The Vegan 2021 Issue 2 by The Vegan Society

2021 Issue 2

£3.00

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ZERO-WASTE SWAPS

Tips and advice on reducing plastic

VEGAN AND THRIVING

Delicious new recipes

MEET LOTUS KAY Activist and writer

Editor’s letter and contents

EDITOR’S LETTER Here in the UK, we’re enjoying longer days and warmer weather – a very welcome reprieve after a long and locked-down winter. I hope that this issue of The Vegan finds you well wherever you are, and whatever small returns to pre-lockdown life you’ve been able to enjoy. Thanks to those of you who got involved in our recent membership survey and let us know what kind of features you’d like to see in upcoming issues. We’ve got some exciting plans to include feature articles which place veganism in a wider context, and address other issues and topics we know you are interested in. The first of these articles is our main feature in this edition – Zero-waste swaps. Do you have

any top tips for reducing plastic, making your own products or reusing existing items in creative ways? We’d love to hear them! Please do email editor@vegansociety.com – you may be in with a chance of winning our next Star Letter prize. We’ve also expanded our nutrition section to include more practical advice and tips, plus a balanced recipe which brings the nutrition message to life. As ever, you can also find Vegan Society highlights, updates from volunteers, new trademarked products and much more.

Elena Orde, Editor

CONTENTS 03

Highlights

In the news

Zero-waste swaps

Essential updates on Vegan Society news

The Vegan Society in the press

Exploring the plastic-free movement

Recipes

Vegan and Thriving

Young activism

Friends for life

Membership

Balanced recipes to help you thrive

Updates on our health campaign

Vegan teen changemakers

Finding friends as an older vegan

Including details on our AGM

Play fair with Plant Milk

Reviews

Volunteers

A win for our vegan rights campaign

A Young Adult book and a podcast

Volunteer Hub plus Volunteer of the Season

Nutrition

Writing your will

Shoparound

Buy online

Plant protein heroes

How to leave a legacy

New products to look out for

VEG 1 goes plastic-free

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From the CEO Editor Elena Orde Designer Violeta Pereira Cover illustration: Rae Likes Froot instagram.com/raelikesfroot Print gemini-print.co.uk Staff Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research, Interim CEO Louise Davies Head of Communications Sam Calvert Director of Business Development Chantelle Adkins Head of Operations Gurminder Kenth Research and Policy Advisor Amanda Baker 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 Community Network Co-Ordinator Rich Hardy Insight and Commercial Policy Officer Louisianna Waring Office Manager Kat Anderson Sales and Merchandise Manager Dave Nicholson Head of Business Development Steve Hamon Trademark Team Leader Katharina Eist, Caroline Bolton Deputy Trademark Managers Ella Marshall, Natacha Rodrigues Trademark Account Manager Lisa Williams, Charlotte Adcroft, Alex Markland Trademark Account Assistants Claire Fittes, Amelia Wallage, Mary Barry, Chloe Edwards Business Development Officers Sheridan Rudge, Gabriela Chalkia, Sophie Glenn, Zoe Lomas, John Andrews, Cheryl Pierpoint, Katarzyna Petruk, Serin Price Business Development Marketing Manager Ericka Durgahee Trademark Events and Communications Officer Neneh Buswell Business Development Brand Marketing Officer Nishat Rahman Trademark Marketing Assistant Charis Collier Business to Business Marketing Officer Katie Grant 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 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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FROM THE CEO What an exciting time to take over the role of CEO of The Vegan Society, albeit on an interim basis! 2021 kicked off with another immensely successful Veganuary which we were proud to be a part of. We swiftly followed this with a fresh burst of activity for Future Normal, which saw us bring new audiences to our compassion-focused campaign through advertising across social media, podcasts and an awesome giant mosaic that must be seen to be believed. Vegan and Thriving, our health and nutrition campaign, has also been reinvigorated with a batch of fantastic new balanced recipes, some of which are included in this issue of The Vegan. We’ve also persuaded the Scottish government to offer plant milk to nursery school children. As an organisation founded on ethical principles and keenly aware of the challenges facing our planet, it is important to have a framework to assess and improve the social, economic and environmental impact of all that we do. This has led to us publishing our sustainability policy, which you can read on our website. In the last few months, we have taken on board several new staff members across the departments, all bringing a unique set of skills to the organisation. As a charity we continue to grow – in no small part thanks to you, our members. This year our AGM will be once again held remotely. We would be delighted for as many as possible of you to take an active part, to get involved in the democratic process and share your views on the work that we do. Further details are on page 27. Thank you for all you do to support our work and our vision of a more compassionate, sustainable future.

Louise Davies, Interim CEO

Staff updates Gurminder Kenth has joined us in the new role of Head of Operations. Caroline Bolton has started as Trademark Team Leader. Claire Fittes, Amelia Wallage and Mary Barry have joined as Account Assistants in the Trademark Team. Charis Collier has joined as our Trademark Marketing Assistant. Katie Grant is our new Business to Business Marketing Officer. Charlotte Adcroft and Alex Markland have started as Trademark Account Managers. Rich Hardy has joined as our Community Network Co-Ordinator. Hannah Trimble, Shamara Richards and Allison Timmins have left their roles in the Business Development Team. We wish them all the best for the future.

Donald Watson House 34–35 Ludgate Hill Birmingham, UK B3 1EH

0121 523 1730 info@vegansociety.com www.vegansociety.com

Printed on recycled paper

Highlights

HIGHLIGHTS

Creating the Future Normal

Future Normal, encouraging the viewer to look a little closer at the boundaries we draw between different animals in our everyday life. Reaction to the billboard has been very positive, with lots of articles in the press, interaction on social media and calls for similar initiatives in additional locations. The billboard itself is the first in the UK to use Kavalan PVC-free vinyl, a sustainable and environmentallyfriendly material, which was sourced specifically for the campaign.

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Future Normal is our campaign to encourage self-proclaimed animal lovers to expand their compassion to include all species. From February to the end of April we increased the campaign’s reach, using exciting new channels to find our ideal audience. Future Normal Day took place on 9 April, during which we launched the inaugural Future Normal Hero Awards. We wanted to celebrate individuals who had gone above and beyond to Sustainability team show compassion for all animals. As mentioned by Louise in From One prize winner, Ashwin Ahuja, the CEO, as an organisation rescued Rufus the cow from we have been assessing the slaughter after bonding with environmental, social and Rufus during his lockdown economic impact of our work. walks. The awards ceremony The Vegan Society was founded video is available on our Future on principles of compassion and Normal social media channels sustainability, and takes a holistic (@ourfuturenormal on Instagram, view on the consequences of our Twitter and Facebook), and is well actions. It is important to us to take worth a watch. It features clips ok steps to improve our impact and to at from all winners, plus our wonderful th eF address areas in which we can improve. presenters Benjamin Zephaniah, Dale utu re N Some of the areas we are exploring include ormal billboard Vince, Kerry McCarthy MP, Paul Higgins and staff travel (outside of Covid-19 restrictions), Alex Lockwood. and the companies who supply us with products or Our epic Future Normal billboard went up in services. Where possible, we want to support companies and Shoreditch in April and ran for several weeks. The mosaic organisations whose values align with ours, and to prioritise, (above) features a dog and their carer, and is made up of where practical, smaller and more local businesses, while thousands of images of formerly-farmed animals now living remaining as effective as possible in our output. peacefully in sanctuaries. This encapsulates the message of o

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Highlights

Buckwheat pancakes are a great way to start the day

New healthy breakfast ideas At the beginning of the year we worked with Alpro, our longstanding Vegan Trademark holder, to promote some new healthy breakfast ideas. We wanted to show the nonvegan public that it is possible to create tasty and balanced plant-based breakfasts. Recipes were delicious twists on classic breakfast ideas, made using accessible ingredients. If you’re intrigued by the idea of carrot cake porridge, buckwheat pancakes and zingy avocado on toast to name a few, you can visit vegansociety.com/thriving to check them out. All of the recipes are accompanied by a video with a Dietitian who will show you exactly how to make them.

