The Irish Vegetarian 137 by Vegetarian Society of Ireland

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Irish Vegetarian Winter 2012/13 Issue 137 Magazine of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland

The Ethics of Cultured Meat

A Vegan Guide to New York The BrightonVegfest Recipes & More!

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

Contents 6 8 10 12 13 15 17 19 22 23

A Trip Down Memory Lane The Ethics of Cultured Meat The Meat Fix Vegan Meanin' Food Book Reviews A Cork Vegan's Holiday in New York The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale Find New Friends The Brighton Vegfest 2012 Home Economics and Vegetarian Students Vegetarian Society of Ireland c/o Dublin Food Coop, 12 Newmarket, Dublin 8 Phone: (01) 488 0250 email: info@vegetarian.ie web: www.vegetarian.ie VSI is a Registered Charity: CHY12238 Cover photo: Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale 2012 by Angi Mason This magazine is printed on FSC paper.

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

The Vegetarian Society of Ireland AIMS OF THE SOCIETY Our constitutional aims are to advance education, and to promote the positive aspects of vegetarianism in relation to both health and environmental issues. We also aim to create more awareness of the organization, and to inform the people of Ireland about vegetarianism. We aim to co-operate with other organizations which promote the fundamental ideals of vegetarianism. The VSI supports both vegetarian and vegan aims.

COMMITTEE The committee of the VSI are elected annually and volunteer their time. We hold monthly meetings to ensure the vegetarian voice for Ireland is being listened to. Chairperson Sarah Burnham Membership Martin O’Reilly Treasurer Eithne Brew (acting) Secretary Maureen O’Sullivan Webmaster Martin O’Sullivan Ordinary Committee Member Karen Bui

VOLUNTEERING We are always looking for people to help out. If you can lend a hand from time to time please email volunteer@vegetarian.ie with your contact details.

DEFINITIONS The Vegetarian Society of Ireland defines a vegetarian as one who does not consume meat, fish or fowl and who aims to avoid the use and consumption of battery hen eggs and slaughterhouse by-products in food, clothing, cosmetic and household products. A vegan is one who adopts a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose. In dietary terms veganism refers to the practice of dispensing with all animal produce including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, animal milks, honey and their derivatives. Abhorrence of the cruel practices inherent in dairy, livestock and poultry farming is probably the most common reason for the adoption of veganism, but many people are drawn to it for health, ecological, resource, spiritual and other reasons.

SPRING 2013 ISSUE DEADLINE The theme of the Spring 2013 issue is Raw Food. The deadline for advertisements and articles for inclusion is 25th January 2013. Articles can be accepted in text file, PDF, Open Office or MSOffice format. Images/photos for inclusion need to be of good quality (no resize/crop) with a resolution of at least 300dpi and in JPEG format. Mail editor@vegetarian.ie.

EDITORIAL Winter is upon us and after unexpected delays resulting in us missing the publication of the Autumn issue, for which we apologise to all our members, we are proud to present to you the Winter 2012/13 edition of The Irish Vegetarian. Winter is a wonderful time to experiment with new recipes. We are privileged to have some great contributions from our volunteer writers throughout Ireland, without whom, publication of this magazine would not be possible. Features include book reviews, reports from recent events, articles from socially conscious individuals and recipes that are sure to appeal to those with a sweet tooth. We hope you enjoy your 24 page, full colour Winter 2012/13 issue. If you have any feedback, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line at editor@vegetarian.ie. Remember, we always want to hear your news, comments, and suggestions. Brittany & Karen IN BRIEF World Vegetarian Day 2012 The VSI held its second large-scale World Vegetarian Day event in a row in St Andrew's Resource Centre on Pearse Street in Dublin City. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the day. VSI mentioned in TV now magazine TV now magazine ran a feature on World Vegetarian Day in which the benefits of reducing one's meat consumption were outlined and guidelines for doing so were provided. The VSI is pleased to have been referred to in this article. A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR VOLUNTEERS & CONTRIBUTORS! Editors: Brittany Lawler, Karen Bui, Sarah Burnham Packing & Distribution (Summer ’12): Sarah Burnham, Suzanne Clinton, Grace Hillis, Martin O’Reilly, Juliana Pereira, Miren Maialen Samper, Brian Shannon Proof reading (Winter ‘12): Liz Bruton, Karen Bui, Grace Hillis, Martin O’Reilly, Gemma Sidney. Writers: Jolanta Burke, Sarah Burnham, Conor Hand, Grace Hillis, Lisa J. Lord, Angi Mason, Martin O’Reilly, Gemma Sidney, Bronwyn Slater. Cover: Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale 2012, Photo by Angi Mason The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

Vegetarian & Vegan

NEWS: World’s oldest first-time father is vegetarian An Indian man named Ramajit Raghav, who became the world’s oldest first-time father at the age of 94, has fathered another child at the age of 96. According to an article on the website of The Independent newspaper (UK), Ramajit believes his vegetarian diet has a role to play in his achievement: "I have been a vegetarian all my life, and I credit my stamina and virility to my diet." People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) in India are featuring Ramajit in their new campaign. For more on this story visit The Independent newspaper article at <http://tinyurl.com/ c75yxx4>.

ADVERTISING with The Irish Vegetarian Magazine 1/8 page ... €20 1/4 page ... €35 1/2 page ... €60 Full page ... €100 Small adverts of up to 20 words €10 (Small adverts are free to members) submit queries on advertising & artwork to accounts@vegetarian.ie Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent policies of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland.

Become a Volunteer We are always looking for volunteers to help with our magazine, stalls, and events such as Word Vegetarian Day. Watch out for our appeals and do not hesitate to contact us! We urgently need volunteers to help with our magazine and our website. If you have editorial skills, writing skills, or graphic design skills, we would particularly like to hear from you. We need volunteers to edit the magazine, research and write articles, distribute the magazine to retailers, and to contribute content to our website. If you can help us with any of these tasks then please get in touch. We are always looking for people to help out. If you can lend a hand from time to time please email volunteer@vegetarian.ie with your contact details. The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

Social & Local Groups If there’s a local group not mentioned here please let us know by emailing: socials@vegetarian.ie. If you’d like to create a group in your area then we can help you with leaflets & publicity.

Dublin Vegetarian Meetup Group When they meet: usually at least once a month in various Dublin city centre locations. A diverse and very international group. Who to contact: Grace Hillis (grace@vegetarian.ie). To participate in this group join meetup.com (free) and then become a member of the group a www.vegetarian.meetup.com/485/

Clare Vegetarian Group Meet the first Thursday of every month. Website is www.clareveggroup.blogspot.com and email is clareveggroup@gmail.com

Galway Vegetarian Group Usually meet on the first Thursday of every month in Massimo’s Pub, William Street West, Galway City at 8pm. Contact Paul Campbell on 085 6872088. Email paulcampbellgalway@gmail.com. Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Galway Vegetarians And Vegans

Kilkenny Vegetarian Group Organizes “No Meat and Greets “ where vegetarians & vegans bring their favourite dishes to share with others. Omnivores welcome but no meat please! Email vegkilkenny@gmail.com and online at http://www.veggiekilkenny.com or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43949691068

Kildare Meetup Group Contact Conor Hand at kildareveggiemeet@gmail.com.

Northern Ireland Veg*n Lounge Meetup Welcome all vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, fruitarians, (and any kind of plant eater!) from Northern Ireland. http://www..meetup.com/Northern-Ireland-Vegetarian-Vegan/

Vegan Social & Local Groups Vegan Sligo Bringing the vegan lifestyle to Sligo. vegansligo@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Sligo/215528968478165

Kerry Vegans and Raw Vegans Hoping to connect vegans in Kerry and anyone else interested in the vegan lifestyle. http://www.meetup.com/kerry-vegans/

Cork Vegans Regularly meet up to socialize and to discuss and promote vegan issues. Email: corkvegans@gmail.com. http://www.corkvegans.ie, https://www.facebook.com/corkvegans, www.meetup.com/CorkVegans

The Galway Vegan Meetup Group - Full O’Beans For vegans and aspiring vegans living in and around Galway who love to eat! Vegan Ireland regularly sends newsletters by email with details of their latest activities, including meetups and information stands. Contact: vegansireland@gmail.com. Website: www.veganireland.org.

NEWS

A Trip Down Memory Lane By: Grace Hillis

November 2010 I contacted the National Library of Ireland about getting an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) to enable us to put barcodes on The Irish Vegetarian. The NLI at that point reminded me of the VSI’s obligation to submit a copy of each issue of the magazine to the library as it is a Legal Deposit Library. We had been doing so each time an issue was published for three years, but that still left over two decades of back issues to catch up with. Former committee members had been looking after the only complete and almost complete sets we are aware of. I collected the complete set from Dee Higgs and Stephen West posted the other set to us. After a few extreme photocopying sessions in Reads in Dublin to replace the missing issues the complete set was ready to go to the NLI. The collection is now on the NLI’s catalogue http:// catalogue.nli.ie/ and the VSI’s publications are safely preserved. While I still have the second set, which will be kept by the VSI, I can’t resist flicking through the old issues and learning a bit more about the VSI. Here are some things of interest: 21/06/78: A letter about the VSI was sent out. It was typed and you can see that the letter x has been used to cross out misprinted letters. A committee was being formed for the first time and interested parties were asked to fill in information about themselves, much like on the current membership form. One interesting difference is it listed “personal economies” among the reasons why people might be vegetarian. The membership fee back then was £3! The first VSI meeting had just taken place, in the Living Centre of Ireland on Harcourt Street in Dublin. There were 31 members.

Oct/Nov 1978: The production of a bimonthly bulletin called Irish Vegetarian News was started. The VSI was becoming active with “outings” and “eat-ins”. Dec 1978/Jan 1979: Readers were told it costs 10p to send out each newsletter. Sep/Oct 1979: The VSI Constitution was first published. Nov/Dec 1979: The VSI called for meetings to start in Cork and around the country. Jan/Feb 1980: A request was put out for anyone interested in collaborating to establish a vegetarian restaurant to get in touch. Volunteers were also sought to start running a VSI stall at the Dandelion Market in Dublin. Jan/Feb 1981: 2000 “Vegetarianism and Ireland” leaflets were printed, at a cost of 2.5p each, targeted at people interested in vegetarianism. Jan/Feb 1982: A Galway regional group was established and a reference was made to a Meath-Louth branch.

Thought in Dun Laoghaire, Blazing Salads in Powerscourt Centre, The Golden Dawn at Crowe Street and Fitzpatricks on Camden Street. The wedding of a vegetarian couple active in the VSI was reported. The service was performed by a vegetarian priest and 75 guests enjoyed a vegetarian meal afterwards. I’ll stop at this point so as not to make this article too long. I found reading the old newsletters fascinating (I haven’t got up as far as the start of The Irish Vegetarian yet!) and am deeply impressed with how active the VSI has been over the years. There were many talks given, movies screened, stalls run and fundraising and social activities organised; and there are lots of similarities between the work done by committed vegetarians and vegans in the 1970s and 1980s and today. I hope that we will be able to digitise the content in the coming years to make it available to all who have an interest in the history of the VSI. If you would like to participate in this project as a volunteer please email volunteer@vegetarian.ie.

Mar/Apr 1983: At this stage there were a growing range of vegetarian restaurants in Dublin: Food for The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

Vegetarian Society of Ireland Membership Application Form

Standing Order If you wish to pay your membership by Standing Order, please complete this form with your bank details, and post to the VSI along with your membership form. To the Manager, Bank Name

To become a member, or to renew your subscription, simply complete this form and send it to: The Membership Secretary, VSI, c/o Dublin Food Co-op, 12 New market, Dublin 8.

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You can also join online at www.vegetarian.ie/mem.htm

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Note: Please allow up to 6 weeks for your membership application to be processed.

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Account No. I authorise you to charge my account immediately and then on the 1st day of _________________ (insert month) every year thereafter until otherwise instructed in writing, the sum of € _____ for credit to the account of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland, A/C No: 38239893, Sort code 90 00 17, Bank of Ireland, 2 College Green, Dublin 2 Name of Account Holder(s) (Block Capitals Please)

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__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Tel.: ____________________________ E-mail: __________________________ Year of birth (this information helps the VSI) ______________ Gender______________ I wish to become a member of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland. I am in sympathy with the aims of the Society (see page 4) and declare that while I remain a member I will not knowingly consume the flesh of animals (meat, fish, fowl) as food, and I will aim to avoid the use and consumption of battery hen eggs and slaughter-house by-products.

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I wish to become an Associate Member of the Vegetarian Society of Ireland. While I cannot yet practice vegetarianism at all times, I am in sympathy with the aims of the Society and would like to support its work.

Choose one of the following: Under 18 annual subscription……………….....…. €10 Adult annual subscription………………………..... €20 Lifetime membership…..………………................. €300

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Total money enclosed €_________Please do not send cash in the post You can also pay by standing order by filling out the form overleaf or contact us at accounts@vegetarian.ie for details of how to pay your subscription via internet banking.

