2021 Issue 1
£3.00
VEGAN FROM BIRTH
Experiences of lifelong vegans
GREAT BRITISH VEGAN
Recipes from Aimee Ryan
MARKET NEWS
Rise of the plant-based sector
Editor’s letter and contents
EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to the first edition of 2021! Our feature article focuses on those who are in the lucky position of having been vegan since birth. Written by Kaya Gromocki, who was raised vegan herself, it is a fascinating insight into the highs and lows of lifelong veganism. In this edition you can also find an interview with the wonderful Quinnie Cook-Richardson, who has been vegan for over 30 years. Quinnie shares some of her experiences of living as a Black vegan in the US, reflecting on the challenges and triumphs she has had, and looking at how the vegan scene
has changed in Atlanta, Georgia, over the past three decades. I am excited to share three recipes from a new cookbook, Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan of wallflowerkitchen.com. As always, if you make any of these recipes please do write in and let us know. You could be in with a chance of winning our Star Letter prize! As ever, keep reading for updates on Vegan Society news, volunteers, new trademarked products and much more.
Elena Orde, Editor
CONTENTS 03
Highlights
06
In the news
08
Vegan from birth
Essential updates on Vegan Society news
The Vegan Society in the press
Kaya Gromocki interviews lifelong vegans
13
Recipes
19
Market News
22
Membership
25
Reviews
from Great British Vegan
The growth of the plant-based food sector
Including information on the AGM
The Invisible Vegan and Manifesto
27
Nutrition
28
Volunteers
33
Challenges and triumphs
08
Supporting new vegans
Volunteer Hub plus Volunteer of the Season
An interview with Quinnie Cook-Richardson
37
Fundraising
38
Shoparound
40
Buy online
41
Events
13
Supporting The Vegan Society
New products to look out for
The latest books and merchandise
19
What’s going on across the UK
Issue 1 2021 The Vegan | 1
From the CEO Editor Elena Orde Designer Violeta Pereira Print gemini-print.co.uk Staff CEO George Gill Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research, Interim CEO Louise Davies Head of Communications Sam Calvert Director of Business Development Chantelle Adkins Research and Policy Advisor Amanda Baker Communications Manager Danielle Saunders Senior Supporter Services Coordinator Stephen Sanders Supporter Services Coordinator Kaya Gromocki, Harriet Macintosh Senior Web Officer Adam Duncan Digital Content Officer Jen Jones Web Officer Hayley Kinnear Senior Communications and Campaigns Officer Elena Orde Graphic Designer Violeta Pereira Media and PR Officer Francine Jordan Fundraising and Partnerships Manager Ruby Jones Campaigns Manager Mark Banahan Campaigns and Policy Officers Sabrina Ahmed, Tim Thorpe Insight and Commercial Policy Officer Louisianna Waring Office Manager Kat Anderson Sales and Merchandise Manager Dave Nicholson Sales and Merchandise Officer Hannah Trimble Head of Business Development Steve Hamon Trademark Team Manager Allison Timmins Trademark Team Leader Katharina Eist Deputy Trademark Managers Ella Marshall, Natacha Rodrigues Trademark Account Manager Lisa Williams Trademark Account Assistant Shamara Richards Business Development Officers Sheridan Rudge, Gabriela Chalkia, Sophie Glenn, Zoe Lomas, John Andrews, Caroline Bolton, Cheryl Pierpoint, Katarzyna Petruk, Serin Price Business Development Assistant Chloe Edwards Business Development Marketing Manager Ericka Durgahee Trademark Events and Communications Officer Neneh Buswell Business Development Brand Marketing Officer Nishat Rahman Business Development and Marketing Officer Beth Dandy Finance Manager Clare Straughan Finance Officers Allan Oakes, Emily Austin Research Officer Dr Lorna Brocksopp Dietitians Heather Russell, Andrea Rymer Vegan Rights Advocate Dr Jeanette Rowley
FROM THE CEO Firstly, I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy 2021. May this year see us tackle the pandemic and return to a safer life, with more scope for togetherness with those we care about the most. I have some personal news to share in that my time at The Vegan Society is drawing to an end. Having started as Head of Business Development in 2009 and finishing off in my position as Chief Executive Officer, I am proud of what I have contributed to achieving over the past 11 years, in helping to transform our presence, profile, size and impact. We have great trademark visibility, more members than ever and have developed an international profile reflecting the growing interest and motivation to embrace our vegan movement. I feel that I am leaving The Vegan Society having developed a strong and able team, and with more orchestrated and efficient campaigns than ever before. Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research Louise Davies will very capably be holding the position of Interim CEO until we complete the recruitment process. I want to take this opportunity to thank council, staff, members and volunteers for all of their support and wish you all every success moving forwards. The society has big plans for 2021 and I look forward to seeing them come into fruition.
George Gill, CEO
Staff updates Steve Hamon has joined us in the role of Head of Business Development. Allison Timmins is now Trademark Team Manager. We have a new Trademark Account Assistant, Shamara Richards, and a new Business Development Assistant, Chloe Edwards. We have expanded our nutrition services, with Andrea Rymer joining us as our second staff Dietitian. Our new Media and PR Officer Francine Jordan joined the society at the end of last year. Harriet Macintosh has also joined us as our new Supporter Services Coordinator, assisting in the Membership Team. Communications Manager Danielle Saunders has left the society to focus on her family and family business. She has been an enormous asset and we wish her all the best.
Council Robb Masters (Chair) Eshe Kiama Zuri (Vice-Chair) David Gore (Treasurer) Stephen Walsh, Jenifer Vinell, Salim Akbar, Ali Ryland, Joel Bravette, Michele Fox, Sally Anderson. The views expressed in The Vegan do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of The Vegan Society Council. Nothing printed should be construed to be The Vegan Society’s policy unless so stated. The society accepts no liability for any matter in the magazine. The acceptance of advertisements (including inserts) does not imply endorsement.
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Donald Watson House 34–35 Ludgate Hill Birmingham, UK B3 1EH
0121 523 1730 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com
© The Vegan Society Registered Charity No. 279228 (England and Wales) and SC049495 (Scotland)
Printed on recycled paper
Highlights
HIGHLIGHTS
The Future Normal campaign video has exceeded over one million total views
Future Normal In November we ran the first ever Vegan Society TV advert. The advert featured the Future Normal campaign film, which encourages viewers to look back on how they viewed animals when they were children, and to remember those feelings of compassion, regardless of species. The advert ran on Sky on Demand and All 4 alongside nature, documentary and entertainment shows. Thank you to everyone who has donated to Future Normal and helped us to reach even more people. We are relaunching Future Normal very soon, so keep an eye out on our social media channels for plenty of new resources to share and visit futurenormal.org.uk to keep up with the latest developments.