Nutrition highlights This year we have expanded our nutrition service and have taken on board a second Dietitian, Andrea Rymer. This extra capacity couldn’t have come at a better time, as the nutrition team have noted a high level of engagement from health and nutrition professionals in recent months. Our Dietitians participated in a popular Registered Dietitian UK Twitter chat. This involved nutrition professionals answering common questions about vegan diets. We shared Vegan Society resources, including signposting to information on specific nutrients and the Vegan and Thriving recipes. Dietitian Heather Russell chaired a MyNutriWeb webinar for health and nutrition professionals to pick up practical tips about helping vegans with nutritional planning. Dietitian Azmina Govinjdi presented the chat, sharing her experience of supporting her daughter to transition to a vegan diet.

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Heather also took part in the Primary Care Nursing Live event. Alongside other Dietitians, she answered questions about plant-based diets from nurses and other health care professionals, with the aim of inspiring greater knowledge about plant-based nutrition and confidence in supporting vegan patients.

#VeganVote 2021 In the UK, local elections are coming up on 6 May – so don’t miss out on this opportunity to engage with your local candidates through our Vegan Vote campaign. Elections are being held for the Senned Cymru, Scottish Parliament, English local councils and metro mayors. We need your help asking candidates if they will support our campaign to get at least one nutritionally balanced plantbased option on all public sector menus as part of the UK’s response to the climate emergency. 74% of local councils, and both the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, have declared climate emergencies. All levels of government have a say on catering and procurement guidelines across the public sector, so we have the opportunity to raise an important and solutions-focused issue. The UK Committee on Climate Change has made reducing consumption of animal products central to its recommendations, and more plant-based options in public sector canteens is an obvious way to help people make better choices. For more information and to get involved, please visit vegansociety.com/veganvote.

Highlights

Play Fair with Plant Milk The existing UK Nursery Milk Scheme currently does not include fortified plant milks and therefore indirectly discriminates against vegan children. Following effective discussions about this issue as part of our Play Fair with Plant Milk campaign, the Scottish Government have agreed that they will include plant milk alternatives in the new Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme. Read more about this win, and the rights of vegans at school, on page 29.

complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority. While we await a final decision, we will continue to challenge misinformation from industry bodies who refuse to accept the scientific and ethical realities of animal farming.

Catering for Everyone Our Catering for Everyone campaign seeks to mandate at least one vegan meal on all public sector menus. This is very much dependent on the legislative frameworks that feed into how the public sector spends its money on food and drink. The government has recently published Green Paper: Transforming Public Procurement, launching a consultation process on proposals for changes in the frameworks for public procurement. We submitted a response to highlight the need to ensure that the Green Paper supports access to the market for plant-based producers and local small and medium sized enterprises. We also suggested areas where proposed reforms can go further to foster effective innovation in food procurement, to enable greater provision of plant-based meals.

Promoting greener agriculture

Challenging imbalanced advertising In January, the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which represents animal farmers as well as cereal, oilseed, vegetable and potato growers, launched an advertising campaign called ‘Eat Balanced’. The £1.5 million advertising campaign attempted to greenwash the animal farming industry, and implied that animal products were necessary for human nutrition. These claims were challenged by vegans across the UK, including The Vegan Society’s policy team who lodged a

In March, The Vegan Society responded to a Welsh Government consultation on the proposed Agriculture Bill, which sets out the future direction of farm subsidies in Wales. Our Policy Team has previously met with Welsh Minister for Environment Lesley Griffiths to discuss this issue. The proposals currently lack detail, but broadly follow the principle of ‘funding for environmental benefits’ present in the Agriculture Bill for England which passed into law in November 2020. The proposals should help Welsh farmers to deliver climate and biodiversity benefits and incentivise woodland creation. However, we highlight that they fail to acknowledge the need to transition away from animal farming and contain contradictory statements about animals, acknowledging animal sentience whilst also defining animals as a “land resource.”

Greener agriculture would mean more space for wildlife to thrive

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News

IN THE NEWS

Veganuary As an official Veganuary partner for the second year running, we were delighted to see yet another record-breaking number of people sign up to the challenge to eat vegan for the month of January. We gained media interest by sharing new data we collated from a consumer survey which asked people who had influenced them to try veganism. Our press release proved a huge success, with Media and PR Officer Francine Jordan completing eight broadcast interviews on stations including BBC Lancashire, BBC Guernsey and South East Radio. We also set up an interview on Heart Breakfast between NHS frontline worker Emily, a nurse trying Veganuary for the first time, and Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden – spreading the positive vegan message to their 4.6 million listeners.

landed us national coverage and saw Head of Campaigns, Policy and Research Louise Davies quoted alongside climate activist Greta Thunberg in the Independent. Insight and Commercial Policy Officer Louisianna Waring spoke on BBC Cornwall about the huge negative impact the ban could have on both businesses and consumers, potentially putting people off veganism at a time when we’re facing a climate emergency. We ran another consumer survey in which 1 in 3 respondents said they believe the government should promote plant-based diets to tackle the climate crisis. 61% of the 2000 respondents who backed this approach said they would welcome public awareness campaigns on the benefits of plant-based foods, while 60% said the government should mandate at least one healthy plant-based meal on every public sector menu.

Free plant milks At the end of February we had cause for celebration when the Scottish Government agreed to include plant-based milk alternatives in a government-funded nursery milk scheme. The move follows years of campaigning from The Vegan Society and the Play Fair with Plant Milk initiative. Our press release on the announcement, which highlighted the work of the society’s campaign team, was written up in a number of local and national publications, including Plant Based News, The Vegan Review, Dairy Reporter and Live Kindly.

Climate crisis In February we signed an open letter alongside 20 other NGOs including Greenpeace and WWF, asking EU council members to rethink plans to ban words such as ‘creamy’ or ‘alternative to’ from plant-based products. Our response

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Vegan Trademark We were pleased to secure coverage for our brilliant Vegan Trademark client Rebecca, who has created the first Vegan Trademarked companion animal bed. Rebecca was invited on her local radio station, BBC Three Counties, to discuss the achievement.

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Feature

ZERO-WASTE SWAPS

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Cat Thompson unpacks our singleuse culture and asks how we can reduce our dependence on throwaway plastic.

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The rise of veganism in the last two years in particular has triggered the explosion of a booming plant-based food market. Vegans are greeted with an almost overwhelming bounty of alternative goods; smoked, infused and spreadable cheeses abound, milks are blended from every grain imaginable and chocolate has moved beyond its humble free-from foundations. While the significance of such progress is undeniable, for those pursuing a zerowaste or lower-waste lifestyle, the volume of heavilypackaged foods poses a problem. Although recycling rates in the UK continue to improve year on year, single-use plastic still makes up around 70% ba b strm of landfill waste. Although awoso recyclable packaging can offset manufacturing emissions, it still comes at a cost to the environment. This is one reason why zero-wasters aim to reuse items where possible, and eliminate their use of the most harmful materials.

For those pursuing a zerowaste or lower-waste lifestyle, the volume of heavily packaged foods poses a problem. ba

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Aside from packaging, unsustainably sourced and processed foods can carry wider environmental ramifications such as carbon emissions generated from importation and pesticide use. Some might also question the ethics of products’ parent companies.

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Illustration by Rae Likes Froot instagram.com/raelikesfroot

Emily Stewart-White is among those who often finds ba the ethical and sustainable pros and herself grappling with b strm awoso cons of vegan alternatives. She says, “For me, living as an aspiring zero-waste vegan means a lot of standing in the local supermarket, hungry after a long day’s work, frozen to the spot because there are so many things to think about. I’ve walked in and out of the supermarket empty handed more times than I care to admit after a meltdown! My friend described my lifestyle as ‘living life on hard mode’.” Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 9

Title of Page

Refill stores When not looking for a more instantaneous food fix, Emily is among those turning to the growing legion of refill stores. Since sustainable values are often synonymous with veganism, many zero-waste shops are helping to plug the gaps between ethical and sustainable consumption. Emma Thomas runs vegan refill store Full Circle in Cambridge whose items extend to fresh vegan products including oat milk, hummus, artisan cheese and locally produced tofu. She says, “Supermarkets have a lot of power and it’s not always super transparent what’s going on. We always advocate for seasonal, local and small businesses and reusable, upcycled, plastic-free and vegan products.”

Accessibility

The ultimate aim is to be completely zerowaste, but that is still a way off Carla 10 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Research has shown a person omitting meat and dairy from their diet can halve their food-related carbon footprint. With that in mind, perhaps there is something to be said for bigger companies seemingly jumping on the proverbial bandwagon. Supermarkets are no doubt also more accessible for those who don’t live near refill shops or are priced out of them. Many zero-waste items come at a higher price compared with their packaged counterparts, although this can vary between stores. But, as Emma assures, if affordability is an obstacle, just swapping one or two items can still make all the difference. She says, “It’s not always practical for everyone. That could be because of location, commitments and financial barriers; we have students who tend to shop at Aldi but still come to us for a few bits. For example, their lentils which can really make a difference. We’re quite understanding that perfection isn’t possible. It’s another pressure we put on ourselves.”

Balancing act Vegan Carla Khouri says her zero-waste journey has been a slow one. She started with the bathroom, ditching bottled toiletry products for bar soap, solid shampoo and eco-friendly deodorant. Carla has since expanded this to cupboard ingredients and cleaning products, which she now buys from a refill store. However, Carla admits the ease and value afforded by supermarket shopping can, at times, prove all too tempting. She says, “There are so many new delicious-looking vegan

Feature

products that are now available which is fantastic, but many come in plastic packaging. It’s also currently more expensive to be zerowaste. I know I could get fruit, veg and cupboard ingredients much cheaper wrapped in plastic from large supermarkets.” Difficult swaps, she says, include crisps and milk. But the keen cook and ecoadvocate makes up in other ways. “The ultimate aim is to be completely zero-waste but that is still a way off. My other goal is to help encourage my family, friends and colleagues to make positive changes to their lifestyle and reduce their impact on the planet. I cook, bake and share delicious vegan food with them and try to be a good example on my journey to zerowaste.”

Practical steps There are always improvements to be made on the vast zero-waste spectrum, and it is unrealistic to expect any individual to meet them all. That said, there are plenty of areas where small changes can prove stealthy in the war on waste. This could include weekly trips to farmers’ markets for loose fruit and vegetables at competitive prices, and those who love clothes could consider swapping high-street fashion stores for charity shops. Investing in longer-term items such as menstrual cups or reusable coffee cups can also go a long way to reducing your ecological footprint. In the meantime, there are ways round for zero-wasters who want to have their vegan cake and eat it too. Staff at refill stores like Full Circle regularly ask customers what products they want to see, empowering them to shop mindfully and sidestep the minefields involved in seeking more ethical products. “One of the misconceptions about zero-waste is that you have to go without lots of foods you love. One of the priorities we had from the outset was finding those tasty treats. We stock vegan candies, marshmallows, chocolate buttons, crisps, drinking chocolate and cookie and brownie mix, which shows this lifestyle isn’t as restrictive as some think,” says Emma. Even if it’s just one swap at a time, if there’s one thing all vegans can attest to, it’s that small changes can make a big difference.

TRY THESE

ECO-FRIENDLY SWAPS Plastic-free soap and shampoo bars from Faith in Nature (faithinnature.co.uk) or Friendly Soap (friendlysoap.co.uk)

Menstrual cups from Mooncup (mooncup.co.uk), Ruby Cup (rubycup. com) or TOTM (totm.com)

Reusable period pants from WUKA (wuka.co.uk)

No-plastic toilet tissue from Cheeky Panda (cheekypanda.com)

Bamboo toothbrushes from Ecomad (ecomad.co.uk)

Bamboo razors from Nukka (thenukka.co)

Plastic-free dental floss and toothpicks from Humble Co (thehumble.co)

Reusable make-up remover pads from Stylpro (styltom.co.uk)

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Please email editor@vegansociety.com with your plastic-free tips and struggles.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 11

RECIPES TO HELP YOU THRIVE We have added some fantastic new recipe content to our health and nutrition campaign Vegan and Thriving. All recipes are creative, delicious and nutritionally balanced. Here is a taster!

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Recipes

BOMBAY BURRITOS

(Image on page 13)

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Curry mashed potatoes

Preheat the oven to 215°C. Cut the potatoes and place them in a medium pot. Cover them with water and simmer until tender, for about 15–20 minutes. Keep the skins on the potatoes if you prefer, for added texture. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place them on one half of a lined sheet pan. Add the drained chickpeas to the other side. Drizzle both with olive oil, sprinkle the cauliflower and chickpeas with the spices and salt and toss to coat well. Place in the oven and roast for 20–25 minutes (tossing halfway through) or until cauliflower is tender. Once the potatoes are tender, drain the water and coat with the oil, salt and spices before placing them on an oven tray or in an ovenproof dish. Put them in the oven for around 20 minutes. Bring out the potatoes, cauliflower and chickpeas and mix them all together. Warm your tortillas in the oven for a few minutes while allowing the mixture to cool slightly before moving on to assembling your burritos. Take your tortillas out of the oven and add a handful of spinach leaves to the tortilla before adding the mix on top. Finish by adding a few sliced pickled onions and then roll up like a burrito. You can also refrigerate and reheat for meals on the go.

450 g baby potatoes, cut into quarters 1 tbsp olive oil ½ tsp salt 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp coriander powder ½ tsp turmeric powder ½ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp mustard powder Pinch of pepper and cayenne powder 1 tsp granulated onion or granulated garlic powder

Roasted cauliflower and chickpea (filling) 1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp coriander 1 tbsp cumin Generous pinch of chilli flakes 1 tsp whole fennel seed (optional, or use cumin seed) 1 tsp coriander seed (optional)

Burritos 4 XL whole wheat tortillas 2 handfuls baby spinach 3–4 tbsp pickled onions

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Nutritional analysis per serving (1/4 of recipe) Kcal 442 Carbs (g) 55 Fibre (g) 11 Protein (g) 15 Fat (g) 16 Saturates (g) 2.8 Sugars (g) 5.6 Salt (g) 1.6

Recipes

FALAFEL BURGERS Serves 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

1 x 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 small red onion, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped Handful of flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp harissa paste or chilli powder 2 tbsp plain flour 2 tbsp sunflower oil

Drain the chickpeas and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Tip them into a food processor along with the red onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, harissa paste, flour and a little salt. Blend until fairly smooth, then shape into four patties with your hands. Make the yoghurt dressing by blending all ingredients together. Leave a few mint leaves for decoration. Heat the sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the burgers for 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden. Serve in a burger bun, adding the yoghurt dressing and green salad.

Yoghurt dressing 180 g fortified soya yoghurt Handful of chopped mint leaves 1 garlic clove chopped Handful of chopped coriander

Nutritional analysis per serving (1/4 of recipe) Kcal 307 Carbs (g) 40 Fibre (g) 8.2 Protein (g) 14 Fat (g) 8.3 Saturates (g) 1.2 Sugars (g) 5.7 Salt (g) 0.59

To serve 4 wholemeal burger buns Handful of green salad

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Recipes

ULTIMATE VERSATILE CHILLI Serves 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

400 g mushrooms Olive oil ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 red onions 4 garlic cloves 2 fresh red chillies 30 g fresh coriander 1 celery stick 1 red pepper 1 tbsp tomato puree 250 ml red wine 2 tsp low salt soy sauce 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g tin black beans 1 x 400 g tin kidney beans 1 ½ tsp maple syrup 10 g dark chocolate 1 bay leaf

Put the mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until very finely minced (you can chop them if you prefer, but it is quicker and better with a food processor). Pour a little olive oil into the hot frying pan. Once the oil is hot, tip in the mushrooms with the salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Peel and mince the red onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Rip the stems from the chillies, cut them in half (lengthways) and remove the seeds if you prefer a milder sauce, then chop finely. Remove the leaves from the coriander and set aside. Finely chop the stalks. Trim the leaves and root from the celery. Cut the red pepper in half and cut out the stem and seeds. Cut the celery and red pepper into very small chunks. Add a little olive oil to the large saucepan. Once it is hot, add the minced onions and garlic, the finely chopped coriander stalks and the chillies and cook gently for 5-10 minutes, making sure you stir constantly. Add the chopped celery and red pepper chunks to the pan and stir. Add all the spice mix ingredients to the pan and stir so that the spices are well mixed and coat all the vegetables. Stir in the tomato puree to give a rich colour and depth of flavour. Pour the red wine, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar into the pan and turn up the heat to high. Stir constantly until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds and the alcoholic aroma has subsided. Tip the chopped tomatoes into the pan, stir into the chilli and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is noticeably thicker. Drain the black beans and kidney beans and add them to the pan along with the maple syrup, dark chocolate, and the minced mushrooms. Add the bay leaf and stir everything together very well and then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Leave this bubbling away with the lid off, stirring occasionally until it is reduced to the right thickness (at least 10 minutes). You can leave it bubbling for longer to deepen the flavours, adding more water if needed to keep the right consistency. Take the lid off the pan and remove the bay leaf. Stir the coriander leaves into the chilli and serve.

For the spice mix 1 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 1 bay leaf

To serve 280 g brown basmati rice

Nutritional analysis per serving (1/4 of recipe) Kcal 364 Carbs (g) 39 Fibre (g) 17 Protein (g) 17 Fat (g) 6 Saturates (g) 1.4 Sugars (g) 21 Salt (g) 1.6

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VEGAN AND THRIVING Are you aware of Vegan and Thriving, our health and nutrition campaign? If not – now is a great time to jump on board and explore all that we have to offer! Vegan and Thriving is all about sharing the message that a plant-based diet can provide everything we need to feel great, no matter our age or lifestyle. In early May we are adding six sensational new recipes to the online campaign hub – but we’ve just given you a sneak peek in the previous pages! Each recipe has been nutritionally analysed. Our Dietitians have checked that it meets several different criteria, including containing multiple portions of fruit and vegetables to help you meet your five a day and being low in saturated fat and salt. Very excitingly, each recipe also has a video to accompany it. These snappy videos are just a few minutes long and take you through the process of creating each recipe from scratch.

Celebrating vegan food If you’ve been vegan for any length of time or you have an interest in plant-based cooking, you will know that vegan food can be both delicious and nutritious. This year, we wanted to use our Vegan and Thriving campaign to share this message with the world – for anyone who hasn’t got the memo yet. Public perceptions of vegan meals are changing. Long gone are the days when soy milk was an inaccessible luxury. But there are still many people who haven’t experienced how incredible vegan food can be. These recipes are filling, tasty, exciting, hearty and full of different colours, textures and nutrients. We’ve also packed in some essential knowledge such as how to cook with tofu, how to create a creamy texture in a soup and how to ensure meals are packed with protein to keep you full and fuel you with energy.

Sharing the message Just around the corner is a big advertising campaign for Vegan and Thriving. We’re showcasing our fantastic recipes outside supermarkets across the UK, with the aim of inspiring hungry shoppers to explore the campaign and experiment with vegan cooking. We are also running online adverts for the campaign across social media. You can find all of our fantastic resources, including the new recipe videos, on the Vegan and Thriving hub on our website. We have also added some inspirational stories from some truly remarkable vegans who share what ‘vegan and thriving’ means to them. From world-class athletes to busy parents, these individuals all show what is possible on a vegan diet. 18 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Campaigns

Stephen Elliott brings our new recipes to life in a series of fun videos. We caught up with Stephen about his experience of thriving on a vegan diet.

When did you go vegan?

What was the filming process like?

It’s been about two and a half years. The transition for me was really easy – me and my partner Kelly, we dived straight into it. To start with we were eating quite a lot of processed meat replacements, but now we’re trying to include as many whole foods as we can. I do all the cooking in the house and being involved in the campaign has helped me to expand my knowledge.

I have my own YouTube recipe channel called Sporran Again Vegan, which is a nice creative outlet, so I did have a bit of experience. I’d never done anything so high production before though, so it was a bit nerve-racking! But on the day, it was such a laugh. I really enjoyed getting the nutritional facts in and trying out all the recipes.

What do you think of the recipes? What kind of changes have you noticed? Since going vegan my energy levels have been really good. It’s also helped my mental health as well – that might be down to the fact that I’ve had the energy to exercise more. I certainly think that it’s related to my diet. Especially as recently we’ve been eating less processed foods and knowing exactly what’s going into all of our meals.

They’re all so tasty, and really straightforward too. I’ve made several of the recipes since. The falafel burgers are so easy – you can just dump the ingredients in the blender. The tofu pancakes with plum sauce was my favourite, and my daughter Phoebe’s favourite too. I made them again recently and I had leftover pineapple in the fridge, so I swapped the plum sauce for pineapple and chilli.

Thanks to Stephen and his family for their involvement in the campaign! Check out the recipe videos from 5 May at vegansociety.com/thriving.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 19

Interview

YOUNG ACTIVISM Lotus Kay on animal rights, kindness and why we should listen to teen activists

Tell me about your vegan journey. I grew up in a household where we didn’t eat red meat. When I was 14 I started homeschooling and became very curious to learn a lot of things. I learned a lot from documentaries, and one I came across was called Unity. It was really impactful, and showed me that farmed animals aren’t so different from our dogs. To see an animal who is about to lose their life is so heartbreaking. My sister and I watched it together and we both went vegan. We told our parents and they went vegan too. Since then, I’ve been very passionate about animal rights and everything to do with it.

How did you start your activism? When I was 15 I applied for a Roots & Shoots project grant. The programme was set up by Jane Goodall. She started it so that young people can create projects about helping the environment or whatever they’re interested in. My sister and I came up with the idea when we were having a sleepover one night – it’s kind of funny, we like to have sleepovers even though we live in the same house. We were talking about ways we could help the world, and we came up with the idea of Bears for Cares. The idea was for me to write children’s books about protecting the environment and animals, and for each book to come with a stuffed animal. Getting the Roots & Shoots grant was super cool. I think

there are probably a lot of young people that have ideas like ours.

Incredibly, you went on to publish the first book the same year. Tell me about your books. I’m a poet and a songwriter, so writing the books came naturally to me. I wrote the first one just on my iPhone notes – that was More Beautiful than Heaven, which is about the earth and how beautiful it is. After that I wrote Billie the Octopus, because I think even in vegan communities we don’t talk enough about the oceans and the life in them. It’s all about the ocean and how important it is, and how none of us could be here without it. And I wanted to raise awareness about plastic and how we’re polluting the oceans. Jenny the Chimpanzee is about how we think that humans are not animals, and think we’re the superior species, but we share so much DNA with chimpanzees. It’s reminding us that we’re all linked to one another, and we’re all interdependent. The book is also a tribute to Jane Goodall, since she did so much work on how connected we are with chimpanzees. And then I wrote A Thanksgiving for Turkeys, which is about how bittersweet the holiday is. There’s obviously a lot wrong with it, given its origins, but one thing I struggle with is the idea of giving thanks while we’re supporting billions of animals being killed. The book is about a turkey named Milo who doesn’t know what ‘turkey day’ is, so he’s all excited

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 21

Interview

thinking it’s a day all for him, then he finds out what it’s really about. The message is about having a vegan holiday.

What kinds of reactions have you got to your books? The vegan community has been really supportive. As for people who aren’t vegan and are just getting used to the ideas, I’ve also gotten pretty positive responses. One time I was showing my book to someone and they said, “Oh, these books are about kindness,” and I thought that was a really good way to describe it. I feel that kindness is a really important thing that’s overlooked in school where it’s all about learning knowledge intellectually. But being kind to one another is the most important thing we can teach to make a better world. A lot of the time when people first go vegan they’re so outraged. It’s easy to be angry and judgemental. I definitely went through that stage. Eventually you realise that the ignorance of the individual isn’t the individual’s fault but the fault of society. I love Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, otherwise known as Joyful Vegan. She was a big influence on me having a joyful outlook on veganism and talking about it in a nonjudgemental way.

What is your experience of being a young activist? I think that often you look up to people in positions of power

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like politicians, but we should listen to young people too. We’re not jaded and we have some really important insights and wisdom. I recently found out that I’m on the autistic spectrum, and that’s something I want to spread awareness of too. I don’t think I would have been able to do all that I’ve done, and have the connection with animals that I do, if I wasn’t autistic. I see the world in a unique way, and I think I’ve done this stuff so young because I was so focused on it. It’s a really important aspect of everything I do.

Thank you for sharing. Tell me more about this connection with animals you have. I’ve always really connected with animals. We live in upstate New York, so there’s a lot of wilderness around. I’ve had a few experiences seeing owls where it was like the owl stared straight at me into my soul – those are metaphysical experiences for me. I remember looking out my window at night and seeing deer and thinking, “Why do I feel like I understand you more than humans?” Sometimes I feel that other animals are so much easier to understand. I think that’s true for a lot of people on the autistic spectrum. We don’t need to make conversation, it’s just a natural connection. And that’s what makes me want to be a voice for them. Follow Lotus’ activism at @lotusrkay and bearsforcares.com

Interview

I don’t think I would have been able to do all that I’ve done, and have the connection with animals that I do, if I wasn’t autistic.

Other young activists to follow Omari McQueen Vegan chef, author and activist Omari McQueen started selling vegan home-made dips when he was aged just eight. Omari is now 12 and has had phenomenal success, including the print of his first cookbook in January 2021 and his own CBBC cooking show What’s Cooking, Omari? Vegan for the animals, Omari has said, “I want to be like Gordon Ramsay – but without the meat and the swearing!” Follow at @omarimcqueen on Instagram

Genesis Butler At the age of six, Genesis decided to go vegan after finding out animals were killed for food, and their milk was taken from them. Since then, Genesis has made speeches to politicians and decision makers about veganism, compassion and the environment. Genesis has appeared in documentaries about veganism and raised impressive funds to support local animal sanctuaries. She is the founder of @youthclimatesave, the first youth climate organisation to focus on the link between the climate crisis and animal agriculture. Follow at @genesisbutler_ on Instagram

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 23

24 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Support

FRIENDS FOR LIFE V for Life the charity for older vegans and vegetarians, introduce their fantastic pen/phone pal scheme

Staying social as we get older can sometimes be more challenging, while forming new relationships and making friends might be even more difficult. Not only can a lack of social contact negatively affect our mood in the short term, but over a longer period it may have a detrimental effect on our overall mental health. According to research carried out by Age UK, around 1.4 million older people in the UK struggle with loneliness, with around 225,000 often going a week without speaking to anyone. And on top of that, the issue of isolation has been exacerbated by lockdown over the past year.

Common ground It’s natural to seek company from those who share similar values as ourselves. V for Life’s pen and phone pal scheme offers a way to meet like-minded people from all over the UK, who are vegans or vegetarians, mostly aged 65 or older. Alison from the Central Lowlands of Scotland has been a member for a while and is pleased with how well it works for her. She says, “It’s the best thing I’ve done in a long, long time. I’ve now got a few people I speak to from the scheme and I’m delighted with how well it’s been going. I like how easy it is to get signed up and start chatting to people.” Linda from Surrey has also found the scheme easy to use. She says, “The scheme is very honest and open. I’ve found a number of people to contact, one of which I’m close friends with now over the phone. She lives quite far away, and we’d probably have never met otherwise.”

The scheme has the protection of its members at its heart. Malcolm from South Yorkshire notes, “It’s very reassuring to know that I can pick and choose who to contact and how to contact them. When I want to stop, I can do. There’s no pressure whatsoever.” Members also have control over how much of their personal details are shared, and who has access to them.

How does it work? The scheme is there for you to use as you wish. The application form can be filled out by hand – either download it from our website or call us and request a paper copy (all details below). The form asks whether you’d prefer to speak to people over the phone, via letter, or both. It also asks whether you would prefer to speak to just men or women. Participants can also include details about themselves, such as your interests and hobbies. We hope that you will find the scheme interesting and, if you decide to take part, that you will then enjoy being in touch with like-minded people throughout the UK. By Oliver Thompson, V for Life V for Life are also running an online lunch club. Find out more on their website or by calling the phone line. Vegetarianforlife.org.uk / @VfL_UK on Twitter / VfLUK on Facebook / 0161 257 088

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 25

MEMBERSHIP Letters Bone health in vegans The “potential concerns about the bone health of vegans” are all too real (In the news; Issue 1, 2021). The EPIC-Oxford report referred to showed that vegans in the study had a 43% higher risk of bone fracture than meat eaters, including more than twice the risk of a hip fracture, equivalent to 15 more cases of this serious injury per 1000 people over a 10-year period (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33222682/). The study findings cannot be brushed aside and should have been clearly communicated to readers, together with a link to the society’s own excellent advice on how to ensure an adequate intake of calcium and other nutrients essential for bone health. Paul Appleby Thanks for your letter, Paul. We are planning an article all about bone health, including a high-calcium recipe, for Issue 3. Members can see our bone health information in the nutrition section of our website. If you do not have Internet access, please contact us by phone or post.

Remembering Alistair James Howson Alistair James Howson has passed away, aged 54. Alistair set up the very first vegan-only whole food shop, in Porthmadog, about 25 years ago. At the time, (mid-late 1990s) no one else could claim this distinction. Vegan whole food shops are common now, but Mr Howson deserves remembering for his achievements. Laurence Main

Star Letter Hello – I enjoyed your article about vegans from birth (issue 2). Mum and Dad have been vegan for 50 years. I’m (ahem) 40 now and have always been vegan. My little brother is trying to catch me up but he is only 38. My children (teenage and below) are life vegans too. In my teenage years I showed my complete lack of protein by playing rugby, tennis and swimming for my school. I did this largely on a diet of chips – it was all they offered! I got married in 2005 in an all-vegan wedding (obviously) with about 50 guests. My children talk confidently about veganism. When studying global warming at school they were able to push some vegan propaganda (sorry, information) and it was well received. It wasn’t when I did it 30 years earlier. When I was a kid there was always the element of doubt that my childhood diet would show up deficiencies later … my children don’t have that doubt. Andy Barnes

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Membership

Congratulations to our wonderful member Andy Barnes, who won the Star Letter prize for this issue. Andy won a 3-month gift box from Eat Pips. The Star Letter winner for Issue 3 will receive the full range of Lemonaid and ChariTea drinks (eight flavours in total). See the range at drinkinghelps.co.uk.

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: • 10% off products from MettaLife (an eco-friendly vegan online marketplace) • 10% off your first order of soft drinks and iced teas with Lemonaid & ChariTea • 10% off one order of baby-friendly cleaning products from Nimble • 10% off handmade, eco-friendly, vegan ceramics at Oxford Clay 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 on 22 May from 1pm to 5pm. It will be held online to avoid risk to staff and members from coronavirus, with registration details sent to all members in advance. Members can vote on the election of trustees and on the motions to the AGM up until 12pm on Thursday 20 May, without any need to attend the AGM. Please note that postal ballots must be sent in good time to reach UK Engage, our election services provider, by this deadline. You should have received email or postal information from UK Engage regarding the motions and the candidates standing for election to three trustee positions. If you haven’t received this information, please contact membership@ vegansociety.com or call 07398532280 to check that we have your correct contact details. Registration for the AGM is now open until 12:00 on 22 May. Please register in advance for the AGM using this link: tinyurl.com/TVS-AGM-2021. Lapsed members (or non-members) who wish to vote should be sure to join by Thursday 13 May at 9am to vote by post (on motions and candidates), by Tuesday 18 May at 9am to vote online in advance (on motions and candidates), or by Friday 21 May at 12 noon to vote online on the day (on motions only). By voting on trustees and motions, members guide the society’s direction and priorities. We are proud to be a democratic organisation controlled by our members. We love to hear from our members and understand your concerns. Members can submit questions to the AGM on any aspect of our activity, but priority will be given to questions on the 2020 Report and Accounts. Please send your questions to the Chair of Council Robb Masters (chair@ vegansociety.com) and Interim CEO Louise Davies (ceo@ vegansociety.com). You can also post them to Donald Watson House, 34–35 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham B3 1EH. These must be received by Thursday 13 May at 5pm. Any requests to record the AGM must also be received by Thursday 13 May at 5pm. We hope you will use your vote to choose trustees for the society and to decide on the motions to the AGM.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 27

Rights

PLAY FAIR WITH PLANT MILK Vegan children in Scotland now have access to plant milk following our campaign activities.

Under the Equality Act 2010, vegans are protected from discrimination. Schools are under a statutory duty to remove disadvantages experienced by vegans and take all reasonable steps to provide for their needs.

Supporting vegan pupils The subsidised school milk scheme was introduced to support good nutrition and help sustain pupils through the demanding school day. Despite fortified plant milk being nutritionally comparable to cow’s milk, and recognised as a healthy drink in the various School Food Standards, it has never been included in the nationwide scheme. Some schools do not provide plant milk, and also have a ‘water only’ policy for pupils who do not participate in the cow’s milk scheme. It would seem fair to at least permit vegan pupils to take their own plant milk into school. This would meet the terms of the statutory equality duty, however some schools do not permit vegan pupils to do so. There are human rights and equality law arguments applicable to this situation. The Vegan Society supports all vegan parents who wish to use legal provisions to ensure their vegan children are not unlawfully disadvantaged in school. We have been instrumental in bringing about wider policy changes to the provision of milk. After making full use of law in our campaigning and discussions, the Scottish Government will, from 1 August, start funding a suitable plant-based alternative under its Milk

and Healthy Snack Scheme for pre-school children. Funding will be available for day care providers and childminders to provide fortified plant milk for children over 12 months who cannot consume cow’s milk due to medical, ethical or religious reasons.

A great precedent This sets a great precedent that we will build on with our Play Fair with Plant Milk campaign, to challenge the other public health schemes to follow suit and help prevent further discrimination against vegan children. The Vegan Society continues to make full use of law to press for national changes to school milk schemes. Vegan Rights Advocate Dr Jeanette Rowley says, “When my own vegan children went to school many years ago there was no concept of rights for vegans. Things are very different today: the emphasis on, and legal duties around equality and inclusion means that vegans have the right to plant-based meal and milk options in school. Providing these options for vegan school pupils makes it easier for other people to adopt and sustain veganism too. Bringing veganism within the scope of human rights and equality law not only validates veganism and ensures respect for the convictions of vegans – it also allows us to influence and promote meat and dairy-free food policies that are critical to bringing an end to animal suffering.” Email knowyourrights@vegansociety.com for support.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 29

Reviews

REVIEWS

Beauty and the Bin by Joanna O’Connell Reviewed by Sarah Clark, aged 16 Beauty and the Bin focuses on the struggles of 12-year-old Laurie in balancing her ethical consciousness with her desires to be popular and have a successful beauty business. The book tackles important topics such as food waste, worker exploitation and animal rights. The main theme is a school business competition where Laurie teams up with the most popular girl in the school, Charlie. Laurie’s business idea ‘beauty in the kitchen’ focuses on producing beauty products out of food items which may otherwise get thrown away and is a brilliant inspiration for young people to move away from unethical products to natural homemade ones. Laurie’s family, although somewhat eccentric, show the lengths to which we can go to avoid food waste, live greener lives and help our community. Although Laurie’s inclinations sometimes clash with family values, the book ultimately shows the importance of family in helping you through difficult times, as well as how our ethical commitments often need to come before our own ambitions. By working with Charlie, Laurie learns that popularity is not as glamorous as it may seem and that success can be earned through standing for what you believe in just as much as through good looks and a demanding nature. The book was an enjoyable read helped by the fact the main character was vegan and stood for many similar values to me, something which made them more relatable. I would definitely recommend it for children aged between 7 and 13.

The V Word podcast hosted by Sarah-Jane Crawford Reviewed by Kaya Gromocki The V Word podcast is on a mission to uncover the new age and face of veganism. It’s not just about health, recipes or ethics, but about the individuals who make up our community, and how veganism intersects with their lives, culture and careers. Host Sarah-Jane Crawford breaks down the insidious misconception that veganism was discovered by and for white middle-class people. She also challenges the misogynistic perception that veganism is a less ‘appropriate’ lifestyle for men. The V Word confronts these stereotypes, and many others, in a manner which centres compassion, not derision. With guests such as Youtuber Rachel Ama, blogger ‘The Vegan Truck Driver’ and footballer Nathan Smith, The V Word features the voices that are often excluded from the mainstream vegan movement. Guests share stories of how veganism came into their lives; The Vegan Truck Driver tells of the animals he would see being transported along the motorway, and how the harrowing realisation of their destination sparked his shift in consciousness. Rachel Ama describes the lack of women of colour creating veganised Caribbean dishes on YouTube, and how she came to be in that space. Sarah-Jane and her guests focus on what veganism has brought to their lives, and how they can share this discovery with their friends and family in an open and respectful manner. Some cultures have a meat heavy diet, others, such as Rastafarianism, already have strong links with veganism. These complexities are examined in open and honest dialogue, and judgement is left at the door.

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VOLUNTEER HUB Kaya Gromocki Volunteering and Engagement Officer

It has been a great start to the year for our volunteer programme, especially for our home-based roles that require a specialist skill set. We have been lucky enough to recruit Mary Farrell, Peter O’Boyle, Simone Hencke and Sian Leigh who are all on board and supporting our Digital Communications Team with website work, social media strategy and digital content creation. These volunteers are bringing us valuable knowledge that they have gained from their experience in software development, project management, environmental studies and digital marketing. Thank you to all of them for contributing these skills to our workforce, along with their passion and understanding of veganism. I would also like to say a huge well done to Charis Collier, our Volunteer of the Season from Issue 3 2020, who has now joined the Marketing Team as a full time staff member, in the role of Marketing Assistant.

Future Normal stories Outside of our virtual office bubble, work is also being completed by our Community Network to accelerate and strengthen our biggest ever campaign, Future Normal. That is why in this issue I have chosen to highlight the task that our Community Network volunteers are currently working on. In February, we asked the Network to help us to spread the message of our Future Normal campaign by sourcing stories for us. We were looking for emotive stories that show a personal connection with animals, the journey those animals have been on and the difference that compassion has made to their lives. We particularly asked volunteers to find us stories about farmed animals who have been rehomed or adopted.

Meet ‘the girls’ The results were heart-warming. First up we had one of our very own volunteers contribute her story. Chris is a Community Organiser based in Cornwall. At the start of the pandemic, she adopted three pigs who she affectionately refers to as the ‘the girls’. Chris persuaded her neighbours to

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Volunteers

let her take the pigs to live with her, and now Fabulous, Flora and Fauna spend their days frolicking in Chris’ field. Chris says, “They love to run and play, and they bark like dogs when doing so. When Flora was knocked over during this joviality, Fab would snout her back onto her feet so she could re-join the game.” Chris poignantly remarked that if it weren’t for the girls being rehomed, they would already no longer be with us as they are usually killed at eight or nine months old. Chris says, “All of you who love them as I do will be thankful to know that this will not happen. They will live out their full natural lifespan of 15–20 years, as they so deserve to.”

Rescuing poorly hens Next, Community Advocate Cate, sent me a story from Kate, a friend of hers who regularly adopts hens from the British Hen Welfare Trust. On this occasion she was asked if she would take ‘the poorlies’. Kate shared the story of their adoption. “It was obvious from the moment we got them home that the Greek Goddess names the children had chosen were not appropriate. So instead, we welcomed Illy, Wobbler, and four other very sick hens into our family. They could not stand, let alone walk, and were completely bald.” Kate knitted six jumpers to keep the hens warm until their feathers grew back and provided them with fleece jackets for when their jumpers were in the wash. Despite their terrible start, they all lived a year out of their cages, free to roam, and were often to be found in the vegetable patch helping themselves to the family’s veggies. The connection that was formed with the hens was real. “In spite of everything, their individual characters shone through and we fell in love with our little feathered family. It was heart-breaking to lose them one by one as they finally succumbed to illness, but an honour to have given them a chance to be happy and live as natural a life as possible under the sun.”

Compassionate instincts The Community Network volunteers are continuing to support our Future Normal campaign by sourcing more stories about the wonderful connection that so many people feel with non-human animals. The campaign reaches out to people who feel a connection with animals and invites them to explore that connection. Many people felt a compassionate instinct towards animals when they were children, so the campaign asks – what changed? We’re encouraging people to reconnect with these feelings, offering answers to some of the questions they might have and reminding them that they have a choice. If you have a story you would like to share, or if you would like to join the Community Network, please get in touch at volunteer@vegansociety.com. The volunteer tasks that the Community Network are currently undertaking can all be done from home, and in line with Government restrictions.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 33

Volunteers

VOLUNTEER OF THE SEASON Meet Joe James, a Birmingham-based student who has joined our Community Network as a Community Organiser

Tell us about yourself I’m a second-year sociology student at Birmingham City University. I love cooking – it’s been a big hobby of mine since going vegan. I also love house plants. I’ve had the same Japanese Peace Lily for three years now. Someone once told me that it helps to filter toxins out of the air. I don’t know how true that is, but my little plant has had a real impact on my outlook.

What motivated you to become vegan, and to become a volunteer for The Vegan Society? I’ve been vegan for over three years now. My first experience of veganism was living with veggie and vegan housemates. The impact of that environment was incredibly influential – I went from weekly butcher trips to fully vegan in the same month. I guess I was naïve to the fact that there were other things you could put on your plate. And also, how good roasted chickpea wraps are! I’ve always wanted to do more for the vegan community. The Vegan Society has the same outlook on veganism as me, and with the office being based in Birmingham’s city centre it felt like fate.

What do you hope to achieve in your volunteer role and what do you think can be changed in your local area to make veganism more mainstream? Living in Selly Oak, a predominately student housing area in

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Birmingham, there are so many like-minded and intelligent young people who are unaware of the impact the meat industry has on the environment. I feel as though there are so many opportunities to spread the positive impacts of veganism. One simple message can change someone’s outlook on life. It did for me.

What are you hoping to do this summer? This summer if everything goes to plan, I will be running the Great Birmingham Run half marathon for The Vegan Society. This is one of the biggest tasks I’ve taken on in my life. I love challenging myself and setting myself new goals as it makes me feel as if we can make real change. I have never done a half marathon before, but I really got into running this winter and now that I’m working with The Vegan Society I feel passionate to do something positive for them and the great work that they do.

What are your goals for your future? I’m still young and as a student I’m trying to discover what I’m really passionate about. Studying sociology has showed me that whatever I do decide to do, I want it to be related to my values. I would love to have a career that will make a real difference in the world! I’d love one day to work for a vegan company or at least be surrounded by people with the same morals and values as myself.

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Nutrition

PLANT PROTEIN HEROES Our new Dietitian Andrea Rymer explores this key nutrient and provides a proteinpacked recipe

Hi there! I’m Andrea, a Registered Dietitian who recently joined The Vegan Society team. I have been vegan for seven years, and I’ve worked as a Dietitian for six years in a variety of settings including community, acute and catering departments. Prior to this, I worked for a long time in a professional kitchen at a busy hotel feeding hundreds of guests. At the age of 23 I chose to study dietetics to combine my loves of food, cooking and nutrition. I hope to bring this passion through my work with The Vegan Society, providing easy and healthy vegan recipes for all.

The protein question I hope we are all past the point of asking where vegans get their protein from. It is well known that plant proteins exist – however, when it comes to the food industry and chef recipe development, it seems like this nutrient can often fall off the radar. Typical non-vegan restaurant style dishes welcome meat as the superhero on the plate, with a small portion of colourful veg as its inferior sidekick. Some common vegan food swaps are banana blossom used as a fishy replacement, or jackfruit used as a trendy, aesthetically pleasing pulled pork alternative, however both are low in protein. Familiarity, flavour and presentation might well be further up the list of priorities than nutritional balance when it comes to some vegan recipe development.

An essential nutrient Protein is essential for growth and repair and acts as a

structural component for muscles and bones, while also carrying oxygen to cells and helping our bodies fight infection. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids, and some of these are essential, meaning we must consume them in our foods. Eating a combination of plant proteins such as beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, grains, mycoproteins (Quorn) and soya means you will get the essential amino acids your body needs. Foods containing adequate protein are also often a good source of other vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc, which again will all play a role in helping our bodies to function correctly. Although it’s not difficult to obtain protein from plants, some people (particularly if new to veganism) could experience fatigue if they are missing out on their usual protein fix. This risks giving a misconception that veganism will leave you hungry and tired, which of course is not sustainable – or true! If you hadn’t already gathered, low protein ‘veganised’ food products and dishes are one of my pet peeves – but how can we make this better for all of us?

Eating out I write this as lockdown is being eased in the UK. I’m sure that many of us are excited to return to restaurants when it is safe to do so. We have come a long way from having to order a side of chips and salad when eating out, but if today’s vegan menu

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Nutrition

option is missing that protein punch, don’t be scared to ask staff to adapt the dish. Most kitchens have a can of chickpeas to add to a veg curry, some cashews or peanuts as a topping to your stir-fried noodles or a spoonful of hummus to slap on that veggie burger. It’s always a good idea to fill in a feedback form or write a review online about your restaurant experience. Restaurants will value constructive feedback and it could help with their seasonal menu reviews.

Check ingredients When searching for the hero for your plate, check that it isn’t always compromising protein. Looking at the ingredients list when buying products can help – if the protein source is mentioned early on it is likely the product contains a good amount. For example, a meat substitute burger or sausage made from soya or pea protein can have four times as much protein as a standard veggie burger or sausage. Even bean burgers tend to have limited protein as they are usually bulked out with potato and vegetables. Like a lot of processed foods, some meat substitutes can be quite salty. It’s good to check food labels if you are eating them often – more than 1.5g of salt per 100g is a high amount.

VEGAN ‘FISHCAKES’ serves 4 VEGAN ‘FISHCAKES’ (photo on the right)

serves 4

Ingredients 2 sheets of nori 1x400 g can of chickpeas 1x400 g can of jackfruit (drained and squeezed) 1 large white potato (peeled) 1 bunch of spring onions 15 g fresh ginger (peeled and grated) 4 cloves of garlic (crushed) 2 red/green birds’ eye chillies ½ lemon (juiced) 1 small bunch of coriander 20 g rapeseed oil ½ tsp salt 100 ml fortified plant milk 100 g plain flour (use gluten-free if required) 200 g golden breadcrumbs (use gluten-free if required, or wholemeal for added fibre)

Directions Toast the nori in a dry frying pan on high heat. Once it starts to blacken and crumple put it in a blender, grind into small flakes and set aside. Boil the potato until it’s soft enough to mash. While the potato is boiling, blend the chickpeas until they are almost smooth but keep a little texture. Make sure the jackfruit is thoroughly drained, and squeeze it to remove as much liquid as possible. Flake the jackfruit into the chickpea mixture. Blend it slightly if you are not able to flake it.

38 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Be your own chef It is great that so many meat and fish alternatives are on the market right now, helping more and more people make a comfortable switch to veganism. Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds can be so versatile, so why not try combining them with grains and your favourite herbs and spices, using a food processor or mashing with a fork to make your own mince, patties, ‘meat’balls or sausages. This is a great way to adapt to your own taste buds, while combining foods to make a complete protein hero.

Take-home tips • Include a protein source at each meal. • Familiarise yourself with food packaging and labels. • Experiment with beans, pulses and grains to create your own protein-rich heroes. • Don’t be afraid to ask food chains and restaurants to adapt menus for a more balanced meal. For information about vegan nutrition, check out the resources at vegansociety.com/nutrition, including the free VNutrition app. Andrea Rymer, Dietitian

(photo on the right) Gently fry the spring onion, ginger, garlic and chopped chillies in oil until soft (not browned) and add this to the chickpea and jackfruit mixture. Mash the soft potato and add to the mixture along with the flaked nori, salt, lemon juice and chopped coriander. Mix well. Add a quarter of the breadcrumbs to the mixture and mix again until a firm shape can be created. Shape the mixture in to 4 large or 8 small patties. Coat each patty in flour, then dip into the milk and finally coat with breadcrumbs. You may need to repeat this to get an adequate coating of breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and flash fry each side. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until cooked throughout. Plate, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition tips • Nori can provide a good source of iodine, however the most reliable source is via an iodine supplement in the form of potassium iodide or iodate. Head over to our website for more information on iodine. • Why not serve with our homemade coleslaw (you can use the aquafaba drained from your can of chickpeas to make your own mayo!) adding another one of your 5 a day. See our ‘homemade coleslaw’ recipe on our website.

