that you realise how important VPSG is. It's funny how important things like soya milk, marmite and bars of soap become when you can't just pop to the shops and buy them.”

Heather Nicholson, ex-prisoner.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY’S PRISON WORK Bill Palethorpe looks back on six years as The Vegan Society’s Prison Liaison Officer The Vegan Society policy on prisons is clear and unambiguous. We support any vegan prisoner regardless of their ‘crime’ or membership status. Additionally we disseminate vegan information to the prison service.

As the Vegan Society’s Prison Liaison Officer, I received innumerable communications from prisoners and their relations and friends, as well as Prison Officers, Catering Officers and the Home Office.

Over my six years in the post, I increasingly found my work varied and worthwhile and I felt bearing fruit. I also noticed that several of the vegan prisoners who were articulating and researching their case well were slowly but surely getting results.

As an ex-caterer I could talk to Catering Officers in their ‘own language’ and I sensed a positive sea change was taking place. Several Catering Officers were embracing alternative diets with enthusiasm. Some discussed them and exchanged menus with their colleagues.

The main stumbling block seemed to be the Home Office mandarins with their lack of vision and financial constraints. One of my strategies was to point out that a varied, nutritious vegan menu could be enjoyed by all prisoners, and could also help reduce violent behaviour and be more cost effective.

We never send any fruitcakes with a file hidden inside, but we do send hundreds of recipe and information sheets and provide detailed nutritional information to prisons, helping make life a little less difficult for vegans behind bars.

“While you're supporting animals and their rights; when the chips are down who will be supporting yours?

Vegan prisoners of conscience need never worry about that question thanks to the VPSG.” Mel Arnold, ex-prisoner.

For more information on the Vegan Prisoners Support Group, please send a stamped addressed envelope to: PO Box 194, Enfield, Middx EN1 4YL; Tel. 020 8292 8325 www.vpsg.org (information for prisoners) www.vpsg.info (information for prisons and police stations) The work of the VPSG is reliant upon volunteers and funds from supporters to contine their work. If you are computer literate and can spare some time, your help would be welcome. Contact JoAnn on the number above for details.

HOME OFFICE GUIDELINES FOR PRISONS Campaigning for Change Considerable research was undertaken to ascertain which department was responsible for making such guidelines and after months and months of telephone calls and constant pressure and lots of dead ends, a sympathetic ear and our recommendations were, with lots more pressure, finally accepted.

Then in 1996, our guidelines on the care of vegans within the prison system were accepted and installed in all prisons throughout the UK. Never again would prison officers be able to claim they were not aware of the requirements of vegans.

This triumph marked a fundamental shift in the work of the VPSG. We were no longer having to ‘fight the system’; from now on the system worked for us, not against us. The main focus of our work became monitoring prisons and prisoners to ensure that the guidelines were being followed, whilst continuing to campaign for improvements in diet and general provisions.

The VPSG Today Today, the main role of the VPSG is to try to ensure that recommendations are frequently submitted to ensure that rules and regulations are constantly updated, and compile information from vegan prisoners to ensure that equal opportunities are offered to any prisoner following a vegan lifestyle.

We continue to provide information on all aspects of veganism, conduct research on any product, and have a free helpline available seven days a week for the use of police stations, prisons or any vegan prisoner who requires information or seeks our help.

We also have an emergency arrest helpline for vegan animal rights activists who are detained overnight in police stations.

At the start of 2003, we provided every prison with a free Catering Information Pack which contained extensive information on this specialist subject as well as a vegan recipe book to provide ideas and inspiration. This means that prisons now have lots of information to refer to when vegan prisoners arrive at their establishments.

To help monitor how prisons are progressing, the VPSG takes on test cases from time to time, allocating Case Workers to individual prisoners. This continues to provide us with information on problem areas that different police stations and prisons encounter when dealing with vegans, and also on how they try to deal with such problems.

Overall, the aims of the VPSG are still to campaign for the equal opportunities of our vegan prisoners detained either in police custody or the prison system. We are committed to stay in existence while there are still people prepared to put their freedom at risk for the right of animals and feel that a group such as the VPSG must be there to try to help them serve any sentence they may receive. We will continue campaigning to ensure that this minority group is catered for in police stations and prisons around the country.

Veganism Practices In The Community Diet A Vegan diet omits all animal products including meat, poultry, fish, sea creatures, invertebrates, eggs, animal milks, honey and royal jelly. Food/drink containing or made with, any of the above or their derivatives should not be served.

Food/drink having any animal source whatsoever is refused as unacceptable and Vegans should not be required to handle such foodstuffs.

A Vegan diet is based on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, pulses and cereals. The Vegan Society, founded in 1944 can provide helpful information on how nutrients are obtained from a Vegan diet.

Herbal dietary, or food supplements of a vegetable or synthetic origin may be a requirement, this being dependent upon the state of health and particular needs of the individual.

Dress Clothing and footwear must be from non-animal sources. The wearing of all animal fibres, skins and materials including wool, silk, leather, and suede will not be accepted by Vegan prisoners.

Vegans may also choose not to use, or handle materials or substances that are wholly or partly of animal origin.

Clothing and footwear worn by Vegans comes from plants and/or synthetic sources.

Toiletries Toiletries containing any animal derived ingredients and, toiletries where either the product or its ingredients have been tested on animals, are totally unacceptable and are not permitted. Therefore, whenever toiletries suitable for Vegans are required, establishments should make arrangements for such items to be stocked in the prison canteen or ordered in as necessary.

Vegans would not be expected to use inappropriate toiletries, or abstain from taking care of personal hygiene.

Aspects of Social Functioning Most Vegan prisoners will not wish to be involved in any way in the care of animals on prison farms. Vegans should not work in a butchery or handle anything of animal origin or content. Vegans should not be asked to handle or use substances that have involved animal testing.

Vegans usually choose not to engage in any sport, hobby, or trade, that directly or indirectly causes stress, distress, suffering or death to any creature. Throughout their lives, Vegans will often seek to sever all links with, and dependencies upon, the use or abuse of animals. Many Vegans will also be involved in helping and caring for the abused and disadvantaged.

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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MAKE YOUR OWN XMAS Kolbjorn Borseth

W

ith winter on its way, it’s time to sit in the warm indoors and make your own festive gifts. Many popular presents, such as pot pourri, contain artificial ingredients and chemicals. Others, such as scented room fresheners and luxury soaps, may contain animal ingredients. And of course, we all know that it’s the home-made presents that are the most cherished. Why else would Blue Peter still be going after all these years?!

20 drops bergamot oil 10 drops lemon oil 10 drops benzoin oil 15 drops clove oil 10 drops neroli oil 15 drops lavender oil 15 drops cinnamon oil 5 drops Rose de Mai 150ml strong Polish vodka

Add 10ml of your favourite essential oils.

Add the mix to a plastic or soap mould adding a rope or string to hang it up when it has set. Let it set overnight, then simply hang it up in your room and enjoy the fragrance.

When it has lost its smell you can just remelt the soap and add more essential oils or use it as a hand soap.

Warm Foot Bath Home-made gifts are great, but realistically most of us can’t avoid Xmas shopping entirely, so here’s a great recipe to help tired, achy feet recover from a day spent pounding the streets searching for that perfect present.

So sit back, relax and let Kolbjorn Borseth teach you how to make your own sumptuous scented gifts at home using only natural raw materials.

Winter Spice Pot Pourri

Pour hot water (32°C - 38°C) into a basin.

Add a few drops of essential oils, and two tablespoons of salt or sodium bicarbonate to draw and cleanse. Find a comfy chair, a good book and a hot toddy, sink your feet in and relax for 10 to 30 minutes.

Bliss.

Here’s a wonderful seasonal recipe for making your home or office smell divine.

It’s great as a simple present or for wherever you need the feeling of Xmas.

Enjoy.

