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Glasgow Vegfest 2015

December 15, 2015 by Tofu Temptress 2 Comments

Veganism is a joy!
A sign above the World Foods stand
A sign above the World Foods stand

Happily, not even Storm Desmond seemed to dampen the spirits of the plucky attendees for the inaugural VegFest Scotland. December weather here is not known for its clemency, but the harshness of the wind and rain on the opening day, Saturday, was unusual even in these parts. Still, the stallholders, organisers, stewards, performers and volunteers battled on to welcome an enthusiastic, if bedraggled, crowd. The warmth inside the venue was welcome.

Some brilliant stall holders
Some brilliant stall holders

Walking into the Glasgow SECC, I queued up to get some cash out (oh boy, what a gloriously wallet-emptying experience VegFest can be) and noticed an ad for a pantomime show starring David Hasselhoff and the Krankies. This venue is nothing if not eclectic.

 

Real Foods, from Edinburgh
Real Foods, from Edinburgh

Once I’d entered Hall 3, I could look around me with a sense of great joy and satisfaction. Finally, the biggest vegan festival in Britain was having an event in Scotland. All over the place I saw people delightedly sampling food from both UK wide and local businesses (such as Real Foods, an Edinburgh health food store). It is often commented on in vegan circles how, at a vegan festival, you can have anything you want! You don’t have to ask people if their food, or indeed clothing, is vegan friendly, because all of it is! Oh, the relaxation and sense of indulgence.

Disguising vegetables
Disguising vegetables
Sneak veggie onto kids' plates
Sneak veggies onto kids’ plates

I pottered around, sampling from all over the place. I enjoyed a secret sausage (well, quite) which is a lovely product designed to slip vegetables, undetected, onto children’s plates. They tasted so good and I could see how they would appeal to adults and children alike.

Try a sample? Don't mind if I do...
Try a sample? Don’t mind if I do…

There was chocolate too, sooooo much chocolate. It can be a bit of a struggle to give an indulgent box of chocolates as a gift, knowing they are cruelty free, but thanks to Pana Chocolate and the ever-reliable Considerit Chocolate, that need never be a problem again.

Local business, Missy's Vegan Cupcakes.
Local business, Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes.

The array of cakes too, was an absolute delight, with local business Missy’s Vegan Cupcakes proving popular. I also sampled some lovely, fudgy chocolate peanut butter-type gorgeousness from Red Rosa’s Specialist Cakery, who were new to me. I won’t forget them in a hurry though, as their cakes were amazing.

Red Rosa's Specialist Cakery
Red Rosa’s Specialist Cakery

 

Sheese pizzas were popular
Sheese pizzas were popular

The cheeses too were a revelation. Although I’d tried Sheese from Bute Island Foods (who had some great looking ‘melty’ pizzas on offer) and Vegusto (I had one of their hotdogs for lunch on the Sunday) before, a couple of newcomers caught my eye.

Tyne Chease
Tyne Chease

Tyne Chease from, unsurprisingly, the north of England, tasted great. I was also particularly pleased to see a local firm from Glasgow itself, called the Nutcrafter Creamery. If you miss soft cheese especially as a vegan, you have to try their stuff, it was really scrumptious.

samples from the Nutcrafter Creamery, Glasgow
Samples from the Nutcrafter Creamery, Glasgow

 

After all this eating it was time for a sit down, and where better to place myself than at a talk by Tony Wardle from Viva! on saving the world with you knife and fork. Tony used to be a journalist for the Guardian and during his time there he realised that although world leaders knew well that animal agriculture is the main cause of all the environmental problems we have today, none of them wanted to admit it for fear of making themselves unpopular. I mean, would you want to be the politician who tells their constituents to go veggie? Also, many of our representatives in Westminster are in the pocket of the animal agriculture industry and so continue to suppress any progress for fear of losing their money. It was an illuminating and entertaining talk, even although poor Tony had to compete with one of the louder stage performers of the day. He also has a book out, Pod, which is an environmental thriller. I bought a copy and can’t wait to read it.

Fentimans bar
Fentimans bar

The next talk in the Campaigns and Lifestyle area was by Vegan Lass, a prominent vegan blogger. She has a big following and the talk was full. She was keen to present the case for an abolitionist approach to activism. I found it very interesting and agreed that sexist campaigns and steering people towards ‘ethical meat’ (let’s face it, there’s no such thing), can do more harm than good. I do however, still find it helpful to ask people to cut down on animal products, rather than eschew them altogether overnight, as once people have done a little to help animals, they find it easier to go on and help a lot by becoming vegan. I am wary of alienating non-vegans, but still understand her point of view that veganism is a moral imperative. The discussion continues…

Talk with Jane Easton and Justin Kerswell of Viva!
Talk with Jane Easton and Justin Kerswell of Viva!

