OxVeg Online News June 2009
Dear Member Last month saw committee members tirelessly spreading the veggie word across Oxford for National Vegetarian Week. Our reward? Well, apart from the joys of meeting new people, and discussing all the benefits of a veggie diet, we also got to sample lots of free food kindly donated for the occasion (the chocolate donated by Geo Organica was my favourite!). More information below, and photos to be loaded onto the website shortly. We have also been asked to include members notices in the newsletter e.g. for people offering / seeking accommodation, or selling items. We are happy to do this but it must be veggie-related. Please send details to the address at the end of the newsletter. This month we will be at local festivals (try one of Pam’s sausage rolls – they’re delicious!), and of course the Summer Garden Party on 21st June. Space is limited due to fire regulations, and there are only a handful of spaces left, so please get in touch as soon as possible if you would like to come. Unfortunately I won’t be there as I am attending a Vegan Parent Support Group in London (email me for details), but the rest of the committee will be there, including Paul Freestone with his juicing machine. Kind regards, Heather Shepherd Oxveg Secretary CONTENTS: National Vegetarian Week events Dining Out Club Review of The Face on Your Plate by J Masson Bread - suitable for vegetarians? News from the Vegetarian Society News from the Vegan Society Internet Links Forthcoming Events 1. National Vegetarian Week Events Throughout the week, Paul Appleby organised a display at the Oxford Central Library with a rich display of leaflets on vegetarianism. Paul Freestone writes about the street stall in Oxford’s city centre: To promote this year’s NVW OxVeg held a street stall in Oxford’s city centre. We arrived at midday for a 4 hour stint and a steady flow of people quickly swarmed around us. Leaflets and recipes were popular, but the main attraction was the selection of free food samples. Fortunately we had secured a superb range of products. These included Redwood’s Lancashire style sausages and Chicken style pieces. Also items from Grassingtons and delicious chocolate from Plamil (Rum flavoured with raisins) and Booja Booja (luxury individual chocolates). Rachel Foster’s homemade chocolate biscuit cake was (unsurprisingly) hugely popular, big chunks were snapped up throughout the afternoon. A generously large box of gorgeous wraps (stuffed with rice and roasted vegetables) provided by local business The Mission (8 St Michael’s St) were eagerly snapped up. In fact, everything on offer was completely vegan. Predictably there were a few negative comments: “You need to some good red meat.†And: “What you vegetarians don’t understand is that these animals were put here for us to eat. If we didn’t eat them what would happen to all of them?†Some of the comments veered into the strange and downright bizarre. For example: “I never eat mushrooms, they are the spawn of the Devil.†But most of the interaction was intelligent and extremely positive. The most frequently heard remark was about the quality and variety of the food on offer. Throughout the warm and sunny afternoon we had competition from other stalls, performances and speakers. These included a fervent Christian preacher, a mobile spiritual healing centre, various drummers and a group of a cappella singers. But we stood our ground and by the time we finally started to pack up we had successfully seen off all the other attractions. To wrap up the week (and eat all the delicious leftovers from the street stall), we finished with a picnic at Hinksey Park. It was a great venue with glorious sunshine, and we all played frisbee and football, whilst it was left the younger, more adventurous children to play in the water fountains. ----------------------------------------------------- 2. Dining Out Club Last month’s dining out club was held at the Greek Taverna in Summertown. They serve delicious, mediterranean food, which lends itself very easily to a vegetarian and vegan diet. This month, the dining out club meets on 19th June at Aziz Pandesia, an Indian and Thai restaurant situated in a beautiful venue, with a balcony overlooking right on the river Thames. To reserve a place, contact Natasha at Protected email address. Do you have a favourite restaurant on Oxfordshire that you would like the dining out club to meet at? If so, please let us know for future meals. Email Natasha or Heather with details. ----------------------------------------------------- 3. Review of The Face on Your Plate by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, WW Norton, 271pp, pbk Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is a former Professor of Sanskrit and Project Director of the Sigmund Freud Archives who turned his attention to the emotional lives of animals around 15 years ago. Since that time he has written several popular books on the subject, including When Elephants Weep, Dogs Never Lie About Love, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats, and The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, the last of which described the emotional lives of farmed animals and led to the author becoming a vegan. (Details of these and other publications can be found on the author’s website www.jeffreymasson.com.) The Face on Your Plate presents the case for veganism. Each of the book's five chapters, as well as the lengthy introduction, can be viewed as separate essays. As might be expected, The Face on Your Plate draws heavily on the author's experiences researching and writing his previous books, especially in the second and fourth chapters which deal, respectively, with the conditions under which farm animals are reared and the reasons why most people implicitly deny the realities of animal farming through their choice of diet. The other three chapters present the environmental case for veganism, "the fishy business of aquaculture", and, finally, a discussion of the consequences for health of a plant-based diet and the author's own experience of life as a vegan. This last chapter is rather self-indulgent (do we really need to know what the author eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner?) and, with its many references to US grocery chains and exotic foods not generally found in the UK will be of limited use to British readers. Some of the arguments presented here are unconvincing, and insufficient evidence is presented in support of the extravagant claim that "from a purely scientific and nutritional point of view ... there is no healthier diet than a vegan one". The author is on much firmer ground in other sections of the book where he appeals to the reader’s compassion rather than their self-interest. The first three chapters in particular contain plenty of valuable material and cogent arguments for veganism that will be of benefit to both the converted and the unconverted. The author’s informal, anecdotal style will appeal to many readers. He is astonishingly well read, as shown by the extensive recommended reading list, and some telling quotations are presented at the beginning of each chapter. Masson’s arguments are unashamedly emotional. He wants the reader to empathise with farmed animals, to recognise the cruelties and deprivations inflicted upon them, to imagine themselves in their predicament, and ultimately to stop eating meat and other animal products – in short, to become a vegan. In answer to the charge that vegans care more about animals than they do about people, he asserts: “There is nothing more important to think about than the heart of empathy, which in the final analysis is nothing other than the ability to love. Becoming a vegan is simply one manifestation of that love.†Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, quoted at the beginning of chapter four, Masson likens the adoption of a vegan diet to "a change of perception akin to a religious conversion". Though not the most cohesive argument for veganism, The Face on Your Plate has the potential to create many more converts. Paul Appleby, May 2009 ----------------------------------------------------- 4. Bread – suitable for Vegetarians? More information from the Vegetarian Society: Press stories highlighting the use of additives in bread making have suggested that "most bread sold in shops is not fit for vegetarians". The Vegetarian Society is aware that enzymes sourced from pigs are sold for commercial baking but has always understood that their use is relatively rare. We have previously been assured that brands labelled "suitable for vegetarians" conform with the Food Standards Agency's Guidelines (agreed after consultation with the Vegetarian Society) meaning that no ingredients or processing aids of slaughtered-animal origin are included or used. Vegetarians, along with any consumer who cares about the provenance of their food and drink, have the right to know what they are eating. Clear, informative labelling is essential and the Vegetarian Society would like to see all ingredients and processing aids listed, with their origin clearly marked. In the meantime we are investigating the claims made by the Real Bread Campaign and will publish more information here as soon as possible. To date, we have been assured by the relevant manufacturers that none of the following brands of bread use non-vegetarian ingredients or processing aids: Allinson, Asda, Burgen, Co-op, Hovis, Kingsmill, Sainsbury's, Sunblest, Tesco own label, Waitrose, Warburtons. The following companies have numerous bread/bread products listed in the Vegan Society's ‘Animal-Free Shopper’ (8th Edition, 2008); Aldi, Budgens, Marks & Spencer, Somerfield, Spar For Vegetarian Society Approved bread products, which have been independently verified to assure that they meet our strict criteria, search on www.seedlingshowcase.com ----------------------------------------------------- 5. News from the Vegetarian Society Until 31st August 2009, the Vegetarian Society is offering all local group members (including OxVeg members) a 25% discount on joining the Vegetarian Society. Call 0161 925 2000, or visit www.vegsoc.org/members quoting “LG09â€. Let the Vegetarian Society know your thoughts on eggs (including reasons for eating and not eating eggs) for a project happening later this year. Email Protected email address. To coincide with National Vegetarian Week 2009 the Vegetarian Society is launching a brand new Seasonal Recipe Competition for Young People. To enter, students just need to submit a starter, main course or pudding and its theme should be based on one of the four seasons. The recipe should be suitable for a small group of people, the two winners will receive either places on a °Cordon Vert Kids in the Kitchen course or Kenwood smoothie makers. The closing date for entries is July 17th. To find out more details go to www.vegsoc.org ----------------------------------------------------- 6. News from the Vegan Society The Vegan Society reminds us that the following campaigns are still up and running. If you would like further information, visit their website at www.vegansociety.com, or contact Heather, the local contact for the society (details at end of newsletter): Our Vegan Catering for All project continues, with the aim of increasing the quality and availability of vegan food. The booklet “Vegan Catering for All†is a good summary for caterers to explain some common reasons behind veganism, why it is a good market to tap into (people travel miles for vegan chocolate cake), and summarises what vegans can and can’t eat, together with several good recipes. Our Vegan Pledge is now a permanent service. Please contact Charley or Verity in the office (Protected email address) for information on how you can help your friends and family to try the pledge and on how to become a Vegan Society Pledge mentor. Our Vegan Catering Guide for Hospitals and Care Homes is as important as ever. Please contact Verity or Charley in the office (Protected email address) for help in telling vulnerable vegans of our advocacy service and how to use our Guide if you're going into hospital. Our Schools Project needs your help to grow. Please contact Rob in the office (Protected email address) for advice on putting us in touch with teachers in your local area and on how you could become a Vegan Society School Speaker. ----------------------------------------------------- 7. Internet Links VegSource, the organisation that hosts the IVU website, has started a new video feature. Twice a week, they add short video clips of notable vegans and vegetarians, who share personal stories and perspectives about being veg. Visit http://www.vegsource.comfor details. Two youtube videos about the impact of meat eating on global warming and the Amazon rainforest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_anaVcCXg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNx51WqBBgM An NY Times columnist discusses recent animal welfare initiatives within the political arena: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/opinion/09kristof.html?