10g 10g 10g 10g 10g

cardamom seeds cinnamon bark whole dried cloves orange peel chopped ginger

5 drops cinnamon leaf oil 5 drops cardamom oil 10 drops vanilla extract 5 drops mandarin oil Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the oils and vanilla extract before transferring to a glass jar. Seal jar and shake gently. To keep this gift fresh, store in the sealed jar until ready to use. For added charm, tie a sprig of holly around the neck of the jar.

Pot Pourri Bags These fragrant bags are great to use in every room of the house, or pop them in drawers and cupboards to give your clothes that hint of Xmas.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

Blend the ingredients together and keep bottled for around 8 days. Then spray the mixture on fragrance-free sawdust. Add the scented sawdust to cotton bags or colour it with water-based colours so that it can be used in an open dish or container. You can also add the liquid to a spray bottle to freshen your rooms whenever you wish.

If you prefer, you can create the recipe using water instead of vodka.

Glycerine Soap Room Freshener Buy some glycerine melt-and-pour soap (ensure that it is vegan!). I recommend the type that is derived from coconut or palm oil. Melt 90g of this in a bain-marie (a bowl placed in a pan of warm water), then remove from heat and allow to cool until it has the consistency of a thick soup.

Kolbjorn Borseth is Director of Aromantic, a company specialising in natural skincare ingredients and teaching people throughout the world how to make their own toiletries and cosmetics.

For details of education courses and information please contact: Kolbjorn Borseth Aromantic 17 Tytler Street Forres IV6 1EL Tel 01309 692000 info@aromantic.co.uk http://www.aromantic.co.uk Please note that Aromantic products are not registered with The Vegan Society.

Although most of their range is vegan, some items do contain animal ingredients.

Making MAKING A DIFFERENCE a Difference Tony Bishop-Weston

This is the last ‘Make a Difference’ from Tony; someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse, so sadly he’s leaving us. From the next issue we’ll be ‘Making Sense’ instead.

It’s been a privilege, but it’s time for me to say goodbye.

‘A very special family occasion.’

This year’s World Vegan Day and our Diamond Jubilee celebrations were so jam-packed with events that we’ve had to give them their own special insert. So if you want to know about all the ways in which people have been making a difference, have a look at the thing that fell on the floor when you opened your magazine.

‘Make them an offer they can’t refuse.’

Over the last three years I’m privileged to have observed a massive transformation in the way the world looks at veganism and views our vegan solutions. We seem to have found the light-switch and finally achieved critical mass. The change in the media has been particularly miraculous.

‘I don't like violence. I'm a businessman. Blood is a big expense.’

When I first got here nearly 3 years ago and first searched the news archives for ‘vegan,’ I found only one story (about condoms from two years earlier). Two days later the poop really hit the fan: a vegan shot a Dutch politician and two misguided souls’ baby died of malnourishment.

They were all labelled by the media as vegan extremists, despite the fact that the Swintons fed their baby cod liver oil. Luckily things got better. Now vegans get hundreds of mentions a week. Pizza Express are considering vegan pizzas, nearly everyone sells soyaccinos and vegan hummus sandwiches, and even Ford and Toyota (in LA at least) are courting vegan consumers (having proven them through market research to be at the epicentre of their target audience). When the big boys smell profit, you know you’ve cracked it.

Remember this: ‘There are many things my father taught me here in this room.

He taught me: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.’

Anyway, more than enough from me. I’ll leave you with a message from the big Don - your 94 year old Godfather, Donald Watson.

Goodbye and take care of the family

Diamond Jubilee Message from Vegan Society Founder, Donald Watson (94) It was the milk issue more than any other that led to the birth of the Vegan Society sixty years ago, so these lines are dedicated to ‘Bobby’ calf and his mother who pay such a high price so that Man alone among mammals can have milk throughout life.

‘Bobby’ and his mother represent all other sentient creatures who must see Man as a terrorist armed with weapons of mass destruction which he uses against them without need or provocation.

Veganism meets head-on the religious heresy that animals were ‘sent’ for Man's use. It teaches a new interpretation of compassion which is more practical for Man, the animals and the planet.

Even if viewed purely as a feeding experiment, the work of the vegan movement deserves a place in history. It could not have been replicated because of the ethical discipline needed to operate it, covering so many people over such a long period.

It is a profound thought that so much can be achieved towards health and peace, simply by placing Man in his true place in nature, which is not as a carnivore nor as a parasite. We can now offer, after long experience, a lifestyle that is humane, healthy, aesthetic, pleasant, economic, and sustainable. No other movement offers all of these together or indeed separately.

Humbly we take our place in history among the world's great reformers.

Donald Watson

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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A FESTIVE FEAST I

n the Autumn edition of The Vegan, readers were invited to submit alternative menus for The Vegan Society's Diamond Jubilee Ball. We received a number of entries, the best of which came from Helen Edwards, who describes herself as a 'fulltime vegan food enthusiast'. Although Helen's menu wasn't the one we went for on the night, her recipes were so delicious that we thought it only fair to share them.

WILD MUSHROOM AND CREAMY SPINACH FILO TARTLET SCATTERED WITH TOASTED PINENUTS

SEITAN GOULASH WITH RIBBONS OF CARAWAY CABBAGE AND BABY NEW POTATOES For the Goulash: 30ml (2 Tbsp) vegetable oil 250g white onion, diced into 1cm cubes 180g red pepper, diced into 1cm cubes 2 Tbsp Hungarian paprika powder 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper 300g tinned fried glutens 450g tomatoes, diced into 1cm cubes 400ml water 2 Tbsp strong bread flour 120g (8 Tbsp) firm silken tofu 30ml (2 Tbsp) lemon juice

12 squares of filo pastry,

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over a

approximately 12cm x 12cm squares

low heat for 3-5 minutes, until lightly

Olive oil for brushing the filo

browned. Place the vegan margarine

10g pine nuts

into a saucepan and melt over a low

25g vegan margarine

heat. Add the onion and cook gently

100g red onion, finely chopped

for 2-3 minutes without colouring.

1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Add the cayenne pepper and stir in.

100g wild mushrooms, medium sliced

Add the mushrooms and put the lid

200g soya cream

on the pan. Cook gently for a further

200g baby leaf spinach

3-5 minutes.

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onion without colouring over a high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the red pepper and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the paprika and the cayenne pepper.

Drain and dice the glutens into 1-2cm cubes, and add them to the pan with the tomatoes. Add 350ml of the water to the pan.

Stir in the nutmeg and the soya cream. Add the spinach. Cook Brush the top of each of the filo

covered, over a gentle heat, for 10

squares lightly with olive oil.

minutes, then remove the lid and cook

For each tartlet, arrange three squares

for a further 10 minutes, until the

(oil side up) in a greased, individual

spinach is wilted and tender and the

tartlet tin (approx 9cm diameter), with

soya cream has reduced slightly.

each layer rotated compared to the

Spoon the mixture into the prepared

previous one, so the corners are offset,

tartlet cases, and sprinkle with the

creating a star shape. Bake the filo cases at 190oC for 7-9 minutes, until

toasted pine nuts prior to serving.

golden brown.

Serves 4

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Mix the flour into the remaining 50ml water, and add to the pan.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring continuously.

Liquidise the tofu until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix to make a sour cream.

Mix half of the tofu sour cream into the goulash just before serving, reserving the remainder for decoration.

For the Potatoes: 1200g baby new potatoes Clean the potatoes and place in a pan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until tender.

For the Cabbage: 30g vegan margarine 300g green cabbage, without hard stems 7g (1 Tbsp) caraway seeds Finely shred the cabbage.

Blanche the cabbage briefly in boiling water, remove and drain.

Melt the margarine in a saucepan and add the cabbage. Fry the cabbage gently for 6-8 minutes, until tender, stirring continuously.

Pick over the caraway seeds to remove any stones, and add to the cabbage. Mix in and serve.

Serves 6 Notes: It is important not to fry the paprika as it may become bitter tasting.

Fresh paprika should be a vibrant red and is used generously in Hungarian goulash to give the dish its distinctive colour and flavour.