I grabbed a quick drink from the Fentimans bar (superlative ginger beer) and headed over to the Viva! Health Summit. Jane Easton (who wrote the brilliant Viva! Cookbook) and her colleague Justin Kerswell talked about all the free resources there are out there for both new and existing vegans. They are very much, as I am, about making veganism mainstream, and have a worldwide database of vegan-friendly places to eat. They hope to be able to compile it so as to make things easier for the travelling vegan. They also have great little cards which you can leave with your bill payment at a restaurant that say ‘Thank You! I ate here because you offer vegan food.’ What a brilliant idea! It’s not all about eating lentils from a clog, as Jane says!

Scrummy lentil patties and salad from World Foods
Scrummy lentil patties and salad from World Foods

With so many beautiful caterers to choose from, it was tricky to pick just one for lunch. The queue at World Food was massive, as usual, but somehow I’d managed to sneak in at a quiet bit. They serve the most delicious lentil patties in different flavours, with an incredibly varied salad, all wrapped up in a fluffy, warm tortilla. What could be better?

They work fast at the World Foods counter.
They work fast at the World Food counter.

Performances over the weekend ranged from musicians, to performance poets, to comedians and I was lucky enough to catch most of Andrew O’Neil‘s set late on Saturday.

The hilarious Andrew O'Neil
The hilarious Andrew O’Neil

It was so refreshing to hear him lampoon some of the ignorant comments that vegans can come across every day. I won’t go into details, as it’s the way you tell ’em, but let’s just say I have a few amusing retorts to the question ‘Where do you get your protein?’ stashed up my sleeve…

 

Market-style demonstrations
Market-style demonstrations

The whole place was buzzing over both days, with juicing and spiralizer demonstrations making me feel like I was at a market. It’s not all about food though of course. Honestly! There were so many other treats to check out.

 

Bohemian Chic Minerals
Bohemian Chic Minerals

The wonderful ladies from Bohemian Chic Minerals were there, with their array of cruelty free make-up especially made for those (like me) who have sensitive skin. They’d come all the way from Slough.

 

Agharta jewellery
Agharta jewellery

 

Beautiful handcrafted jewellery (I loved the Agharta pieces) and ornaments (some carved from ‘vegetable ivory‘ from Ecuador) were on display, as well as all manner of clothing and footwear.

'Vegetable Ivory'
‘Vegetable Ivory‘

I met the lovely couple from Humane Wildlife Solutions, who take care of your ‘pest’ problems kindly and effectively. What a brilliant business!

 

The team from Humane Wildlife Solutions
The team from Humane Wildlife Solutions

Let’s also not forget the many charities represented. The woman on the Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary stall was lovely, and keen to tell of the life-saving work they do there.

Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary stall
Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary stall

I bought a T-shirt from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade and again, I’m so impressed with the work they’re doing.

T-shirts from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
T-shirts from the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade

On the Sunday I went to a cookery demonstration that Jane Easton was doing and even got to try some of the delicious barley risotto that she made (recipe here.) I even went up for seconds. Yum! Barley is commonly used in soup in Scotland, but it was a refreshing change to see it used like this.

A cookery demo at Vegfest
A cookery demo at Vegfest

The Scottish theme continued with some gorgeous-looking macaroni pies from Cool Jerk. If only I hadn’t been too full to try them. You can’t try everything…

Macaroni (and other) pies, courtesy of Cool Jerk
Macaroni (and other) pies, courtesy of Cool Jerk

The best talk of the whole weekend was definitely Dr. Melanie Joy on Understanding the Psychology of Meat for Effective Vegan Advocacy. I am an admirer of hers, but this is the first time I’ve attended one of her talks, having seem a fair few on YouTube. She is the author of Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. Her understanding of not only the subject of veganism, but also what she refers to as carnism (the meat-eating ideology) is impressive. Being a social psychologist, she detailed effective ways of communicating with people, along with ways to avoid burnout and I took copious notes.

The kids of Sunnyside Primary doing sterling work for animals.
The kids of Sunnyside Primary doing sterling work for animals.

