World Record set for National BBQ Week 2008 by Vegetarians & Vegans

by MiV | May 23, 2008 at 02:25 am | 600 views | 10 comments | 0 recommendations

Vegans seem set to break a number of world records this summer. With Oprah Winfrey going vegan for National Vegetarian Week and a new film called ‘Meat the Truth' on how going vegetarian saves the environment by a Dutch Vegan MP, a record number of new vegans during summer 08 seems certain.

This summer vegans are planning to go the whole hog in an effort to prove that whilst you are leading a more ethical, sustainable, healthier, carbon neutral, greener, fairer lifestyle there is nothing you have to go without -even barbeques.

For the National Vegetarian Week finale in Bristol on the 31st of May and 1st June a record breaking 10kg vegan hog roast is not just a world first but the biggest vegan BBQ the world has ever seen

Organiser of The world’s biggest vegan festival – The Bristol Vegan Fayre - Tim Barford from Yaoh Hemp foods says “Some people think you have to give things up as a vegan. This summer we are going all out to prove you can have your cake and eat it as a vegan. You want a vegan BBQ? – you got it! – a whole vegan hog roast at your party?- you got it!, Vegan ice cream? – You got it! Vegan milk shakes? You got it!, Vegan Chocolate Cake – yep you got that too!”

There will not just be stallholders and caterers there to encourage you to try all these delicious and nutritious vegan delights but also a programme of talks and speakers to explain the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and a range of posse of top chefs and cooks to show you how to cook vegan too.

Tim says “We tried to cover every aspect of a sustainable, healthy vegan lifestyle from top London nutritionist to sustainable energy experts Ecotricity. Eco-beauty is covered, fashion, cleaning products - everything you can think of”

“Families will be well catered for with lots of entertainment for the kids such as a Victorian circus, changing facilities and quiet areas for mums, and a range of music from acoustic Jazz to reggae and rock n roll.”

Google trends graphs show a massive increase in interest in vegan lifestyles for 2008 and there seems to be a new vegan product launched almost every day.

Vegan author Tony Bishop-Weston is promoting his new cookbook at the show, The Complete book of Vegan Cooking. He says “The rise in demand for vegan products is phenomenal. Once celebrities such as Natalie Portman start launching personal ranges of Vegan shoes you know the message is starting to hit home. Even Glasgow, once thought to be a desert of vegan cuisine now has 6 purely vegan caterers promoting vegan food with an exclusive vegan organic wine bar, a nightclub, a deli, a café and a pub. Some Glasgow hotels now routinely serve soya milk for breakfast and Glasgow University has won an award from The Vegan Society!”

Although the Bristol Vegan Fayre is the world’s biggest with over 10,000 visitors it’s certainly not the only Vegan Festival in the UK. There have been Vegan festivals in London, Southampton, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. However with tickets at only £12 for the weekend that includes headline festival legend bands such as Aswad, Dreadzone, Misty in Roots and Bad Manners it looks set to be bigger than all the others together.

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Editors Notes

Show organiser Tim Barford Yaoh Hemp Foods Bristol

http://www.yaoh.co.uk

http://www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk

To download the Bristol Vegan Fayre Program

http://www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk/forms/BVF08_Programme.pdf

To download Bristol Vegan Fayre summer sale special offers and free stuff

http://www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk/forms/BVF08_Show_Specials.pdf

To order Tickets – only £12 for weekend

http://www.yaoh.co.uk/catalog/

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eastvanray

at 14:10 on May 23rd, 2008

There are a few things in life I don't want the 2nd best versions of: friends, sex, wine, automobiles and meat. I have tried the so-called meat substitutes and vegans must either have never tried real meat or they are in some serious denial. Extruded tofu with colouring added is not even close to the experience of enjoying a well prepared cut of meat. I wish it were but it isn't. If I need to do more to help our planet I will gladly drive less, recycle, reuse, buy locally, organic, anything but life it too short to eat fake meat.

Mikasi

at 14:42 on May 23rd, 2008

I was at the Chicago Green Fest last weekend and ended up at a Vegetarian soul food kiosk. They had some sort of rib thing that was not meat. But while it lacked flesh it was definitely darned good!

eastvanray

at 18:17 on May 23rd, 2008

Oh yes,

Smother just about anything with BBQ sauce and it improves remarkably!

MiV

at 12:49 on May 24th, 2008

Yep , that used to be my argument too.

I like meat, stuff animal cruelty, stuff everyone else, stuff the planet, stuff healthy living, ..... I want to eat meat

Then 2 things happened

1) The alternatives became so numerous, varied and freely available that i eventually found favourite vegan versions of nearly all the meaty things I liked most.

2) I had children and realised what a selfish winkle fiddler I'd be if I didn't set them a better example and continued to contribute to screwing up their world.

If all Americans gave up eating meat for just one day a week that would be the equivilent Co2 saving of taking over 19 million cars of the roads for a whole year.

amyjudd

at 12:52 on May 24th, 2008

That is an amazing fact! I had no idea it would make that much of an impact...

eastvanray

at 15:20 on May 24th, 2008

That is great. I, on the other hand have, found no alternative that is even edible nevermind a close sustitute. And great food is not something I am prepared to sacrifice....for anything. As for CO2 reductions we are much better off concentrating on coal-fired electric plants. Get rid of them and you can almost completely solve the GHG problem. Passenger cars are not a major GHG emmiter on a global basis.

MiV

at 14:32 on May 29th, 2008

That is great. I, on the other hand have, found no alternative that is even edible nevermind a close sustitute.

I feel the same about gay sex - like many of my friends I'm sure you'll tell me it's great - perhaps I haven't looked hard enough but in any case even though same sex relationships don't harm animals, health , people or the planet if everyone had a gay relationship 4 times a week it still wouldn't save the planet.

Going vegetarian or vegan 4 times a week however...............now that's a different matter.