Nutrition

Photography by Hannah Hossack-Lodge domesticgothess.com

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 39

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.

Balance Festival Friday 7 – Sunday 9 May 2021 The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 6QR balance-festival.com

Soy Oi vegan fayre Saturday 3 July (10am – 3pm) Atherstone Memorial Hall, 12 Long Street, Atherstone CV9 1AX soyoi.co.uk/vegan-fayre

Just V London Friday 9 –Sunday 11 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 Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY london.omyogashow.com

40 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Fundraising

HOW TO WRITE YOUR WILL

Making a will can give you peace of mind. You can be safe in the knowledge that your loved ones will be provided for, and your intentions met, after your death. You can decide what happens to your money, property and possessions, choose your executors and leave clear instructions to support charities close to your heart. Without a will, you have no control over how your inheritance in spent. This makes it one of the most important documents you will ever write. Your will is a legal document, so if you are not legally trained you could make a will that is not valid, creating problems for your executors and beneficiaries. Consulting a solicitor will help you ensure you make a valid and legal document. The Law Society or Law Society of Scotland can provide names of solicitors in your area who specialise in wills. The Vegan Society offer a free online and telephone willwriting service through Farewill, who employ a specialist team to make sure all wills are legal and valid.

Leaving a legacy Including The Vegan Society in your will could help us to plan our public facing campaigns such as Plate up for the Planet. This initiative makes people aware of the environmental benefit of a vegan lifestyle and challenges them to go vegan for seven days. One Plate Up participant says, “I think joining up to a challenge makes you stick to it; I will continue my vegan diet as I found it so interesting. I’ll continue for our planet and the animals.” When you leave a gift to The Vegan Society in your will, you can continue to be part of our important work even after you have gone. Your legacy will help us to create a more peaceful, sustainable and compassionate world for generations to come. We can help walk you through the steps you need to take to write your will so that it is legally valid. To find out more about our will-writing service, please visit vegansociety.com/giftsinwills or contact Ruby on 0121 728 5841 or ruby.jones@vegansociety.com.

I wanted to make sure my will reflected my values and outreach activities. To date, I have really liked working with other vegans and organisations including The Vegan Society. It’s an important part of my life to do what I can for the other animals and the people and planet who suffer as a result of animal agriculture. I really love the idea of being able to extend my support for the vegan movement through a donation after I’m gone.

- Haz, who used our Farewill service to kindly leave us a gift in their will

Ruby Jones, Fundraising and Partnerships Manager Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 41

Promotional feature

SHOPAROUND

Shop with confidence for products registered with the trusted Vegan Trademark

Nimble Babies Cleaning Range Nimble is a range of effective cleaning products that are safe for your child to be around. Inspired by the messy moments parents face every day, the products are designed to be powerful and safe, with no harsh chemicals and no animal use. From laundry detergent to bottle cleaner, it covers most of your baby’s cleaning needs, and is ideal for parents of young children or those seeking gifts for new parents. Available at nimblebabies.com, Sainsbury’s, Boots, Ocado and Amazon.

bECOsy Companion Animal Bed bECOsy have created a luxurious vegan companion animal bed, giving you the peace of mind that you are doing your bit for the environment too. Made from durable Oxford cloth, faux Sherpa fleece and filled with natural shredded latex, the beds are naturally resistant to dust mites, mould and mildew. The materials help the bedding to keep its shape and increase longevity, and with a convenient removable filling, they can be easily washed at 30 degrees. Available at becosy.co.uk.

CurlyEllie Haircare Range CurlyEllie’s founder was on a mission to find pure and gentle hair care for her daughter, Ellie, who suffered from allergies. The range has now expanded to contain six natural haircare products designed to protect, tame and care for hair and scalps quickly and gently. All products are infused with edible plant and seed oils, contain no silicones, parabens or sulfates and the packaging is proudly made from recycled plastic. Available at curlyellie.com, Wholefoods, Victoria Health and Ocado.

VeganBlue Super Nature Shake VeganBlue’s Super Nature Shake is a vegan plant protein powder made with only raw, organic ingredients and packed with nutrients, including high-quality plant proteins. The shake can be enjoyed with your favourite plant milk, in smoothies or in vegan recipes such as pancakes before or after your workouts. Available at veganblue.world, where Vegan Society members get free UK shipping and 20% off using the code: VB20. (Expires 30 June 2021.)

42 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

Promotional feature

Golden Virgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil Golden Virgin Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a unique Greek cold-pressed product, cultivated and produced from organic farming. Produced exclusively from the Koroneiki olive variety, it’s a premium olive oil that’s sure to elevate even the simplest of dishes. It is also naturally rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, essential for maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. Available at goldenvirginpro.com.

Riya’s Original Vegan Flatbreads Treat yourself to restaurant quality vegan naans at home! Each of Riya’s naans (Garlic & Coriander, Spicy, Plain and Wholemeal) are skillfully handmade and flame baked. If you’re looking for a low-fat option, their Light Lavash Bread is the perfect alternative to the conventional wrap with the added bonus of having less than 1% fat and with 9.6 g of protein. An exciting new addition has recently joined the vegan range – Riya’s Frozen Parathas in plain and wholemeal. Available at riyasoriginal.com and Asda.

OSU Apple Cider Vinegar Japanese apple cider brand OSU have expanded their product range with two brand-new blends – all registered with the Vegan Trademark. Joining their original Apple Cider Vinegar, you can now try Blueberry & Pomegranate and Lemon & Ginger. It’s also a great substitute for buttermilk – just mix with plant milk, let it sit for 5–10 minutes and it’s good to go! Available at osuvinegar. co.uk, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Ocado and Amazon.

UN-DID In Your Face Tint Quench your skin’s thirst with UN-DID’s In Your Face water tint. Part moisturiser, part skin-serum and part foundation, choose from six shades that blend and blur into your natural skin tone. With a blend of glycerin and hyaluronic acid to add moisture, and aloe vera and chamomile to soothe redness and blemishes, In Your Face helps you to show off your freckles and beauty marks, whilst evening out the bits you want to cover. Available at theundid.com.

Issue 2 2021 The Vegan | 43

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.

VEG 1 is the affordable multivitamin developed by The Vegan Society. Designed for vegans, by vegan experts, VEG 1 is packed full of seven key nutrients that complement a balanced and varied vegan diet. Taken once daily, this chewable tablet is a convenient and easy way to protect your nutrient intake. VEG 1 contains the EU recommended daily Nutrient Reference Intake (NRV) of: • Vitamin B12 • Vitamin D3 • Iodine • Selenium • Vitamin B2 • Vitamin B6 • Folic Acid Available in two different flavours, we have something to suit everyone’s tastebuds. You can choose from Orange, Blackcurrant, or mix it up and try both! We also have two sizes to choose from.

VEG 1 Orange 90: £6.60 A 3–month supply of VEG 1 made up of 90 chewable tablets. (Also available in blackcurrant flavour.)

VEG 1 Blackcurrant 180: £12.70 A 6–month supply of VEG 1 made up of 180 chewable tablets. (Also available in orange flavour.) Explore the range at vegansociety.com/ veg1.

Plastic-free packaging We are very excited to be giving you a sneak peek at our new plastic-free packaged VEG 1, which will be available to buy from June 2021. Finding a sustainable packaging solution has been a priority for the VEG 1 team. We are moving away from the original plastic tub to a sleek recyclable aluminium tin as shown in the images above. We hope that you’re as excited about this change as we are.

Vegan Society Members get a 10% discount off VEG 1. Ensure you are logged into your membership account when ordering VEG 1 and the discount will apply automatically or quote your membership number when ordering over the phone on 0121 523 1730.

44 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021

NO DAIRY

NO GLUTEN

NO SOYA

NO PALM OIL

MulTI-awARd WinNInG EtHicALlY soURceD

EnTer VEgSoc20 foR 20% ofF

moOFreEChoCOlaTEs.Com

The Vegan 2021 Issue 2

Articles inside

Events

Reviews

Shoparound

Buy online

Volunteers

Recipes

Fundraising

Membership

A chat with Bio-D

In the news

Open heart

Nutrition

Highlights