Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom | |
Formation | 30 September 1847 |
---|---|
Founded at | Ramsgate, Kent, England |
Merger of | London Vegetarian Society Manchester Vegetarian Society |
Type | Charity |
Registration no. | 259358 |
Legal status | Charity |
Purpose | Vegetarianism |
Headquarters | Manchester, United Kingdom |
Region | United Kingdom |
Methods | Information, support |
Website | www |
Vegetarian Society Approved | |
---|---|
Effective region | United Kingdom |
Website | vegsoc.org |
The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom is a British registered charity which was established on 30 September 1847 to promote vegetarianism.
In the 19th century a number of groups in Britain actively promoted and followed meat-free diets. Key groups involved in the formation of the Vegetarian Society were members of the Bible Christian Church, supporters of the Concordium, and readers of the Truth-Tester journal. [1]
The Bible Christian Church was founded in 1809 in Salford by Reverend William Cowherd after a split from the Swedenborgians. One distinctive feature of the Bible Christians was a belief in a meat-free diet, or ovo-lacto vegetarianism, as a form of temperance. [2] [3]
The Concordium was a boarding school near London on Ham Common, Richmond, Surrey, which opened in 1838. Pupils at the school followed a diet completely free of animal products, known today as a vegan diet. The Concordium was also called Alcott House, in honor of American education and food reform advocate Amos Bronson Alcott. [1]
The Truth-Tester was a journal which published material supporting the temperance movement. In 1846 the editorship was taken over by William Horsell, operator of the Northwood Villa Hydropathic Institute in Ramsgate. Horsell gradually steered the Truth-Tester towards promotion of the 'Vegetable Diet'. In early 1847 a letter to the Truth-Tester proposed the formation of a Vegetarian Society. In response to this letter, William Oldham held what he called a "physiological conference" in July 1847 at Alcott House. Up to 130 attended, including Bible Christian James Simpson, who presented a speech. The conference passed a number of resolutions, including a resolution to reconvene at the end of September. [1]
On 30 September 1847 the meeting which had been planned at the Physiological Conference took place at Northwood Villa Hydropathic Institute in Ramsgate. [4] Joseph Brotherton, Member of Parliament for Salford, and a Bible Christian chaired. James Simpson was elected president of the society, Concordist William Oldham elected treasurer, and Truth-Tester editor William Horsell elected secretary. [5] The name 'Vegetarian Society' was chosen for the new organisation by a unanimous vote. [4]
The Vegetarian Society's first full public meeting was held in Manchester the following year. In 1853 it already had 889 members. The society made available publications on the topic sometimes accompanied by lectures. [6] In 1897 its membership was about 5,000. [7]
In 1888, a split-off group from the Vegetarian Society formed known as the London Vegetarian Society (LVS). [8] After this, the Vegetarian Society was often referred to as the Manchester Vegetarian Society (MVS). Relations between the two groups were strained because of their differences over the definition of vegetarianism. [9]
Francis William Newman was President of the Manchester Vegetarian Society, 1873–1883. [9] He made an associate membership possible for people who were not completely vegetarian, such as those who ate chicken or fish. [8] Newman was critical of raw food vegetarianism which he rejected as fanatical. [8] Between 1875-1896 membership for the Vegetarian Society was 2,159 and associate membership 1,785. [8] Newman believed that abstinence from meat, fish and fowl should be the only thing the Society advocates and the Society should not be associated with other reform ideas. [8] [10] Under Newman's Presidency the Society flourished as income, associates and members increased. [10] In regard to the associate membership, Newman commented:
It occurs to me to ask whether certain grades of profession might not be allowed within our Society, which would give to it far greater material support, enable it to circulate its literature, and at the same time retain the instructive spectacle of a select band of stricter feeders... Yet, as our Society is at present (1871) constituted, all those friendly are shut out... But if they entered as Associates in the lowest grade... they might be drawn on gradually, and would swell our funds, without which we can do nothing. [10]
The first President of the London Vegetarian Society was raw foodist Arnold Hills, and other members included Thomas Allinson and Mahatma Gandhi. [9] Members of the LVS were more radical than the original Manchester Society. [8]
If anybody said that I should die if I did not take beef tea or mutton, even on medical advice, I would prefer death. That is the basis of my vegetarianism.
In 1969, the Manchester and London Vegetarian Society amalgamated as the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom. [9] Historian Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska has noted that "against the background of growing concern about the environment, animal rights, and food safety the society has flourished in recent decades." [12]
During the 20th century, the Society's work focused primarily on public education. In fulfilling this mission, the Society worked with other community groups to educate the public about the benefits of eating healthily. The Vegetarian Society also participated in political events, as a pressure group with the aim of influencing food producers to remove non-vegetarian ingredients such as gelatine or cheese produced using animal rennet from their products. They sought manufacturers to become accredited and marked food products with the Society's trademarked seedling symbol. [13] This accreditation includes the use of free-range eggs, which other 'V' symbols may not include. Their campaign was opposed to the labeling of products as vegetarian that contained fish. This action particularly affected restaurants. They also highlighted celebrities who claimed to be vegetarian but ate fish. As part of this campaign, in 1995, the Society produced the documentary Devour the Earth , written by Tony Wardle and narrated by Paul McCartney.[ citation needed ]
In 2024, the Vegetarian Society announced a rebrand. [14] It has a new logo, rebranded magazine and website. [15] The head office of the Vegetarian Society is currently located in central Manchester. [16]
The Vegetarian Society first published The Vegetarian Messenger (1849–1860). It became The Dietetic Reformer and Vegetarian Messenger (1861–1897), The Vegetarian Messenger and Health Review (1898–1952), The Vegetarian (1953–1958) and The British Vegetarian (1959–1971). [17] [18] In 1885, Beatrice Lindsay, a graduate from Girton College, Cambridge became the first female editor of the Vegetarian Society’s Dietetic Reformer and Vegetarian Messenger. [19] Early vegetarian writers for the Dietetic Reformer and Vegetarian Messenger in the 1870s and 1880s advocated biological evolution and reshaped it into a teleological progress. [20]
The Pod, formerly The Vegetarian, is the membership magazine of the Vegetarian Society and continues to be produced three times a year. [21]
The Vegetarian Society is now a campaigning charity.