Live Vegan for Less
In 2020 we launched Live Vegan for Less, our campaign to support those following a vegan lifestyle who find themselves
living on a budget or facing food poverty. We put together a hub for resources on our website at vegansociety.com/liveveganforless, where you can find budget recipes, tips, infographics and more. At the end of 2020 we partnered with Sustainable Kitchen Consultants, a team of chefs who specialise in healthy plantbased recipe development, on a series of delicious budgetfriendly recipe videos. These recipes made use of healthy and affordable staples such as oats, lentils and chickpeas, also focusing on using seasonal produce and showing how to avoid food waste.
VegAPPG The Vegan Society is a co-sponsor of the vegAPPG, the AllParty Parliamentary Group for vegan and vegetarian issues. In December we held an online event entitled ‘Is food security an issue for vegetarians and vegans?’ The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life”. During the pandemic, issues around access to food have become more widespread, including governmentprovided food parcels that did not cater for specific dietary needs. The event was chaired by Christina Rees MP. Speakers included Nathaniel Harper from Worthing Vegan Food Bank, Jen Elford from The Vegetarian Society and Yasmine ElGabry from V for Life. You can find the video stream at shorturl.at/lS079. Keep up to date with the vegAPPG at vegappg.org.uk.
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Highlights
We’re delighted that so many people took advantage of our Youth Membership offer
Youth membership We have been working to improve accessibility to our membership for those who would like to support our work. As part of this, in the autumn we launched our new Youth Membership, open to vegans and vegan-curious people aged 25 and under. For a limited time, new members within this age range could sign up for just £5 for their first year. We are pleased to say that many of you took us up on this offer and purchased memberships for yourselves or as gifts to friends or family members. All new Youth Members were given the option to be entered into a prize draw for the chance to win a chocolate hamper from Moo Free Chocolates. Thank you to Moo Free Chocolates for supplying an amazing prize!
Website updates Several of our webpages have been revamped recently, making the experience of visiting the website much more user-friendly. The Vegan Trademark webpages have been given a makeover and it is now much easier for companies to take the first steps to register their products. In 2021 we will focus on improving the trademark search function, simplifying the process of searching for products registered with our trademark.
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The new Vegan Trademark area of he website
Visit vegansociety.com/campaigns to see our new and improved online campaigns hub, where you can stay up to date on all our latest initiatives and find out how you can get involved.
Catering for Everyone To further our Catering for Everyone campaign, we are working to secure manifesto commitments from various political parties taking part in devolved elections in May. We are also continuing to engage with individual councils to encourage them to include our campaign ask as part of their climate mitigation plans. The team is also working to develop a Continuing Professional Development course, to support health professionals in learning more about veganism.
Highlights
Nutrition outreach Dietitian Heather Russell delivered a webinar organised by MyNutriWeb to over 700 health and nutrition professionals about person-centred practice in relation to veganism and vegan diets. Heather also gave an online lecture on veganism and plant-based diets to Solent University students. We delivered kitchen skills training to Birmingham City University student dietitians, who came away from the session with more knowledge about plant-based food preparation. As we now have another staff dietitian on board at The Vegan Society, we are excited to expand the nutrition service and take on more outreach to educate health professionals and the general public about making the most of a vegan diet.
place unnecessary restrictions on the growing plant-based food market and inconvenience consumers looking to make more sustainable choices. After reviewing the evidence, the EU strongly rejected the proposed ban, deciding that consumers are not misled by vegan ‘meaty’ names.
However, conversations are ongoing about wording that compares plant-based items to dairy products such as ‘milk’ and ‘butter’. Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research Louise Davies said, “We are perplexed by this decision by MEPs who should be doing all they can to support the consumption of plant-based products to address the growing climate crisis.”
Grow Green ‘Burger ban’ proposal rejected The Vegan Society fed into the discussion around the proposed EU ban on ‘meaty’ language. We highlighted the fact that banning food producers from using traditional words such as ‘sausage’ and ‘burger’ on their products would
As part of the online political party conference season, we sponsored an event with SERA, the Labour Party’s environmental society. The event, Growing the Right Food Policy, resulted in a meeting with Daniel Zeichner, the Shadow Minister for Food, Farming and Fisheries, at which we met with industry experts and put forward ideas for transitioning UK agriculture towards producing more plant proteins.
The Grow Green campaign makes the case for a shift towards UK crop growing
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News
IN THE NEWS
Future Normal At the end of 2020 we ran our first ever TV advertising campaign, which went out on All 4 and Sky on Demand. The campaign garnered coverage in Plant Based News, which published an article titled ‘Pro-Vegan TV Ad Targeting Animal Lovers Exceeds 1 Million Views’. Campaigns Manager Mark Banahan spoke on BBC Radio Leeds, alongside Chef Day Radley, about the campaign. He shared the news that The Vegan Society gifted animal sanctuary adoptions to celebrities and those in the public eye, in a bid to encourage them to make the connection between the animals they love and care for and the animals they unthinkingly exploit in their everyday lives.
to see how delicious they can be. She added that we would like to see every precaution taken to ensure that the risk of cross-contamination is minimised. Elena was invited onto Talk Radio and BBC Radio Berkshire to discuss the story.
Expert nutrition comment A new Epic-Oxford report which raised potential concerns about the bone health of vegans resulted in Dietitian Heather Russell giving comments to the press. Heather stated that further research is warranted, but that vegans can follow recommended guidelines about protecting their bone health, including featuring calcium-rich foods such as calcium-set tofu and fortified milk and yoghurt alternatives in their diet. Several sources, including Farmers Weekly, cited Heather in their articles, resulting in more balanced pieces. Heather also fed into a feature on vegan parenting in Closer Vegan magazine and gave nutrition tips for those taking part in Veganuary on the Vegan Food and Living Podcast.
Best of the rest
New plant-based McDonald’s line The news that McDonald’s plans on launching a new plantbased line resulted in members of the press contacting us for comment. Senior Communications and Campaigns Officer Elena Orde shared the statement that The Vegan Society always welcomes the development of products that will encourage meat-eaters to try a plant-based alternative and
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Vegan Society staff regularly contribute articles to the Ecologist’s online magazine. In December, Insight and Commercial Policy Officer Louisianna Waring wrote a piece on the new Greenpeace campaign, which uses a bold animation to expose the truth about industrial animal farming and rainforest annihilation. You can find our regular Ecologist pieces at theecologist.org. We appeared on multiple TV news and comment segments about the EU’s decision to reject the proposal to ban terms such as ‘sausage’ and ‘burger’ on vegan products. Campaigns and Policy Officer Tim Thorpe appeared on the Jeremy Vine show in a piece entitled ‘When is a sausage not a sausage?’
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Henry and Oscar 8 | The Vegan Issue 1 2021
Feature
VEGAN FROM BIRTH By Kaya Gromocki Some people are lucky enough to have never eaten an animal product. I was raised vegan from birth and have often been under the impression that there aren’t many others like me. However, when we posted a call-out on social media asking for lifelong vegans to share their stories, I was pleasantly surprised to receive so many responses. To begin with, I spoke to Danielle Saunders, who was our Communications Manager here at The Vegan Society. Danielle and her partner Adam are raising their little boy Jonah as a vegan. At one year old he has never consumed any animal products.
Favourite foods Danielle and her partner own a vegan soul food restaurant in Coventry (Dirty Kitch), so Jonah has had lots of opportunities to try an exciting range of food. Danielle explained that he already has a mature palate. She says, “I don’t think we’ve come across a food Jonah doesn’t like yet. If I had to name a favourite, it would probably be something with lots of flavour and spices like a curry or chilli. He takes after us when it comes to his love of punchy flavours!” She also explains that cultural dishes are important to their family. “I try to make sure that Jonah is familiar with food that reflects his Caribbean heritage, like ackee served with greens or rice and peas.”
Most parents teach their children to be kind, so extending it to what we eat feels natural. Emily and her husband Kevin live in Hong Kong with their sons Henry, five, and Oscar who is 21 months old. Henry’s favourite meal is red lentil coconut dhal and rice. Oscar loves avocado, pasta and fruit. Emily frequently cooks refried bean quesadillas, mushroom lasagne, sushi, pumpkin mac ‘n’ cheese, Pad Thai and pizza for the boys. Emily says, “We are lucky in Hong Kong to have lots of little Buddhist vegetarian Chinese shops and restaurants, so we eat a lot of noodles, dumplings and spring rolls from there too.”
Early conversations I wanted to know about what sort of conversations Danielle
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and Adam imagine having with Jonah about veganism when he is older. As a vegan child I remember struggling with the way other children perceived animals. I loved them and my friends ate them. It was confusing. Danielle explains that Jonah is currently too young to understand concepts such as animal rights and environmental protection. “Until he’s old enough to understand, we will do our best to demonstrate that we live this way because it’s important to be kind. Most parents teach their children to be kind, so extending it to what we eat feels natural.” Danielle added that she wants Jonah to look at other beings (human and non-human) and respect their inherent right to live happily. “I hope by raising our child vegan, we manage to preserve the innocence and compassion he came into the world with.” For Emily, veganism feels very natural to her family. Since her children have been vegan since birth, veganism is normal to them. “When we talk about animals, we talk about taking care of them and letting them live instead of hurting them or killing them for food.” Emily echoed Danielle’s belief that loving animals comes naturally to children and that it is society that teaches them to suppress this, by telling them that eating animals is necessary. She adds, “My children find it strange that people would want to hurt or kill animals just to eat them – that is the difficult thing to explain. Not why we don’t eat animals, but why others do.” From the perspective of a vegan parent, it may be that there is something more wholesome about seeing their vegan child interact with other animals. Emily tells me how her children love to pat dogs they see outside and watch birds, wild boars, turtles and frogs they see on family hikes. “I love to see their compassion towards all creatures. Oscar kisses all of the pictures of cats in his books and waves to birds out of our 20th floor window!”
Friendships
I don’t think we’ve come across a food Jonah doesn’t like yet!
Jonah 10 | The Vegan Issue 1 2021
Those who are opposed to raising children in this way often argue that a vegan lifestyle will limit them socially. We know that a well-planned vegan diet is suitable for people of all ages, a fact that is supported by the British Dietetic Association, but what about friendships, school and social activities? From personal experience, I know that being vegan from birth can be socially isolating. You have a different world view from your peers, but you might not have the vocabulary or intellect to articulate or justify it. How can this be handled to ensure that vegan children feel able to continue with their lifestyle while participating in the same activities as their nonvegan peers?
Holly, her siblings and their children – all vegan from birth – her mother and her late grandmother
When I asked Danielle about her feelings on this topic, she explained that she is conscious of how Jonah’s perception of those around him will be shaped by him being a vegan. “I honestly don’t know how I’d answer a four-year-old if he were to ask why his school friend eats animals. I don’t want my child to carry the burden or frustration of feeling like the world doesn’t care.” Holly, a 34-year-old GP, her sister Wanda and brother Jasper were all raised vegan from birth and have been vegan all their lives. Between them, they have three vegan children. Holly says that when she and her siblings were younger, being vegan was unusual, but not challenging. She attributes this to her parents, who made a special effort to help their children fit in with their peers. Holly says, “My mum would find out what the other children were eating at parties and send us along with a box of our own version.” Holly explains that although she has come across those who have made fun of her diet, she has always been willing to answer their questions and has not pushed her point of view or given advice unless she was asked. She says, “I feel this is the best way to make a difference as people learn to respect me for who I am, and then start to take an interest over time.” This approach appears to have worked, as she comments that many of her friends have now become vegan or reduced their consumption of animal products. “I think there are lots of reasons for this, but I like to think that seeing me lead a normal and happy life as a vegan could be a part of it.” Emily’s experience of being a vegan parent in the present day is an example of the progress that has been made since Holly was a child. Her family have many vegan friends and so their children are often around people who also share the same beliefs. Although at school they may be the only ones
who don’t eat meat, they have a positive experience there too. “Henry attends a local kindergarten and they provide lunch and snacks. They also have ‘Green Mondays’ where the whole school eats vegetarian.” Emily started her own Facebook group for vegan parents, which now has over 1000 members. She and the other parents find this a useful space to discuss recipes, restaurants and parenting tips.
Changing attitudes Holly echoes this experience of changing attitudes. Since qualifying as a GP, she has seen the perception of a vegan diet shift towards a more positive and accurate public view. “I would never have had the confidence to recommend a vegan diet to a patient a few years ago. But the evidence now is so positive that now I feel able to do so. I feel privileged to be vegan from birth and in my line of work. I’m in a position to help people improve their health drastically while also reducing the slaughter of animals and impact on our planet.” To be vegan from birth is a unique experience. For me, it has meant never having to go through the consciousness shift of viewing animals as my food to seeing them as sentient beings. However, just like any other belief system in which children are raised, there will still come a point in each child’s life where they will have to decide for themselves if they are going to maintain this belief. For those of us who reaffirm the decision to be vegan when we are older it can feel like we have an even more meaningful conviction. Have you been raised vegan from birth? Please get in touch and share your story! Email editor@vegansociety.com or contact us on any of our other usual channels.
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GREAT BRITISH VEGAN Aimee Ryan from Wallflower Kitchen shares some British classics from her first recipe book
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Recipes
WELSH CAKES Makes 10
Ingredients 225 g/8 oz/1¾ cups self-rising flour, plus extra for dusting 75 g/2½ oz/½ cup raisins ¼ tsp ground mixed spice (apple pie spice) ½ tsp ground cinnamon 75 g/2½ oz/¹/3 cup caster sugar (superfine), plus extra for dusting 100 g/3½ oz/7 tbsp dairy-free butter 50 ml/1¾ fl oz/3½ tbsp unsweetened dairy-free milk 1 tsp vegetable oil
Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
These have been a popular British teatime treat since the late nineteenth century. I like them best at breakfast as they’re wonderful served warm from the pan with dairy-free butter, or just by themselves later on in the afternoon.