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Maybe, please tell me more. I’m busy now, but contact me in __ months. Yes

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

Sorry, no time

ANALYSIS

The Ethics of Cultured Meat By: Martin O'Reilly The ethics of lab-grown meat Perhaps it’s fair to say that the concept of lab-grown meat was originally conceptualised by Winston Churchill. In a 1932 essay titled Fifty Years Hence, he declared that by 1982 “we shall escape the absurdity of growing a whole chicken in order to eat the breast or wing, by growing these parts separately under a suitable medium.” Eighty years on and the idea hasn't gone away. About five years ago the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) gave scientists until 30th June 2012 to confirm they could create "cultured" meat -- also known as in vitro or lab-grown meat -- in commercial quantities. They launched a prize-winning competition, awarding $1million to the first scientific team that could prove artificial chicken can be grown in large quantities and which would be impossible to differentiate from actual chicken flesh. This, you might suppose, sounds like the premise of a futuristic sci-fi novel. Fascinatingly though, scientists have actually been working on the advance of technologies for producing lab-grown meat for consumption since the early 1950s. In spite of this, the belief of somebody coming close to PETA’s challenge seemed unlikely. That was until Professor Mark Post, of Maastricht University, Netherlands, announced to the world that he expects the world's first test tube beef hamburger - produced at a cost of about €250,000 -- would be revealed in October this year. The Guardian (21st January 2012) reported that Post and his team of researchers have been given $300,000 by the Dutch government, as well as receiving additional funds from an anonymous donor. Speaking at the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Vancouver in February, he said: “we are going to provide a proof of concept showing out of stem cells we can make a product that looks, feels and hopefully tastes like meat.” Post said his team, who have been working on the project for the past six years, have already successfully replicated the procedure with cow cells and calf serum. “My vision,” Post claims, “is that you have a limited herd of donor animals in the world that you keep in stock and that you get your cells from there.”

He confesses that some non-human animals will still have to be slaughtered to provide the bovine stem cells, but an individual animal would be able to produce about a million times more meat through the lab-based practice than through the conventional method of meat production. To produce a complete hamburger, Post estimates his team will need to grow 3,000 strips of muscle tissue and a couple of hundred pieces of fat tissue. With the right funding and regulatory approval, he believes his method could be scaled up to commercial proportions within less than a decade. In light of this revelation, one may then ask: why bother going to such lengths to develop cultured meat technology? We could avoid the killing of and cruelty to billions of animals that is currently practiced in slaughterhouses and factory farms. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that the global consumption of meat is to double between 2000 and 2050, and the bulk of this increase is predicted to come from countries with developing economies, such as India and China. If this figure is accurate, the production of lab-grown meat would be a viable way to prevent an astronomical amount of animal cruelty in the future. In addition, meat production is one of the main contributors to global environmental degradation -global warming, loss of biodiversity, and fresh water scarcity. In a study published last year in Environmental Science & Technology, Hanna L. Tuomisto, and M. Joost Teixeira de Mattos argue that increased global demand “will also double meat’s impacts on the environment unless more efficient meat production methods are adopted.” Their solution to the negative environmental impact is: “to grow only animal muscle tissue in vitro, instead of growing whole animals.” Interestingly, their results showed that cultured meat has 99% lower land use, 80-95% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and 80-90% lower water use compared to conventionally produced meat. The study also suggests that lab-grown meat could have other possible benefits: “the quantity and quality of fat can be controlled, and, therefore, the nutrition-

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

ANALYSIS

The Ethics of Cultured Meat related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, can be reduced.” It may also prevent the spread of animalborne diseases. So, would these proposed advantages convince vegetarians and vegans that lab-grown meat was ethically justifiable? Certainly it would seem difficult for vegetarians and vegans -- those concerned with the interest of non-human animals -- to say it is no more justifiable than conventional methods. Despite much improvement, some may find the production of lab-grown meat problematic since it won’t be entirely cruelty-free -- non-human animals, even then, would still have to be slaughtered to provide the bovine stem cells, although this norm would be remarkably reduced.

“I know lab-grown meat production is wrong, but I just can’t come up with a reason why...” However, suppose -- in the future -- the production of lab-grown meat was free of all animal participation, had no evidence of health risks and dramatically reduced the impact of polluting the environment, would vegetarians and vegans, then, have a moral objection to its consumption? Or, more specifically, would they have a moral objection to eating it themselves? You might say that the idea of lab-grown meat is repulsive -- since it would still be actual meat flesh we are eating; the consumption of lab-grown meat, in other words, would be terrible because it’s revolting. Surely, though, this is not a convincing argument, but merely a “yuck” response. There are many types of food we find unpleasant -the way, for example, some people find Brussels sprouts or mushrooms unpleasant -- but we don’t say we have a moral objection to eating them. Some might find the notion of cultured meat unnatural or disturbing -- the engineering of Frankenstein food, so to speak. Again this type of argument would appear quite emotive rather that one based on reason. In the early part of the twentieth century, the philosopher G.E. Moore claimed, in Principia Ethica, that an

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

appeal to nature solely to make moral claims is to commit the “naturalistic fallacy”: “To argue that a thing is good because it is ‘natural,’ or bad because it is ‘unnatural,’ in these common senses of the term, is therefore certainly fallacious.” Accordingly, it seems we have no basis to say, since producing lab-grown meat is unnatural, that it is therefore morally bad to produce and consume. You might then appeal by saying: “I know lab-grown meat production is wrong, but I just can’t come up with a reason why.” The psychologist Jonathan Haidt names this fixed and confused preservation of a judgment, without supporting reasons, “moral dumbfounding”. The clearest evidence of moral dumbfounding, Haidt argues, is when one will openly state that they know something, but cannot find a reason to support their conviction. There may well be reasons why lab-grown meat would be morally objectionable -- unintended consequences are always a possibility, especially when the boundaries of science and technology are advancing. In spite of this, much of the evidence seems to point to the opposite direction. The production of lab-grown meat is not intrinsically bad and we must look beyond our intuitions when we make moral evaluations of its operation. Vegetarians and vegans concerned with our current treatment of animals in society, I believe, should acknowledge the news that certain types of lab-grown meat could be commercially available over the next couple of decades, which could drastically reduce the amount of suffering currently occurring in meat production.

Photo: www.freephotobank.org

NEWS

The Meat Fix: Radio Interviews By: Sarah Burnham Our radio spokesperson Colm O’Brien was interviewed on Tom Dunne’s Radio show (Newstalk 106 – 108 FM) on the topic of vegetarianism. Initially Tom spoke with John Nicholson, who had recently published a book titled The Meat Fix. In the book he detailed how sick he became

“I stopped the vegetarian diet,” he said. “I started eating loads of animal fat and protein and stopped eating loads of carbs.”