I must also tell you about the quite inspiring children of Sunnyside Primary School. They are doing a project on how cruel it is to capture dolphins and whales from the wild and make them perform in places like the much derided Sea World. Two of the very well informed children gave me a little tour of their display. They were selling badges to raise money for their cause and of course I bought some. They’ve been endorsed and commended by Sea Shepherd no less and you can follow them on twitter here.

The smoothie bike
The smoothie bike

Goodness, I ate a lot of food. Well, if only I’d managed to get on the stationary smoothie-bike, where as you peddle you blend your own smoothie, so you get both exercise and fruit. I think it was mainly for the kids though. I also ran out of time and didn’t get a henna tattoo. Next time…

Henna tattoos. What design would you get?
Henna tattoos. What design would you get?

If you would like information about your nearest vegan festival, Animal Aid have a pretty comprehensive list here. Do go and support them and take non-vegan friends and family to introduce them to the joys of a vegan lifestyle!

Spiralizing is so hot right now...
Spiralizing is so hot right now…
...but sometimes you just want a pizza.
…but sometimes you just want a pizza.

Filed Under: Vegan News Tagged With: drink, Fashion, food, Glasgow, Scotland, Vegfest

Bristol Vegfest 2015

June 4, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Yummy catering
Yummy catering
Fantastic outreach by TEEN VGN
Fantastic outreach by TEEN VGN
Grow your own herbs
Grow your own herbs

Where on earth do I start with Bristol Vegfest?

Vegans don't have to miss out
Vegans don’t have to miss out

 

 

Over the weekend of 23rd/24th May this year, over 14,000 people passed though the Amphitheatre venue in the Harbourside area of the city to experience, celebrate and discuss all aspects of the vegan lifestyle.

Yum...
Yum…

The emphasis this year was on the environment, to coincide with Bristol being the European Green Capital, as we all know what a devastating effect animal agriculture has on our environment.

CAPS stall
CAPS stall

In addition to promoting a vegan lifestyle to combat this, the Vegfest also had countless recycling bins for waste and measures in place for a festival that was low in environmental impact. Everything from the posters and flyers to the generators and marquee build and breakdown was sustainable – even the loos were environmentally friendly!

Many body builders are vegan
Many body builders are vegan

The number and range of stalls was certainly impressive. This is the biggest vegan festival in the country after all. Walking in at opening time on Saturday, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by choice. It was a hot day and perfect for the outdoor venue, but I did feel for those stallholders in the marquees, as they chugged down water and wiped their brows.

vegan cake, you can't go wrong
Vegan cake, you can’t go wrong

Many major and also some lesser known animal and environmental charities were represented. Amnesty International was there, as well as Greenpeace and Population Matters. There were vegan lifestyle stalls that sold everything from shoes to perfume, make-up and clothes. However, the sheer range of food stalls and catering options on site was enough to turn one’s head. I mean, in the ‘real world’ as a vegan I’m not normally given much choice. It’s normally a case of ‘Can I have that but without the cheese?’ or ‘What, not even your bread is vegan?’ but here, well, as George Takei might say ‘Oh my…’

Viva! stall
Viva! stall

So, I began with the animal charities, as I’m a sucker for a good cause and it also makes me feel virtuous about spending money. Cruelty Free International were there, having now merged with the BUAV to become one large anti-vivisection charity.

Among the well known charities represented were Viva! who are one of my favourites. You could sign up for membership at the stall, as well as obtain all sorts of useful literature. I got a leaflet on going dairy free for my friend who is doing just that at the moment following medical advice. Their leader Juliet Gellatley gave a few of talks on why you don’t need dairy, how a vegan diet can help with menopause symptoms and the one I attended, how to become a school speaker. Their food and cookery co-ordinator Jane Easton also gave a talk and cookery demonstration – she is the author of the Viva! cookbook, which I can thoroughly recommend.

No more shark fin soup
No more shark fin soup

Animal Aid were also a presence, not only doing talks, but they also had a stand with loads of goodies on it (I may have spent a bit too much, but a lot of it was on presents…) Have a look at their gift range here. An additional stall was present on behalf of their education department, so it seems school speaking is a real growth area for these charities. Get them while they’re young.

The League Against Cruel Sports was also present and they were of course highlighting the proposed lifting of the fox hunting ban by the new Tory government, as were the Hunt Sabs.

