A Vegan Obsession

Sign Up To Viva! 30 Day Vegan Challenge

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Go Vegan with Viva! at Vegfest

Sign up to Viva! 30 Day Vegan Pledge now!

Do you wish to eat healthily and start loving your greens and pulses, but stuck on exciting culinary ideas or lasting ways to sustain a lifestyle change? The brand new Viva! 30 Day Vegan Pledge is perfect for you!

Set up earlier this year to follow up the hugely successful Veganuary campaign, the Viva! 30 Day Pledge gives you all the tools and information that you need to successfully transition to a wondrously healthy 100% plant-based diet and stay on it for 30 days. Better still, once you sign up to this scheme, you get free tickets to VegfestUK London – one of Europe’s hottest vegan lifestyle shows – where you can sample a full range of delicious global vegan cuisines and absorb potentially life-changing information from many active vegan role models.Highlights of VegfestUK London include a prominent exhibition area for Viva!, where you can sign up to the Viva! pledge and peruse Viva!’s well-researched literature on plant-based lifestyles as well as their full range of cool merchandise. Four of the Viva! team will be giving the following highly informative talks to help you go and stay vegan:

  • Why you don’t need Dairy, by Viva! founder and director Juliet Gellatley
  • The Dark Side of Dairy, by Juliet Gellatley
  • Is Soya a Superfood or a Health Risk?, by Viva! nutritionist and health campaigner
  • Live Demonstrations of Recipes from the Viva! cookbook, by Viva! food and cookery coordinator Jane Easton
  • 30 Day Vegan Workshop: Improve your Life in Just One Month!, by Viva! deputy director Justin Kerswell together with Jane Easton

To sign up for Viva!’s 30 Day Vegan pledge, visit www.viva.org.uk/30dayvegan To find out more about Viva!, visit www.viva.org.uk or email [email protected]

VegfestUK London takes place on September 27th 28th at Olympia West and is expected to attract around 10,000 visitors over 2 days. For full info visitwww.london.vegfest.co.uk, or email [email protected]

Other press materials for VegfestUK London are here:

  • Press releases www.london.vegfest.co.uk/press-releases
  • Posters and flyers www.london.vegfest.co.uk/posters-and-flyers
  • Facebook images www.london.vegfest.co.uk/facebook-posters
  • Banners www.london.vegfest.co.uk/banners

Copyright © 2014 VegfestUK, All rights reserved

Latest From VegFest. It’s A Mock Meat Fest!

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Haven for carnivores at Europe’s biggest veggie festival on Bristol Harbourside

One of Europe’s prime foodie event VegfestUK Bristol will feature a number of high-quality meatless meat products that will have even committed carnivores not only enjoying the new textures and sensations that meat-free products provide, but also maybe even being tempted to think about replacing some of their favourite animal products with plant-based alternatives.
The festival, which enters its 12th year on May 23rd 24th 25th at the Amphitheatre and is set to attract around 20,000 visitors, aims to showcase the crème de la crème of following a plant-based lifestyle. ‘Meat’ plays centre stage in the myriad of products on show, and this year the UK public have the chance of sampling the following brands of plant-based meats at this event:
 
Bute Island Foods are the producers of their “Vegandeli” range of mock meats which include 7 delicious varieties of meat-free continental sausages, from original/spicy/smoked/Italian gourmet Mortadela, Chorizo sausages, Mock Ham, Gourmet Morcilla - all highly versatile besides being very tasty, giving the meat-based counterparts a good run for their money.
Gillie Food are one of the Oriental Vegan and Vegetarian meat-substitute alternatives food manufacturers & importers in UK. Their products range are based in Textured Soya Protein and Wheat Protein, which is a nutritious member of the protein family, is entirely meat free. Their products are NON-MSG with no GMO nor preservatives.
Grano e Vita (a.k.a Muscolo di Grano) offers superb plant-based meats based on wheat and legumes that have a nutritional value similar to meat while remaining totally plant-based. It’s the ideal food for those who wish to eat a healthy and nourishing meal and still enjoy all the flavours of the Mediterranean cuisine.
Vegusto produces a range of meat free alternatives made from only the highest quality ingredients. Options include: farmhouse sausages, Wiener sausages, festive roasts, schnitzels, etc. They’ll be serving freshly made hot dogs at the show alongside their impressive array of meats.
 