BAKED BLUEBERRIES NESTLED IN A SWEET ALMOND CRUST WITH A POOL OF ORANGE CARDAMOM CUSTARD For the Pie: 65g vegan margarine 25g unrefined icing sugar 105g plain flour 10ml (2 tsp) soya milk 5g ground almonds 10ml (2 tsp) soya milk

To make the pastry, cream the margarine with the sugar and half of the plain flour. Add 10ml of soya milk, mix in the rest of the plain flour and add the ground almonds. Wrap in plastic film and chill in a fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll the pastry out and line 4 individual tart tins (9cm diameter). Cover and rest in the fridge for one hour. Bake at 170oC for 10 minutes.

1 tsp soya flour 250g fresh blueberries 25g unrefined caster sugar 5-10ml (1-2 tsp) water

Mix the soya flour with 10ml of the soya milk.

Brush the inside and rim of the part-baked pastry cases with the mixture, and cook for a further 2 minutes at 170oC, to seal the cases.

Mix the blueberries with the caster sugar and place in a hot heavy-based pan. Add the water and stir the berries to glaze them. Divide the berry mixture between the four pastry cases.

Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes at 170oC.

For the Custard: 1 orange 1 cardamom pod 500ml soya milk 25g (2 Tbsp) custard powder 25g unrefined caster sugar Peel the orange and remove the pith from the peel. Break open the cardamom pod and add to the milk with the orange peel. Leave in a cool place to infuse for about 2 hours. After this time, pass the milk through a sieve to remove the orange peel and cardamom.

Warm all but 30ml of the milk in a saucepan to just below boiling. Mix the reserved 30ml of milk with the custard powder and sugar to form a smooth paste.

Pour the warm milk on to the custard powder mix, stirring well. Return the mix to the saucepan, and bring to the boil, stirring continuously until the custard begins to thicken. Serve immediately with the pie.

Serves 4

Helen Edwards is currently researching recipes for her first cookery book. She has travelled extensively, and uses her knowledge of different cultures to create a unique blend of international vegan cuisine.

Helen’s Diamond Jubilee menu, as well as more recipes and advice for caterers, can be found on her website: www.veganvolumes.co.uk

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WILD ABOUT TURKEYS Jennifer Toms

urkeys are much maligned in the human imagination as dim-witted, ‘brainless’ birds. Such disparagement may help to alleviate the conscience of the millions of people who annually celebrate the ‘season of good will’ by feasting upon these highly sentient animals. Yet even a brief look at their wild counterparts reveals an alert, mobile and sociable bird, which has recovered from near-extinction to repopulate the woodlands and open grasslands of North America. Jennifer Toms tracks the history of the turkey, from its wild origins, to its domestication and incarceration in intensive factory farms.

Domesticated turkeys were introduced to the British Isles in the 1540s, where they were renamed the ‘turkeycock’. They were bred only for their plumage until their meat became popular in the early twentieth century.

Wild Turkeys

In the cramped, stressful conditions, the turkeys can become aggressive and attack each other. To prevent injuries, many turkeys are ‘de-beaked’ when a few days old, using red-hot blades or clippers. Research indicates that de-beaking produces chronic pain and depression for the birds. Other mutilations include removing the toes of male birds (resulting in painful open wounds), removal of the fleshy ‘snood’ from the turkey’s head, and wing-clipping.

T

Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are native to North America.

There are five sub-species (Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, Merriam's and Gould's), of which the Eastern is the most common, ranging across the entire eastern half of the United States. Before the arrival of European settlers, an estimated 10 million wild turkeys populated the United States, but by the early 1930s, they had been driven to the brink of extinction by intensive hunting. However, relocation programmes and hunting laws have allowed wild populations to recover from only 30,000 wild turkeys in the early twentieth century to over 6 million today.

Following the Second World War, when factory farming became common, domestic turkeys began to be reared intensively in sheds.

The most common system is the windowless unit, where up to 25,000 turkeys are crammed together in one shed in neardarkness. Pole barns are less common, allowing ventilation and daylight, but are still grossly over-crowded.

Contrary to popular images of the turkey as a dim-witted, clumsy bird, wild turkeys are highly alert and mobile, running at speeds of up to 25 mph, and flying for short distances at around 50 mph. Wild turkeys roost high in trees and live in small groups of one male and five or more females. The females lay between 8 and 15 eggs in a shallow depression in the ground. The mother is very protective of her young, remaining close to them until they are fully grown.

The gobbler, or male turkey, can be distinguished from females by his colourful feathers, long spurs on the back of his legs, and feathery ‘beard’ on his chest (although some females also have a short ‘beard’). Males attract females by strutting around making a characteristic ‘gobbling’ sound, displaying their fan of iridescent feathers, swelling their head ornaments and dropping their wings.

Domestic Turkeys The turkey was domesticated by Mexican Indians in the early sixteenth century. Domestic turkeys are about twice the size of their wild counterparts because of selective breeding.

..to this...

In addition to these painful mutilations, turkeys suffer ulcers on their feet and burns and blisters on their legs and breast due to the ammonia produced by the layer of bird-droppings on the shed floor. The birds are artificially bred to be unnaturally large and heavy, which results in degenerative hip disorders and chronic pain. Undercover investigations by the campaign organisation Viva! found thousands of birds packed together in Bernard Matthews turkey farms. Birds were so overweight they were unable to support their own body – being forced to drag themselves across the floor on their wings.

Unlike their wild counterparts, most intensively reared turkeys are bred to be so heavy they are unable to fly. Due to artificial breeding for large chests (to produce the fleshy ‘breast’ meat) the male turkey is unable to fertilize the eggs of the female in the natural mating position. In order to artificially inseminate the eggs, male turkeys are ‘milked’ for their semen – a highly stressful process for the birds. Females must endure the stress of being caught and inseminated by a tube or syringe. They are forced to lay around 120 eggs over 27 weeks, compared to 8 to 15 per year laid by wild turkeys.

From this...

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

The electric waterbath is intended to stun the bird, but in practice, many birds lift their head to avoid the water, or regain consciousness after the electric shock. According to the European Commission’s Scientific Veterinary Committee 1996, up to 80% of turkeys suffer painful electric shocks as their wings dip into the electric waterbath.

After the electric shock, the manual process of cutting the bird’s throat does not always kill the bird instantly, and an estimated 30 to 40 thousand turkeys enter the scalding tank alive each year.

...for this.

The young chicks produced in this way never meet their mothers – fertilised eggs are transferred straight to the hatchery. After hatching, the day-old chicks are transferred to sheds with up to 25,000 other chicks, where they endure a short life in near-darkness and stifling heat. Many die before slaughter, from heat, stress, starvation, injuries or heart failure brought on by extreme obesity. Unwanted chicks are usually killed by gassing, neck dislocation or decapitation.

Over 35 million turkeys are slaughtered in the UK each year, of which approximately 30 to 40% are killed for Xmas. As the festive season approaches, it is more important than ever to alert people to the appalling cruelty of turkey farms, and to remind them that animals, as well as humans, deserve our compassion and respect - not just at Xmas, but all year round.

Surviving turkeys are slaughtered at between two and six months old (compared to a life-span of ten years in the wild). Most turkeys are killed in large abattoirs where they are stunned with a handheld stun-gun or, more commonly, an electrically charged waterbath.

The birds are hung upside down (shackled by their feet) and their head is passed through an electric waterbath, before having their throats cut and finally being immersed in scalding water to remove their feathers. The birds can legally be left hanging upside down for up to six minutes before being stunned (the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995). This is extremely painful for the birds, particularly as many are already suffering from leg and hip disorders.

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VEGFAM

ANIMAL-FREE FAMINE RELIEF Freidenstern Howard

W

ant to donate money to help developing countries, but don’t want to help fund livestock production? It’s a difficult choice – if you give money to Oxfam, how can you be sure it’s not paying for a cow, a goat or a chicken to be used as a source of food? Well, Vegfam is the answer.

Freidenstern Howard, a Vegfam Trustee, tells us about the work they do and the projects they help fund.

