Vegan Society Follow-Up, Part 2: Strange Bedfellows
My survey of The Vegan, a quarterly magazine published by The Vegan Society (past issues online and current issue in print), reveals that The Vegan Society has not changed its advertising policy with respect to accepting paid ads from businesses that sell products obtained through animal exploitation. I doubt that there are any surprises in this for anyone who has read my previous two blog posts on the subject or who has otherwise been following this sorry saga of betrayal of non-human animals by The Vegan Society.
The Classifieds page in every edition of The Vegan displays this statement:
It's strikes me as contradictory that The Vegan insists on products being strictly vegan in order to be accepted for advertising, and yet it is willing to accept non-vegan businesses serving animal products. A society for the promotion of veganism and businesses profiting from animal exploitation -- very strange bedfellows indeed!
Let's review the non-vegan businesses and organisations that have been advertised in The Vegan Magazine, including both Classifieds and 'display' advertisements, since the Spring 2011 issue, when the subject of The Vegan Society's advertisements policy was first challenged by Professor Gary Francione, until the current issue, Autumn 2012, inclusive (past issues of The Vegan Magazine can be viewed here):
Firstly, there is, still, the establishment that started the furore:
Lancrigg Vegetarian Country House Hotel
The Green Valley Restaurant at Lancrigg shows their breakfast as including poached eggs and Danish pastries with local cheese, just as it did in February 2011.
Looking at the Sample Menu for the Green Valley Vegetarian Restaurant we see that it includes tzatziki (contains yogurt), pesto (typically contains Parmesan cheese), pastry (typically contains butter), goat's cheese tart, red cheese, creamy cheese, cream, ice cream, cheesecake and a cheese board, indicating a variety of cheeses.
Manna -- heavenly vegetarian, vegan and kosher gifts
supplying a range of hampers.
Michael House
describes itself as a "Vegetarian and Vegan Guest House".
Fern Tor Vegetarian and Vegan Guest House
The site states, rather oddly, given the inclusion of animal products, that "All of our food is suitable for vegetarians and vegans."
Animal Compassionate Expeditions
Ace Outdoors state that they are:
The Classifieds page in every edition of The Vegan displays this statement:
Conditions of Acceptance:
Advertisements are accepted subject to their satisfying the condition that the products advertised are entirely free from ingredients derived from animals; that neither products not ingredients have been tested on animals; and that the content of of such ads does not promote, or appear to promote, the use of non-vegan commodities. Books, records, tapes, etc. mentioned in advertisements should not contain any material contrary to vegan principles. Advertisements may be accepted from catering establishments that are not run on exclusively vegan lines, provided that vegan meals are available and that the wording of such ads reflects this.
It's strikes me as contradictory that The Vegan insists on products being strictly vegan in order to be accepted for advertising, and yet it is willing to accept non-vegan businesses serving animal products. A society for the promotion of veganism and businesses profiting from animal exploitation -- very strange bedfellows indeed!
Let's review the non-vegan businesses and organisations that have been advertised in The Vegan Magazine, including both Classifieds and 'display' advertisements, since the Spring 2011 issue, when the subject of The Vegan Society's advertisements policy was first challenged by Professor Gary Francione, until the current issue, Autumn 2012, inclusive (past issues of The Vegan Magazine can be viewed here):
Firstly, there is, still, the establishment that started the furore:
Lancrigg Vegetarian Country House Hotel
The Green Valley Restaurant at Lancrigg shows their breakfast as including poached eggs and Danish pastries with local cheese, just as it did in February 2011.
Looking at the Sample Menu for the Green Valley Vegetarian Restaurant we see that it includes tzatziki (contains yogurt), pesto (typically contains Parmesan cheese), pastry (typically contains butter), goat's cheese tart, red cheese, creamy cheese, cream, ice cream, cheesecake and a cheese board, indicating a variety of cheeses.
Manna -- heavenly vegetarian, vegan and kosher gifts
supplying a range of hampers.
