British Frozen Food Industry Bites Back

New Ice Age



Today a scultured wall of ice in which fresh fruit and vegetables were encased was installed on the South Bank of the Thames near the London Eye and the Royal Festival Hall .

Co author of Vegan and The Complete Book of Vegan Cooking Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston is helping to improve the fortunes of The Bristish Frozen Food Industry who have been watching their sales drop in previous years.

The BFFF launch a new website today on which Yvonne gives heath tips and explains why Frozen food can in many instances be healthier than fresh foods.

www.thenewiceage.com

Brighton Vegan Fayre - The World's 2nd Biggest Vegan Fayre!!

Brighton Vegan Fayre - The World's 2nd Biggest Vegan Fayre!!

Did I mention the Brighton Vegan Festival on the 21st March?



I know I told you about the off the wall Vegan magazine off the hoof...



Feel free to nick these banners and paste them all over your own websites!

Linda McCartney Vegan Foods Sales Take Off

Linda McCartney Food Sales Soar

Since the new owners of Linda McCartney Foods, Hain Celestial, have veganized and improved the nutrition value of the Linda McCartney range sales have rocketed.

Sales have risen to 10million and 57% in the last 12 weeks alone.

Sales have been boosted by the new higher protein hydrogenated fat free meat free sausages and the Linda McCartney soysage rolls. The frozen mince is back in production and Linda McCartney group sales have probably also been boosted by a new vegan frozen meat free chicken pieces (great with Satay sauce)

It's possible that sales of the Linda McCartney sausage rolls have also been boosted by Symington's faux pas. The new owner of Granose/ Direct Foods/Haldane Sosmix (the traditional principle ingredient for vegan sausage rolls and christmas stuffing) naievely added milk protein to the ingredients making the product unsuitable for millions of it's customers. Understandably there was uproar. Symingtons have recently revealed they have reformulated the product and that a dairy free vegan version will be available sometime in 2009.

British National Party membership and contacts list, spread sheet, 2007-2008 - Wikileaks

British National Party membership and contacts list, spread sheet, 2007-2008 - Wikileaks

I guess by now anyone who think they may find it useful in the fight against speciesism and racism has obtained a copy. But just in case, here is the link -

This is not intended to encourage or provoke any activity that would break the law - no hypocrisy please - it just very useful to know who your dealing with isn't it?

I don't hide my support of a more environmentally friendly healthy and pascifist lifestyle - it's a worry when people hide their views of hatred.

The most reassuring fact in these days of apathy is that The Vegetarian Society still have more supporters and more influential members than the BNP - clearly there is hope for the human race.

British National Party List

Worryingly there are other, more extreme groups claiming the views of the BNP aren't extreme enough? The Government needs to wake up and address the issues and tension that is allowing this kind of inbred cretinous hatred to flourish.

Vegan Recipes - Healthy, Nutritious and Delicious.: Vegan Catering Challenge Winners

Vegan Recipes - Healthy, Nutritious and Delicious.: Vegan Catering Challenge Winners



The Vegan Society Challenge Winners

Barack Obama: Congratulations!

Barack Obama "One Voice can change the World" - There's no doubt that TODAY November 5th 2008 will go down in history - no longer as Bonfire night / firework night / Guy Fawkes but the day that Barack Obama changed history, ended many years of struggle to deliver the hope of true equal rights in America to black people and gave hope to the rest of the world after years of terror and abuse of power under George W Bush.

Obama - Thank you for giving us back HOPE!

My hope? - Peace One Day for all Earthlings

Original Presidential Nomination Candidacy Acceptance Speech



Democracy, Liberty, Opportunity and Unyeilding Hope.

Barack Obama Presidential Acceptance Speech 5/11/08

Vegan Magazine - Better Than Viagra

Vegetarian Real Mens Magazine ‘Off the Hoof’ Is Better Than Viagra and Fully Loaded To Eat Nuts

A new adult mens magazine is claiming it's better than Viagra!

'Off the Hoof' have thrown down their non leather, non silk, gaunlet to men's magazines Nuts and Loaded, with plans to reach sales of over 300,000 by World Vegan Day 2009. The defiant 'Off the Hoof' editor Al Slurry says “Nut’s is for burger munching Viagra dependent wimps and flaccid porn reliant merchant bankers. The magazine we have written is for adults, real men and their ladies who love a sausage that tastes just as good cold as it does hot”

Publishers Yaoh claim the magazine is not just suitable for vegetarians - it's suitable for everyone! See www.offthehoof.co.uk

Happy World Vegan Day 2008

Flickr: World Vegan Day 2008

Happy World Vegan Day! Pass it On. Send your friends a Happy World Vegan Day greeting.

Visit www.flickr.com/groups/worldveganday choose a picture, add a picture and use delivr to send a personalised bespoke World Vegan Day E greeting card and inspire all your friends.

Vegan Month

Vegan Month and World Vegan Day Events



Sat 1st November - Croydon

Oasis Natural Products will be giving away 64 vegan food parcels - One for every year of veganism since 1944.
Free tasters and prizes available too.
96 High Street, Croydon CR0 1ND www.oasisnaturalproducts.co.uk

World Vegan Day - PIZZA

Foods for Life are Challenging Pizza restaurants to create a healthier vegan version of this most unhealthy fast food.
They have a devised a recipe with 64 healthy ingredients - one ingredient for every year of veganism. See Healthy Vegan Pizza
www.optimumnutritionists.com - www.news.foodsforlife.org

World Vegan Day - Glasgow - will you still feed me when I'm 64
The Underpendent collective of vegan restaurants in Glasgow (mono, Stereo, the 78) will be offering a World Vegan Day Tripper I've Got A Ticket To Ride meal ticket
Vegan breakfast , Lunch and Dinner all for only £10 on World Vegan Day 1st November.
See Vegan Cafes Glasgow - World Vegan day Glasgow

World Vegan Month - UK Off the Hoof - Magazine Launch
A new vegan magazine is being launched for World Vegan day. Called 'off the hoof' it is an irreverent look at life through vegan eyes. Recipes, product reviews, travel, celebrity interviews - it sounds normal but it's anything but.- See Ethical Pulse

World Vegan Day Festival

Vegans will be celebrating their 64th Birthday at the West Midlands Vegan Festival in Wolverhampton.