For over 40 years, Vegfam has advocated feeding the hungry without exploiting animals, by funding famine relief projects that use plant foods. Central to this is the understanding that the fragile environments of developing countries cannot sustain two populations – humans and their food animals.

Funds are raised for overseas projects that benefit people who are suffering from hunger, or are at risk of hunger, as a result of famine, drought, disease, war or natural or human-made disasters. Working with in-country charities and NGOs, projects are set up to provide seeds (all GM-free) and Û

TAJIKISTAN In the Central Asian country of Tajikistan, most of the irrigation and drainage channels have not been cleaned since 1991, when the country became independent following the collapse of the Soviet Union. This neglect, caused by the withdrawal of technical and financial support, has led to large areas of land becoming unsuitable for cultivation. Where crops were grown, they were suffering from water damage. Mud houses had also collapsed because of the effects of the neglected, water-clogged land.

Vegfam has helped fund rehabilitation work on irrigation and drainage channels in the Shartuz and Vaks districts. This will enable the local population to once again grow cereals, fruits and vegetables and to re-establish kitchen gardens.

Vegfam has also helped fund a food security programme that has provided seven thousand fruit trees to orphanages, schools and 25 villages in the Khatlon Oblast region of Tajikistan. The trees were planted in the districts of Kabodian, Pyanj, Shaartuz and Bashkent, where severe droughts in 1999 and 2000, followed by civil war, have left people at risk of malnutrition. The trees will provide a long-term source of essential food, vitamins, proteins and fats for over twelve thousand people. The schools and orphanages will be able to provide snacks or lunch for the children. It is hoped that this food programme will help reduce the reliance on external food aid and will decrease dependence on outside assistance in the long term.

CAMBODIA Cambodia is still suffering from the aftermath of the murderous military administration of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Whilst there have been some advances in the six years since the death of the despot, Cambodia remains one of the twenty poorest countries in the world. Years of warfare have combined with floods and drought to disrupt and destroy traditional food production systems, with the result that half of the children under five suffer from malnutrition.

Donations from Vegfam have helped fund a vegan organic home gardening programme in 22 villages in the Tbeng Meanchey District of northern Cambodia, where people are suffering from the effects of poverty, inadequate food production and disabilities caused by land mines. The project was aimed at increasing food production and income generation at the household level by providing funds for the purchase and distribution of vegetable seeds and toolkits. Training was provided in composting, sustainable food production and income generation from the grown produce. Natural home-made pesticides were used instead of hazardous chemicals.

This project has improved nutrition and food security and reduced the dependency on rice and foraged products from the forests (the continued existence of land mines makes access to forests limited and dangerous). Sustainable consumption methods of gardening help conserve natural resources and preserve biodiversity. Seeds from the last harvest are saved and used in subsequent plantings and income generated from the sale of surplus vegetables enables the purchase of further tools and vegetable seeds from the local market, helping ensure a future free from dependency on external aid.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

AGM APPROVED

T

he Vegan Society AGM, which took place at the Conway Hall, WC1 on 30th October 2004, approved that the following members are the Trustees of the Vegan Society:

Û equipment, plant vegetable gardens and fruit and nut tree

nurseries, and install water wells and irrigation systems. Smallscale emergency feeding is also provided - supplying only plantbased foods. Ongoing self-supporting food production programmes are encouraged, helping to reduce dependency on external food aid and overseas assistance in the long term.

As a result of generous donors, over £50,000 was placed on projects last year, benefiting in excess of 30,000 people, and more than 70,000 fruit and nut trees were planted. Here, we focus on just two of the countries where donations to Vegfam have helped fund real sustainable development.

Alex Bourke - Re-elected as Chair Cynthia Boruch - Re-elected as Co-Vicechair George Rodger - Elected as Co-Vicechair Laurence Klein - Re-elected as Treasurer Stephen Walsh - Elected as deputy Treasurer Jay Ashra Christopher Childe Vanessa Clarke Laurence Main Ian Nicoll Karin Ridgers Patricia Tricker stood down from Council prior to the AGM, but will continue to act as Local Contacts Co-ordinator for at least the next six months.

Vegfam helps fund projects all over the world – from vegetable and rice growing programmes in Ethiopia and Madagascar, to emergency soupkitchens in Serbia and Montenegro - all of them completely free from any kind of animal exploitation.

Vegfam is run entirely by volunteers, and donors can choose what percentage of their money is spent on projects and administration.

If you would like to support this vegan charity, or would like further details of Vegfam’s continued overseas aid work, please send a SAE to: Friedenstern Howard, Vegfam, The Sanctuary, near Lydford, Okehampton, Devon EX20 4AL T. 01822 820203 or 01550 721197 Email : vegfam@veganvillage.co.uk Website: http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/vegfam

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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GROW VEGAN Peter White, Vegan-Organic Trust

P

eter White of the Vegan-Organic Trust looks back on a rainy Autumn and provides some timely advice on how to combat the worst of the weather.

And there’s big news about a new standard for vegan-organic growers.

In many parts of the country the heavy rains of August – not to mention September – simply washed out lots of crops. This just shows us how much we mortals are at the mercy of the weather; flooding starves plants of nutrients and causes rotting of the roots, torrential rain leaches out the plant nutrients with which we have taken so much trouble to enrich the soil.

Grow Vegan Puzzler Q. Can you name a vegetable that will cope with wet winters?

Send your answer on a postcard to the Vegan Society Prize this month: A signed copy of Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables by Bill Laws.

Autumn Grow Vegan Answer: Earthcare, Peoplecare, Fairshares. Julie Fletcher of Pinner, Middlesex wins a ‘Vegan 4 the Planet’ T-shirt

However, there are some things the veganorganic gardener can do to lessen the problems of heavy rain and flooding. First, try to keep the soil covered at all times with growing plants, either crops or green manures, or use mulch; even opened-up cardboard boxes or old carpet will do on vacant areas. This is because the pounding rain leaches away far more of the nutrients than are taken up by the growing crops and also ruins the soil texture. Next, try to drain away any standing water within 48 hours; this is the critical time after which many plants begin to fail.

If your land is prone to waterlogging, think about the plants that are less troubled by this. The prime example is leeks: once established, these will stand well with ‘wet feet’ even through weeks of frost.

Jerusalem artichokes will put up with a lot of wet, but in soggy soil lift them all before November, rather than harvesting them through the winter. Purple sprouting broccoli and other brassicas will not put up with waterlogging.

Stockfree Organic Standards So much for now about the ‘how’ of vegan-organic growing, but what about the ‘why’ of it? We live on a crowded planet; as resources such as water become scarcer, the likelihood of strife and even more social injustice becomes greater.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

why Vegan-Organic Trust has developed the Stockfree Organic Standards for commercial growers. Briefly, these standards certify that no animal inputs (slaughterhouse by-products and manures) are used in the growing system, guaranteeing you, the consumer, a new ethical status of organic food. The certification and inspection process is carried out by Soil Association Certification on behalf of Stockfree Organic Services, which is a department of Vegan-Organic Trust. As ‘SOS’ is an independent organisation, the Stockfree Organic Standards do not reflect the views of the Soil Association. Producers can hold both the Soil Association and Stockfree Organic symbol at the same time. The world’s first certified producer will be Tolhurst Organic Produce in Berkshire, scheduled to be inspected to the new standards in November.

More and more producers will adopt these new standards, which will eventually apply all over the world. Everyone’s help is now crucial; ask for stockfree organic food to be made available in shops – you will very likely be answered by a blank look! But as consumer demand grows, so producers will respond to it. Please help VeganOrganic Trust by joining us, by volunteering to help spread the word, or in any other way you can suggest. Your support is needed for this vital work to progress.

Vegan-organics is part of the solution.

Vegan-organics is not just an alternative animal and eco-friendly agricultural method done in our back gardens; on the large scale it is a holistic system, marrying ethics and pragmatic solutions for tackling world hunger, animal exploitation and environmental degradation, spelling hope for the lessening of conflict and for making a better world. This is one reason

Vegan-Organic Trust (VOT) has a wide network of interactive supporters, gives advice, publishes information sheets, runs courses on vegan-organics, helps people find work experience on vegan-organic farms, holds local meetings and organises visits to vegan farms. VOT publishes Growing Green International, a magazine full of information and debate on crueltyfree growing and its ethical basis.

For details contact: Patrick Browne, VOT,161 Hamilton Rd, Longsight, Manchester M13 0PQ. veganorganic@riseup.net General enquiries to 0161 928 3614 website: www.veganorganic.net

DIET MATTERS Sandra Hood, BSc (Hons), SRD

I have arthritis and follow a glutenfree diet. What diet do you recommend?

Why are you following a gluten-free diet? Is this because you have coeliac disease, or because you have been recommended to follow such a diet?

You eat little fruit and I would strongly recommend that you include fruit, ideally fresh fruit, daily. This could be in the form of the whole fruit, juices or fruit smoothies. Fruit is rich in antioxidants shown to be low in people with arthritis.

Try to choose an olive oil based spread rather than sunflower or vegetable spreads. Getting the right balance of fatty acids is important. To ensure the right balance, I would recommend a teaspoon of flaxseed oil per day or two dessertspoons of rapeseed oil.

Seeds and nuts are important for various vitamins and minerals. Try to include a variety of nuts and seeds, e.g.

Brazil, hazel and cashew nuts; sesame seeds or tahini; pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

With regard to cakes, sweets or puddings - there is nothing wrong with including these ‘treats’ now and again.

They can be a useful source of energy and add to a varied and enjoyable diet.

I have an intolerance to dairy, wheat and nuts. Can I still eat a healthy vegan diet?

Yes, you can. However, because wheat is found in many foods, excluding this grain from your diet does take a little more thought. Instead of wheat, choose other grains such as barley, rice and quinoa. Nuts are a good form of protein, but other suitable choices are beans and seeds. There is protein, albeit traces, in everything you eat. The secret is to have a varied diet and choose from each of the following groups of food every day: Rice, grains and cereals Fruits and vegetables Beans, seeds (including soya, e.g. tofu) Fats and other essentials, e.g. olive oil, linseed oil, vitamin B12, kelp/seaweed.

I have a raised cholesterol level and my doctor has told me to improve my diet.

Do you have any suggestions?

Was this cholesterol result a one-off result or has your cholesterol been raised for a while?

The reason I ask is that total cholesterol fluctuates over the course of days or weeks so a diagnosis of high cholesterol should not be based on a single measurement. It is recommended that three separate cholesterol measurements are made before the diagnosis is confirmed.

Illness can also affect blood cholesterol. Total cholesterol is made up of different factors and cholesterol levels do increase with age so this should be taken into account.

The blood lipid (fat) reference ranges are

Total cholesterol LDL cholesterol HDL cholesterol Triglycerides

Normal reference range

Suggested ideal level

3.5-7.8 2.3-6.1 0.8-1.7 0.7-1.8

less than 5 less than 3 more than 1 less than 2.3

Blood lipid measures must not be interpreted on the basis of numbers alone but always in the context of overall cardiovascular (heart) disease risk. Therefore if your cholesterol reading is too high for you, the lifestyle changes that can help with reducing your cholesterol are as follows: n Increase soluble fibre, e.g. oats, beans and pulses, fruits and vegetables – usually plentiful in the vegan diet. n Reducing fats, i.e. saturated fats and trans fatty acids. Vegan diets are naturally low in saturated fat. Trans fatty acids are found in the majority of processed baked products, e.g. pastries, biscuits. Avoid fried foods. n Reducing cholesterol-containing foods – again vegan diets are low in cholesterol.

Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels. Try to include these regularly in your diet, e.g. walnuts, flaxseed oil, rapeseed oil. n Eat plenty of wholegrains and fruits and vegetables – the vegan diet! Avoid processed foods such as white pastry, white bread and biscuits. n Exercise is important. Regular exercise has been shown to reduce cholesterol. Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes, five times per week. n Weight – keeping your weight to within normal levels. Being overweight is linked with raised cholesterol.

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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Reviews Andy Lawson and Tony Bishop-Weston

The Animals Diary 2005

by Mark Gold Publishers: Jon Carpenter Publishing ISBN: 1-89766-90-4 Cover price: £5 It’s that time of year again; you’re buying a diary for yourself, or perhaps as a gift for a loved one. The Animals Diary offers something a little more thought provoking than most, containing all sorts of historic dates, as well as events of interest to vegans for the coming year. If that weren’t enough, every facing page has interesting quotes or information, or even a delicious Linda Majlik recipe. Put it on your desk at work and let everyone know you care about animals.

The Low-Carb Vegetarian

by Margo DeMello Publishers: Book Publishing Company ISBN: 1-570671-67-2 Cover price: $12.95 In this vegetarian Fatkins alternative, the author gives an excellent overview of most of the trendy new low carb diets, following her weight watcher's epiphany with the 'Zone Diet'.

The Zone Diet offers a meat-free alternative for vegans by way of 'The Soy Zone'. However, Margo argues that the official recipes are uninspired and not varied enough for a long-term diet. She offers 159 pages of creative high-protein recipes to compliment the original book.

For those looking for some high-protein recipes it's a good start, but it is quite clearly written for an American audience and a little short on nutritional back-up.

There are some very over-simplistic statements such as ‘omega 6 is bad for the heart’ and ‘fat fills you up’. It would also benefit from adding in some additional protein sources such as quinoa, nuts and seeds, and some omega 3 rich foods. There was not nearly enough broccoli for a lad that likes his green vegetables, although there is an innovative use of cauliflower for a bulgar / tabouleh type recipe. There is an over reliance on soya-based meat substitutes, many of which I suspect would contain egg, and I think too much of anything is to be avoided.

It's great to see someone tackling the Atkins gravy train head on with some practical solutions for those who just can't see through the hype.

Tony Bishop-Weston Food Wars: The Global Battle for Mouths, Minds and Markets

by Tim Lang and Michael Heasman Publishers: Earthscan ISBN: 1-85383-702-4 Cover Price: £19.99 This long-awaited exposition of the mechanisms that define what, where, when and how we eat, arrives at some rather surprising conclusions. The book sets out to show the policy decisions, in terms of health, food, and planning, that combine to shape our diets and lifestyles, and is a goldmine in terms of useful statistics. However, where the arguments lead depends on a few key assumptions that are not adequately extrapolated. The exposition of the current crisis we find ourselves heading towards is presented succinctly, juxtaposing economic, environmental and health concerns so as to give a clear insight into the various forces vying for control of food policy.

Lang and Heasman do this by setting up the current state of affairs as being the result of a worldview, or paradigm, based around a perceived need to produce ever larger quantities, so as to illustrate the underlying assumptions behind food production at present. They argue that the current problems can only be solved by switching to a new paradigm, and to this end they suggest two alternative approaches, one based on giving sovereignty to scientific development, and one based on ecological needs.

These are then considered as the only possible options if we are to move forward. Unfortunately, no move is made to explore an alternative, or to find a synthesis of the two approaches.

More disappointingly from a vegan perspective, the authors do not follow their arguments about the need for sustainable food production, and the health risks of meat and dairy products, to what would seem to be their natural conclusion. This is a pity as all the statistics to support a switch to a vegan diet are presented, but can possibly be attributed to the authors’ very rigid

method of analysis. As a source of facts and data about the food industry and its ramifications, this book is invaluable, but it also serves as a reminder that facts and statistics alone do not determine the conclusions of an argument, which is particularly important when trying to convince people of the benefits of veganism.

Andy Lawson VEGETARIAN GUIDES Vegetarian Britain 2005 edited by Alex Bourke Publishers: VegetarianGuides ISBN: 1-902259-06-8 Cover price: £9.95 Vegetarian London 2005 edited by Alex Bourke Publishers: Vegetarian Guides ISBN: 1-902259-05-X Cover price: £6.95 (both available from the Vegan Society – www.vegansociety.com/shop) The 2005 editions of the indispensable, best selling Vegetarian Britain and Vegetarian London are here, and are more comprehensive and easier to use than ever.