Michael House
describes itself as a "Vegetarian and Vegan Guest House".
The Food page shows a list of starters, main courses and desserts which are not specified as being vegan or vegetarian.
At Fern Tor we aim to provide gourmet vegetarian and vegan meals using home-grown organic produce when available.
The page lists a range of available dishes. It is not possible to identify which of these is vegan or vegetarian from this list, but an email response to my enquiry to the owners informed me that:
For our vegetarian guests, we provide eggs and cow's milk. A few of our main courses have a cheese topping, and dairy cheese is available for our vegetarian and omnivore guests. Dairy ice cream is also available.
The site states, rather oddly, given the inclusion of animal products, that "All of our food is suitable for vegetarians and vegans."
Animal Compassionate Expeditions
Ace Outdoors state that they are:
a leading provider of outdoor adventurous activities, mountain skills training and adventure travel.FAQ Question no.12 informs us that they provide "vegetarian and vegan meals" on their residential courses. Not being clear about whether their meals were possibly all vegan and therefore also suitable for vegetarians, I sent an email enquiry and received this response:
We cater for both vegans and vegetarians, our main meals are vegan but we provide cow's milk, diary/eggs for lacto-ovo vegetarians and also can work around other dietary requirements. We try to offer a wide range of options to suit everyone's tastes and preferences.
The Old Post Office, Llanigon, Bed and Breakfast
No information is given on the website other than that there is an "excellent choice of vegetarian food served for breakfast". There is no mention of catering for vegans. In response to a phone enquiry, the proprietor told me that she caters for vegans, if they request it, only between April and October. Pity the poor reader of The Vegan who goes there between November and March expecting to get a vegan breakfast!
No information is given on the website other than that there is an "excellent choice of vegetarian food served for breakfast". There is no mention of catering for vegans. In response to a phone enquiry, the proprietor told me that she caters for vegans, if they request it, only between April and October. Pity the poor reader of The Vegan who goes there between November and March expecting to get a vegan breakfast!
Paskins Town House
Paskins describes itself as "green" and "famous for being environmentally friendly" and that this
is highlighted by the selection of 13 different freshly cooked breakfasts that are prepared with mainly organic or local produce including imaginative vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Vegan dishes aside, Paskins is proud to inform us on About Our Food that:
I'm sure that readers of The Vegan will be ecstatic to know this.
The Our Menu page lists, among other things, sausage, hen's eggs, duck's eggs, vegetarian sausages made with cheese, butter, cream cheese and croissants (contain butter).
Chef's specials contain eggs, anchovies, rabbit, cheese, honey and ham.
Paskins make the rather curious boast on their site that they are "The best Vegetarian Hotel Brighton and Vegan Hotel Brighton".
For all their vaunted "green" and "environmentally friendly" status, Paskins are obviously unaware that it's impossible to be either of these things while serving or consuming animal products, considering that in a recent authoritative report published by the World Watch institute, authors Goodland and Anhang concluded that over 51% of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions come from Livestock. Animal agriculture is a disaster for the environment in numerous ways, including soil erosion, water pollution and deforestation.
Paskins describes itself as "green" and "famous for being environmentally friendly" and that this
is highlighted by the selection of 13 different freshly cooked breakfasts that are prepared with mainly organic or local produce including imaginative vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Our bacon is the real thing, bought from Old Spot Farm in Uckfield, pickled in brine for up to four weeks, and then smoked over oak and hardwood. The sausages are always an adventure as we experiment aiming to try at least fifty different varieties in a year.
The Our Menu page lists, among other things, sausage, hen's eggs, duck's eggs, vegetarian sausages made with cheese, butter, cream cheese and croissants (contain butter).
Chef's specials contain eggs, anchovies, rabbit, cheese, honey and ham.
Paskins make the rather curious boast on their site that they are "The best Vegetarian Hotel Brighton and Vegan Hotel Brighton".
Non-vegan organisations advertised in The Vegan: