Players at UK's first vegan cricket club ditch sandwiches to be more inclusive

From telegraph.co.uk/news

A cricket club has become the first in the UK to go vegan after Muslim and Hindu players were excluded from tea between innings.
Players at the Earley Cricket Club in Reading, Berks, are now served a menu featuring vegan-friendly Moroccan tagine, curries and rice, lasagne and garlic bread and spaghetti bolognese.
The committee voted in favour of replacing the traditional platter of sandwiches and cake following a campaign by chairman and opening batsman Gary Shacklady.

Players at the Earley Cricket Club in Reading, Berks, are now served a menu featuring vegan-friendly Moroccan tagine, curries and rice, lasagne and garlic bread and spaghetti Bolognese

The 33 year old, a primary school teacher who set up the club 12 years ago and is vegan himself, felt that the club's meat-based catering meant Muslim and Hindu players were being excluded from joining in fully with club life.
He said: "We had one member who was very against it. He felt that it was quite exclusive and against people's right to meat."

Four of his teammates have been inspired to switch to plant based diets entirely as a result of the move.
They join a handful of the world's best players in making the switch, including India captain Virat Kohli and Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle.

Mr Shacklady added: "The teas have been well received as our players understand and support the reasoning behind the decision.

"It also means we can produce a far larger quantity of food for a lower cost. When other teams come to us, they pile their plates high. And when they eat the food, nobody complains.
"Although you usually get one middle-aged white man who is horrified. It's fine, he doesn't have to eat it. But the point is that everyone can."

The club play in Division 2 and Division 3 of the Berkshire Cricket League.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/13/uks-first-vegan-cricket-club-players-ditch-sandwiches-tobe-inclusive/

Dr Martens' profits up 70% with success of new 'vegan' range

From theguardian.com/business

Equity investor Permira weighs up sale or flotation to realise profits on £300m investment

Profits at Dr Martens surged by 70% in the year to the end of March, boosted by the success of designs such as its “vegan” range of boots.
Online sales also rose by two-thirds to £72.7m, accounting for 16% of total revenues for the company, which is expanding to international markets.
Sales of the vegan range – which replaces the leather upper with synthetic polyurethane plastic – have increased by “multiple hundreds of percent” in recent years, according to its chief executive, Kenny Wilson. Vegan boots now account for 4% of the shoemaker’s sales, amid increasing awareness of the environmental impact of livestock among consumers.

             Dr Martens were first manufactured in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, in 1960.

                                                    Photograph: Dr Martens

Other successful products included departures from the original Dr Marten boots such as sandals, collaborations with the Sex Pistols and designer Marc Jacobs, and versions for children.

Increased margins on the products meant underlying earnings rose by 70% year-on-year to £85m, the company said on Monday.

Dr Martens has almost tripled its revenues – from £160.4m in the 2012-13 financial year to £454.4m in the year to 31 March 2019.                                                          Photograph: Dr Martens

The fast growth comes as the shoemaker’s owner considers options to cash in its investment. Permira bought Dr Martens in 2013 in a £300m deal, but the private equity investor is now looking at a possible sale or stock market flotation to realise its profits.

Wilson, the former Cath Kidston and Levi’s executive who was hired last year, said a decision from Permira “could be coming over the horizon”.
“They are starting to look ahead to when they are going to sell the business,” he said.
Permira, which has offices across Europe, has more than €40bn (£37.2bn) of capital that it has either spent or is currently investing, according to its website. Its standard holding period for investments is five to seven years; it has owned Dr Martens for five and a half years.

During that time Dr Martens has almost tripled its revenues, from £160.4m in the 2012-13 financial year to £454.4m in the year to 31 March 2019.
Dr Martens has been pushing to increase its sales of items direct to consumers, rather than paying a large chunk of the sticker price to third-party retailers. Direct-to-consumer revenues rose by 42% year-on-year to just shy of £200m, accounting for 44% of sales.

Wilson said the company was “empowering rebellious self-expression” for the millions of customers who bought 8.3m pairs of shoes over the year.
Dr Martens were first manufactured in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, in 1960, after R Griggs Group bought the design from the eponymous German inventor. The boots became part of the standard outfit for skinheads, punks and goths, but have in recent years been adopted by pop and film stars such as Pharrell Williams, Rita Ora and Julia Roberts.

Dr Martens had 109 of its own stores at the end of March, including two new locations in the UK and four new shops in the US.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/12/dr-martens-profits-up-70-with-success-of-new-vegan-range

Primark has launched an affordable vegan skincare range certified by The Vegan Society

From veganfoodandliving.com

Affordable high street fashion retailer Primark, which has 174 stores in the UK alone, has just launched a new range of vegan and cruelty-free skincare.
The range, ‘PS… Naturals’, is the company’s first range to be registered with The Vegan Society’s prestigious trademark which gives consumers peace of mind that the products they are purchasing are in line with their vegan ethics.

The PS… Naturals line consists of five skincare products made up of ingredients that are of at least 90% natural origin. With products priced between £1.50-£3, the range is a great option for those looking for affordable and accessible products.

Products in the range include a gentle face wash made with organic coconut water and Australian kakadu plums that helps to gently remove makeup and impurities as well as biodegradable face wipes with green tea and chamomile-extract to give customers an eco-friendly attentive to traditional face wipes. For those looking to cut down on waste even further, Primark is also selling a balm to oil cleanser which melts on the skin to remove makeup and condition the skin which is perfect for use with face flannels.

Give your skin a treat with the new overnight sleep mask that moisturises and refreshes tired skin and finish with the new daily moisturisers to keep your skin in top condition.
Taking to Facebook to announce the new range, The Vegan Society wrote: “Affordable high street fashion retailer Primark has just launched a vegan skincare range, ‘PS… Naturals’ – their first range to be registered with The Vegan Society’s #VeganTrademark! The entire range of five skincare products, priced at £1.50-£3, is made up of ingredients that are of at least 90% natural origin. Hooray for vegan skincare that’s both affordable and widely accessible!”
PS…Naturals is available to purchase now in Primark stores across Europe.

https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/primark-has-launch-a-range-of-affordable-vegan-skincare-certified-by-the-vegan-society/

Dubai Eatery Aims To Become World's Largest Vegan Restaurant

From plantbasednews.org

The plant-based restaurant will offer more than 200 dishes from cuisines all over the world

Dubai eatery Veganity, which also runs a plant-based meal prep service, aims to be recognized by the Guinness World Records to officially become the world's largest vegan restaurant.
Offering more than 200 dishes from cuisines all over the world - the eatery will host its grand opening on August 16 where customers can sample 'gourmet offerings'.

GMO-free

All Veganity's dishes are 100 percent organic, GMO-free, preservative-free, and contain no artificial flavourings or colourings.
According to Time Out Dubai, dishes will include pulled jackfruit burgers, cinnamon rolls, vegan scallops, gnocchi, 'meatball' pasta, fried 'chicken', and a range of plant-based desserts.

'A haven for vegans'

A spokesperson for the eatery said: "Taking it a step further, owner and head chef Sky Sommers wanted to create something that's never been done before by opening the Veganity restaurant in the heart of Dubai on the main street of City Walk, creating a haven for vegans and non-vegans to be able to enjoy healthy yet soulful gourmet food that's just as enjoyable."

Veganity plans to open a second restaurant located in Abu Dhabi 'very soon' - and will continue running its meal prep service.

https://www.plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/dubai-worlds-largest-vegan-restaurant

Being vegan made simple: 5 essential tips

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com

People adopt the vegan diet for a variety of reasons--whether it is because you are against the consumption of animal-derived products or you are on a quest to lose weight. The vegan diet is slowly yet steadily gaining popularity all around the world.
However, if you are thinking of completely shunning meat and dairy products from your diet, it may get really complicated. From ensuring that you are not missing out on any nutrients to finding completely vegan food items, the struggle is real. 

This is why it becomes extremely important to plan your vegan diet well in advance as you may get lost in the sea of information available online. If you are a vegan newbie, here is a list of 5 essential tips you must keep in mind before jumping on the vegan bandwagon.

1. The switch is not going to be easy

While some decide to go vegan overnight, for others it can be quite a complicated journey--especially if you are a non-vegetarian. This is why it is important to prepare yourself for the switch beforehand. Our suggestion? Take it easy by eliminating one food group at a time. For example, if you are a vegetarian, try eliminating cottage cheese (paneer) or milk from your diet first, instead of eliminating dairy products altogether. 

2. Look for new plant-based food items

One of the most common mistakes that people make while starting with the vegan diet is focussing on what they cannot eat, instead of what they can. The simplest way to do is to search for new plant-based food items that you can add in your diet. You can go for rajma chawal, chia seeds, flax seeds, fruits, and salads.