With over 400 restaurants, an impressive 300 wholefood shops, and a further 100 hotels, hostels and guesthouses, the new edition of Vegetarian Britain also includes many more maps and directions than before. Indexed in a total of five different ways - whether you want to search by area, type of food or whether a place is exclusively vegan - it is always easy to find just what you are after.

The 5th edition of Vegetarian London covers over 200 restaurants and cafés, 100 of them exclusively vegetarian, and a further 150 health food stores, as well as listing the locations of fruit & veg stalls, and animal-free cosmetics shops. New ‘Top 5’ lists help with choosing, and ‘hotspots’ let you know where the most veggie-friendly areas are, meaning that planning a trip to the Big Smoke becomes quite literally, a piece of cake.

Armed with these books, you should never be lost for a place to eat or stay, whether you are in the capital or anywhere else across the country.

Andy Lawson The Vegan l Winter 2004

31

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

PROMOTION COULD NOT BE EASIER...

Our group started in essence in March this year. The Birmingham Vegetarians and Vegans (BVV) started with just a handful of people and has now probably seen around eighty individuals and we regularly get around 20 people per monthly meeting.

One big reason for a good turnout has been down to the promotion of the group through the Vegan Society.

I contacted Patricia Tricker who gave me a couple of standard letters that I then changed around to suit our message and information. The Vegan Society then mailed this out to everyone within the catchment area of the postcodes we

requested, with a covering letter. This method meant that data protection was honoured by the society.

If it has been a while since you have, then consider the service again with an update on how your group is doing.

To date I have had 31 responses and this has had an impact on the group. It's not just about reaching out to offer help to those who need it but it is also about what help some people can offer the group.

These skill sets have varied from secretarial to computer work amongst others and these play an important role in developing our group.

For almost every one of the 31 responses I've received, each person has put our details forward to people that are not listed with the Vegan Society.

If you have set up a group and have not utilised this service then I totally recommend that you consider doing so.

THE FREY ELLIS LECTURE Thank you for the superb Frey Ellis lecture at King's College.

I recently took part in a vegan B12 survey at King's which identified several weak areas in my vegan diet.

Stephen Walsh's lecture was balanced, well researched and eloquently argued -he just got better and better; indeed, during the questions at the end he was still expanding his argument.

Well done. I'm off out now to buy a big bottle of flaxseed oil. Thank you, Stephen, and good on the Vegan Society Greg Lucas by email

So please - get typing and contact Patricia through patricia@p-m-t.freeserve.co.uk Kind regards, Frank Thunder.

Local vegan contact for Birmingham.

Submissions for Postbag should be addressed to the editor and sent to: ‘Postbag’, The Vegan, Donald Watson House, 7 Battle Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 7AA. Alternatively, letters can be emailed to editor@vegansociety.com (please state ‘Postbag’ in the subject line).

CORRECTIONS TO THE VEGAN AUTUMN 2004 The Vagen?

I thought I was reading The Grauniad rather than The Vegan last issue (Autumn, 2004). My article on page 19 should have started with Arthur Pendragon back ‘to raise up Ray Street of the Meirion Mill.’ (No racing up hill!).

Laurence Main

Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight In the table on page 15, the figures in two of the columns - Fibre (grams per 100 grams) and Energy (calories per 100 grams) – were printed the wrong way round. Thanks to everyone who pointed this out.

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Membership / Renewal

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

I wish to renew my membership.

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

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

Postcode:........................................Tel:..........................................................email:..................................................................

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

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

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

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

A copy of the Society’s rules (Memo & Articles of Association) can be viewed on our website or at our office. Alternatively you may buy

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

a copy for £5.

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

Membership

How to pay Individual £21

* Less £7 low-income deduction (if applicable) ** Add £7 per additional household member Memo & Articles of Association £5 Overseas: Europe +£5 / Rest of World +£7 Payment may be made by credit card, sterling International money order or sterling cheque drawn on a British bank.

Donation Total:

21

Cheque / PO payable to The Vegan Society Credit / Debit card (enter details below) Direct Debit (phone for details) Website: www.vegansociety.com Please debit my Visa / Mastercard Access / Eurocard / Visa Delta

ccccccccccccccccccc

Connect / Switch / Solo card number

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

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

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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LOCAL GROUPS NEWS There is no formal Vegan Society affiliation. Any group can be listed but it must obvious from the name that it is for vegans and not just vegetarians and the contact person must be a full member of the Vegan Society. Please let the Local Contacts’ Coordinator (details on facing page) know if you wish to start a group and of any groups omitted. Those listed for the first time have ** before their name.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

events Updated diaries and events information can be viewed at www.veggies.org.uk, www.veganlondon.freeserve.co.uk, www.worldveganday.org and www.veganvillage.co.uk

n NOVEMBER Saturday 20th Liverpool Xmas Without Cruelty Fair Blackburne House, Hope Street, Liverpool. 11am to 5pm. Films, poetry, bands, vegan bar & buffet. Crèche provided.

A day of remembrance to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Jill Phipps, tragically crushed under the wheels of a livestock transporter while protesting against the live export of calves at Coventry Airport.

wwwjillsday2005.co.uk

n DECEMBER Sunday 5th Xmas Without Cruelty Fayre, London Kensington Town Hall, Hornton Street, London W8 .

10am to 5pm. Stalls, vegan catering, celebrity auction.

Contact Animal Aid T. 01732 364546 ext. 26, email info@animalaid.org.uk http://www.animalaid.org.uk Friday 10th International Animal Rights Day Contact Uncaged Campaigns email info@uncaged.co.uk, www.uncaged.co.uk Saturday 11th Sheffield Cruelty-Free Fair Houlden Hall, Sheffield City Centre. 10am to 4pm.

Contact Sheffield Vegan Society T. 0114 258 8869, email info@sheffieldvegansociety.org.uk, www.sheffieldvegansociety.org.uk Saturday 11th East Midlands Vegan Festival The Council House, Old Market Square, Nottingham. email veganfestival@veggies.org.uk

n FEBRUARY Saturday 5th Jill’s Day 2005 Coventry Central Hall, 10am.

Monday 14th Vegan Valentines Love to people, animals and the environment. Get jiggy with some of that Plamil vegan chocolate body paint.

Cook a romantic meal or chocolate fondue for your friends or have a romantic vegan meal at your nearest veggie restaurant. See www.worldveganday.org for more.

n MARCH Animal Aid Veggie Month T. 01732 364546 www.animalaid.org.uk Thursday 17th – Friday 18th "From Darwin to Dawkins: The Science and Implications of Animal Sentience" – international conference Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London.

Speakers to include renowned primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace. Contact CIWF Trust T. 01962 793003, email ciwftrust@ciwf.co.uk, www.ciwf.org

n JUNE Saturday 18th Birmingham Vegan Festival The Academy, Dale End, Birmingham.

Contact Realfood T. 0845 458 0146 email: info@realfood.org.uk www.realfood.org.uk

LOCAL CONTACTS

NEWS

This year, after three years on Council, I decided not to stand for reelection. However I was delighted when the new Trustees agreed that I could continue to be Local Contacts’ Coordinator for the time being. So I shall still be dealing with anything to do with Local Contacts and Groups and it is still me you should contact (not the Office) if you want to become a Local Contact or want help with starting a Group, or if you want an existing Group to be listed in the magazine and on the website or want more publicity for your Group by means of a mailout to all Vegan Society members and sympathizers in your area.

The easiest way to get in touch is still by e-mail, and please remember if you need to ring then the best time is after 7.15 pm.

Please check the listings regularly to find out if there are any new Local Contacts or Groups near you or in an area you’re likely to be visiting. We have four new Groups since the last magazine, bringing the total to 65, and 97 Local Contacts.