In 2017 the Vegetarian Society launched its Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark. [22] The Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks are licensed to companies to display on products which contain only vegetarian/vegan ingredients, and also that nothing non-vegetarian/non-vegan was used during the production process. These trademarks can be seen on products in shops and supermarkets and also on dishes in restaurants. [23] In 2022 McDonald's launched their McPlant burger across the UK which is accredited with the Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark.
National Vegetarian Week is the charity's flagship event. [24]
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School runs leisure classes in vegetarian and vegan cooking. It works alongside various charities and community groups to deliver bespoke cookery courses to groups. Plus the school trains professional chefs and those looking for a new career in the food sector with the Professional Chef’s Diploma.
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat. It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter.
A lacto-vegetarian diet is a diet that abstains from the consumption of meat as well as eggs, while still consuming dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ghee, cream, and kefir.
The Vegan Society is a registered charity and the oldest vegan organization in the world, founded in the United Kingdom in 1944 by Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley, George Henderson and his wife Fay Henderson among others.
Christian vegetarianism is the practice of keeping to a vegetarian lifestyle for reasons connected to or derived from the Christian faith. The three primary reasons are spiritual, nutritional, and ethical. The ethical reasons may include a concern for God's creation, a concern for animal rights and welfare, or both. Likewise, Christian veganism is not using any animal products for reasons connected to or derived from the Christian faith.
Vegetarian and vegan dietary practices vary among countries. Differences include food standards, laws, and general cultural attitudes toward vegetarian diets.
The earliest records of vegetarianism as a concept and practice amongst a significant number of people are from ancient India, especially among the Hindus and Jains. Later records indicate that small groups within the ancient Greek civilizations in southern Italy and Greece also adopted some dietary habits similar to vegetarianism. In both instances, the diet was closely connected with the idea of nonviolence toward animals, and was promoted by religious groups and philosophers.
William Andrus Alcott, also known as William Alexander Alcott, was an American educator, educational reformer, physician, vegetarian and author of 108 books. His works, which include a wide range of topics including educational reform, physical education, school house design, family life, and diet, are still widely cited today.
Alcott House in Ham, Surrey, was the home of a utopian spiritual community and progressive school which lasted from 1838 to 1848. Supporters of Alcott House, or the Concordium, were a key group involved in the formation of the Vegetarian Society in 1847.
Lacto-ovo vegetarianism or ovo-lacto vegetarianism is a type of vegetarianism which forbids animal flesh but allows the consumption of animal products such as dairy and eggs. Unlike pescetarianism, it does not include fish or other seafood. A typical ovo-lacto vegetarian diet may include fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, meat substitutes, nuts, seeds, soy, cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs.
Pescetarianism is a dietary practice based on the consumption of fish and shellfish to the exclusion of land-based meats. The practise incorporates seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet, and may or may not include other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adults worldwide are pescetarian, according to 2017–2018 research conducted by data and analytics companies.
Vegan nutrition refers to the nutritional and human health aspects of vegan diets. A well-planned, balanced vegan diet is suitable to meet all recommendations for nutrients in every stage of human life. Vegan diets tend to be higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, and phytochemicals; and lower in calories, saturated fat, iron, cholesterol, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, and vitamin B12.
The Bible Christian Church was a Christian vegetarian sect founded by William Cowherd in Salford, North West England in 1809. To join the church, members had to sign a pledge that committed them to a vegetarian diet and abstention from alcohol. Followers of Cowherd's ideas were commonly known as Bible Christians or "Cowherdites." Cowherd was one of the philosophical forerunners of the Vegetarian Society founded in 1847.
Jewish vegetarianism is a commitment to vegetarianism that is connected to Judaism, Jewish ethics or Jewish identity. Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding animal welfare, environmental ethics, moral character, and health as reasons for adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Multiple symbols have been developed to represent lacto-vegetarianism and veganism. Several are used on food packaging, including voluntary labels such as the Vegan Society trademark or the V-Label as well as the vegetarian and non-vegetarian marks mandated by the Indian government. Symbols may also be used by members of the vegetarian and vegan communities to represent their identities, and in the course of animal rights activism.
Ten Talents is a vegetarian and vegan cookbook originally published in 1968 by Rosalie Hurd and Frank J. Hurd. At the time, it was one of the few resources for vegetarian and vegan cooks. The cookbook promotes Christian vegetarianism and a Bible-based diet, in keeping with teachings of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. By 1991, the 750-recipe cookbook was entering its 44th printing and had sold more than 250,000 copies. An expanded edition with more than 1,000 recipes was issued in 2012.
William Horsell was an English hydrotherapist, publisher, and temperance and vegetarianism activist. Horsell published the first vegan cookbook in 1849.
Shelley's Vegetarianism is a 1891 pamphlet on the vegetarianism of Percy Bysshe Shelley by William Axon, published by the Vegetarian Society. It is a printing of a lecture delivered by Axon before the Shelley Society, at University College in 1890.
Cornelius Prout Newcombe was an English vegetarianism and temperance activist, and schoolmaster. He was also an early proponent of veganism.
William Metcalfe was a British-American minister in the Bible Christian Church, homeopathic physician, and activist for vegetarianism, pacifism, temperance and abolitionism. He was a prominent figure in the American vegetarian movement.