World Vegan Day LA - California

World Vegan Day Sydney Australia

World Vegan Day Melbourne Australia 2008

World Vegan Day Fashion Show Montreal

Lush Staff will go Vegan for World Vegan Day

World Vegan Day 2008 Celebrations - Festivals, Film, Pizza and a Magazine Launch on Nov 1st.

A US Survey of 3,200 adults (May 2008) suggests "The vegetarian and vegan market has the potential to grow to nearly six times its current size, which would bring the total number of such consumers to almost 18 million adults."

Vote in our World Vegan Day Poll

world vegan day

Vegan Pizza recipe with 64 Ingredients for World Vegan Day

Vegan Pizza

Foods for Life Nutritionists have relaunched a Healthy Vegan Pizza Campaign for World Vegan Day November 1st 2008.

They have posted a recipe for a healthy Pizza with 64 ingredients to mark the Vegan Society's 64th Birthday on November the 1st.

How can you help?

Contact High Street Pizza Restaurants to ask them to provide a Healthy Vegan Pizza choice on their menus.

Pizzaz vegan Pizza

Cost of Iraq War - Wall Street Crash

Cost of War | National Priorities Project



click here to learn more

www.stopwar.org.uk reveals "The cost of the Iraq war to Britain is estimated to be as much as £10 billion, and the US government spends $10 billion dollars a month on the conflict.

But the cost is substantially more when hidden costs are taken into account. Who pays for after care for injured soldiers? Pensions and injury payments?

Joseph Stiglitz, leading economist and former head of the World Bank, has estimated that the total cost of the war to the US will be $3 trillion and $6 trillion to the world."

Perhaps Sir Bob Geldof should re record his song "I don't like (black?) Mondays" ? - The catalyst for todays Wall Street crash was the growing realization that the Bush administration's $700 billion rescue plan and steps taken by other governments won't work.

I'm not suggesting that the war in Iraq has bancrupted America and potentially all it's allies, I'm sure there are many other factors of Mr Bush's administration that have led to such a financial mess. I mean there's a war in Afghanistan too. The main war has been on the taxpayer a war waged by Bank executives who dished out billions of dollars of bonuses even though they had failed in their jobs and their responsibilities to shareholders.

A society that rewards greed and failure simultaneously has only itself to blame......

Sarah Palin Debate On SNL (VIDEO)

Tina Fey As Sarah Palin In VP Debate On SNL (VIDEO)

Awesome Saturday night Live clip - Sarah Palin Debate sketch

Sarah Palin v the polar bear

Sarah Palin v the polar bear: who will survive? | World news | The Guardian: "the right to arm bears" Ha ha ha - Well done Tim Dowling for this (and Jasmijn de Boo from Animals Count for spotting it)- loved this article!

Biggest threat to survival
Polar bear: Sarah Palin.
Palin: Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, feminism, belated national reality check brought on by global economic crisis.

Surely the US voters are not mad enough to let this gung ho Rambo meets Nania's Ice Queen from The Lion , The Witch and the Wardrobe into the whitehouse??

Sure democracy dictates that the Oil Industry needs it's voice but look what happened when they let George Bush into the Whitehouse - Wars, skyrocketing oil prices, environmental and economic devastation, edpidemic of preventable chronic disease, a plague of GM Soya throughout South America....... Pirates in the Ivory Coast.

Peace One Day

Peace One Day

Jeremy Gilley has restored my faith in humanity. I'm a pretty optimistic guy but with so many cynics in the world, with so much apathy, it does wear you down sometimes - you can't help yourself but secretly doubt that you'll ever succeed.

Even though that driving force still burns within you that make 'doing nothing' simply not an option the excuse of "it'll never work" is always there haunting you, taunting you, ridiculing you.

So when a guy stood up like Jeremy Gilley, for me, and I suspect the thousands of others at The Peace One Concert in the Royal Albert Hall it got quite emotional.

Anger, frustration, relief, pure tearful joy and most importantly HOPE.

Thank goodness for people like Jeremy Gilley - May his , and our dream come true - for all life, for all people - peace one day soon. Watch the trailer video - Peace One Day - Peace One Day Myspace x

Something Fishy at Vegetarian Society

Common sense defeated by apathy amongst Vegetarian Society Members

Campaigners from www.poor cow.co.uk had provided Vegetarian Society members with a unique opportunity to help put a stop to the increased use of 'Battery Milk' in the food industry and the tragic situation of a increased numbers of dairy cows sentanced to a short tortuous life as 'battery cows'.

50 votes were all that were needed at the 2008 Vegetarian Society AGM. Less than 50 votes from amongst the 10,500 Vegetarian Society members would have beaten the block vote from Vegetarian Society trustees, staff, family and friends. However only a handful of members bothered to register their vote.

A sad day for vegetarianism

The Vegetarian Society AGM voted

To continue to approve products made from battery milk, from cows fed GM food and against introducing animal welfare standards that vegetarians can be proud of.

The Vegetarian Society voted for continuing the status quo that mean's that Paul McCartney's Vegetarian Society has the lowest animal welfare standards for cows in the UK - even lower than Vegetarian baiting F Word TV chef Gordon Ramsay.

Concerns were raised at the AGM about falling VSUK membership numbers since McDonalds were added to the list of clients. It was suggested that since it was now so easy to be a vegetarian the need for a Vegetarian Society has lessened.

If the vegetarian society even refuses to take steps to stop the increase in ill treatment of dairy cows, the epitome of British vegetarianism, then it begs the question "what is the point of the Vegetarian Society?"

Luckily there are a host of other organisations such as Viva!, Animal Aid, CIWF, RSPCA, The Vegan Society, and smaller groups such as VEGA and Movement for Compassionate Living ready to take The Vegetarian Society's place as the UK's no 1 voice for the animals.