He described it as “incredible” and “scary” to eat meat again. Commenting on the very results, he said:

“If your diet has been narrow while you have been eating meat you certainly need to expand it greatly…” - Colm after turning vegetarian, and how after being vegetarian (mostly vegan) for 26 years it was only when he went back to eating meat that his irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue went away. While he was vegetarian, he ate a wide variety of food: “I was eating like 10/12 portions fruit and vegetables a day. You know, I was a brown rice and lentils guy. Ate hardly any fat.”

“It was amazing. It was like taking a miracle pill.” Furthermore he went on to say “it was like 24 hours later the IBS had stopped.” Within days, he insists, he was back to almost full health. Colm’s response to John’s comments was that “you can have an unhealthy vegetarian or vegan diet, just as easily as you can have an unhealthy meat based diet as well… it’s not just simply dropping meat.” Colm also said that “if your diet has been very narrow while you have been eating meat you certainly need to expand it

then welcomed Elsa Jones on air.

Tom Dunne nutritionist

She believes “there is no one size fits all diet.” In relation to John Nicholson, she said: “What would kind of worry me is that somebody would read this book and think, oh great, you know I can go out and consume as much meat as I want, particularly processed meat, burgers, sausages and whatnot, because over consuming meat and animal protein in general can have health consequences.” She was also sceptical of John’s fast road to recovery: “to have such a massive change

“A lot of carbohydrates can be a big problem. They can cause irritable bowel syndrome, they can also cause fatigue & weight increase.”- Colm Yet he was overweight and experiencing full-blown IBS. He and his wife (also vegetarian at the time) decided that the problem was that they were not eating enough animal fat and animal protein.

greatly. You need to eat more nuts, more seeds, more things like quinoa, maybe soya based products, you need to eat maybe more vegetables if you haven’t been eating many before that.”

though within 24 hours, hmm, I don’t know, I’d question it a little bit.” Tom then asked Colm if he had anything further to add.

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

NEWS

The Meat Fix: Radio Interviews “When he [John] went back to eating meat he stopped eating a lot of carbohydrates and he said he’d been on a low fat diet as well,” Colm said.

Vegetarian Meat Substitutes Tom asked Colm to return again to discuss vegetarian meat substitutes. The radio researcher had an idea to

and how it is processed is something that he tries not to think about: “I find with those kinds of things you just have to block them out of your head.”

“It was amazing. It was like taking a miracle pill.” -John Nicholson “A lot of carbohydrates can be a big problem. They can cause irritable bowel syndrome, they can cause fatigue and weight increase. So maybe the issue there could have been the carbohydrates and the low fat diet.” Elsa concurred: “The over- consuming carbohydrates and the synthetic proteins, I totally agree with what Colm was saying. I think that contributed too.” Colm subsequently suggested that perhaps a vegetarian diet simply did not suit John.

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hold a sausage taste test. Colm brought along vegetarian meat substitutes; these were kindly provided by Nourish and cooked by Goloka of Govinda’s. Tom participated in two taste tests, to see if he could determine whether he was tasting a meat sausage or a vegetarian sausage. While he passed the first test he failed the second, admitting that the vegetarian sausage was “delicious!” Tom admitted that the notion of where meat originates

In addition, Tom referred to a section in the novel The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, where a cow wants to be eaten. He then asked what Colm thought of that. Colm in response asked rhetorically: “What if the cow could talk and said that she didn’t want to be eaten?” Finally Deirdre Collins (of Dee’s Wholefoods) phoned in to the studio. Deirdre stated that “really vegetarian food is actually for everybody” and she encouraged people to eat more vegetables, wholegrain and pulses.

REVIEWS

Vegan Meanin' Food: Workshop Review By: Grace Hillis The workshop was run over two Saturday mornings in Seomra Spraoi, Dublin 1. There were eight participants the first day and five on the second (usually it’s an average of ten people per workshop) – a mixture of new and not so new vegans and vegetarians, and people who were interested in learning about vegetarian cooking. The workshop was facilitated by Pears who has a background in vegan catering, health care and veganic food growing. Its aim is to enable people to prepare healthy plant-based meals. There is an emphasis on using seasonal, locally produced and ethically sourced foods where possible. The group was friendly and members were happy to share their stories about veganism and vegetarianism. At the start Pears asked what each participant was hoping to learn (e.g. vegan sources of calcium and iron) to make sure that the workshop would cover these areas over the two weeks. When people had questions everyone was welcome and encouraged to answer! Conversations also covered animal welfare, animal rights and the best places to purchase different foods. Pears emailed us the recipes afterwards. The menu for Week 1 was: Oat milk Beetroot “risotto” with sun-dried tomato served with miso and tahini dressing Baked polenta with vegetables and creamy sauce

Carob and walnut cake with tahini topping The menu for Week 2 was: Tahini milk Parsnip muffins Green pease pudding

Baked polenta with vegetables and creamy sauce; Photo: Grace Hillis

Nut roast Dates slice with vanilla cashew cream During the workshop each person was encouraged to contribute to the meal preparation in some way – be it chopping or grating vegetables, doing the cooking or a variety of other tasks. The level of involvement was left largely up to the individual, and the group members were good at volunteering. We ate together which was very enjoyable, and of course we did the washing up after! Pears shared his philosophy on veganism with us. It was interesting to hear about Pears’ vegan journey, and about some foods which are not used in the workshops for health and ethical reasons and what foods are used instead. Since participating in the workshop I have made two of the dishes, which you can see in the photos, and I have bought some new foods which I had not tried - and in some cases had not heard of - previously. I would recommend the workshop to anyone interested in learning about compassionate cooking (and to anyone who likes to eat delicious food!!) in a supportive group environment. I have been a vegan for a few years and am used to cooking vegan meals but I still learned a lot. I went to the workshop following a recommendation from a friend who has been a vegan for many years, so whatever stage you are at there is always something new and interesting to learn! The charge was a suggested donation of €10. For information on future courses please email veganmeanin@gmail.com.

Beetroot risotto; Photo: Grace Hillis

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REVIEWS (or burgers or what have you), these two chapters can help reframe your thinking about cravings and provide ways to satisfy them with plant foods. Other topics include specific nutrients (calcium, iron, vitamin B12, omega-3 fats, protein), supplements, tofu, plant milks and baking without eggs. The nutrition information was reviewed by Brenda Davis, RD, a vegan dietitian and author of several books and research papers. The final chapters focus on some of the social challenges vegans face, such as holidays and mixed households, as well as weight loss and vegan fashion.

30 Day Vegan Challenge: Book Review By: Lisa J. Lord In her latest book, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau aims to challenge your thinking and inspire you to make lasting changes. She also warmly invites you to share in the joy of vegan eating by providing the support, nutrition information, practical tips and recipes to make this lifestyle convenient and healthy. After reading this compelling book, you might find it hard to turn down the 30-Day challenge. The book is arranged in a chapter-per-day format, but once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down. For several nights in a row I was up late reading, my head buzzing with new ideas and my stomach grumbling at the gorgeous photos. The first ten days focus on the day-to-day practicalities of how to make big changes very manageable. Chapters include: stocking a vegan kitchen, understanding ingredient labels, making the time to cook, eating out, and meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If the inspiring text isn’t enough to motivate you, then the scrumptious recipes might. The Hearty Lasagna tasted even better than it looked, and my omnivore husband happily ate it two nights in a row. My two-year-old and I love the mild Carrot-Ginger Soup and silky African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew. The Muhammara dip, garlicky and sweet, is a welcome change from hummus. My three-year-old devoured—honestly—a huge bowl of Kale Chips, twice. The Green Smoothie was another hit with all of us. Who knew a smoothie made with kale or spinach could be so sweet and delicious? If you weren’t a vegan before reading this book, you might find yourself spurred to try a plantbased diet by the time you finish it. The final chapter reminds us that intention is more important than perfection. Small steps lead to big changes. “Don’t do nothing because you can’t do everything,” writes the author. “Do something. Anything.” (Note: Irish Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are available from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (www.fsai.ie). Recipes in this book use standard US measures. Measuring cups and spoons with US and metric markings can be purchased at minimal cost from Tesco and similar retailers.) This book is available from amazon.co.uk and other retailers.

The next sections cover the specifics of vegan nutrition and plant foods. First up, the author tackles a big obstacle for many of us—despite our best Written By: Colleen Patrick– Goudreau intentions, meat and cheese simply taste good. For 2011, Ballantine Books Softcover, 324 pages anyone who thinks they could never give up cheese

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REVIEWS

Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant Plant--Based Diet: Book Review By: Lisa J. Lord The title says it all, as this book offers the most up-to-date research about vegan diets while illustrating how vegan eating can be practical, easy and delicious. Veteran vegans and novices alike will find plenty of useful facts, tips and encouragement from this comprehensive and user-friendly guide.

in many of these nutrients. These chapters aim to inform and reassure you that, with a little bit of know-how and planning, a vegan diet can be healthy and practical for people of all ages. To make it as foolproof as possible, the authors created the Vegan Food Guide, a convenient chart with an accompanying list of

Readers are in good hands with Norris and Messina. In addition to being long-time vegans and registered dietitians in the US, Jack Norris is also co-founder and president of Vegan Outreach, a non-profit vegan education group, and Virginia Messina is author of numerous books and research papers on vegetarian nutrition.

The final chapter takes an honest look at the deplorable conditions and rampant brutality common to US-based factory farms, including dairy and egg farms. While Ireland and other countries may have different practices, treatment of animals raised for food is a worldwide concern.

Above all else, this book is balanced and based on science rather than hype. The authors are clear about what the research does—and doesn’t—show about vegan diets. They also bust ten pervasive myths, including the myths that vegans don’t need as much calcium as omnivores, or that men who eat soy products can develop female characteristics. The book starts by diving right into the key nutrients for vegans. These include protein, iron and zinc, which can have lower bioavailability from plants than animal foods. Plant-based diets may also be low in calcium, vitamins D and B-12, iodine and the omega-3 fat DHA. This isn’t just a vegan concern, since even animal-based diets are often low

The authors also offer countless practical tips for transitioning to a vegan diet, including: stocking a vegan pantry; easy meal ideas; a guide to cooking beans, grains, vegetables and greens; ideas for using beans; baking without eggs; vegan diets on a budget; and a soyfoods primer. A separate chapter on soyfood safety examines the current research and offers reassurance that soy is safe.

Whether you have been a vegan for years or are just experimenting with plantbased eating, this book can be a valuable resource to help you stay informed, motivated and healthy.

suggested supplements. Other chapters focus on specific groups, such as pregnant and breast-feeding women; infants, children and teens; older people; and athletes. Modified food guides are provided as applicable, and sample menus for all life stages are sprinkled throughout the book.

(Note: Irish Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are available from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland at www.fsai.ie). You can purchase this book from amazon.co.uk and other retailers. Written By Jack Norris, RD & Virginia Messina, MPH, RD 2011, Da Capo Press Softcover, 283 pages

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

PERSONAL NARRATIVE

A Cork Vegan's Holiday in New York By: Bronwyn Slater

Breakfast:

Dinner:

Probably the most difficult part of the trip is getting a vegan breakfast. Most of the bigger chains (like Starbucks) will have soya milk. However, the smaller local diners probably won’t have soya milk. Your best bet for something to eat (if you’re vegan) is probably a bagel or toast.

Candle 79: http://candle79.com/ If you visit New York, a visit to Candle 79 is a MUST. This is a 100% vegan restaurant and their food is gorgeous. (They stop serving around 2.30pm then open again around 5.30pm for dinner). This is a great restaurant with a lovely, serene atmosphere. Their wines are really excellent also.

Lunch: Maoz is a chain of vegetarian fast-food/sandwich outlets. There are quite a few in the city: http://www.maozusa.com/restaurants/locations/nyc

Mi Nidito: http://www.miniditonyc.com/ This is a Mexican restaurant not too far from Times Square. They have a full page of vegetarian options, so just ask them to leave out the cheese and sour cream and you’ll be all set. They also serve a wide range of ‘Killer Margarita’s’, so proceed with caution! Shopping: Moo shoes: http://www.mooshoes.com/ This is a vegetarian shoe store in a quiet area of the lower east side of Manhattan. They also sell bags, veg*n t-shirts and faux-leather jackets. Not cheap, but the quality was superb and I expect the shoes and bag that I bought there to last for quite a few years!

Maoz; Photo: Bronwyn Slater

Blossom has a few vegan outlets in New York. We visited Blossom du Jour which is open for lunch, serving mostly vegan sandwiches and wraps. Next door is the Blossom Bakery with great vegan cakes and cookies. Below is a photo of their delicious wares: Moo Shoes; Photo: Bronwyn Slater

Wholefoods: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/ WholeFoods Market is a chain of supermarkets in the U.S. which sells organic, vegetarian and vegan produce. You will find tofu, Daiya vegan cheese, plus a range of other vegan products here such as Tofurky, etc. Getting around: The subway is very safe and convenient, and you can easily reach any location as long as you know the address. Airport and flight: Blossoms Bakery; Photo: Bronwyn Slater

Across the street is the Blossom Cafe – only open in the evenings for dinner.

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You can book your vegan meal online before you travel. All the meals tended to follow the same pattern ie. main course, side salad and fruit salad for dessert.

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A Cork Vegan's Holiday in New York At Heathrow airport the Pret-aManger cafe sells a vegan wrap with hummus and falafel. There is also the Giraffe cafe which has some vegan menu items including a ‘veggie breakfast’. If you’re vegan you could ask them to leave out the egg. At JFK airport, there is an outlet called Europan which had no less than 4 vegan items (all noodlebased dishes). I had the vegan ‘chicken’ noodles and they were quite good, if somewhat pricey. All in all, a great holiday. The Wholefoods Bakery; Photo: Bronwyn Slater highlights were my visit to Moo Shoes and the Candle 79 restaurant, so be sure not to miss Bronwyn Slater is the organiser of the Cork Vegans meetup those! There are other vegan stores, restaurants and cafes group. You can read more about Cork Vegans on the Vegan in New York also, so it’s worth doing some online research Social & Local Groups listing.) before you go. Enjoy!

Conor and Hope’s Cake Pops Recipe 1) Make one vanilla and one chocolate sponge cake. 2) Once baked mash them into large crumbs. 3) Then make a frosting consisting of ½ a cup of margarine and 1½ cups of icing sugar. 4) Add the frosting to each bowl of cake crumbles. 5) Once done roll them into balls and put them in a container into the freezer. 6) Remove from freezer 7) To cover the cake pops use melted chocolate. 8) Add decorations and ENJOY!

Reproduced with permission. These Cake Pops were sold at the VSI’s Vegan Bake Sale. More recipes like this can be found at http://vegannyomnom.blogspot.com/.

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The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale By: Angi Mason

Although dark clouds hovered and winds started to gain speed outside, nothing could stop the bright, lively social gathering of this year’s Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. Even though it might have started to get dreary outside, inside Exchange Dublin in Temple Bar, vegans and nonvegans alike were sharing recipes, stories, and enjoying donated treats. Walking into our venue, one could see the vast selection of goodies waiting to be enjoyed. From Rice Cereal Squares (made by me) to Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts (made by Giselle), a wide variety of tasty decadents Chocolate Chip Cookies, Photo: Angi Mason were on display. At the end of the table lay a variety of information brochures and pamphlets about veganism, favourite of mine Martin’s Apple Tart. Being a born and The Vegetarian Society of Ireland, and other animal bred American, I've had my fair share of apple pies and related concerns. tarts, and Martin's Apple Tart didn’t disappoint. As in years past, all proceeds received for our yummy sweets are given to a charitable organization. This year we were happy to support Dogs Aid Animal Sanctuary, a Dublin based organisation that helps to rehabilitate and rehome unwanted or abandoned dogs and other small animals. Although tea and coffee facilities were not offered this year, that didn’t stop the smooth flow of customers who stayed around to enjoy their bite and socialize. But why wouldn’t you with all the great desserts on offer; one of my favourites being Conor and Hope’s Chocolate Cake Pops. These little ping-pong sized balls of cake covered in chocolate frosting and colourful sprinkles were conveniently stuck on a handy stick like a lollipop. Displayed in a cup as if they were a bouquet of flowers, it was truly eye candy. Of course this gorgeous presentation is what first attracted me to the Chocolate Cake Pops. But how would they taste? The frosting had the perfect crisp, while the cake itself was a little fudgy yet kept its crumbled texture. “These are really big in Canada,” I'm told as I finish my last lick of frosting from the stick. I have a feeling it won’t be too long before they catch on in Ireland. If you weren’t a fan of chocolate, however, there were other delicious desserts, such as Pineapple Upside Down Cake (made by Teenuja), Mini Lemon and Strawberry Cheesecake (made by Hope), or another

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His lovely golden brown, flaky crust was the perfect texture, which only complimented the apples waiting to be devoured inside. His apples, unlike many tarts and pies I have seen in Dublin, were still very much intact, not mashed, and perfectly seasoned with cinnamon and sugar. Is it wrong to admit that I am salivating as I write this? If pies and chocolate still didn't convince you, surely the cookies kept your attention. For what’s a bake sale without cookies? There were two types of chocolate chip cookies donated, one by myself with little chocolate drops, and one by Sarah with chocolate chunks. The decision between the two was painful. Luckily, Grace stepped in with her perfect peanut butter cookies, little drops of peanut buttery goodness, a perfect balance between sweet and salty. Wishing I didn’t have to leave before I could witness their popularity, I can only imagine how many requests she will get for the recipe. With all the amazing donations and volunteers, we were able to raise €53.72 for Dogs Aid Animal Sanctuary. Because Dogs Aid is staffed by volunteers and relies solely on public donations, we can imagine that any donation no matter how small can be useful. If you would like to donate to Dogs Aid or volunteer for them please contact info@DogsAid.ie or check out

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The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale who donated, volunteered, or came to support Dogs Aid and ourselves. Also, a big thank you to Exchange Dublin for hosting as our venue. Without everybody’s time and effort, this event would not be made possible every year. As I waddle home, stuffed with sweets, I can’t help but think about next year’s Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale. All the sweets awaiting me. All the new vegan goodies I have to try. Excitement start to fill me, but it seems too far away. Maybe this should be a biannual thing. The VSI would like to thank all of the volunteers & bakers who helped out including: Karen Bui (co-organiser), Conor Hand (co-organiser), Sarah Burnham, Teenuja Dahari, Grace Hillis, Hope Kudryashova, Angi Mason, Martin O’Reilly, Miren-Maialen Samper and Giselle.

Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts, Photo by: Giselle

www.dogsaid.ie for a full list of how you can help them. We would like to give a great thank you to everybody

Conor and Hope’s Carrot Cake Recipe Ingredients: 1 ¾ Cups flour (white self rising/allpurpose flour or you can use brown and add baking powder) 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 1/3 cup water 3/4 cups grated carrot 1tbsp vinegar Spices: Cinnamon, mixed spice (1tbsp or to taste). Raisins, walnuts etc. are optional Method: 1) Mix dry ingredients. 2) Add oil and water. Mix. 3) Add extra ingredients (nuts/ raisins etc.) 4) Add vinegar. 5) Grease baking pan and pour in

Carrot Cake, Photo: Angi Mason

cake mixture. 6) Bake at 180 degrees for 30min. (or until toothpick comes out clean).

7) Optional: cover it with icing: sugar, water and small amount of (dairy free) butter. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Reproduced with permission. More recipes like this can be found at http://vegannyomnom.blogspot.com/.

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PERSONAL NARRATIVE

Find New Friends

By: Jolanta Burke

As we began the walk, our groups changed, giving us a chance to talk to other people. Amongst us was a veteran walker who has taken this route many times before, and a blind woman who said she had never been so much in demand as when all the men tried to help her walk along. We also encountered a pet rabbit on a leash, beautiful seagulls diving into the water, but most importantly we made new friendships during the walk and after, when enjoying our meal in the Happy Pear.

