Vegan speed dating - Brighton VegFest

20
The Argus, Monday, March 30, 2015
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Roadworks
Edward Street, Brighton –
Completion of bus and cycle lane
works, to April 2.
Eastern Road, Brighton – Two-way
traffic signals while gas company
carries out works, until April 9.
North Street, Brighton – Traffic
signals in place due to work
renewing footpath, until June 26.
Hangleton Road, Hove – Replacing
gas pipes with traffic signals in
place between Clarke Avenue and
Nevill Avenue, until April 18.
A2032 Littlehampton Road
westbound in Worthing – Lane
closure outside Durrington High
School for construction traffic,
until September 30.
Mill Road, Burgess Hill – Road
closure between Millwood and St
Wilfrids Road so South East Water
can lay new pipe, until April 3.
Cathedral Way and Fishbourne
Road East, Chichester – Road
improvements mean traffic cannot
turn right into Tesco Extra until the
end of April.
Station Road, Lewes – Road closure
to strengthen and refurbish bridge,
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South Coast Road, between
Peacehaven and Newhaven –
Traffic light controls while
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May 5.
The Argus, Monday, March 30, 2015
61
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Veggie festival is a foodie bonanza
PICTURES BY TONY WOOD
Musical
entertainment
from the
squeezebox
Trains
Until Wednesday, the 10.47pm
London Victoria to Hastings train is
replaced by a bus between
Eastbourne and Hastings.
The 10.16pm London Victoria to
Bognor service is replaced by a
bus between Littlehampton and
Bognor.
The 10.32pm London Victoria to
Chichester train is replaced by a
bus between Littlehampton and
Chichester.
The 10.33pm Brighton to
Chichester service is replaced by a
bus between Littlehampton and
Chichester.
The 11.12pm Southampton Central
to Barnham train is replaced by a
bus between Littlehampton and
Barnham.
The 11.15pm Portsmouth Harbour
to Littlehampton service does run
and is replaced by a bus.
The 11.52pm Chichester to
Littlehampton train does run and is
replaced by a bus.
Petrol watch
BRIGHTON
Asda, Marina, Unleaded 109.7p;
Diesel 115.7p
HOVE
Esso, Station Approach, Unleaded
110.9p; Diesel 117.9p
WORTHING
Sainsbury’s, Lyon’s Way, Unleaded,
110.9p; Diesel 117.9p
BURGESS HILL
Tesco, Jane Murray Way, Unleaded
111.9p; Diesel 118.9p
HAYWARDS HEATH
Esso, Whitemans Green, Unleaded
112.9p; Diesel 118.9p
LEWES
Tesco, Brooks Road, Unleaded
111.9p; Diesel 118.9p
NEWHAVEN
Sainsbury's, The Drove, Unleaded
110.9p; Diesel 117.9p
SEAFORD
Morrisons, Station Approach,
Unleaded 110.9p; Diesel 117.9p
EASTBOURNE
Esso, King’s Drive, Unleaded
110.9p; Diesel 117.9p
A cookery
demonstration
during VegfestUK
at the Brighton
Centre
Live blood tests by
Shirah Mustardé of
Vitalise Nutrition
of Lewes
Caroline
Lucas
MP at
VegfestUK
Sussex stalls
Sussex-based festival stalls included:
l Vitalise Nutrition, founded by Shirah
Mustardé from Lewes, which specialises
in Live Blood Analysis – which looks at
your blood to determine factors such as
nutrient deficiencies.
l Simply Veg, an Indian street food
company from Portslade, served up
vegan spins on Indian classics.
l Merrydown brew served up crisp
glasses of cider brewed at Horam Manor
near Heathfield.
The Brighton Centre packed with
visitors
MEAT-free musclemen, no-dairy
dating, natural nibbles and animalfriendly foodies packed the
Brighton Centre for a veggie
bonanza.
Brighton and Hove was hailed as
the “centre of vegetarian and veganism in the UK” as hundreds of
vegan stalls and thousands of punters packed the venue over the
weekend for Vegfest.
Performances and talks were
held throughout the weekend featuring activists, vegan comedians,
chefs, athletes and campaigners.
Brighton-raised Ellie Bedford,
author of vegan children’s cookbook How to Eat a Rainbow, held
cooking demonstrations showing
how to make vegan brownies.
She said: “There has been a huge
increase in the number of people
going vegan and a lot of celebrities
as well, which has really raised the
profile.
“When I’m cooking I just throw
things together.”
“I don’t follow strict recipes.
by HENRY HOLLOWAY
henry.holloway@theargus.co.uk
“My children are big influences;
there were no healthy kids’ cookery books so it inspired me to write
my own and make it so they can
have fun.
“The festival is really brilliant, it
is my first time coming to Vegfest
in Brighton and I am chuffed to be
back in the city.”
A team of vegan bodybuilders
were also on hand throughout the
weekend to show you can be a competitive athlete while being a
vegan.
Jasmijn De Boo, CEO of the
Vegan Society, hailed Brighton and
Hove as the “centre of vegetarian
and veganism in the UK”.
She said: “It has been a fantastic
weekend.
“I do not think it has ever been
bigger than this and it is growing
every year with more high calibre
Hollie Mather and Boe Samuels of WRAS
speakers and even more events,”
she added.
“We had a 25 per cent growth in
membership over the past three
years and last year alone we had
11per cent – it is definitely showing
there is a lot more interest.
“More and more people are taking the vegan pledge, in which you
go vegan for a month, and it is
really encouraging.
“We are trying to reach out to
non-vegans to show it is easy, fun,
and healthy.”
This year was Vegfest’s first at
the Brighton Centre, having moved
from its previous home at Hove
Town Hall.
Tim Barford, Vegfest’s founder,
who has been a vegan since 1984,
said: “If you truly care about animals, you go vegan.
“If you truly care about the environment, you go vegan.
“If you truly care about people
going hungry, you go vegan.
“And if you truly care about your
own health, you go vegan.”
Vegan speed dating
VEGANS looking for love tried
their hand at speed dating.
Among stalls touting everything
from vegan socks to meat-free hot
dogs, one hall opened up for veg
festival-goers hoping to find more
in common than a mutual love of
lentils.
Vegetarians and vegans were given
the opportunity to sign up for the
unique speed-dating session in the
hope of finding a special someone
with the same ethical values.
Karin Ridgers, 44, founder of
Veggie Vision TV, has been
running veggie speed dating at the
festival for four years.
She said: “This isn’t just ‘we don’t
eat meat’; this is our lifestyle and
our passion. It means the world to
us.
Gourmet Girls of Titbits catering, Brighton, from left:
Paula Young, Sammy Gill and Sammy Hutton
by GEORGIA HINGSTON
Community correspondent
news@theargus.co.uk
“This is the fourth year for the
dating. The atmosphere and the
people are great.
“Everyone’s up for having a giggle
and a laugh and not taking it too
seriously.
“This year people have been saying
they are coming to Veg Fest
because of the speed dating.”
The turn-out for the event was so
good there was a waiting list of
those eager to find a date among
the dairy-free.
Mrs Ridgers said: “The main aim is
for everyone to have a good time
and to be inspired by Vegfest.”
Khyati, Himamshu and Ankur Mehta of Simply Veg, Portslade
Tucking into the good stuff at VegfestUK