Heather mills gives $1Million to NYC

Mills to make $1M vegan food donation - UPI.com

Heather Mills McCartney has given one Million Dollars worth of Vegan food to New York City Bronx children "because the neighborhood has the city's highest child obesity and asthma rates" say the Hunts Point Alliance for Children officials

Vegetarian Paul McCartney Urged To Save Cows

Vegetarian Sir Paul McCartney Urged To Save Cows
It appears that even the arch enemy of all vegetarians (except pseudo veggie Posh Spice Victoria Beckham) F Word TV chef, puffin and horse eating Gordon Ramsay has higher animal welfare standards than the founders of modern vegetarianism!

In a recent interview Gordon Ramsay revealed that he insists on buying meat for his restaurants that has been ethically bred and collected. "That's absolutely paramount," he said. "We have traceability across the board, where we have a certification of whether it's organic beef, or whether it's a hand-picked scallop or a line-caught sea bass."

A Campaigner from www.poor-cow.co.uk said today "We are hoping that Sir Paul McCartney will step in on the Battery Cow issue as he did on the GM issue that led to the Vegetarian Society banning GM ingredients in approved products. Paul McCartney has been a loyal patron of the Vegetarian Society and helped on many ocassions and we believe he will have serious concerns about both animal welfare and the dangers of genetically modified foods fed to cows"

see also Activeg

Even if you are not a member of the Vegetarian Society you can still sign our petition asking the Vegetarian Society to ban battery cows milk from it's approved products.

www.PetitionOnline.com/PoorCow

UK: Vegetarian School Opens

First state Hindu school opens its doors - Telegraph

A new Vegetarian School in London is opening on Monday (Sept 15th) The Krishna-Avanti primary in Harrow, north London, is already heavily over-subscribed.

It will have its own temple, vegetarian catering facilities, and lessons in Sanskrit and yoga.

The school - opening for reception pupils on September 15 - was originally aimed at strictly-vegetarian families, but it provoked claims that it would rule out most of the estimated 15,000 Hindu children living in the borough. The requirement was later ditched, with admissions now being devolved to local temples.

The opening is expected to be the first of many following a Government recommendation that more faith schools should be created where local demand exists.

At the moment, there are 4,621 Anglican schools in England, 2,027 Roman Catholic schools and 26 Methodist schools. A further 38 are classed as Jewish, nine are Muslim and three Sikh.

UK: 86% Veggie at least Once a Week!

Carnivores shun meat and flirt with bi-tarianism, says survey - Telegraph

A new survey reveals that 86% of UK adults eat no meat at least 1-2 times per week. 12% in the survey refer to themselves as Vegetarian.

Great News but hardly a surprise - even grub loving Oprah Winfrey went vegan for a few months this summer and that involved turning down some chocolate muffins cooked by Tom Cruise's mum that most vegetarianettes would have bitten her arm off for.

The trouble with surveys is most self declared 'vegetarians' eat fish, and sometimes even a bit of chicken. Nonetheless they are an important group of people who aspire to vegetarianism and have the same preferences (kinder to people, health, environment and animals) they are just not anal about it (un-like the vegans)

It's estimated that over 40% of UK families regularly seek out vegetarian options predominantly for health reasons. The emphasis on health may partly explain why the Organic Soil Association have 200 staff working on approval of nearly 60,000 products whilst the Vegetarian Society have 2 staff adminstrating only 5,000 approved products.

It's estimated by Animal Aid that 30% of UK milk is now from Battery Farmed Cows subjected to zero grazing (typically kept in sheds and fed GM soya)although the Vegetarian Society admit double that figure for approved products that would fail improved welfare standards.(See news 5/09)

The Soil Association who ban ingredients such as hydrogenated fat and artificial sweeteners and also GM feed for dairy cows for health reasons also go far further than the Vegetarian Society on animal welfare standards. The Soil Association have managed to lure Vegetarians away from the doctrine with promises of 'happy meat' and 'humane methods of slaughter' (giving them a tickle under the chin before the bolt goes through their brain? aaaaw bless!)

No doubt anyway that vegetarians often aren't true vegetarians.

Papers recently are full of talk about professional Vegetarian baiter UK Chef Gordon Ramsay going into business with 'Vegetarian' Victoria Beckham to launch a 'Cor blimey sausage and mash/fish and chips restaurant' in LA. The Red Tops are allegedly taking bets on whether Posh Spice will actually ever eat there as they have her in the 'mad vegan anorexic box' but I'm sure fish and sushi was on her diet plan last time I looked.

There are a number of letters in the latest Vegetarian Society Magazine asking for more tolerance towards 'vegetarians' who eat fish. The trouble is for hard line vegheads this is often like asking them to be tolerant of murderers and rapists.

Meanwhile there are some vegans that think that vegetarians may as well eat cold blooded fish whilst they still turn a blind eye to the suffering of battery dairy cows and the plight of a quarter of a million mashed up calves a year for the sake of milk and cheese.

Please visit www.poor-cow.co.uk

Meat and Dairy Jeopardise Our Future

Meat is Not Green

Green Debate : Meat Vs Cars

The discussion about meat and it's contribution to climate change is hotting up.

Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated 8 per cent of UK emissions. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not noticeably reduce emissions because dairy cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.

Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further.

His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warning.

Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.

Pachauri is currently on a world tour having spoken to the EVU in Europe and then as guest of CIWF in London. His interview in the Observer has travelled to the other side of the world and has prompted debate in India, USA, New Zealand, Australia and practically everywhere else.

In Latin America, the FAO estimates that some 70% of former forest cover has been converted for grazing.

Meanwhile farmers in the UK have had a great idea - they are going to start feeding cattle a new carbon friendlier diet! You'll never have guessed - it's called grass!

Innocent or Stupid ?

innocent drinks : our drinks - smoothies, thickies, really lovely juices

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGH! Innocent or naive? Too smooth or just thickies? I love Innocent I really do, jealous ? Absolutely, because if I'd had the balls and the money to do it I'd have done it just like that. That smoothie, friendly, jokey ,honest style, much copied now but never as sincerely - Love it!

So then there was the water - Innocent 'This Water' - NO IT'S NOT! It's Fecking Fecklessly un innocent Squash - Yes there's water in the bottle too but it's full of sugar! Innocent famous brand for not adding added, and they added crap - white, sugary, once slave traded, sugar.

Whoops! recognising their mistake they sold the company to their employees and tried to rinse their hands of the not quite whole, not nothing but the whole nearly but not quite water thing.

With the Innocent launch of Veg Pots, the lumpy soups or vegetable stews I got excited. Here's a way for the lads to redeem themselves. Back to their roots instead of just fruit, whole fruit and nothing but the fruit we'll have Vegetables, the whole veg and nothing but the veg!

At last ( I fantisized) a nutritious vegan lunch that will soon be everywhere from corner shops to service stations. Oprah Winfrey and Natalie Portman will be gagging for them!

BUT NOoooooooooooooooooo! Innocent got some poncy no brain chef from the Fois Gras with donkey brain porridge Fat Duck to do the veg pot recipes. My heart beat faster and faster , mouth salivating....almost to the end of the long list of ingredients.....and then crushed, deflated, crumbled to the floor - the Anthony Worrall Tossedpot Marks and Spencers dead animal appreciation society have wealeded their wicked curse once more.

Just a little bit (2%) of creme fraiche WHY!??! Just a little bit of honey?!? WHY! For heaven's sake! Why?

I appreciate it's just innocent stupidity as no profit seeking company would deliberately seek to alienate millions of potentially loyal customers on purpose but it FEELS like a grudge, it FEELS like we are being intentionally picked on - "no no not for you the vegpot - don't touch the precious food, you're not a local, you have to eat the special food for the uncompromising ones - the boring tasteless food it shall be that is only suitable for you because no tastebuds we think you have"

In fairness Innocent Vegpots are quite healthy, They don't have huge spoonfulls of sugar in them like This is (not!) Water, they are low in salt, have lots of veg and less than 1% saturated animal fat. Do they taste nice? I'll never know - Innocent may as well say "less than 1% cow puss and doggy doodoos"

Lads lads lads - KISS X Keep It Simple Stupid! Remember the day you gave up your jobs to make smoothies! Remember the days at Cranks. Remember the fig tree!

Writers Needed for New Vegan Magazine!

Dr John Briffa: Off the hoof | Life and style | The Observer - OFF THE HOOF!

Fancy yourself as a writer? Good with words? A budding journalist looking for an editor prepared to publish more 'challenging' controvesial articles?

The pun 'Off the Hoof' may have first been publicised by Dr John Briffa in an article in The Observer about giving up beef. He probably nicked it from someone else. Whatever the origins of this vegan pun it's now been adopted as the Title for a new irreverant vegan magazine full of fun and frollocks with a mission to entertain rather than bore.

'Off the Hoof' is from the same horse-free stable* that brings you The Bristol Vegan Fayre (May 09) The Brighton Vegan Festival (March 09) The Vegan Guide to Bristol and of course all those delicious essentially nutritious Hemp food products and cruelty free hemp cosmetic products.

First issue of 'Off the Hoof' is due out on World Vegan Day 1st November

If you are interested in advertising or submitting articles for something rather out of the ordinary then contact Frank, Tim or Charlie at Yaoh 01179239053 www.yaoh.co.uk

Off the Hoof Adult Content

Off The Hoof - New Vegan Magazine and Off the Hoof on Ethical Junction

* Though with all those blokes in one 'office' I'm sure it might not always smell horse free!

Organic Fortnight 6-21st Sept

Organic Fortnight

It appears The Vegetarian Society are fully supportive of The Soil Associations Organic Fortnight that runs 6th Sept to the 21st Sept. In a statement posted on The Vegetarian Society's website today they announced that if consumers had concerns about GM and Animal welfare then The Vegetarian Society advises that people should 'source products that are certified by The Soil Association’s Organic Symbol' (See position statement of Vegsoc council )

There is currently a campaign to encourage vegetarian Society members to vote at the Vegetarian Society AGM to introduce welfare standards so that battery milk and other Battery factory produced dairy products will no longer be acceptable to be approved by the Vegetarian Society Seedling scheme. Campaigners also want to see a ban on feeding GM soya and grain to herds producing dairy products within the Vegetarian approved food chain. (See www.poor-cow.co.uk )

David Pye - Vegetarian Society Trustee says "It would be a poor use of the charity’s resources to develop animal welfare criteria when this has already been done by the Soil Association." (See rationales opposing animal welfare)

The Soil Association must be delighted at this Vegetarian Society endorsement of their organic scheme as they enter their Organic Fortnight awareness week.

The Soil Association now have 200 staff working in their trademark licence division and 40 inspectors endorsing nearly 60,000 products. Despite the high demand for vegetarian products and no real competition apart from The Vegan Society the Vegetarian Society have a fraction of that figure approved with only 5,000 products licensed to carry the vegetarian seedling trademark.

David Pye admits 66% of Vegetarian Society's currently approved products are of a standard too low to be approved if husbandry and GM feed standards for cows were introduced.

Campaigners urge members to vote to introduce animal welfare standards. They fear the Vegetarian Society trademark will become obsolete in the wake of Food Standards Agency guidelines on vegetarian products that give Trading Standards officers teeth under trade descriptions laws to protect vegetarian labelling claims.

See www.poor-cow.co.uk

Vegetarian Society AGM

Letter to Vegetarian Society members

America’s Next Top Model Naked?

Vegan Woman on America’s Next Top Model « Creature Talk

It seems Americas Next Top Model Star may rather go naked than wear the flesh of Cows.

There's a vegan in the running in America's Next Top Model show

Elina is 19 years old and lives in Seattle. On the show, she said she became vegan at the age of 7 and has dedicated her life to the animal liberation movement.

Last year models had to dress in clothes made from the flesh of cows - no NOT leather - they were dressed in actual beef meat - a photo shoot in a meat packers cooler - Elina said she wouldn't have done this.

And no!, there's no free links to free photos and free videos of the event here.

Poor Cow

poor cow - animal welfare - help end cow suffering.

A unique opportunity exists for members of The Vegetarian Society to save the lives of millions of UK cows from factory battery farms via a motion to the vegsoc AGM on the 20th of September in Manchester

See Poor Cow

FBI Infiltrated Vegan Groups?