I know from some of your mail that there is some confusion between Local and Group Contacts. Local Contacts have been full members of the Society for at least a year and have agreed to have their details published in the magazine and on the website so that they can act as a link between members (and interested non-members) and the Society. They don’t need to be experts on any aspects of either veganism or the work of the Society since they’re free to pass enquiries on to me or the Office. Local Contacts do not have to run a Group! Details of what Local Contacts can or may do are available from me and from the website, as are application forms.

Group Contacts are full members of the Society who have agreed to have their details published in the magazine and on the website so that they can act as a link between their local group and the Society. They may be, but do not have to be, Local Contacts. There is no application form to complete; I just need their details (not all of which need to be published) and membership number and the name of the group they represent.

The Northants Vegans Group Contact has stood down and John Wakefield in Exmouth would like to stand down as Local Contact as soon as a replacement can be found, so please let me know if you’d like to take over in either of those areas.

There are several vegan festivals coming up, not just Xmas without Cruelty in Kensington on 5 December but Liverpool on 20 November and Nottingham on 11 December, and there’ll be plenty of vegan food at the Peace & Craft Fair in Saltaire on 27 November.

Semi-finally I’d like to give a blatant plug to a new e-mail chatlist for veggies and vegans living between the Humber and the Tees, from Spurn to Settle and from Mexborough to Middlesbrough – to subscribe just send a blank e-mail to yorksvegsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Finally I’d like to thank not only Stephen Walsh, Vanessa Clarke and the Birmingham Group for making the September Activists’ Day such a success, but in particular our Rugby Local Contact, Andrea Elson.

Patricia Tricker National Local Contacts’ Coordinator

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VEGAN SOCIETY LOCAL CONTACTS Note: Local Contacts are Vegan Society members who have offered to act, on a voluntary basis, as a point of contact for those interested in the Society's work. They are not official representatives of the Society.

Their levels of activity and knowledge may vary according to their individual circumstances.

When writing to a Contact please remember to enclose a SAE. Local Contacts' Coordinator: Patricia Tricker - see under Yorkshire (North)

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

LISTINGS Patrons Serena Coles Freya Dinshah Maneka Gandhi Dr. Michael Klaper Arthur Ling Moby Cor Nouws Wendy Turner-Webster Donald Watson Benjamin Zephaniah Council Jay Ashra Alex Bourke (Chair) Cynthia Boruch (Co-Vicechair) Chris Childe Vanessa Clarke Laurence Klein (Hon Treasurer) Laurence Main Ian Nicoll Karin Ridgers George Rodger (Co-Vicechair) Patricia Tricker Stephen Walsh (Deputy Treasurer) Temporary National Local Contacts Co-ordinator Patricia M. Tricker STAFF Chief Executive Officer Kostana Azmi Bookkeeper / PA Jody Hazell Media and PR / Events Officer Vacant Information and Editorial Catriona Toms Information Assistant Andrew Lawson Interim Trademark and Business Development Officer Susan Kerry-Bedell Membership & Sales Officer Sundari Poorun Membership & Sales Assistant Peter Richardson Sales Assistant John Rawden Office Systems Manager Dave Palmer Domestic Assistant Carol Young Volunteers Michaela Altman (proofreader) Erica Wilson Dietary Consultant Sandra Hood

VEGANISM may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals 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, animal milks, honey, and their derivatives.

Abhorrence of the cruel practices inherent in an agricultural system based on the abuse of animals is probably the single most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are drawn to it for health, ecological, resource, spiritual and other reasons.

If you would like more information on veganism a free Information Pack is available from the Vegan Society in exchange for two first class stamps.

THE VEGAN SOCIETY was formed in England in November 1944 by a group of vegetarians who had recognised the ethical compromises implicit in lacto-vegetarianism (ie dairy dependent). Today, the Society continues to highlight the breaking of the strong maternal bond between the cow and her new-born calf within just four days; the dairy cow’s proneness to lameness and mastitis; her subjection to an intensive cycle of pregnancy and lactation; our unnatural and unhealthy taste for cow’s milk; and the de-oxygenation of river water through contamination with cattle slurry.

If you are already a vegan or vegan sympathiser, please support the Society and help increase its influence by joining. Increased membership means more resources to educate and inform.

The Vegan l Winter 2004

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CLASSIFIEDS (UK) HOLIDAY

DEVON

LANCASHIRE

ACCOMMODATION

WALES ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY B&B and RETREATS. Magical Victorian country house, natural carpets and paints, vegan organic meals, overlooking stunning coastal conservation area. Easy for public transport. South West Wales.

01267 241999 www.heartspring.co.uk

CORNWALL

PEMBROKESHIRE. A warm welcome & good food (exclusively Veg/Vegan) in modern bungalow. Close to Newgale beach. Coastal paths to explore.

Green Haven B&B - Tel. 01437 710756 DEVON (Lydford) S/C for N/S visitors at VEGFAM’s HQ. SAE to ‘The Sanctuary’, nr Lydford, Okehampton EX20 4AL. Tel/Fax 01822 8202003

SCOTLAND

CUMBRIA

SNOWDONIA restored railway station overlooking vale of Ffestiniog. Selfcatering, sleeps up to 6. Children, pet and wheelchair friendly. Tel 01766 590233 CARDIGAN BAY, West Wales, 18th Century self catering cottage on non working farm, sleeps five. Discount to Vegan Society readers. Tel: 01239 811423. www.bwthynbarri.co.uk

DORSET

TRADITIONAL SELF-CATERING ACCOMMODATION and Bed & Breakfast, situated on Pembrokeshire coast path with spectacular cliffs & wildlife, including seals and choughs. Excellent vegan and vegetarian cooking. Tel 01437 721677 www.sheepdogtraining.co.uk MACHYNLLETH B&B. Relax in our WTB 4Star bungalow overlooking the Dyfi valley and enjoy delicious organic veg/vegan breakfasts. Spectcular scenery - coast nearby. Secure parking.

01654 702562

MY HOME IS YOUR HOME Bed and Breakfast. Country cottage bedroom. Plenty of scrumptious veggie/vegan food. Food lovers and cat lovers especially welcome! Cockermouth Town Centre, Cumbria 01900 824045 £35 per couple £20 per person

HAMPSHIRE NEW FOREST Veg*n guest house (“The Barn”) - Perfect for walking, cycling etc.

B&B from £24pppn - ensuite, n/s evening meals. 023 8029 2531 or www.veggiebarn.net

ISLE OF WIGHT

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

SUSSEX

SOUTH WEST WALES tranquillity, natural beauty and friendliness. Self-catering cottages only metres from sandy beach and lovely walks. Heated outdoor swimming pool and excellent facilities.

Eco-friendly owners. Tel 01267 241654 www.innisfreeholidays.co.uk

DISCOUNT CARD

This card entitles the bearer to discounts at a range of outlets, restaurants and hotels.

A full list of discounts is available from The Vegan Society.

YORKSHIRE NORTH YORKSHIRE Comfortable, homely, exclusively vegetarian/vegan B&B from £17 p.p./p.n. at Prospect Cottage situated in Ingleton village. Wonderful walking country. Tel: 015242 41328 WHITBY B&B FALCON GUESTHOUSE. Vegan/vegetarian Quiet location, seven minutes’ walk from centre and harbour.

Lounge and sunny breakfast room.

Teamaking facilities. No smoking throughout. Ample breakfast, with organic fare. £18 p.p.p.n. (for couple).

Tel 01947 603507

DECEMBER 2004 UNTIL

FEBRUARY 2005

Ref: REA 004 EATING OUT FREE SAMPLES! Animal free, dairy free, creamy shakes for children and adults.

Tel: 07957 958058 (24 hours) email: soyasample@soyashakes.com with name and address

PUBLICATIONS

ABROAD

ANIMALS LAMENT - The Prophet Denounces! The voice of Truth. Free 160 page booklet at : The Word, PO Box 5643, 97006 Wurzburg Germany. ISBN 1-890841-20-x www.universal-life.cc

KERALA, SOUTH INDIA a vegan’s paradise.

Tours, accommodation including selfcatering. Brochure: Tel: 01892 722440, Voice Mail/Fax: 01892 724913.

E-mail: info@keralaconnect.co.uk Website: www.keralaconnect.co.uk

THE MURDER of Animals is the Death of Humans. Free booklet: The Word, PO Box 5643, 97006 Wurzburg, Germany. www.universal-life.cc

WEST CORK self catering apartments for singles,couples and families in peaceful wooded surroundings. Organic vegetables, bread & vegan wholefoods available. Reasonable rates. Green Lodge, Trawnamadree, Ballylickey, Bantry, Co Cork, Ireland. Tel. 003532766146 email gnlodge@iolfree.ie web:http://homepage.eircom.net/~greenlodge or Text 353861955451

PYRENEES: Vegan B+B, dble room w/shower and organic brek: 40 euros per couple per night , incl breakfast. Contact: Sue or Trev, Le Guerrat, 09420 Rimont, France.

Web: http://vegan.port5.com/flashvegangite2.html

THE VEGAN VALID FROM

REFERENCE CODE

HOLIDAYS

ALPUJARRAS - ANDALUCIA Attractive townhouse. Garage, roof terrace.

Excellent views, birds, walks. Wholefood shops and restaurants serving veggie food in town. Sleeps 2 - 6. From £230 pw.

Available all year. Tel:01736 753555.

DISCOUNT CARD

MISCELLANEOUS GREEN/DIY FUNERALS Eco-friendly inexpensive coffins, memorial treeplanting. Please send £1 in unused stamps with A5 size 33p SAE to Box 328 DON’T LET you or your pet suffer! Beat aches and pains with Bioflow. No pills no drugs. Featured in press and on television. Money back guarantee. Call for information pack : 07957 758058 24 hours. Independent distributor.

PERSONAL MALE VEGAN 36. Scottish vegan tattooed, lonely, sensitive into motorbikes, nature. Have a job, cat, mortgage.

Looking for serious relationship with a girl, non-smoking, honest. No users please. Caring vegan/veggie, London

GROWING ECO-FRIENDLY vegan-raw community with land in Southern Spain seeks new members and ethical investors.

Contact Veronica or Gaura Ecoforest, Apdo 29, Coin 2910, Malaga, Spain. info@ecoforest.org and www.ecoforest.org 60ish MALE seeks vegan/veggie singles/couples to share naturist beach holidays in sunny climes (winter or summer).

Driver, non smoker, reasonably fit.

FOOD TEMPEH KITS – it’s so easy and cheap to make this PERFECT protein food for vegans at home. Kits comprise enough starter for 10.5kg finished tempeh PLUS a colour instruction/recipe book - £15. Call Polly at PHYTOFOODS – 01547 510242

COSMETICS

KINDNESS UNLIMITED. The international network for vegan/vegetarian Christians.

Those still searching may join the SEEKERS group. Membership of our correspondence and email groups is free.

For details write to KU, The Old Vicarage, LLangynog, Carmarthen SA33 5BS or

SOUTH WEST FRANCE gate house to Domaine. Large gardens, forest, suit couple with child. 20 mins from Carcassonne Airport. Transport essential.

Close to mountains and sea. £200 weekly.

Tel/Fax 00334 68605166 Vegan owners. www.ahouseinfrance.net SPACIOUS, BEAUTIFULLY renovated, well-equipped, sleeps 3-6. Large garden, rugged landscape. Secluded locatin in village with all amenities, 35 minutes Perpignan airport. 0044 (0) 151 932 9262

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CLASSIFIEDS DISCOUNT CARD

FINANCE

Vegan but still sick? Health and nutritional consultations and iridology by Dr Gina Shaw. Correspondence course in natural health, health magazine and books, etc. www.vibrancy.homestead.com/pageone.html.

people

Donald Watson House 7 Battle Road St. Leonards on Sea East Sussex TN37 7AA

animals

environment

Tel: 0845 45 88244 Fax: 01424 717064 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

UNSECURED LOANS. Mortgages, Remortgages, right-to-buy. Self-certification up to 90% - with without accounts. Buyto-let specialists. Purchase 100% and negative equity, 95% cash-back. Email info@circle-finance.co.uk or telephone www.circle-finance.co.uk

THE VEGAN DISCOUNT CARD

To place a personal ad please send your wording (max 35 words) and £6 payment, specifying in which section you would like your ad to appear.

Please add £2 if you would like a box number.

Commercial advertisers should phone 01424 448822 or email adverts@vegansociety.com for assistance and rates.

PRACTIONERS VEGAN NUTRITION. London based Yvonne Bishop-Weston BSc DipION MBANT offers vegan nutritional therapy and consultancy.

Pre conceptual care, pregnancy, weight loss and food intolerances.

ARTICLES AND ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY FEBRUARY 11 2005 FOR INCLUSION IN THE SPRING ISSUE OF THE VEGAN

CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE: Advertisements are accepted subject to their satisfying the condition that the products advertised are entirely free from ingredients derived from animals; that neither products nor ingredients have been tested on animals; and that the content of such ads does not promote, or appear to promote, the use of non-vegan commodities. Books, records, tapes, etc. mentioned in advertisements should not contain any material contrary to vegan principles. Advertisements may be accepted from catering establishments that are not run on exclusively vegan lines, provided that vegan meals are available and that the wording of such ads reflects this.

ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly, darkhaired/eyed Bristol female, 43, 5ft 8ins, youthful, many interests, GSOH, vegetarian aspiring vegan. Keen allotment holder, animal lover. Seeks intelligent gentleman soulmate with energy and ethics for mutually inspiring fun times.

TALL, SLIM, attractive, mainly vegan male, 52, tt. Three bedroom house, secure job.

Likes running, fitness, remote British islands. Christian. Seeks female. Two (non-resident) children, vegetarian daughter 11, son 6, so single mums particularly welcome.

FEMALE, 34, VEGAN, Bristol. Attractive, kind, caring. Interests include nature, wildlife, travel, cooking, films, music.

Seeks veggie/vegan male for possible relationship. Also seeks veggie/vegan friends.

Box Numbers When replying to a box number address your envelope as follows: Box no. ___, The Vegan Society, Donald Watson House, 7 Battle Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN37 7AA HUMAN WRITES is a non-profit humanitarian organisation offering support to death row prisoners through letter writing. Please make someone’s life better with your letters. For details, SAE to: 343a Carlton Hill, Carlton, Nottingham, NG4 1JE. Thanks!

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The Vegan l Winter 2004

ACCOMMODATION ROOM TO LET, vegan household, non smoker preferred. Must like animals as I have dogs, cats. Phone Ros for a chat if interested.

Ramsgate area.

OPPORTUNITIES VEGFAM Admin Volunteer (tt, n-s, vegan) live-in at Devon HQ (sm+c considered).

Please write for details - see main advert.

12ft Mobile Catering Trailer suitable Vegan/Vegetarian catering for sale. New March 2004. Little used. Potato oven, Cooker, Hob, 2 Boilers, 3 Sinks, Fridge, Freezer, Drinks Chiller. Many extras.

Security coded. £10,500 ono.

POETRY COMPETITION The Prize Crossword is on holiday!

Solution to The Vegan Prize Crossword

37 CONGRATULATIONS to the Winner Nicole Troclet of Truro, Cornwall, who wins a Vegan Society ‘Vegan 4 the Animals’ t-shirt’

LIMERICKS A man from the county of Cornwall bought a garment made from newly shorn wool.

He found every stitch made his whole body itch, and never again has he worn wool.

Anonymous

There once was a vegan called Joe whose cholesterol levels were low; he was just the right weight on the foods that he ate and his conscience had a really nice glow.

Jon Fitter

Competition To encourage our readers to get creative, we’re running a vegan limerick competition.

Every entrant will receive one of our new vegan soaps, and those that make us smile will be published in the next issue.

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The Vegan l Winter 2004