The show organisers added, “It’s an absolute pleasure to witness the rise of these top-notch plant-based meat brands in the upward trend of healthier, more eco-friendly and sustainable living, given the huge toll that livestock farming has on the environment and animal products have on our health. Arguably the biggest obstacle for many in going veggie or eating healthily is the sumptuous taste of their meat. Those heroic producers of vegan meat substitutes have really made plant-based living both convenient and more than palatable for many souls out there, and we’re honoured to showcase these products to the public.”
 
These ‘meats’ come in conjunction with many vegan milks, cheeses, chocolates and other substitutes for animal produce which can be found at the 140 stalls including 5 all day bars at the show – and with numerous special offers available, make sure to bring plenty of cash and shopping bags with you! If you wish to learn more about plant-based lifestyles, don’t miss the dozens of talks, cookery demos, workshops and short films.
 
There’s still time for a variety of entertainment from kids cookery classes, hoola hoops, comedians and musicians during the day. Focus shifts to headline music in the evenings with Boney M ft. Maizie Williams, Gwen Dickey’s Rose Royce, Abba Gold, Peter Hook and the Light, Ruts DC, Goldblade, Zion Train and Black Roots gracing the Amphitheatre stage.
 
Admission from 11am-6pm on Saturday and Sunday is £3 (on the gate) and free for kids under 16. Full admission info and advance tickets for the evening events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday is available at www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/ticket-information, with a BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE offer running till April 30th.

All press materials are available here:

  • Event programme www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/programme
  • Press releases www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/press-releases
  • Posters and flyers www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/posters-and-flyers
  • Banners www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/banners
  • Facebook posters www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/facebook-posters

VegfestUK Bristol is sponsored by: Fry’s Vegetarian UK, Yaoh, JASON Natural Care, Bute Island Foods, Nakd Wholefoods, Lavera, Suma Wholefoods, Living Naturally, Koko Dairy Free, Vegfund, Out of Hand and Viva!

VegfestUK organise 2 other events this year – London on September 27th 28th at Olympia West Halls, and Brighton on March 29th 30th. The Brighton event attracted a large crowd of over 5,000 visitors, and the London event is set to draw around 10,000 people. All products displayed at VegfestUK events are 100% plant-based. Seewww.vegfest.co.uk or email [email protected] for full details.
 



This blog post is a guest post by VegFest

VegFEST Bristol 2014 - Free Tickets To Giveaway

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Preparations for one of Europe’s biggest and most unique vegan lifestyle and music festival VegfestUK Bristol 23-25th May, are gathering pace, with headliners announced and tickets now on sale.
This festival traditionally features a vegan food fayre during the day and lets it’s hair down with headline music in the evenings.  25,000 visited past 2 years.

This year’s headliners are:

- Boney M ft. Maizie Williams, Gwen Dickey’s Rose Royce, Abba Gold on Friday May 23rd
- Peter Hook and the Light, Ruts D.C., Goldblade on Saturday May 24th
- Zion Train, Black Roots on Sunday May 25th

Full admission info and advance tickets for the evening part of the show are at  www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk/ticket-information

Of course you want to be there!  We have 2 pairs of tickets to giveaway.  1 pair for Friday and 1 pair for Saturday. Each pair is worth £25!

Enter below for your chance to win.  Winners to be announced 1st week in May.

Meanwhile, the daytime events feature 140 stalls & caterers, dozens of talks and cookery demos, clay modelling workshops, hoola-hoops, kids cookery classes, art and craft tent, comedy hours, short films, 5 all-day bars and more!

