(2005-07-03) Pea PR
As lethargy reigns during yet another UK awareness week – BUAV National Cruelty-Free Week, behind the scenes it seems the vegetarian nerds have been busy. No matter which subject you pick, health, nutrition, punks or chocolate, there seems to be a vegan website for everything – even vegan sex.
Yes folks, just in case you blinked and missed it, it’s National Cruelty-Free Week, 4-10 July 2005 and the militant fringe of the vegan army are up in arms busily posting on forums and message boards that BUAV are breaking trade descriptions law by calling it National Cruelty-Free Week when some of the products they endorse aren’t vegan.
Good point. BUAV didn’t say “nearly cruelty free”. Cruelty free is weighty claim, a phrase that probably even the sixty-year-old Vegan society would avoid using. Their shopping guide is called the Animal Free Shopper – a lot easier to define and now online at www.animalfreeshopper.com
Meanwhile in the virtual world of the World Wide Web there is nothing virtual about the number of new vegan websites. There seem to be literally thousands of new vegan sites sparking to life around the world from the usual suspects recipe sites such as www.recipes.for-vegans.co.uk to websites gently making fun of vegan militants (such as Vegan Bitch at www.veganbitch.com) by vegan police at www.vegan911.com
Even the world of adult entertainment, porn and the ubiquitous sex industry has jumped on the vegan bandwagon. With various sex toys, aids and appliances it goes all the way to sites portraying hairy young naked punks and unshaven hippy teenagers. A veiled attempt to prove that vegans can be as un PC as the UK Sun readers and breast and thong obsessed UK public at large. Search for ‘Naked Vegan’ on Google or Yahoo if you really must see for yourself. www.vegporn.com boasts a recipe section with nude vegan girls and boys cooking vegan recipes, whilst www.veganerotica.com has vegan ‘pleather’ bondage gear.
Ladies feet are now very well catered for with sites for every pocket selling everyday leather free shoes all the way up to hand made designer belle of the ball vegan shoes at www.beyondskin.co.uk if you have a celebrity budget.
Vegan clothes are still heavily represented by the vegan, straight edge, skater and punk type fashions. The Pogo Café Co-operative in London is struggling to keep up with demand for their ‘Pretty Vegan’ sex pistols rip-off T shirts. Although there doesn’t yet to be any smart apparel on the net the high street shops are brimming with faux/fake fur and man made materials. Even hemp is turning up in sharp cuts with a smoother feel and you can even pick up smart suits for men if your timing is right. There are young designers growing out of their teens and getting a bit more conservative with their vegan fabrics.
Vegan food hasn’t been forgotten and you can get everything from Vegan Caviar from the Orkney Herring Company to a cheese that melts, smells and even tastes like cheese dubbed ‘heaven on toast’ by one new disciple. www.veganstore.co.uk sell vegan marshmallows and every sort of vegan dairy free chocolate you’ve ever dreamed of. Despite the fact you can now buy almost everything you’ve ever wanted from vegan monkfish steaks to organic vegan bacon there has probably never been so many new vegan cookbooks hitting the shelves.
No one was more surprised than Hamlyn about how well their Vegan Cookbook has sold. One visit to www.vegan-cookbook.com reveals blinding reviews of a great combination of innovative and healthy but decadent recipes. It has a useful vegan nutrition section by London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston and first class food photography that leaves your mouth watering as you flick through the sections on breakfasts, snacks, lunches, mains and desserts. It’s hoped it will be an international vegan bestseller by World Vegan Day 1st November 2005 although it has tough competition from books by Moby, Alex the Vegan chef from Supersize Me and a host of other new titles.
Famous vegans and celebrities have a number of platforms to air their views at sites such as www.heroes.for-vegans.co.uk but by far the best is the new vegan TV site at www.veggievision.co.uk . The brainchild of the effervescent Essex girl Karin Ridgers who was inspired by Tony Robbins to stop relying on others and change the world herself.
The fact that the future success of veganism depends on not preaching to the converted is not wasted on midlands dynamic duo from Realfoods. They have started up www.veganbuddies.org.uk complete with their own superhero Captain Brocolli. This fresh out of the packet website plans to provide international expert friendly advice for any veganic explorers. It’s for anyone wanting to find out more and seeking support for those vital first steps in making a difference to people, animals and the environment. Old hands are being encouraged to lurk there to offer help and get nostalgic about wishing that there had been a vegan buddy website when they had first started out on their vegan yellow brick road.
Got a great new ethical vegan product or service that no one knows about? Maybe you should visit www.pea-pr.co.uk described as small, green and full of vitality with a lust for making a difference to people, the environment and animals.
Meanwhile everyone is invited to vote for their favourites at www.vegan-awards.org.uk
See more at www.for-vegans.co.uk and www.news.for-vegans.co.uk