Directions In a large bowl, combine the flour, raisins, mixed spice, cinnamon and sugar. Add the butter and rub into the flour with the tips of your fingers until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Gently stir until a dough is formed. Sprinkle a work surface with some flour and roll out the dough to ½ cm/¼ in thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out 5 cm/2 in discs. You should be able to get about 10 from the dough. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cakes, in batches, for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with extra sugar. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan, White Lion Publishing, £20 14 | The Vegan Issue 1 2021
(Image on page 13)
Recipes
BANGERS AND MASH Serves 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients For the mash 900 g/2 lb King Edward potatoes, peeled and diced 50 g/1¾ oz (3½ tbsp) dairy-free butter 100 ml/3½ fl oz (scant ½ cup) unsweetened dairy-free milk
For the vegan sausages 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 small white onion, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp yeast extract or miso paste 100 g/3½ oz shiitake or chestnut (cremini) mushrooms, sliced 1 x 400 g/14 oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed 25 g/1 oz (¼ cup) chopped walnuts 50 g/1¾ oz (¹⁄3 cup) porridge oats (oatmeal) 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 1 tsp dried sage 2 tsp tomato purée (paste) Sea salt and ground black pepper Gravy of choice to serve
Vegan sausages are not hard to find these days but sometimes it’s nice to make your own, especially if you have some mushrooms to use up. Serve with a mash that is just as creamy, buttery and comforting as the dairyladen kind.
Directions Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes, or until very soft. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the balsamic vinegar, yeast extract or miso paste and mushrooms then cook for a further 8 minutes until everything is brown and sticky. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the mushroom mixture to a food processor along with the beans, walnuts, oats, flour, sage and tomato purée then season to taste. Pulse until you have a smooth, meaty mixture. Shape the mixture into 8 sausages. Add the rest of the oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the sausages for 10 minutes, turning regularly to cook evenly. Once the potatoes are very soft, drain and return them to the pan, along with the butter and milk. Mash until smooth and season. Serve a generous few dollops of mash onto each plate and top with two sausages and some gravy.
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Recipes
BATTENBERG Makes 10
Ingredients 130 g/4½ oz (generous ½ cup) dairy-free butter 200 g/7 oz (1 cup) caster sugar 120 g/4¼ oz (½ cup) unsweetened soy yoghurt 150 ml/5fl oz (scant ²⁄3 cup) unsweetened dairy-free milk 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 tsp almond extract 260 g/9¼ oz (2 cups) self-rising flour ½ tsp baking powder Vegan pink food colouring or beetroot juice 3 tbsp marmalade 400 g/14 oz golden marzipan Icing (confectioner’s) sugar, for dusting
Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes
Don’t worry, Battenberg is actually much easier to make than you’d think. Not only does it taste wonderful, but just looking at this beautiful pink and yellow chequered cake is a pleasure in itself.
Directions Preheat the oven to 160 °C fan/180 °C/350 °F/gas 4. Use a double layer of foil to divide a 20 cm/8 in square cake tin in half. Line both sections with greaseproof paper. Whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the yoghurt, milk, vinegar and almond extract, then fold in the flour and baking powder. Pour half of the batter into one of the halves in the tin. Mix drops of food colouring or beetroot juice into the remaining half of the batter until you get the desired shade of pink, then pour the pink batter into the other half of the tin. Bake for 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To decorate, gently transfer the cakes onto a chopping board and cut each one in half lengthways, trimming the edges to create straight and even layers. Heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over a low heat until runny. Brush one long side of a pink strip of cake and one side of a yellow one and stick them together. Repeat to stick the other two strips together. Now paint the top of one pair completely with marmalade and place the other pair on top, with pink on top of yellow and vice versa to create a chequerboard pattern. Dust a work surface with a little icing sugar and roll out the marzipan to a rectangle about 20 x 25 cm/8 x 10 in. Brush the outside of the cake with marmalade. Use a rolling pin to lift the marzipan over the cake and smooth it firmly around the top and sides, joining underneath. Trim away the excess and brush the seam with a little marmalade. Finish by pressing the edges together to create a seam at the bottom.
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News
MARKET NEWS Louisianna Waring, Insight and Commercial Policy Officer, looks back on the impact of 2020 on the vegan food and drinks industry
2020 was a year that most of us will not easily forget. Despite all of the turmoil, the last 12 months have given us many success stories within the vegan food and drinks industry.
The pre-pandemic months In January 2020, Veganuary welcomed the year with a record breaking 400,000 sign-ups. In the same month, it was reported that the UK is the global leader for new vegan food launches, with nearly one in four (23%) new products launched in the UK throughout 2019 having a vegan claim (in 2018 this figure was 17%). The cumulative effect of these successes led to Mintel reporting vegan food sales had soared 40% in 2019 – a very impressive start to the year. Prior to national lockdown, in February, Quorn experienced unprecedented demand for their products, as a huge surge in popularity caused demand to outstrip supply.
UK enters lockdown In April, we conducted research that found 20% of Brits reducing their meat consumption and 15% cutting down their consumption of dairy and eggs. Encouragingly, 43% cited health, environmental or animal rights reasons as
their primary motivation, while 41% did so due to their usual products not being available on supermarket shelves. In the same month, we interviewed TheVeganKind – a leading vegan supermarket – who told us that the average order value was up 40% compared to the previous month. Later in the year, they upgraded to a new warehouse three times the size of the last, and employed 21 extra members of staff to manage the rising demand.
A very different British summer As the weeks rolled by and we entered a summer like no other, Kantar found that in the 12 weeks prior to June, tofu sales had increased by 81.7%, vegan mince sales increased by 50.1%, vegan burger sales increased by 37% and vegan sausage sales increased by 21.3%. And it wasn’t just the meat alternatives that were having a moment – in July, Waitrose revealed that online searches for ‘oat milk’ were up 210% and sales of oat milk up 113%, compared to 2019. At this point, you might be thinking that of course vegan food and drinks sales were up, as most food and drink sales were up this year. Luckily, our friends at Veganuary have us covered. At an online event, Head of Communications and Marketing Toni Vernelli revealed that whilst meat meals were up 24% in August compared to the previous year, plantbased meals were up 52% – meaning that consumption of vegan food was increasing at more than twice the rate of non-vegan food.
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News
Second lockdown As autumn approached, Asda made national headlines by announcing plans to become the first UK supermarket to launch an ambient vegan aisle. Soon after, Tesco went public with its ambitious goal to boost sales of meat alternatives by 300%. In the same month, it was revealed that Applewood vegan cheese is the second most searched for vegan product in the UK, accounting for 20% of Applewood’s UK sales. In October, as the nights got colder, Veganuary hit a milestone achievement of one million participants since the campaign launched. Soon after, Deliveroo revealed that vegan orders have more than doubled in the last year – increasing by 115%. Additionally, research from Eating Better
found that 16% of ready-meals in supermarkets are now plant-based, compared to just 3% in 2018. To end the year, in December new research from Applewood found that 20% of respondents would be cooking a completely vegan Christmas dinner and a staggering 74% would be looking for vegan cheese to complete their festive spread. Despite the turbulence of 2020, let this be a reminder that the vegan food and drinks industry is resilient. This year, 2021 brings its own challenges to the table. But we know that the strength of the industry – and our supportive community – will keep veganism in the public eye and as part of a kinder future.
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MEMBERSHIP Congratulations to our wonderful member Annie, who won the Star Letter prize for this issue. Annie won a Lifestyle Box from The Vegan Kind. The Star Letter winner for issue 2 will receive a monthly subscription box from Eat Pips for three months. Each box includes five specially selected vegan snacks, shipped in ecofriendly biodegradable packaging.
Star Letter I made Rachel Ama’s Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie from Issue 4. It was delicious and the consistency was superb. I have prepared one for my freezer too. I also made it for my friend who is recovering from surgery, and I made one for my neighbour too. Both found it to be a tasty and easy to eat dish. I love being able to make a dish to try to encourage someone else to try a plant-based meal. Instead of the all-purpose seasoning I used ‘savoury spice blend’, a Dr Michael Greger recipe from his book How Not to Die. It worked very well indeed. This recipe absolutely will be a regular in my household. I am going to try the Chickpea Cookie Dough next. Thank you for these recipes! Love, Annie and the animals
Discounts In return for supporting The Vegan Society and our campaigns, we offer our members 10% off our multivitamin VEG 1 and over 130 third-party discounts. These include 10% off at Holland & Barrett and 50% off Vegan Food and Living magazine. You can find all of these in the Members’ Area of our website at vegansociety.com/my-account/shopdiscounts. New discounts include 15% off handmade soap, shampoo and conditioner bars from Friendly Soap, 10% off Moo Free Chocolates and 12% off PJ Kombucha.
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Membership
Election of Council members
We would love to hear from you with any suggestions you might have on improving the Discount List. You can email us at membership@vegansociety.com or call on 0121 523 1730. Alternatively, do you run a business that would like to offer a discount to your fellow members? Contact discount@ vegansociety.com or apply online at vegansociety.com/yourbusiness/discount-list.
AGM 2021 The 2021 AGM will be held at 1pm on Saturday 22 May 2021. We will provide online access, but will also have a physical venue if appropriate.
Applications to become a trustee are invited by Monday 1 March 2021. The role is voluntary, but reasonable expenses can be claimed. The most important qualities for trustees are commitment, enthusiasm and the ability to consider issues thoughtfully, communicate effectively and work well with others. To ensure an effective and diverse board, members from a wide range of backgrounds and with a broad base of skills and experience are sought. Experience in successfully managing expanding organisations, policy development, charity law and audit or risk management are particularly welcome. The time commitment is about nine days per year for attending face-to-face meetings and training events (currently online). Email correspondence may at times take up several hours per week, particularly in the approach to a Council meeting, but usually much less. Candidates must be proposed by two full members. Candidates must also have been full members of the society for at least a year and be aged 16 or over, on the date of the AGM. Candidates should support the society’s objectives and mission and be committed to a vegan lifestyle. For a candidate pack or further information on becoming a trustee, please contact the Chair of Council Robb Masters (chair@vegansociety.com) and the Interim CEO Louise Davies (ceo@vegansociety.com) by email or post (Donald Watson House, 34–35 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham B3 1EH).
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Reviews
REVIEWS
The Invisible Vegan
Manifesto by Dale Vince
Reviewed by Heather Russell, Dietitian
Reviewed by Paul Appleby
Although I don’t recommend documentaries as a source of advice about vegan health and nutrition, The Invisible Vegan provides food for thought. It conveys powerful messages from Black vegans in North America about the complexity of eating habits and the benefits of holistic thinking in relation to lifestyle choices and activism. The Invisible Vegan reminds us that we shouldn’t underestimate the social value of food. It shows that connecting plant-based eating and culture can help people to preserve and even strengthen their sense of belonging. The documentary also highlights that a commitment to animal liberation can have a positive impact on engagement with other forms of liberation. Although there are differences between the NHS and the American health system, we face similar public health challenges. The documentary highlights that societal changes are required to make healthier living easier for everyone, taking into account the needs of different communities. One of my favourite moments was watching people enjoying community food growing. It was great to watch filmmaker Jasmine C Leyva talk about how going vegan helped her to develop a more positive relationship with her body and focus on how nourishing food can help you feel your best. The documentary encourages people to think of wellbeing as an essential part of effective activism. There are many other great take-away messages: • Be mindful of stereotypes. • Promote inclusive representation, so that more people can relate to vegan role models. • Focus on empowering people to make informed decisions through learning. Find out more at theinvisiblevegan.com.
Dale Vince OBE is one of the most high-profile vegans in the UK. The owner of green energy company Ecotricity, UN Climate Champion and chairperson of Forest Green Rovers FC (the world’s first all-vegan football club) is also one of the most outspoken. Dedicated “to eco warriors everywhere – past, present and future”, Manifesto is Dale Vince’s autobiography and a polemical call for action in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. In the opening chapter he urges us to “rebuild our economy in a new way, repurpose it to tackle the fundamental drivers of climate change, wildlife extinction, poor health and social inequality … to create a new system, rooted in sustainability in the widest sense of the word.” Not so much evolution as revolution. Tracing his life from new age traveller to successful entrepreneur, Manifesto pulls no punches, placing the blame for the problems that threaten our survival on “the mass consumption of fossil fuels … and the mass consumption of animals.” What are his solutions? 100% renewable gas and electricity, electrifying all transport and, in terms of food, replacing animals with plants. Vegans will wholeheartedly agree with the last of these, but whether such simplistic solutions are practical, or always desirable, is another matter. For example, electric cars still cause particle pollution and there are concerns over the sourcing of certain rare-earth elements for their batteries and motors. Nevertheless, you have to admire Dale Vince for his enthusiasm and ‘can do’ attitude. This is a man on a mission. Ecotricity will donate £9 from every Manifesto copy sold using our referral code: VEGSOCMANIFESTO at shop.ecotricity.co.uk.
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Nutrition
SUPPORTING NEW VEGANS How to help people adjust to a vegan diet
Veganuary is an opportunity for people who are curious about the vegan lifestyle to try it out. It’s also an opportunity for seasoned vegans to help family and friends who are participating and continuing their vegan journey beyond January. Therefore, it’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at our diets and lifestyles and share tips about making the most of everything that vegan nutrition has to offer.
Tip one: signpost to reliable resources If you’re recommending documentaries, it’s a good idea to point out that they’re not necessarily reliable sources of information about vegan health and nutrition. They feature inspiring people and provide a starting point for research, but vegans should be encouraged to make use of resources produced by nutrition professionals like dietitians. Both Veganuary participants and seasoned vegans can benefit from setting aside some time for nutritional planning using the tips available at vegansociety.com/meal-planning.