Wood Green campaigned for unwanted pets
Wood Green campaigned for unwanted pets

It was lovely to see several smaller charities do talks and have stalls, among them Wood Green Animal Sanctuary. Wood Green has four centres in England, which re-home every type of animal, from dogs and cats to farm animals. Their particular focus at the moment is on unwanted pets and the importance of rescue over buying. They are particularly concerned with puppy farms which supply pet shops, and irresponsible sellers on websites such as Gumtree and those who sell dogs in newspaper ads or even down the pub. Lisa Mitchinson gave an insightful talk on this in the Campaigns and Lifestyle tent. It’s a great issue to be highlighting and I support them fully.

Protect a Pup offer free microchipping
Protect a Pup offer free microchipping

Another charity I noticed who was working on this issue was Protect a Pup, who work on free microchipping, low cost and free neutering and doggie food banks.

An exciting area was the Vervet Monkey Foundation, who were trying to recruit volunteers to help in the care and rehabilitation of rescued monkeys in South Africa. As long as you have the means to get to them, they supply vegan food and accommodation for a small fee and you’d get the pleasure of feeding baby monkeys. Seems like the dream job to me.

The Dean Farm Trust are a relatively young charity that I urge you to look up. I thought Fin Fighters was a fabulous idea, working specifically to end the use of shark fin. Marine conservation was very much in evidence with groups such as Sea Shepherd and The Black Fish both having stalls.

Fleecehaven rescue sheep and give them a loving home
Fleecehaven rescue sheep and give them a loving home

By far the cutest stall (and I don’t mean to be patronising, only wildly complimentary) was that of Fleecehaven, the sheep sanctuary. They rescue sheep for all sorts of reasons and give them a loving home for life. Sponsor a sheep here.

Of course we have to remember that plenty of non-vegans visit VegFest so there were plenty of stalls to show them how great the lifestyle can be. Veganuary are a great organisation who challenge people to go vegan for the month of January each year and it’s amazing how many who take part choose to remain vegan. The Vegan Lifestyle Association also supports those who wish to test the waters, as well as supporting more established vegans. The Vegan Society was of course present, being the oldest charity to provide vegan outreach, existing since the term was coined by their founder, Donald Watson, in 1947. I attended a great talk on activism by Dorset Vegan Lizzi Shaw, who has shown that if vegans don’t have much outreach in their own area, they can always create some for themselves! She is truly inspirational.

Wills shoes
Wills shoes

There was also an opportunity to see how vegan shoes (courtesy of Wills and Bella Storia) can be just as smart as leather ones, so you can look good with none of the cruelty. All my shoes now are non-leather ones and I enjoy the look of surprise when friends find out that you don’t need to kill a cow to get something waterproof and breathable on your feet.

Bohemian Chic Minerals have a fantastic range of make-up that’s not only cruelty free and vegan, but very suitable for even the most sensitive skin. This was great for me, as eczema has come and gone my whole life and this is the gentlest make-up I’ve ever felt.

Eden Perfumes give you a cruelty free version of top brands
Eden Perfumes give you a cruelty free version of top brands

Eden perfumes give you a list of famous brand perfumes and list an equivalent they have made without any of the harsh chemicals. Their stand was very busy during the show with lots of wrist sniffing going on.

Mount Purious have a range of skincare using various oils that I was very impressed with, as I tried some and my skin felt nicer instantly.

Hempish clothing and bags
Hempish clothing and bags

Clothing was everywhere too. Many of the charities sold t-shirts and so on, but there were also specialist designers, such as Hempish and Viva la Vegan, both of whom had apparel that was lovely and softly wearable.

 

Veganism Kings Cross style
Veganism Kings Cross style

Harsher in style, if not necessarily fabric was Vegan Cross, who are normally located near Kings cross in London. They were popular for their merchandise declaring legends such as ‘I Love Vegan Junk Food’ and also the vegan cheese and ham toasties they produced at the side of their stall. This was perfect for light hearted fun, in common with Vegan Sidekick’s satirical comics which you can view online, although of course it all does have a serious point to make.

Paradise Unbakery, just beautiful
Paradise Unbakery, just beautiful

 

The array of caterers and food stalls was, as I have said, phenomenal. It would take forever to list them all (but if you’re interested, the list of all the stalls is available here) so I’ll simply highlight a few. By far the prettiest stall belonged to Paradise Unbakery, a purveyor of raw cakes and other delights.

Rawsome cakes
Rawsome cakes

Coming close in the looks stakes were Rawsome cakes and chocolates, and of course the ever-welcome Ms Cupcake.

Ms Cupcake's wares
Ms Cupcake’s wares

There were many free samples by Life Food, Nectar Foods, Pulsin, Aduna, Sheese, Ananda Foods, Nakd, Koko, Beech’s and countless others. Needless to say, I partook of a fair few vegan cheeses and chocolates, but also foods which I’d never heard of before and was pleasantly surprised by.