Admission for daytime events is £3 (pay on gate) and free for kids under 16, with no advance tickets available.


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5000 People Descend On VegFest Brighton 2014

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VegFest 2014 announced that over 5,000 visitors attended the Brighton annual veggie festival.  One of Europe’s biggest veggie lifestyle shows.  I was astounded to see the people continually (and eagerly) pouring in through the doors.  The warmest day of the year so far and the festival was no match for Brighton’s pebble beach. 

125 stalls and caterers stocked with some great-tasting vegan foods ranging from pad thais, cakes, canapes, mock meats, cheeses, chocolates, and lots more.  If fact, it was all a bit over whelming, and indulgent (but that was my own doing!).  There were dozens of talks, cookery demos, workshops and short films on the benefits of following a plant-based lifestyle.   

John Robb,  hosted a fundraising auction hosted by in aid of the Animal Welfare Party‘s bid to win a seat at the May EU Elections. The VeggieVision speed-dating session, hosted by Karin Ridgers, which attracted over 100 people (now being single I really had no excuse for not partaking!).  I hear it was quite the success.
It almost brought me to (happy) tears to see how the quality of food, clothes, cosmetics, treats and ‘green’ house hold products improves year upon year.  Together with the innovative, kind, friendly and warm atmosphere that always pervades.
Lots of new faces added to the established vegan businesses. I also noticed the rise in gluten free products which is great to see.
A happy day.
I hope you enjoy the images.



A very small sampling of the companies showing their goodies

Higher Living Herbs   Tea infusions
All Good Things Supper Club - Sammy Gill 07706 217911
Vegan Hastings
Organic Culture  Safe cleaning products for your baby
Freerangers  Shoes hand made in the UK
Operation Icing Brighton not for profit bakery
London Vegan School


Did you attend?  What was your favourite purchase?

Party Time! World Vegan Day Party London & Day Of The Dead Celebrations

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If you don’t already know, November 1st is World Vegan Day, and the start to World Vegan Month.  It is a great opportunity for the already vegan and the vegan curious to gather and have some fun.  The London Vegan Meetup Group are going to gather in London.  Not in London?  Events are happening all over, not just in the UK.  A Google search will list those closest to you.
 If you have a great event you want us to know about, leave a comment below or on the Facebook  page.


Are you going?  I can’t make either of them. I will be in New York (woohoo!).  Have fun!

Blogger Pie! Round Up Of Vegan MoFo Blogging Moments

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The last day of Vegan MoFo 2013, arrives tomorrow.  It has been such a fun experience.  Humbling too, to be among such Vegan Blogging greats.  Bloggers from around the world who I have followed for years, in awe of their creativity and life changing recipes.  I pushed all my posts out in one concentrated hit of 20 days (the allotted minimum) as I was due to fly to Sweden.  My days were fraught with repeated trips to shops, my hands raw and prune like.  If they weren’t stirring or whipping or chopping they were elbow deep in suds.  I’m going to miss it all.  It was a buzz.

I wanted to tell everyone about the recipes of my fellow Vegan MoFo’ers.  My inbox overwhelmingly full of recipes everyday.  What will I do without them?!!  Of course it would be impossible for me to list all I have witnessed this past month.  So I selected a random few.  Thank you to all those bloggers who made September so fun.  You have inspired me!  Some were totally outside the box, like the wonderful savoury cupcake creations from .  Others, like Veg Hot Pot, made me appreciate the nostalgic flavour of my own country.




VGNGF Lemon Cheesecake made with white beans?!!















Some bloggers chose a theme to post about for the whole month.  This one was all about peanut butter!


Roasted Fries Smothered with a Combo Of Smoky Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce and Blackberry Sauce


Quinoa Banana Cherry Loaf from a gluten free girl - VGNGF

I loved the look of this pizza and it’s hummus base.  Do you think I can remember for the life of me where I hailed from?!!  




It wasn’t all about food though.  Many were blogging ‘on the road’ and making me jealous of their travels.  



The Intrepid Vegan Miam - blogging about food on the go!
Some wrote about their every day life, which always is fascinating, even the hum drum (I’m such a voyeur!), and some were totally random and told of their exotic tales on camel back!

I’ve loved them all!  I hope you enjoyed the snapshot of the fun.  I can’t wait until Vegan MoFo 2014!   If you want to see a list of all the Vegan Mofo bloggers here is the BlogRoll



Interview with Tim Barford. Founder of VegFest UK

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With our GIVEAWAY currently running (have you entered yet?) for free tickets to VegFest London 2013, I thought it would be interesting to find out just how an idea becomes a festival. Also how one man morphs into an entrepreneur, and head honcho of everything hemp. 

Tim Barford kindly found some time out from running Yaoh and managing London Vegfest, to answer a few burning questions I had for him.

Why did you set up VegFestUK?  I set up VegfestUK back in 2003, just for the crack really, seemed like a good idea for a party at the time. The vegan thing was obviously a lot smaller then so it seemed a really good idea to get it all in one place and then throw a big party around it and invite everyone to come. It’s worked a treat. Loads of people have taken their first steps towards a veggie, flexi or vegan lifestyle by coming to one of our events.
How and where did it begin?. 
The first show was in Bristol at The Watershed on November 1st 2003 – we had 40 stalls, and around 1200 visitors, plus about 300 more in the bar next door! We had a room for live music and  some demos, and also a talks room, and it went from there. There was a classic moment when a Pink Panther went round the whole show and gave every stallholder a glass of champagne – that Panther must have known what was around the corner for VegfestUK, its turned out to be an incredible success story on every level.
How it has expanded over the years, as in venues and attendance numbers?
The first few years the show grew but not dramatically – we moved to the L shed in 2004 and the show grew to 80 stalls and around 4,000 visitors which was amazing. 2005 and 2006 continued at The L Shed with similar numbers and then in 2007 the L Shed shut and we moved over the river to our current home, The Amphitheatre. This gave us room to expand as it was all outdoors, and we now have a regular 140 stalls and around 20 – 25 000 visitors over the 3 days. It’s wonderful. Brighton has expanded too, with 135 stalls and 7,000 visitors since its launch 5 years ago. And with London in its first year, we await to see how that will go, as it stands a month ahead it’s looking like a cracker
Have there been any knock on effect achievements because of the Fest?  Lots of other shows including the West Midlands and the North East Vegan Festivals have taken inspiration from our shows and gone off and started their own, which is really amazing. And a lot of people have started eating more vegan food after coming to our events – hundreds of thousands of people. And with our media and PR presence growing every year, we are reaching more and more people through a lot of different channels.
What is your vision for future events?  
My vision for future events is that every food festival in the world is a vegan festival. Might seem a long way off but that is what I am working towards. Meanwhile we’ll keep what we doing and keep it interesting and going, it’s got its own energy now, the vegan thing, its growing of its own accord cos now so many people are on this tip. It’s for real.
What is your current favourite meal (is this an impossible question? probably, I can never answer it).  I love hemp (*I should have guessed he’d say that!), especially dehulled hemp seed in smoothies. hummus and pitta with salad and olives. And noodles with chilli and garlic. Just discovered raw courgette noodles and a raw pesto which is pretty cool.

What a guy!

I can’t wait for VegFest London.  Come too!  Enter to win free tickets.

I hope to see your there.  Please come say hello.



Vegan MoFo 2013 Day 6 - Free Festival Tickets - Friday GIVEAWAY

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Come to VegfestUK London in October!  Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th.

It is one of Europe’s biggest veggie events.  Tickets are selling fast but we have 7 tickets to GIVEAWAY!!  
The event has received the backing of Sir Paul McCartney’s veggie group Meat Free Monday and has lots of great guests, including Chef Chad Sarno and American Comedian Jamie Kilstein, London’s own Ms Cupcake will be brightening up the room.  A music line up is set to create a great atmosphere. Cookery demo’s, workshops and talks. There is always lots of vegan & veggie products and FOOD.  And the free samples?!  rave.rave!

The show features
- over 180 stalls
- lots of free samples
- one-off special offers on many products
- 12 handpicked veggie caterers
- talks on Nutrition and Lifestyle
- cookery demos
- yoga workshops
- Tai Chi demonstration
- live comedy
- live music
- kids’ entertainment
- celebrity presence from top chefs, athletes, entertainers, etc.
and much more!
This exciting event takes place on October 5th 6th (11am-7pm each day) at Kensington Olympia (West Hall), www.london.vegfest.co.uk
You can find out more in the event programme here www.london.vegfest.co.uk/programme

 
Tickets are £10 (standard), £6 (concession), £2 (under 16),But advance tickets available on BUY ONE GET ONE FREE (limited period only) at www.london.vegfest.co.uk/tickets

Enter the giveaway, if you’d like a chance to win free tickets.
Definitely come and TURN UP HUNGRY!!



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BBC Radio 4 - Talks Veganism on the Food Programme

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Veganism is now being spoken about on the  Radio 4 Food Programme.   I see this as a huge step forward for the UK.  This country is slow to change.  It lags behind many parts of the US and Germany (who now seem to be leading the way, in Europe at least).   Is it Mark Bitman (American best selling cookbook author) and his well documented shift to veganism that is making ‘mainstream’ sit up and take note?  Even if his rule is Vegan Before 6pm.  He’s come out, written a recipe book about it.  VB6.

The programme, gave a fair compilation of veganism, now and then.  The programme has a few, previously unheard, snippets of an interview with Donald Watson, the father of veganism.

Food culture writer Alex Renton spoke of his U-turn views on veganism and how he now embraces the idea of a vegan lifestyle.  I was sickened when he told the interviewer Shelia Dillon, about GMO meat and how they are breading rats to still feel pain but not be scared by it.  The intention to make ‘feed animals’ for humans who don’t feel pain! Crazy attempt to make meat eaters feel less guilty. But an admittance at least that ANIMALS DO FEEL PAIN.  As Paul McCartney so poignantly put it, ‘what if slaughter houses and farms had glass walls’?

Our very own Fat Gay Vegan, took Shelia Dillon around a food filled hall at a Vegan Potluck recently.  You could hear the surprise in her voice as she witnessed vegans feasting on inventive and delicious food.  Historian John Davis told us how the internet is having a huge impact on veganism.  In 2012 the word VEGAN overtook the term Vegetarian in internet searches.

I’ve long heard about the upsurge in Veganism in Germany, and more specifically Berlin.  In two weeks, I will be in Berlin to investigate further.  I will be sending you news.  With 4 totally vegan stores in Germany (3 in Berlin) and 20 stores planned across Europe by 2015.  Founder of Veganz, Jan Bredack is someone to watch.

Another Brit, Alex Bourke, author of Vegetarian Guides, was interviewed also.  He shot us a few new terms for vegans with different focuses.  Apparently, I am a gleegan (gluten free vegan), and I never knew!

Have a listen.  What do you think of the interview?  Let us know ‘post a comment’.

Vegan Cookbook Review and Giveaway
Lemon, cardamon cookies encrusted with dark chocolate and pistachio crumbs.
[Friday GIVEAWAY for Dog Lovers] Healthy Chew Bones For Your Darling Dog
Artisan Raw Chocolate Giveaway from Fine & Raw
A WEEK OF GIVEAWAYS!! UK National Vegetarian Week. Today A HUGE Box Of Hand Cooked Crisps from Ten Acre
Baked Zucchini Fries with lemon aioli – Gluten free, low fat and crispilicious