» Vegan Moles Wanted. Contact Your Local FBI Office - Foolocracy: Government by fools, silliness and unintelligent people

It seems the FBI are desperate to find out just what it is exactly that is the attraction of this extreemist, environmentally friendly, ethical, healthier movement that is sweeping the world.

They are trying to infiltrate vegan pot luck dinners by recruiting 'moles' to report back to them.

Don't dismiss this as merely another conspiracy theory!

1) 10 high profile vegans in Austria were arrested in July and are still being held without charge (see earlier Post)

2) The UK Vegan Society has recently made a statement (after the deadline to submit motions to the Vegan Society AGM that could have overturned it) that from now on they will allow the term "May Contain Milk" on packaging alongside their Vegan Society approved logo.

3) VPSG has a list of current UK vegan prisoners of conscience. In recent years a number of UK activists have been arrested merely for campaigning on animal rights issues.

It is now very dangerous to publically criticize multinational pharmaceutical companies and their subsidiaries so beware.

More on this story

Vegetarian & Vegan Wines High Interest

Vegan wines - Times Online

Demand has dramatically increased for vegetarian and vegan wines recently as drinkers become more aware of the dodgy ingredients that some wine producers use to speed the clarification process of the wine such as gelatine.

The Co-op have led the market in this field as one of the first retailers to put on the label ALL the ingedients.

Other distributers include Smithfield wines, Vinceremos and Vintage roots aswell as award winning Organic British wine makers such as Seedlescombe wines in East Sussex near Hastings

Sir Paul McCartney calls Chef Stupid

The Press Association: Sir Paul slams chef veggie comments: "Sir Paul McCartney slams chef veggie comments

Sir Paul McCartney has criticised Gordon Ramsay - calling the TV chef 'stupid'.
Ramsay, 41, has angered the ex-Beatle, 66, with his outspoken comments against vegetarians.The foul-mouthed chef has annoyed the music legend by saying he could not tolerate it if one of his three daughters came home with a vegetarian boyfriend."

Ironically Gordon Ramsay shares Sir Paul McCartney's dim view of the chef. Ramsay says "you'd have to be F****** stupid to go out with a chef" - there's 2 things Ramsay's daughters are forbidden to do - go vegetarian and date a chef!

There's only one group of people Gordon Ramsay dislikes more than vegetarians and that's Traffic Wardens. Ramsay once said he'd rather go and work for the vegan society than be a traffic warden.

Last month Paul McCartney encouraged everyone to participate in meat out mondays we are presuming Gordon Ramsay isn't participating!

Vegan Shoes by Geoff Rowley

Shoes Lovers Rejoice! Geoff Rowley Designs Vegan Vans! // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip Geoff Rowley has 'designed' a new range of vegan shoes for skate fans favourite Vans.

And no he's not hanging on Natalie Portman's coat tails - he's been inspiring vegan shoes for vans for many years now.

Vegetarians kill 1/4 Million Calves in 2007

Eat British veal with a clear conscience, says RSPCA and CIWF

UK dairy lovers are responsible for the deaths of 1/4 Million Veal Calves in 2007

Last year around 260,000 young, male dairy calves were condemned as "waste products" in the UK, as they don't produce milk and are rarely used for beef due to their low muscle tone. These animals are either shot at birth or exported to the Continent for veal.

It's astonishing that the RSPCA and CIWF suggest the solution is to eat more British Veal!(Once described as the worst 4 letter word in the English language by comedy legend Spike Milligan)

Surely the logical answer is to eat less dairy and go vegan!

If you are a member of The Vegetarian Society please urge them to spill the beans on milk production and tighten up their policy on dairy cow welfare at their AGM!

Vegsoc AGM 2008

Can Vitamin C Cure Cancer?

Can Vitamin C Cure Cancer?

There is mounting scientific evidence that a 30 year old natural Vitamin C cancer treatment by Nobel Prize winning Linus Pauling is more effective than chemotherapy and without the side effects.

The chief researcher of an American trial, Dr Mark Levine of the American National Institutes of Health, has been investigating vitamin C's cancer killing abilities for several years. He's already shown that it's effective in a test tube and two years ago, he published a report on three patients who were treated for serious and advanced cancers and survived far longer that would normally be expected.

'We now know that the vitamin C gets into tumours in large amounts and that it kills them by causing a build up of hydrogen peroxide. In fact, vitamin C is hardly a new anti-cancer treatment. It was famously used by double Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling more than 30 years ago, who found that terminal cancer patients treated with vitamin C lived much longer. However, when his trials were repeated at the prestigious Mayo clinic in America, the researchers found no benefit. Proponents of vitamin C point out the clinic only used oral vitamin C which can work differently.


'This is just the sort of thing that public money should be spent on,' says Dr George Lewith, of the University of Southampton, who assesses complementary and alternative medicines for the National Cancer Research Institute. 'I would be strongly in favour of running a proper clinical trial of IVC as soon as possible.'

Gwyneth Paltrow D listed by Vegans & Vegetarians

Fur flies as Gwyneth Paltrow offends her animal-rights friends - Nature, Environment - The Independent

Gyyneth Paltrow is doing nothing to stop stories of Marriage troubles in fact she is actively fuelling rumours that her marriage with Vegan frontman of Coldplay Chris Martin is on the rocks.

Her latest trick is to actively provoke scorn from her celebrity vegetarian and vegan friends such as Moby and Stella McCartney and rattle the cage of a host of animal welfare organisations such as respect, PetA, ViVA!, Animal Aid who are spitting feathers, tearing hair out amidst a flurry of fur flying around in disbelief that she has committed the ultimate veggie sin - modelling fur - yes fur!

Vegetarians begrudgingly accept other people unecessarily killing to eat as despite the evidence some people still consider that meat is an essential part of a healthy diet and prevokes the most basic of survival instincts.

Fur on the other hand (or on the other paw) is considered taboo. Thats killing and torture purely for vanity, for fashion, for kicks, for money - for a sick kind of fun. Animals are often killed by inserting an electrode up their bumhole and killing the animal by electrocution so as not to damage the fur. It takes a special kind of sadist to think up an execution like that.