Aduna foods' samples of Moringa and Baobab, which I'd never tried before
Aduna foods’ samples of Moringa and Baobab, which I’d never tried before

 

The caterers were flawless and on the Saturday it was so hot that it came as no surprise to find the Pimms tent and the Ice Cold Lemonade stall had healthy queues all day. The vegan ice cream and ice lollies disappeared as well and personally, I headed for the beer tent.

Says it all really...
Says it all really…

Pitfields had a rather groovy set up with a record player – dare I say, rather a hipster vibe. Being in Bristol, there was also a healthy amount of cider provided by the bars.

Hipsters welcome
Hipsters welcome

Of course I’m not one to drink on an empty stomach (no ‘eating’s cheating’ for me) so I was forced to choose from the many and varied caterers onsite. Well, my first choice was a good ‘un as the pizza, baked before your eyes in a wood-fired oven, provided by Pandemania Wood Fired Pizza was sublime. Although not a vegan company, all their ingredients are fresh and veganising their superb product is easy.

The pizza menu
The pizza menu

I also managed to fit in some macaroni cheese from The Spotless Leopard van which was fab. Before the weekend was over I managed to sample some of Bangwok’s glorious Pad Thai, which was heaven in a cardboard container.

Pad Thai was a specialty
Pad Thai was a specialty

There were of course plenty I didn’t have time, or indeed room in my stomach, to try. Everything from paella, sushi and subs to curry, churros, kebabs and seitan sandwiches was available and certainly appreciated by the stream of hungry vegans (and non-vegans) who populated the festival on both days.

Heehee
Heehee

 

 

On the main stage, a variety of acts performed during the day, and after many of the stalls had shut down around 5pm the music kept going till 9pm, creating a real party atmosphere. I must admit I felt the funnest act was The Captain’s Beard on Sunday, who had the crowd in the palm of their hand from their rendition of Whisky in the Jar to the ever popular (and appropriate, given their pirate costumes) What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?

The Captain's Beard got everyone dancing
The Captain’s Beard got everyone dancing

Kids and adults alike were up dancing and as the day wore on and I sipped on my can of Red Stripe, I couldn’t help but reflect on what a friendly, positive and hopeful vibe had been created. Looking out at all the people having fun and not feeling restricted at all by their choice of lifestyle was a happy sight indeed.

Ice lollies were needed on the very warm opening day
Ice lollies were needed on the very warm opening day
Who ate all the - never mind.
Who ate all the – never mind.

If you’ve never been to a vegan festival then chances are you might be worried it might be populated by terribly worthy people having intense discussions over a bowl of kale and some herbal tea, but nothing could be further from the truth. We like food, we like booze, we like fun. Living the cruelty free life shouldn’t make you miserable, it should give you joy. Vive le Vegfest!

(Apologies for the quality of some photos. There was a mark on my camera sensor which I didn’t discover until it was too late. Hope you enjoy them anyway.)

Filed Under: Vegan News Tagged With: Bristol, clothing, festivals, food, lifestyle, Vegfest

The Big Vegan Fete

April 15, 2015 by Tofu Temptress Leave a Comment

Have fun at the festivals
The Flying Duck
The Flying Duck

The Flying Duck is easy to miss. Coming from Edinburgh on Saturday 4th April, I knew that it was close to Buchanan Street Bus Station, but hadn’t appreciated quite how close. It was a sunny day in Glasgow, which made it slightly incongruous to be descending the steps into a nightclub located up an alley off Renfield Street. But descend them I did and was welcomed into the friendly, chaotic world of the Vegan Fete. The darkness, crowds and pulsing music soon made me forget it was daylight outside and I took to perusing the stalls of, let’s face it, mainly cake. Not that I’m complaining! Quite the opposite.

The Hunt Sabs and The Vegan Kind were there amongst other familiar faces (if I haven’t mentioned you it’s because I didn’t see you – it was quite dark and my eyesight isn’t what it was!) but the cakes were the items that seemed to produce the biggest queues.

Smashing Tarts stall
Smashing Tarts stall

Smashing Tarts, for it was they, had the biggest one when I was there, and no wonder with that fabulous array of super-indulgent wares. As well as Daiya cheese twists they had Bourbon cake and tiffin, ganache cake and coconut cake and countless other delights. I made a few purchases… I’d been invited on twitter to try out Dairy Free Tablet’s Mint choc offerings and oh goodness, it was good. I may have eaten almost a whole bar on the bus home, but don’t tell anyone.