Who

are these people? Will I enjoy their company? Is the weather going to be nice? Do I have enough layers to keep warm? These and other questions circled around my mind as I was going to my first Vegeterian Society of Ireland meet up, which happened to be a cliff walk from Bray to Greystones. When I arrived at the station a group of friendly people of all ages greeted me and amongst them was a guy holding out an open packet of biscuits. “Hi - I'm Rod - or the biscuit man. Any time you want to help yourself, just let me know.” I took one and smiled. As I bit into it, I looked around. Small groups began forming. I joined the one closest to me and friendly Shona from Scotland put out her hand introducing herself saying it was her first time too. We talked about other walks we did, what we do for a living and even our dreams. I soon felt comfortable and relaxed.

As we sat there, savouring our food in great company, we forgot to check our watches and we missed our train. 'Not to worry' someone said as we continued our banter eating delicious salads, soups and pittas.

“Hi– I’m Rod– or the biscuit man. Anytime you want to help yourself, just let me know…” When it was time for us to leave, we piled into the first carriage of the train, squeezed tightly next to each other as it was taking us home. I enjoyed the cheerful chats and look forward to the next meetup.

12 Newmarket, Dublin 8 Tel: 01-454425 www.dublinfoodcoop.com info@dublinfood.coop

A Member-Owned-Co-op Open Thurs 4 - 8 pm and Sat 9.30 - 4.30 pm Wholefoods, Organic Fruit & Vegetables, Wholegrain Bakery, Eco-friendly products, Café & Organic ready-to-eat delights. Organic / Fair Trade food suitable for vegetarians. Irish, as far as possible. Local growers and producers supported. New members and visitors welcome!

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

D4 Catering Vegan and Vegetarian Specialists Let us customise a menu for your party; large banquet or intimate dinner. Gluten free, no problem!! Contact Bernadette McIntyre, 087-9569178, d4catering@vodafone.ie

Starter Assorted Dips, CruditĂŠs & Pita Mains

Roasted Peppers with Quinoa & Vegetable

Stuffing served with a rich Tomato and Basil Sauce Cashew Nut Rissoles with Carrot & Ginger Sauce Coconut Pancakes filled with Curried Lentils & Mixed Greens Chickpea and Vegetable Tagine Three Bean Lasagna with Soya BĂŠchamel

Sides Brown Rice Pilaf Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Pumpkin

D4 Catering, 4th Floor, Lansdowne House, Lansdowne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

FEATURES VEGETARIAN SOCIETY OF IRELAND MEMBERS’ DISCOUNT LIST Active Balance Clinic, Family Resource Centre, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 is offering discount to VSI members for selected

easily adapted to be vegan too. They are a scratch bakery and make cakes and cupcakes for all occasions. Tel: 0857373729

complementary health treatments. Contact Tomas Ronan for more info. Tel. 0872711215 www.therasage.ie [10% discount]

www.flyingbabycakecompany.com [5% discount on orders] Freelance translator, Patricia Tricker MCIL Cert Ed (FE),

An Bhean Feasa Health Shop, Unit 1, Clifden Court, Bridge Street, Clifden, Co. Galway. Tel. 095 30671, Email:

working into English from French, German, Italian & Spanish specializing in economics, finance, accountancy, company law

info@clifdenhealthandtherapy.com, www.clifdenhealthandtherapy.com [5% discount] Anahata Healing, Desert, Clonakilty, Co. Cork (Lomi Lomi

& archaeology. Tel/fax: +44 1677 450176 or email translation@phonecoop.coop [10% discount] Govinda’s 18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2 and Govinda’s 4 Aungier

Massage, Pregnancy Massage, Holistic and Aromatherapy Massage, Reflexology, Ear Candling, Sound Healing, Baby Mas-

Street, Dublin 2 are great places to drop in for lunch or a takeaway. http://www.govindas.ie [10% discount applies in

sage Classes, Reiki Treatments and Attunements). Tel. Angela: 087 2030869 www.lifevibes.ie [10% discount] Arusha Fair Trade, www.arushafairtrade.com, online gift store

both restaurants, discount not applicable in the Middle Abbey St restaurant] Greenway Emporium, Market Yard, Bridge Street, Boyle, Co

(fairly traded gifts including jewellery, bags, home accessories & children’s items.) Email info@arushafairtrade.com

Roscommon (Run by a family of vegetarians, the shop has a range of health foods, natural toiletries, baby care products,

mentioning the VSI in subject line, and you will get a discount code by return. [10% discount]

relaxing music, organic aromatherapy oils, plus Fair Trade and ethically-traded.) Tel: 071 9664090 [10% off all purchases over €20].

Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork. (021) 4652531 www.ballymaloe.com [10% off vegetarian dishes] Be Organic, fresh, local, seasonal organic fruit & vegetables +

Holistic.ie Ireland’s importer and distributor of Vitamineral GreenTM [20% discount]

100s other sustainably farmed organic products delivered direct to your door. Tel: 01 8385552. www.beorganic.ie [5%

Lake Isle Retreats, Inish Rath Island, Upper Lough Erne, Derrylin, Co. Fermanagh, BT92 9GN. (Short Breaks,

discount] Blazing Salads, 42 Drury St, Dublin 2. Discount can only be availed of at their Drury Street premises and can not be availed

Workshops in vegetarian cookery, meditation and yoga). Tel: 086 1608108. www.inisrath.com [10% discount] Lurve vegan food in Dublin's first ethical vegan kitchen, sold in

of in conjunction with any other offer (such as in-house promotions and the loyalty card scheme). http://

farmers' markets and street markets around the city http:// lurve.ie [10% discount for members]

www.blazingsalads.com [15% discount] Clare Island Retreat Centre, Ballytoohey, Clare Island, Co

Moher House B+B, Drummin, Westport, www.moherhousewestport.com [10% discount for members]

Mayo. Tel: 087 2621832. www.yogaretreats.ie or www.yogaireland.com [10% discount on yoga and vegetarian cooking courses at the Clare Island retreat centre]

Nature’s Gold, Healthfood Store, 1 Killincarrig Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow. Tel: 01 2876301 [10% discount] Newtownpark Clinic, 7 Rockville Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin

Cocoa Bean Artisan Chocolates Company, Limerick. Tel: 087 7594820 www.cocoabeanchocolates.com [discount on

Ciara Murphy MH Ir RGN (Master Herbalist and Colon Therapist) is offering 10% discount on all treatments,

application] Cork Acupuncture Clinic, 50 Cornmarket Street (Above Dervish), Cork City (run by Caroline Dwyer (Bowles), a

consultations and workshops. Tel: 01 210 8489 www.irishherbalist.ie Quay Co-op, 24 Sullivans Quay, Cork www.quaycoop.com

dedicated and caring acupuncturist). Tel Caroline: 087 2516528. www.corkacupunctureclinic.com [10% off