There are a number of celebrity anti fur adverts. Sophie Ellis Bextor's - "here's the rest of your fur coat is probably one of the most gruesome since it takes up[ to 40 dumb animals to make a fur coat but just one to wear it" with a model on a catwalk trailing blood behind her.



We wonder what on earth Gwyneth Paltrow was thinking. She must have known what would happen - it's rumoured she's desperate for publicity - but this is A list dumbicity.

World Vegan Day - Midlands UK

West Midlands Vegan Festival

So for World Vegan Day 2008 lets start in the middle of the country and gradually spiral outwards shall we?

We hope this vegan cookbook will finally be finished by then too!

Veganism banned in Austria?

UK Indymedia - About the Austrian animal rights prisoners

It seems the sausage loving Austrian Government are trying to make it illegal to be vegan in Austria

10 vegans were arrested in Austria in May and are still being held without trial including the chair of The Vegan Society in Austria

Obviously some traditions are still alive and flourishing in the Austrian administration system and hard to shake.

www.vgt.at

Face Book

Amnesty International

Austrian Vegan Society

Right wing and Neo Nazi nationalist organisations apparently still flourish in Austria.

Freedom Party of Austria

Alliance for the Future of_Austria

You can contact the Autrian Embassy here - Contact Austrian Embassy

Although I have second thoughts even as a vegan author let alone Turkish, Jewish or Homosexual leanings having just read about Austrian Politics and neo nazi popularity.

RSPCA Freedom Food Fake Farms

Fake Freedom at RSPCA Freedom Food Farms

Just goes to show if it's not vegan it's not cruelty free.



Once again the farcical RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme has been exposed for not policing it's licensees and ensuring actual farm conditions live up to public expectations. The RSPCA need to take a leaf out of the Soil Association's book and make enforcement , infringement and trade descriptions abuse something to be feared rather than scoffed at.

The RSPCA are sitting back and nonchalantly allowing the whole scheme to fall into disrepute by failing to ensure animals do actually recieve the 5 freedoms they publicise.

1) Freedom from hunger and thirst
2) Freedom from discomfort
3) Freedom from pain injury and disease
4) Freedom to express normal behaviour
5) Freedom from fear and distress

You wouldn't think these could be so open to commercial interpretation and abused so dramatically but they frequently are. Normal behaviour for instance is interpreted by some farms as normal behaviour for a claustrophobic, caged hen with obscessive dementia and depression.

Despite numerous previous exposees by organisations such as The Hillside Animal sanctuary in Norfolk this is the first time that the RSPCA have finally agreed to launch a long overdue full and 'thorough' review of their Freedom Foods scheme.

All talk or more hollow promises to keep the millions of ££££s rolling in from the public ? We'll have to wait and see. At least this one farm has now been thrown out of the scheme and supermarkets may be prompted to carry out their own spot check quality control investigations to avoid loosing faith with their customers along with the RSPCA.

See video Channel 5 Report

Takeaway Food - Secret Ingredients

Secret Ingredients in Takeaway Food

Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston gives Takeaway Foods restaurants a good bashing.

Restaurants make it very difficult to find out what's actually in their food. Sometimes we only find out through court action as with KFC and Mcdonalds and using secret ingredients such as extract of chicken and beef fat in chips and flavourings.

Enforced honesty about a whole days portion of saturated animal fat in just one dish would encourage more healthy plant based dishes on the menus.

We like to kick start a campaign for a Healthy (vegan) Pizza on the High Streets for World Vegan Day - contact us if you are interested in helping with this.

Daily Mail - Vegan Hunt Season Starts

Vegan - Mail Online



The hunt is on. Despite tripping up over cavity ridden silver toothed, massively obese spotty gasping for breath rounded backed sick meat eating kids almost everywhere you go the hunt is now on for rare examples of sick vegan kids.

After many weeks of searching following a case of vegan rickets in the sun starved outer western isles of Scotland todays Daily Mail has managed to track down a family of goats cheese eating raw food vegans (???????!!!!!???) at the other end of the country in Devon with minor health problems.

Any doubt of neglect is quickly verified when the mother admits it wasn't until she noticed a mouthfull of brown teeth in her children that she decided veganism was to blame.

It seems the biggest blight on the vegan movement is that it attracts far too many nob heads

Yes veganism could save the world and help everyone to be healthier - marvellous as it is it won't brush your teeth and just like a meat based diet of McDonalds it won't provide a balance of nutrients unless you eat a balanced varied diet and you'll still need to visit the dentist regularly.

Vegan Environmental Awards

Bristol Vegan Fayre 2008!!! - Vegan Environmental Awards

Here are the results of the Vegan Awards 2008, presented every year at the Bristol Vegan fayre but voted for by the public.

No huge surprises given the context of the awards - though encouraging to see Booja Booja stuff in a tub ice cream as a winner - this is truly amazing and well worth hassling your local independent health food store to stock it. Delicious and healthy a rare combination in the world of desserts it is a nutritionists dream come true - it tastes like Häagen-Dazs but is raw, organic, free from processed sugar - it's vegäandazs!

The results of 5 months of voting for the World’s best in the vegan circles has been announced,
Benjamin Zephaniah
The Vegan Magazine
Suma
Andrew Tyler from Animal Aid
Booja Booja Ice Cream
the Bristol Vegan Fayre
Bristol Vegans
Yaoh

To nominate your worthy suggestions for the 2009 awards please email Tim Barford at Yaoh Hemp foods the organiser or Karin Ridgers at Veggievision now.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Go Vegan

Kentucky Fried Cruelty

The Good News - Apparently PeTA have negotiated with Kentucky Fried Chicken to sell a Vegan version of KFC nuggets made from soya or wheat protein so that KFC customers can choose a more ethical, environmentally friendly and healthier option if they want to.


Make your own KFC sign at KentuckyFriedCruelty.com

The Bad News - KFC Vegan Nuggets will so far only be available in Canada!!!!!!!! Contact KFC to ask them to make an ethical, more environmentally friendly, healthier vegan version available in the UK too.

http://www.kfc.co.uk/contact.aspx

If we are really lucky it will be Redwood's Cheatin Chicken that they use.