3. Prepare and stock your kitchen

If you are someone who reaches out for a cup of coffee or milk to get on with the day, it is important to have a replacement for milk ready in your fridge. Your transition to the vegan diet largely depends on the fact how stocked your kitchen is. For example, you can opt for coconut milk or almond milk as a good replacement for regular milk.

4. Don’t forget the B12

It is important to understand that there are very limited vitamin B12 sources in both vegetarian and vegan diets as it is largely found in animal-based food only. When you are making a switch to vegan, you must look for food items laden with vitamin B12. Soya milk fortified with vitamin B12 is one good option.

5. Familiarise yourself with vegan ingredients

While packaged food items can be easy to use, it is important to familiarize yourself with vegan ingredients so that you don’t accidentally consume animal-derived products. Some of these sneaky products are gelatin, whey protein isolate, carmine, casein and shellac. 

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/diet/being-vegan-made-simple-5-essential-tips/articleshow/70589232.cms

Plant-based diet can fight climate change - UN

From bbc.co.uk

Switching to a plant-based diet can help fight climate change, UN experts have said.

A major report on land use and climate change says the West's high consumption of meat and dairy produce is fuelling global warming.

But scientists and officials stopped short of explicitly calling on everyone to become vegan or vegetarian.
They said that more people could be fed using less land if individuals cut down on eating meat.
The document, prepared by 107 scientists for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), says that if land is used more effectively, it can store more of the carbon emitted by humans.

It was finalised following discussions held here in Geneva, Switzerland.

"We're not telling people to stop eating meat. In some places people have no other choice. But it's obvious that in the West we're eating far too much," said Prof Pete Smith, an environmental scientist from Aberdeen University, UK.
The report calls for vigorous action to halt soil damage and desertification - both of which contribute to climate change.
It also warns that plans by some governments to grow trees and burn them to generate electricity will compete with food production unless carried out on a limited scale.
The Earth's land surface, and the way it is used, forms the basis for human society and the global economy.
But we are re-shaping it in dramatic ways, including through the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. How the land responds to human-induced climate change is a vital concern for the future.

How are climate change and food linked?

Climate change poses a threat to the security of our food supply. Rising temperatures, increased rain and more extreme weather events will all have an impact on crops and livestock.
But food production also contributes to global warming. Agriculture - together with forestry - accounts for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Livestock rearing contributes to global warming through the methane gas the animals produce, but also via deforestation to expand pastures, for example.
The environmental impact of meat production is important to many vegetarians and vegans. A UK-based group called #NoBeef lobbies caterers to take beef and lamb off student menus.
In the US, vegan burger patties are made from plant-based meat substitutes said to taste like the real thing thanks to an iron-rich compound called heme.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49238749

People are queuing for hours to eat at the ‘Slutty Vegan'

From metro.co.uk

The plant-based burger joint in the US city of Atlanta has become a sensation in the city and on social media. Having just celebrated its first birthday (for which it handed out free fruit and vegetables), the Slutty Vegan has 252,000 followers on Instagram and hundreds of people queue up for hours every day in order to try the dishes – which includes the ‘One Night Stand’, ‘Ménage à Trois’ and ‘Sloppy Toppy’ burgers.

The ‘One Night Stand’ is an Impossible Burger patty (which ‘bleeds’) topped with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, caramelised onions, lettuce, tomato, and ‘slutty vegan sauce’ on a vegan Hawaiian bun, while the ‘Ménage à Trois’ includes vegan shrimp. Everything comes with a side of ‘slutty fries’.

                      People are very keen to try the burgers (Picture: Slutty Vegan; CNN)

‘Slutty Vegan has nothing to do with sex,’ founder Pinky Cole told CNN. ‘Being sluttified means to have the ultimate euphoric experience from eating a plant-based burger. ‘But it’s bigger than just the food, it’s about creating a cultural experience for people to help them to re-imagine food.’

Cole opened the restaurant to bring a unique source of accessible, tasty vegan food to the black community in the rapidly-gentrifying neighbourhood west of downtown Atlanta – where barbecued meat is popular. The Slutty Vegan and Cole have positioned themselves at the heart of the black vegan movement in the US, with many black celebrities – including Tiffany Haddish, Tyler Perry, and Snoop Dogg – becoming ‘sluttified’ patrons.

Following such a successful first year, Cole is planning to open a whole chain of ‘slutty’ restaurants in Atlanta. We can’t wait for them to come to the UK.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/08/07/people-are-queuing-for-hours-to-eat-at-the-slutty-vegan-10532195/