[10% discount in the shops] Sunyata Retreat Centre, Snata, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare. Tel:

Acupuncture treatments] Cornucopia Restaurant, 19/20 Wicklow, St., Dublin 2,

061 367-073. A spacious haven outside the bustle of modern life, Sunyata is perfectly situated for relaxation, meditation,

http://www.cornucopia.ie [10% discount] D.A.F. Clinic, Lancashire, 17 Inglewood Rd, Rainford, St Helens, Lancashire, WA11 7QL. Email: dafclinic@hotmail.co.uk

and contemplation. www.sunyatacentre.org [10% discount on retreats and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction] The Happy Pear, Church Road, Greystones, Co. Wicklow

or Tel: +44 1744 884173 / +44 7050 396611 [25% off Chiropody / Podiatry / Auricular Therapy / Reflexology

(natural food market with an organic and non-organic produce section, a dried goods section, a world-class smoothie bar, café

(Merseyside & Manchester) & 50% on vegetarian and vegan nutritional therapy and profiling (by post, fax & email)] Delhi O’Deli, 12 Moore Street, Dublin 1. The first Indian fast

and restaurant). Tel: 01-2873655. http://www.thehappypear.ie [5% discount] The Hopsack, Health food store, Swan Centre, Rathmines,

food (also known as “street food”) & Indian vegetarian restaurant in Ireland. Tel. (01) 872 9129 http://www.delhiodeli.com

Dublin 6. Tel/fax 01- 4960399. Proprietor: Erica Murray. www.hopsack.ie [5% discount]

[10% discount] Dónall na Gealaí, Gift Shop, Claregate St., Kildare Town

The Phoenix Restaurant and B&B, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry. http://www.thephoenixrestaurant.ie [10% discount]

(books, CDs, essential oils, candles & crystals). Tel: 045 533634. www.donallnagealai.ie [10% discount] Flying Baby Cake Company, An exclusively gluten free

Well and Good, Health Food Store, Coolbawn, Midleton, Co Cork. Tel: 021 4633499 [5% discount]

bakery, all products are vegetarian and any orders can be

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

FEATURES

The BrightonVegfest

2012

By: Conor Hand

The

Brighton Vegfest is a free annual festival celebrating Veganism in the world today. It took place on Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th of March this year, situated in the beautiful beach town of Hove, in Brighton, England.

The festival itself took place in a massive town hall in the Hove centre - a multi-storey complex packed to the brim with shops, stalls, charities, speakers, cookery demos, cookery competitions, food tastings, live music, comedy and much more, not to mention the public who streamed in the second the fest opened up. Initially we visited the downstairs section which had many stalls such as Fry’s burgers, blown tone – a local bakery (all Vegan for the day), as well as wine tasters, clothing sellers and even a stall for a ‘Green’ mobile phone network. Only once we had seen the stalls downstairs did we discover a whole new area upstairs which was almost four times the size.

Photo: Group Arrivial at Vegfest

We took this trip as part of the NUIM Veggie society; it’s the first year we have done a trip such as this (the society has only been around for two years in the college) and it was a fantastic experience to organise it. We had four in our party (myself included) leaving from Dublin airport on Friday afternoon and we knew we were in for some fun.

Photo: Vegfest festival turnout

Brighton, known as “the vegetarian capital of Britain”, was a fantastic place. It has some famous vegetarian restaurants, such as Aloca café.

“There were over 5,000 people in attendance at the event and a lot of money was raised for charities such as ‘Vegfam UK.” This one had many vendors selling hot food such as falafels, Thai food and Indian food, and some UK-based vegetarian restaurants had stalls. This then opened up to a hall filled with more and more stalls such as Sea Sheperd, Animal Aid, Dee’s burgers, vegan sweets companies, even a coconut milk-made ice-cream stall. There were over 100 stalls in the event with such a range to choose from that there was hardly enough time to see them all. They also had many speakers for both days. We went to a talk from ‘Yaoh Hemp’ where a very enthusiastic man told us about raw food and made us delicious smoothies. We went to see Michelle Thew from BUAV talking about animal experimentation law in Europe and globally. We also went to a screening of the film Vegucated, where three people go vegan for six

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13

FEATURES weeks and it details their experiences – a fantastic, funny and really enjoyable watch. We even saw ‘Captain James Tea Cook’ the vegetarian pirate. There were simply so many events and so much to see that this was a mere fraction of what was on offer. There were many amazing sights to see such as the Royal Pavilion or Brighton Pier. On the whole, the Brighton Vegfest 2012 was a fantastic

“As a vegan there have been few places so accommodating and with such a range of delicious food available to all.” joy to attend. As a vegan there have been few places so accommodating and with such a range of delicious food available to all. The range of talks,

Photo: Vegan Cupcakes from Vegfest 2012

presentations and events organised meant that there was never a dull moment. There were over 5,000 people in attendance at the event and a lot of money was raised for charities such as ‘Vegfam UK’. The Vegfest 2013 is going to take place on the 16th and 17th of March next year. See http://brighton.vegfest.co.uk/ if you want any more info. I hope to see you there!

Home Economics and Vegetarian Students By: Karen Bui

A parent of a vegetarian student in 2nd year home economics contacted the VSI. The student was told as part of the subject’s exams, she would have to handle and cook meats in the classroom. The parent discussed the situation with the school who then discussed the issue with the examination committee.

vegetarian students to prepare meat alternatives in lieu of preparing meat without any consequences.

The response was that the student would have to handle meats in the class as directed. There was no answer as to whether or not there would be any official policy that would exempt the student from having to handle meat.

The VSI contacted the NCCA, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, to see if they had

The VSI investigated the issue further, and found that although there was mention of vegetarian meals in the official syllabus, there was no official policy regarding vegetarian students.

was expressed about this issue regarding vegetarian students having to handle meat as part of the home economics curriculum, an official answer could be provided by a governing department in this field. An official policy for vegetarian home economics students could save current and future vegetarian students from 1) spending the time trying to seek out answers for their situations and 2) worrying about their situation unduly.

“The response was that the student would have to handle meats in the class as directed.”

A question was posted on the VSI Facebook page to see what other vegetarian students experienced when they took home economics as a subject. The general consensus was that the teachers allowed their

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any answers. They referred us to the State Examinations Commission, who assured us that the question has been forwarded to Examinations Assessment Managers, but after a long period, there is still no reply. Perhaps if greater public interest

If you would like to assist us in finding a solution, you could write to the S ta te E xa m i na ti o ns Commissions, 30 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, or other related public institutions expressing concern in this matter. Please do let us know how you get on.

The Irish Vegetarian - Winter 2012/13