Bristol Vegan Fayre Food & Music Festival

Bristol Vegan Fayre Food and Music Festival



OK Last chance - I'm not going to tell you again - it's now or never for the time of your life! Bring your friends as it the best place in the world to prove what a fun, delicious and inspiring life a lifechanging vegan lifestyle can be. But hey - it's your life.

see http://www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk

Skiddle Events Bristol

Also on Facebook Bristol Events

Bristol Summer Sales Start Early

World Record BBQ Event

Oprah Winfrey Goes Vegan

The 21-Day Cleanse: Oprah's Blog 2

OK it's only 21 days - but you know how it is - once you've dived in then you suddenly realise it's not about giving up it's about saving , vibrancy, having your eyes opened, more energy, optimum health, inner peace, saving the planet andloads of delicious new dishes you never knew existed.

Orah Winfrey is unlikely to stray very far away from veganism once she's tried it for 21 days - it's no longer why? it becomes Why not?

Oprah winfrey's journey of discovery could be world changing for vegetarianism and veganism with her huge Angel Network and influential friends (Lord knows everyone know's she likes her food) that's got to kick a few stereotypes and preconcieved ideas about being a vegan in the goolies.

National Barbecue Week

National BBQ Week 2008


National BBQ Week has been hijacked by the Vegetarians and Vegans for 2008. Linda McCartney claim their products are better than the real thing, whilst Vegans in Bristol are planning a 10kg Vegan Hog Roast (for 10,000 people - how much is that each?)

In London Croydon Vegetarians are staging a Battle of the Bangers Barbecue challenging Londoners to judge the best meat free BBQ option out of 5 different vegan sausages Redwoods, Frys, Linda McCartney, Real Eat and perhaps Northumbrian Wicken Fen vegetarian sausages too.

Croydon Is National Vegetarian Week 2008

National Vegetarian week Croydon is Top London Venue for National Vegetarian Week Events

Croydon is linked to some highly esteemed people from DH Lawrence to Kate Moss but it is often the butt of comedians’ satirical taunts. Certainly it’s a place full of oxymorons , thus a lush oasis of comedic material ready for harvest.

Rarely making the top 10 fact lists about Croydon is that Croydon is home to one of the oldest surviving vegetarian groups in the world. Croydon Vegetarians was established in 1886 and is still going strong. Armed with this fact it’s probably then not quite so surprising that Croydon should have the most events organised for the Vegetarian Society’s National Vegetarian Week (19th – 25th May)

This year Croydon is celebrating National Vegetarian Week on every day of the week

1. National Vegetarian Week kicks off with a chocolate tasting session in Oasis Natural Health 96 The High Street, Croydon. Other goodies to try will be on offer too. Ladies from Croydon Vegetarians will be there to help you with any burning questions you may have.
2. On Tuesday 20th May a Croydon greengrocers in Waddon will be challenging Croydon citizens to try a different fruit or vegetable and dishing out free tasters. Graham the greengrocer will also have some tips about what to do with various more exotic fruit and veg and their nutritional properties.
3. On Wednesday the 21st Oasis health food store in Croydon High street has organised a Battle of the Bangers BBQ to engage Londoners and inspire them to judge London’s best meat free BBQ alternative from 5 competitor manufacturers. You’ll be able to nibble on Linda McCartney, Frys, Redwoods, Real Eat and Wicken Fen sausages. Celebrity nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston will be on hand to answer nutrition questions.
4. Thursday 22nd is the night when Lush Croydon will be hosting a pamper party, a book-signing, massage and taster therapy sessions. The first 50 visitors will receive a free rare bath bomb not available in the shops – a Rainbow Worrier.
5. On Friday night the 23rd Peppertons vegetarian restaurant in Selhurst will be offering a free glass of wine to the first 20 diners and the option to try a dairy free vegan cheese board supplied by Bute Island foods.
6. For Saturday the 24th of May Croydon’s Fair trade shop Fair Enough opposite the Croydon Parish Church in Church Street will be holding a Fair trade Tea Party for National Vegetarian Week with Fair trade cake and biscuits to try from Doves Farm.
National Vegetarian week 2008 celebrations end with a finale down in Bristol harbour on the 31st May and the 1st June at the Bristol Vegan Fayre. www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk - 10,000 people attracted by an awesome line up of bands, food, speakers, entertainment and ethical shopping.

Vegan Aware at London Aware

It's hoped the penny will drop and an eco light bulb will light up in the heads of visitors to UK London Aware at the Barbican this weekend.

Nigel Winter CEO of The Vegan Society and Annette Pinner CEO of The Vegetarian Society will be speaking as well as celebrity London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston. It's hoped all three will highlight the many advantages of eating lower in the food chain and the subsequent benefits for the planet.

Check out the Foods for Life 2 for 1 ticket offer - quote IT241 for an extra free ticket. See London Aware

A great warm up act for National Vegetarian Week 2008

Vegans out Rock National Vegetarian Week

Vegan Greens will Rock UK in World's biggest Vegan Festival and Music Event



Bristol Greens and Vegans are set to out rock all the other events for National Vegetarian Week and National BBQ week with an awesome line up of Reggae, Rock, Ska, Pop and Jazz on the 31st May and 1st June.

It's not just vegan food and talks anymore - The annual Bristol Vegan Fayre event has morphed into a monster ethical party in Bristol harbour part green fair, part music festival, part food fayre, part vegan congress and rally - it's difficult to put your finger on the true essence of The Bristol Vegan Fayre apart from ethical fun and frollocks.

Check it out on www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk

Aswad, Dreadzone, Misty in Roots & Bad Manners head up Bristol’s premier Multi Cultural Music Festival May 31st June 1st 2008 for only £12 for the whole weekend!!!!

Reggae Stars head for Bristol Vegan Event

Vegans to Rock Bristol harbour in National Vegetarian Week Event

Vegan Display Bad Manners in Bristol

Green Vegan Event to Rock UK

Earthday

Earthday

Oh and by the way - Happy Earth Day!

Saf Restaurant & Bar London

Saf Restaurant & Bar London
Saf -ilicious. Manhatten New York vegan raw cool comes to London.