_r=2&em Benjamin Zephaniah (animal rights advocate, and a vegan) is shortlisted in the BBC’s “Vote for your favourite poetâ€: http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/poetryseason/captcha From May, 2009, the city of Ghent, Belgium has gone veggie. Government staff and elected officials will eat veggie on Thursdays and from September, schools will follow suit. The goal is to protect the environment and to guard against obesity. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8046970.stm The intensive pig farming industry in the UK lodged a complaint against an advertisement by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). However, the complaint backfired when the UK’s advertising regulator, the ASA, backed CIWF’s claim that piglets feel pain just like a human would when their teeth are clipped without anaesthetic. Routine clipping of the teeth of young pigs is banned under EU legislation, yet it happens regularly in most standard intensive pig farms in the UK. Despite the ban, the British Pig Executive (BPEX) reported last year that 57% of pig farmers in the UK clip the teeth of all of their pigs. View the advertisement at: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/compassion_news/advertising_regulator_backs_our_pig_cruelty_advert.aspx The Veggie Ventures summer newsletter is now out, including details of holidays in Turkey, Latin America and the UK, and special offers on the next holiday the: 'Summer Creativity Break' 2 - 5 July, at a new venue in the beautiful Dorset countryside: http://vegiventures.com/newsletter.asp ----------------------------------------------------- 8. Forthcoming Events Sunday, 7th June, 1pm-5pm Headington Festival OxVeg will be running a stall at this event. Please contact us if you could offer an hour or two of your time to help on the stall. Full details at www.headington.org.uk/hcda/festival Monday, 8th June, 6.30pm Screening of “The End of the Line†to mark World Oceans Day, Phoenix Picturehouse, Jericho, Oxford. Paul Appleby writes: The book "The End of the Line" by environmental journalist Charles Clover has been made into a documentary film. It describes the overfishing of the world's oceans and describes how fishing is the most destructive human activity on 70% of the planet's surface. Waitrose are offering vouchers giving a 20% discount on screenings at participating cinemas (go to www.waitrose.com and follow the EOTL link). Disappointingly, "The End of the Line" doesn't promote vegetarianism as the obvious solution to overfishing (not altogether surprising as the author is a fisherman himself!) and the campaign website (www.endoftheline.com – this also lists other viewing venues) predictably states that it is not opposed to fishing or eating fish (a case of having your fishcake and eating it?). Nevertheless, there are plenty of alarming facts and figures on the website to make a convincing case against fish eating from an environmental viewpoint, and the film should be worth seeing. Saturday, 13th June, 11am-4pm Challenge North Leigh Green Picnic OxVeg will be running a stall at this event. Please contact us if you could offer an hour or two of your time to help on the stall. Full details at www.challenge-northleigh.co.uk/ Friday, 19th June, Dining Out Club, Aziz Pandesia, 7.30pm *This month's Dining Out Club will be trying out this Indian and Thai restaurant right on the river. If you would like to come, please email Natasha on Protected email address to reserve a place. Sunday 21 June, 2.30-5.30pm. * OxVeg/VERO Summer Garden Party with Jeffrey Masson. Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford. An opportunity to meet renowned author Jeffrey Masson (When Elephants Weep, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, etc) who will be talking about his new book "The Face on Your Plate". Please contact us to reserve a place, and bring vegetarian/vegan food to share. Sunday 26th June, 10am-2pm. Gluten-free, vegan & raw Kitchen Buddy Culinary Workshop. St Ethelwold House, Abingdon, Oxon. Individuals £35, couples £60 (includes lunch). 10% discount for OxVeg members. Further details at www.kitchenbuddy.eu or email Theresa Webb at Protected email address Saturday 27th June – Sunday 28th June Children’s Food Festival, The Northmoor Trust Farm Tickets: £10 per car, at gate. All activities free. The Vegetarian Society will be represented at this Children's Food Festival. The festival will include food demos with celebrity chefs, hands-on cooking, the Baby and Early Years area , bicycle-powered smoothie making, gastro-comedy, sheep dog demos, farm walks, ‘grow your own’ and lots more. Visit http://www.childrensfoodfestival.co.uk for more details. If you are able to volunteer some time to help, please contact us. Monday 20 July, 10.30am VON (vegan Organic Network) visit to Tolhurst Organic Produce, Near Reading. The ever popular visit, with something different each time. Contact person: Graham Cole, Coach House, Holywell, Swanmore, Southampton SO32 2QE phone 01489 896471 email Protected email address. ----------------------------------------------------- OxVeg Online News is published on the first Sunday of the month and we welcome contributions from members. Please send your contributions to the Editor
Author: Heather Shepherd
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