 

Considerit Chocolate
Considerit Chocolate

Considerit chocolate were also exhibiting, they of vegan cream egg fame, and I sampled some of their Amaretto truffle bar, leading me to buy not only that but also the orange flavour and the coffee and muscovado flavour.

I needed a distraction from all this sugar and so wandered over to Kirsten Scott’s table of delightful jewellery and clay crafts. Many of the earrings were animal themed and I fell for a gorgeous fox design. There were food themes too, with bracelets made from tiny slices of Battenberg cake and Swiss rolls amongst others.

Kirsten Scott crafts
Kirsten Scott crafts

All in all it was a lovely fete, and although a bit warm and crowded, I was glad to see such an event have an obviously big following.
This is the first big vegan fair in Scotland this year, with Vegan Festival in Edinburgh in August and then the big one, a two day Vegfest in Glasgow in December. Vegan festival is in Newcastle as well, in July, and having attended last year I can say it was a great place to be.

Have fun at the festivals!
Have fun at the festivals!

These events are growing more and more popular and taking place in more places throughout the country, so whether you’re in Liverpool, London, Brighton, Bristol or Birmingham, or indeed anywhere else in the UK, there should hopefully be a vegan festival near you soon. Have fun!

Filed Under: Vegan News Tagged With: cake, crafts, vegan festiavls, vegan fete, Vegfest

Vegan Shoes

November 20, 2014 by Tofu Temptress 9 Comments

Wills vegan shoes at London Vegfest 2014

As you may or may not know, being a vegan isn’t just about food. Much as I love food and much as I would never call myself a fashionista in any way, shape or form, I do have to wear clothes. It’s easy to get arrested otherwise. So, what do vegans wear? Plastic shoes and ponchos? Hell no (well, I don’t anyway.) You can stay warm, look cool, stay dry and have a clear conscience all at the same time. Nobody needs leather, wool, suede or sheepskin – nobody. Keep the skin on its original owner and everybody wins.

Wills vegan shoes at London Vegfest 2014
Wills vegan shoes at London Vegfest 2014

So, women are supposed to be obsessed with shoes. I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, but I do like shoes. As a friend once said, you can’t look fat in shoes. So, are all vegan shoes un-breathable nightmares? Absolutely not. You can have any type of shoes you want and nobody has to die to provide you with them. Take a look at the pic I snapped during London Vegfest this year of the Wills stand. Would you guess that all of that fancy footwear was vegan just by looking at it? I think not.

My favourite shoe shop is Vegetarian Shoes. In fact, I once took a day trip down to their store in Brighton, carrying only an empty rucksack and a credit card. I live in Edinburgh. That may seem extreme, but the flight was only an hour to Gatwick and then 30 minutes train ride from there to Brighton, so really, it’s not that extreme after all. With a full tummy from the lovely vegan cafe across the road and five pairs of shoes later, I was a very happy bunny indeed.

I was a teenager in the nineties, so Doc Marten was at its peak. Happily, they now make vegan shoes and boots, so you can have good looking practical footwear with not a dead cow in sight. You can even get rock boots that are vegan, so you feel at peace with yourself while moshing away to White Zombie, or in my case Green Day. If you need work boots with steel toe caps or waterproof hiking boots, no problem, as these bad boys come with steel toe caps and waterproof lining. If however, you’re in a more elegant mood, try Beyond Skin shoes. They’ve even been worn to the Oscars, so if fashion concerns you, look no further.

Fanciful or practical, casual or formal, for work, school, fell walking, welding or a night out on the town, vegan shoes come in all shapes, styles, sizes, colours and prices. The days when leather shoes were considered ‘proper’ shoes are now well and truly over. Even in mainstream shops, there’s a great choice of vegan shoes out there.

Leather logos
Leather logos
(Thanks to pleatherandfakon for this image)

Just like everything else, check the label. If shoes have these first two icons on them stay away and keep your money in your wallet. Fabric shoes are abundant and often far cheaper in mainstream shops that their cow hide equivalents. Have a look at this selection PETA have put together, including names such as Oasis, Zara, Sketchers, M&S, Esprit and Gap Please don’t be fooled by the ‘genuine leather’ sign. It’s not a good thing. It’s not a sign of quality.  All it means is that pain and suffering have gone into the shoes and nobody needs that.

Filed Under: Cruelty free Living Tagged With: Clothes, Fashion, Shoes, Vegfest

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