At last! After nearly 30 years of waiting the restaurant of my vegetarian / vegan dreams has finally arrived in London. Saf means pure in Turkish and it truly is pure - pure magic. A personification of epicurean delight. A magical mystery tour into textures, flavours, visual artistry and culinary enlightenment.

My 4 course dinner at Saf was divine. I'm humbled, time for me to retire from messing about about in the kitchen and leave it to the new young blood, a chap called Chad.

Flavours, presentation, ambiance, service, and energy of the whole experience was exquisitely luscious and sumptuous.

Admittedly they had only just opened and were full of that initial earnest passion to please and not too busy to treat everyone like a celebrity but there was nothing I could fault them on - they'd thought of everything. I don't think it will be long before it's full of ingonito hollywood socialites, celebrity anglophiles and the cream of British arthouse bohemia. Saf's Joe McCanta, sommelier/mixologist/jazz pianist (ex counter New York) and Chad , gourmet chef, already have a fanbase in New York and next time Moby comes to London I can't think why he'd eat anywhere else other than saf.

Review - Saf Restaurant

See www.safrestaurant.co.uk

More Reason to Shop with Vegan Logos

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE NEWS STORY FROM WWW.NORTHAMPTONSHIRE.CO.UK - MORRISONS FINED £18,000 FOR MEAT IN VEGETARIAN RAVIOLI




This is just one of many examples of where supermarkets are getting it wrong on vegetarian and vegan labelling. Look for the official Vegetarian Society or Vegan Society Logo on products to have reassurance that there are manufacturing procedures in place to stop cross contamination and the vegetarian and vegan ingredients sources have been thoroughly checked.

At Northampton magistrates court on 16th March, Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc based in Gain Lane, Bradford, received fines totalling £18,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,981.41 after pleading guilty to two charges of contravening the Food Safety Act 1990.

The prosecution followed an investigation by Northamptonshire County Council’s trading standards team after a complaint was made by a local man who purchased two tins of Morrisons own brand ‘Meat Free Ravioli in Tomato Sauce - suitable for vegetarians’ from a store in Northampton. The complainant had been a vegetarian for 23 years and was ‘unimpressed, disgusted and disappointed’ to find meat in the product.


The ravioli product had been manufactured and packed in Italy and during the investigation it became clear that Morrisons had received several other consumer complaints of the same nature in the previous two months and had failed to investigate them properly.

Cabinet member for community safety Councillor Liz Tavener said: “Food labels are there so that consumers can get the information they need to know before they buy. This is important not just for health reasons, but also for people who follow specific diets or have food allergies.

“In this case, someone who was vegetarian unwittingly purchased a product that contained meat; this falls well below the standards that consumers can expect and would not have happened if appropriate action had been taken by the supermarket following earlier complaints from other customers. Thanks to trading standards, the product has now been withdrawn from Morrisons supermarkets.

"Any consumers who consider that food is mis-described or mis-labelled should inform trading standards by calling Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06"

For help with legitimising your products with an independent, well recognised and internationally respected accreditation please contact MiV The Ministry of International Veganism.

Politics: Vegetarian Party Fight for London seat

BBC NEWS | Politics | Animals party eyes City Hall seat



Vegetarian Animal Rights party Animals Count are campaigning hard for a seat on the London Assembly.Their sister party in Holland already have elected members but the UK have some catching up to do.

Jasmine de Boo, 32, is the first person to stand in a UK election for the Animals Count party and hopes to pick up votes from disillusioned animal lovers.

The Dutch national, who lives in Kennington, south London, stood in the European elections for Holland's Party for Animals.

Ms de Boo, who works for an animal welfare charity, came to the UK shortly afterwards and founded Animal Counts, which she says has more than 100 members - mostly in London and Wales.

She hopes to pick up votes from Londoners who are "disappointed and disillusioned" with the main parties and says it is "possible" to pick up 5% of the vote - enough to secure the deposit.

Fish Oils Not Sustainable DHA EPA Source

A London Nutritionist says "Fish oil is not a sustainable source of omega 3 DHA and EPA essential fats. Algae oil is an ethical, organic, fair trade, sustainably grown alternative" See Fish Oil vs Algae Oil for more info



Report by Chris Choi ITV ITN news filmed in Holland and Barrett London and Co Durham school. London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston.

YouTube - EXCLUSIVE: Queen Rania

YouTube - YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Send me your stereotypes:

Queen Rania of Jordan launches a plea for understanding and tolerance.



Vegans and vegetarians should be able to relate to problems caused by stereotypes and being shoved in a box. Sadly some vegetarians and vegans don't use that learning to extend the lesson of a need for tolerance and understanding and pass it on. Maybe it's about time we did. The roots of vegetarian and vegan philosphy are based in this concept of goodwill to all (including animals) and humanitarianism are the bedrock of the movement. A little more learning, a little more understanding or overstanding to quote Benjamin Zephaniah won't hurt anyone.

World’s First Human In Vitro Meat available online

April 1st 2008 - World's first lab grown human meat available online But is it vegetarian?



So we now have the world's first laboratory grown meat for sale online. No animal suffering as no brain involved but is it vegetarian? Well nothing has been killed so by the definitions of the UK Vegetarian Society I guess the answer is "Yes!"

Whether it will ever be awarded the Vegetarian Seedling symbol logo is another matter.

But is it vegan? The Vegan Society guidance is to avoid all animal products and humans are from within the animal kingdom rather than the plant kingdom so probably technically no.

There are exceptions - The official Vegan society answer to the age old question "is it OK to swallow as a vegan" is "if you want to" although it's generally accepted that the donor should be vegan too as much for taste purposes as anything else. Bodily fluids such as breast milk are considered completely natural and vegan providing there's no exploitation involved. So thus human milk for a mother's baby, yes - camembert cheese made from human milk milked from a poorly paid chinese mothers sitting in a factory connected to pumps probably wouldn't get passed the Vegan Society council.

Our guidance ? Forget it ! The whole idea is Yucky! There are so many vegan alternatives to meat out there - this year at The Bristol Vegan Fayre on 1st June there will not just be the usual burgers but a 10kg Vegan Hog Roast being BBQ'd to celebrate National Vegetarian Week and National BBQ Week.