Tip two: highlight smart swaps There is a misconception that switching to a vegan diet is about removing food from your diet. We say that a smooth transition to a vegan diet is all about making smart swaps, replacing animal products with alternative sources of nutrition. Here are a few examples: • Replace animal-derived protein with nutritious alternatives like beans, chickpeas, lentils and tofu. • Switch from milk and yoghurt to fortified plant-based alternatives.
• Replace oily fish with a daily intake of plant food rich in omega-3 fat like walnuts, chia seeds, shelled hemp seeds or ground linseed (flaxseed).
Tip three: encourage a step-by-step approach When making dietary changes, it’s always important to take it at your own pace. If someone is feeling overwhelmed by the nutrition side of things, encourage them to break it down into manageable stages through goal setting: 1. Keep a food diary for around three days 2. Identify a few achievable goals to work on first 3. Review the goals in a month or so The free VNutrition app can help with this process. If someone makes a sudden decision to try a vegan diet, switching overnight might not be the best way to go from a health perspective. A gradual increase in plant-based foods and drinking plenty of fluid is recommended to help our gut adjust to a higher fibre intake.
Tip four: talk about support Support is important for people trying to establish a new routine. Encourage Veganuary participants to chat with family and friends about why it matters to them and how they can help and get involved. Cooking together is an enjoyable way to socialise even if it’s a virtual cook-along. Also, you can encourage people to download The Vegan Society’s free VeGuide app for short, daily videos covering the basics of transitioning to a vegan lifestyle over 30 days; they’ll discover that it’s not just about what you eat. If a friend or relative wants to follow a vegan diet beyond Veganuary but they have concerns, you can suggest that they talk to their doctor about a referral to a dietitian. Heather Russell, Dietitian
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VOLUNTEER HUB Kaya Gromocki Supporter Services Coordinator (Volunteering, Engagement and Outreach)
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At the beginning of a new year, I have taken the opportunity to reflect on the role that volunteers played in 2020 – undoubtedly an unusual year for everyone. When the pandemic first began, scaling back volunteering was our only option. As the weeks crept into months and the situation showed no signs of abating, I began to think about how we could adapt and develop our usual way of doing things, to allow volunteers to continue to play the significant role that they have always played in the workings of The Vegan Society. I found embracing new methods of communication and recruitment a hugely positive experience, something that was highlighted in November when I was recruiting proofreading volunteers. I undertook video and telephone interviews with volunteers in Australia, America, Sweden and Italy, and have brought on board volunteers with a broad and exciting range of backgrounds, from law to software development to marketing. The changes might have come quicker than we were expecting, but in terms of the volunteering community I feel they have in many ways broadened our reach and widened our pool in a way which can only be advantageous to The Vegan Society’s work. All of this change and development brings me to The Community Network, a stream of volunteering which we are hoping to expand this year. The Community Network is a network of volunteers from across the UK who help to spread our campaign work in their local areas. The network is made up of Organisers and Advocates. Each local community has one Organiser and a group of Advocates. You may remember that the Network was featured in the spring edition of the magazine last year. We have come a long way since then, but the network is still developing. In order to grow, we need more Advocates in the areas where we have recently appointed new Organisers. Rachel (Ely), Saoirse (West Norwood, London), Michele (Vauxhall, London), Haz (Aylesbury) and Sam (Southampton) have all been appointed as Organisers recently and are keen to start campaigning. In order to make the biggest impact possible they need more Advocates to join them! To join the network, visit our website: vegansociety.com/communitynetwork and email volunteer@vegansociety.com with any questions.
Volunteers
Would you like to become an Advocate for one of these Organisers? Saoirse Clohessy London (West Norwood) Volunteering has always been an important part of my life and I love being part of a community, so I was very excited to join The Vegan Society as a community organiser. Having a direct link with a long-standing charity means we get given clear goals to help with and our latest campaign task has already helped me get in touch with people in my area who are just as passionate about animal advocacy as I am. I’m excited to see my local vegan community grow as we support local plant-based companies and anyone looking to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
Haz Feliks Aylesbury Applying to be a Community Organiser made sense considering our outreach efforts in Aylesbury had been supported by The Vegan Society for over two years. My favourite campaign is Plate Up for the Planet, particularly the card packs which were a hit with stall visitors. Much like I see elsewhere, I feel the local acceptance of veganism has grown and is easier to talk about. I am fortunate to be able to put my skills towards helping people and animals and am keen to develop impactful and meaningful volunteering experiences that include as many people as possible.
Sam Roblett Southampton I have been vegan for nearly five years now. I went vegan overnight after deciding that I couldn’t justify exploiting animals anymore. After a year I started to feel more comfortable talking to people about my reasons for choosing veganism as a way of life and decided to join a local vegan outreach group. Here I
made fabulous friends and grew in confidence. Having an education background, I love to talk to the public and share my knowledge, and so as well as benefiting the animals I also enjoyed what I was doing. I decided to join The Vegan Society as a Community Organiser because I want to use my skills to encourage and support other vegans to feel comfortable speaking about veganism; and what better way to do that than with the most recognised vegan educational charity?
Lucinda Smith Guildford I decided to be a Community Organiser as I am passionate about vegan activism and spreading knowledge on the different aspects of veganism to people from all walks of life. Volunteering for The Vegan Society is a great opportunity to get in touch and team up with local vegans to work on shared, structured tasks. Bringing awareness of how our choices really affect animals can have an impact on our local community by encouraging change in non-vegans. I find The Vegan Society campaigns in-depth and interesting, particularly as they cover different aspects of veganism whilst giving reliable information and advice. I would like to see veganism being put forward and presented in a clear educational way in my local area, just like it is presented by The Vegan Society.
Join the Community Network We all share a common aim, that gives the Community Network the potential to bring about real change. To make that change as impactful as possible, we need the number of Organisers and Advocates to increase, and for those individuals to be enthusiastic and passionate about our work. If you think you have what it takes to be an Organiser or an Advocate, please read the role descriptions on our website and apply. If you have any questions, please email volunteer@vegansociety.com or call 0121 523 1745.
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Volunteers
VOLUNTEER OF THE SEASON Charlie from vegan illustration and animation studio Dinos and Teacups volunteered her time and expertise to create the wonderful Teen Hub animation.
Tell me about your vegan journey My husband and I went vegetarian two years ago. We felt like there was something changing in the world and we wanted to be a part of the conversation but realised we didn’t know much about it. After watching some documentaries and looking into the animal rights, environmental and health aspects of it all, it soon became pretty clear we should’ve been vegan a long time ago. That’s the funny thing about veganism, it’s really just about acknowledging that you probably had these values all along, but you just lacked the basic information and will to align them with your actions.
Have you always loved creativity? I think I always knew I’d have a somewhat creative career – that’s just the kind of kid I was – but the illustrator/animator thing was accidental. I was actually headed towards a career in film production, but things steered off somewhere during my studies, and this is where I landed! I wouldn’t change a thing about it though, except that I still can’t draw for the life of me. I definitely wouldn’t be an illustrator/animator if it weren’t for computers!
What was it like to create the Teen Hub video? I had a bit of a lightbulb moment last summer. I was getting more and more enquiries for animal product-related projects and the whole thing was making me feel like I should be doing so much more with my work than simply replying ‘No, thank you’. So I started looking for (and creating) specifically vegan-related opportunities and, sure enough, The Vegan Society had the perfect one! It struck me that teenagers nowadays get such a bad rep
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for being the lazy, screen-obsessed generation, but I don’t think they get nearly enough credit. This is the generation that has all the means to finally normalise treating animals, the planet and our bodies with a long-overdue minimum level of respect. My hope is that this video helps them realise how much power they have and motivates them to look deeper into things, so that the next time they tell their parents that they don’t feel like exploiting animals anymore, they do it with information, confidence and support.
Do you have any favourite vegan illustrators or animators? What do you enjoy about their work? I recently found out about Miki Mottes’ work. Not only is his client work completely adorable, but he also runs this website called Simple Happy Kitchen, which is a whole vegan thing with an online shop, educational content, short video series and more. I’d love to do something like that in the future. Maybe. Who knows!
What direction would you like your career to take? Illustration and animation have the innate capability of making information pleasantly digestible and I think veganism could use some of that! I know myself and I’ll probably never have the arguments, patience or skills for full-on street activism. But one thing I know and love is design. That’s what I can do. So I hope to have more opportunities for vegan projects, with brands, organisations and anything in between. And I hope these projects will reach people and help them see that change is in their hands. Check out dinosandteacups.ca to see more of Charlie’s work.
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Interview
CHALLENGES AND TRIUMPHS Quinnie Cook-Richardson has been vegan for over 30 years and raised six vegan children. Here she reflects on the challenges and triumphs of her life as a Black vegan living in the US.
Quinnie, her husband and their six vegan children
I started my vegan journey in the 1980s, when I was in my early 20s. As a Black person, living in a southern state in America, there was definitely a lot of isolation – but I knew it was the right thing to do. It was definitely challenging, but I was committed to it. To start with, I would get a lot of “How can you not eat meat?” and ”Where do you get your protein from?” And of course, raising the children, people would question how I could have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. It was isolating, but most of my friends at that time were vegan, which was a blessing.
There were many times where it was challenging for the children to be the only vegans in their classroom. I knew that there would be so many other situations in life where they would be the only one – whether it’s the only person of colour in the room, or whether other children were doing things that they couldn’t do – who would be different. We are a very African-centred family – the children have African names and we don’t perm our hair. So starting off in life not being able to eat what other children were eating at parties, I feel like it prepared them for other situations where they would be the only one.
Representation
Quinnie Cook-Richardson
We live in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is not as integrated as people probably think it is, given that it is the birthplace of Dr Martin Luther King. There are a lot of vegan events where you see mostly Black people. Or a mainly white vegan event, hosted by white people. I do show up to those types of events – I don’t feel uncomfortable. There is separation in what I’ve seen from the movement, and Black people definitely aren’t represented well. Often when I saw who was speaking at vegan events, I never saw any Black people. That’s been a real issue for me over the years. The picture and the face of veganism has been white – all the vegan magazines would always show white people. Social media has really allowed us to be seen, but prior to
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Interview
social media you would think that there was not one Black person who was vegan. That was a huge challenge for me. My friends and I all raised our children as vegan, but you wouldn’t know that through what was put out in the media. And today in the larger media, not just social media, Black people aren’t represented as living this vegan green lifestyle. Whenever we have an event at our home, the food is always 100% vegan and people love it. In my culture, some of our traditional foods would be corn bread and black-eyed peas, collard greens, macaroni cheese … barbecue ribs are a big thing in the south. I’ve been able to turn all those into vegan dishes. Everything that I grew up eating can, for the most part, be veganised. It’s all about learning how to cook with different spices.
Quinnie has learned to veganise her favourite dishes
A delicious plant-based spread at the family home
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Health We own a holistic plant-based medical clinic, so not only have we lived this vegan lifestyle, we have encouraged and influenced thousands of others to transition to a vegan lifestyle. The majority are people of colour. Due to the pandemic, people have been suffering in such large numbers. However, one positive is that people are now ready and willing to do the work they need to do in order to be healthier. Right now, there are more Black people than ever concerned about their health and making the dietary changes and the lifestyle changes they need. That is phenomenal. I would say most of the people I know who are Black and vegan, made that decision for health reasons. Many of us – most of us actually – grew up with family members who suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure or died from heart attacks. We observed our family members really suffer as they were aging. I don’t feel that enough of us really focus a lot on the ethical aspect of it. But you know, if we can get people away from eating animal products or decrease it by a large percentage, it still helps the animals and the environment. All six of our children are still at home and we have a grandbaby at home too – and everyone still embraces the vegan lifestyle. Some of our children are excellent vegan chefs – they can throw it down in the kitchen! This is how they want to raise their families. I’m very grateful that they do.
Fundraising
FUNDRAISING
Last year had devastating effects on thousands of individuals and businesses. The third sector has been impacted significantly by the pandemic, with services being postponed and fundraising efforts scaled back. Most charities have seen a drop in income while redundancies in the sector were at an all-time high. At The Vegan Society, we had to postpone all of our face-to-face campaigning and fundraising activities. We’re really lucky that, after an initial drop in income, we are starting to see this figure return to normal. However, we have seen a reduction in the amount of donations towards our campaigns, which limits the work we can do to protect animals, the planet and human health. As restrictions are eased, we’re replanning the activities we had to postpone last year and looking at new ways that we can fundraise responsibly whilst keeping you safe.
Donate online
Write your will for free We are updating our legacy booklet to explain why gifts in wills are now more important than ever before. Writing a will is the only way you can decide what happens to your property and possessions and make sure your friends and family are provided for after you’re gone. A gift left in your will is a hugely important source of income for The Vegan Society and helps us to plan how we can best advocate for veganism in the future. You can access the booklet on our website or let us know if you need a copy in the post. If you don’t have access to a computer and you want information on how to write your will, create an online fundraising event or are looking for other ways to support us, we are always here to help. Whilst we are all still working from home, the best way to contact our Fundraising Manager Ruby is on 07932630084 or ruby.jones@vegansociety.com.
We’re making it easier for you to support our work directly, with new technology that means you can donate to us with a one-off or monthly payment through a simple online form. We can also take donations over the phone securely, using updated software. Every penny you raise will help us expand our campaign reach and promote a vegan lifestyle.
Virtual events Since the pandemic, we’ve seen some real innovation when it comes to virtual community and challenge events. From virtual 10ks to Zoom quizzes and cooking classes, you can find plenty of ideas on our website. If all goes to plan, it will hopefully be safe to return to physical events later this year.
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Promotional feature
SHOPAROUND
Shop with confidence for products registered with the trusted Vegan Trademark
Traidcraft Cookies Traidcraft’s Stem Ginger and Double Chocolate cookies are not only registered with the Vegan Trademark, but they contain FairPalm too. FairPalm is the world’s only sustainable, organic, fair trade palm oil that protects the environment whilst supporting smallholder growers. Totally organic methods are used, which encourages palm fruits to grow in the most natural of ways. Available at traidcraftshop.co.uk.
Abakus Foods Seaweed Crisps Abakus Foods’ Seaweed Crisps are not just super crunchy and high in umami flavours, they are also a great plant-based source of iodine. They’re also glutenfree, high in fibre and low in calories. 1% of sales are donated to support environmental causes as part of the 1% For the Planet initiative. Choose from Sea Salted, Salt & Vinegar and Cheese flavours and enjoy them as a snack or sprinkled over soups. Available in Asda, The Co-op, Holland & Barrett, selected Sainsbury’s stores (Sushi Gourmet counter) and www.abakusfoods.com.
Ecozone Laundry Ecoballs Ecozone has been effectively cleaning laundry for over 20 years, with household products to make cleaning and washing easier. Their Ecoballs are an innovative alternative to traditional detergent, using pellets made from minerals and plant-based cleaning agents to lift dirt and soften water. An eco-friendly option for washing your laundry, the Ecoballs are registered with the Vegan Trademark and approved by Allergy UK. Choose from a range of fragrances including natural blossom, midnight jasmine, pure linen or fragrance-free, with each pack lasting up to 1000 washes. Available on Ocado, Amazon, ecozone.com or ecozonedirect.com.
Lazy Day Foods Chocolate Cake Choosing a cake for a special occasion doesn’t have to be difficult when you can get your hands on Lazy Day Foods’ Celebration Chocolate Cake. If you are a chocolate lover, then this is the one for you! It has three layers of rich chocolate sponge, is filled and covered with chocolate frosting and topped off with Belgian dark chocolate. Perfect served warm or cold, this delicious cake is gluten-free and registered with the Vegan Trademark. Available at Sainsbury’s and lazydayfoods.com.
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Promotional feature
Dollbaby London Magnetic Eyeliner & Lashes Dollbaby London’s vegan Magnetic Eyeliner and Lashes Set is designed for those who struggle to apply lashes with glue. The award-winning kit is fast and easy to use without the need for adhesive. Simply apply the magnetic eyeliner, allow to dry and softly click the lashes on top. The two sets of fluffy lashes have even been featured on ITV’s This Morning and in Glamour and Cosmopolitan magazines. Available at dollbabylondon.uk.
Conella Maxi-Greens Supplement Conella’s Maxi-Greens Supplement is the perfect addition to smoothies and juices. The specially designed plant-based nutrition powder is registered with the Vegan Trademark and made with an allergen-free formula. Maxi-Greens contains Siberian ginseng, ginkgo biloba, artichoke and broccoli powder. All ingredients have been sourced from the finest nutrient-abundant raw materials. The Vegan Society’s members can get 20% off their purchase with the code ‘VS433’. Available at conellaholdings.com.
MuLondon Organic Skincare MuLondon brings joy and balance to your skin with its award-winning range inspired by traditional herbalism. Pure natural essential oils and herbal extracts are used to divinely scent and gently preserve the certified organic ingredients. MuLondon products include such luxurious essences as ‘Marigold, Frankincense and Myrrh’ and ‘Rose, Rosehip and Rosemary’. MuLondon is a member of 1% For the Planet and is a Certified B Corporation, while proudly supporting Stonewall. Available for worldwide shipping at MuLondon.com.
Vivien Kondor Argan Care Nail Polish Vivien Kondor London’s Argan Care Nail Polish cares for your nails whilst adorning them. Infused with pure argan oil from Morocco to aid stronger and healthier nails, the vegan nail polish range also has a ‘seven-free’ formula (free from formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and xylene). The quick-drying, long-lasting nail polish comes in 41 beautiful shades, a matte topcoat and their bestselling 3 in 1 base, top and hardener. Available at vivienkondor.com.
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Buy online
BUY ONLINE In light of Covid-19, we are doing everything we can to ensure that our webshop continues to operate as usual. However, this is a constantly evolving situation, and we may encounter some issues sourcing stock in future weeks. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Becoming Vegan (Express and Comprehensive editions) by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina £11.99 or £18.99 Whether you’re considering going vegan for your health, out of concern for the environment, or to avoid contributing to the suffering of animals, Becoming Vegan has all the information you need in order to provide nutritious vegan meals for yourself, your family and your friends. Health authorities regard well-planned vegan diets as safe and adequate for people at all stages of life, including those with unique nutritional needs, such as athletes. Completely revised, this seminal classic offers fresh insights into how a vegan diet positively affects individuals, animals and our fragile planet. The Comprehensive Edition is an indispensable reference for health professionals and nutrition enthusiasts, setting
the standard for vegan nutrition and providing a meticulous overview of the research. Alternatively, the streamlined Express version is extensive yet easily understandable for anyone who wants to construct an optimal plant-based diet.
VEG 1 VEG 1 is the nutritional supplement developed by The Vegan Society. It provides an affordable, reliable source of vitamin B12, iodine, vitamin D and selenium. With so much conflicting opinion regarding supplementation, it can be hard to know where to start. An easy and convenient solution has been developed: • One chewable tablet taken once daily • Formulated for vegans by The Vegan Society • Affordable, costing only 7p* per day • Seven nutrients in one, covering all your bases: B12, B2, B6, D3, folic acid, iodine and selenium. *Vegan Society members get a 10% discount. Ensure you are logged into your membership account when ordering VEG 1 and the discount will apply automatically.
Buy Becoming Vegan between 1 February and 30 April and receive 10% off by simply entering the code ISSUE1SHOP2021 at checkout (vegansociety.com/shop) or quoting over the phone when placing an order (0121 523 1730).
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Events
EVENTS Covid-19 disclaimer: the following information is accurate at the time of printing. Please refer to the website for each event for the latest updates and always follow government advice.
Vegan Life Live Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 March 2021 Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.veganlifelive.com
March Exeter Vegan Market Saturday 20 March (10am – 2:30pm) Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter, Devon EX1 1BW facebook.com/exeterveganmarket
Balance Festival Friday 7 – Sunday 9 May 2021 The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 6QR balance-festival.com
Just V London Friday 2 –Sunday 4 July (10am – 5pm each day) ExCeL Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Docks, London E16 1XL justvshow.co.uk/london
September Exeter Vegan Market Saturday 25 September (10am – 2:30pm) Exeter Corn Exchange, Exeter, Devon EX1 1BW facebook.com/exeterveganmarket
Om Yoga Show Friday 15 – Sunday 17 October 2021 Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.omyogashow.com
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