And you’re welcome to my soul

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Are you passionate about independent music and the protection of animals? Well, you are going to love this news!

Martin Rossiter is a singer/songwriter of the highest calibre and I personally have been a huge fan of his music for more years than I can recall. He first nabbed my heart and mind as the lead singer of the glorious band Gene and it has been complete adoration ever since.

Martin Rossiter at The Garage, London September 2011

Martin has a unique voice that is capable of the most angelic, soulful croons as well as searing, rumbling growls of angst. His lyrics are intelligent and he delivers them with poise, control and a healthy dose of passion.  You can tell I’m a fan, right?

It has been a long time since Martin has been a part of an official music release (Gene’s final studio album was released during 2001) so serious music fans are seriously excited by the news of an impending solo album release.

For this new record, Martin is venturing into the scary, exciting and rewarding waters of an independent release. He is using the online storefront Pledge Music to sell his songs to his audience. As of 1pm (UK time) on Tuesday August 28, 2012 anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to log on and buy all of Martin’s new material as well as a whole host of tantalising items. Goodies include sheet music for the album, t-shirts, live tracks from Martin’s first ever solo gig as well as a vinyl version of the new album.

But the news gets better still!

Martin is also an incredibly vocal supporter of non-human animals. His Twitter feed is always brimming with links supporting news, views and campaigns dedicated to improving outcomes for all creatures. Martin is taking this commitment to animals a step further by donating a portion of funds raised through his Pledge Music venture to the wonderful organisation known as League Against Cruel Sports.

Go to the album launch page on Facebook and RSVP. Visit Pledge Music this Tuesday and buy the album (and some other treats). Then sit back, relax and enjoy your fabulous new musical purchases safe in the knowledge you have just supported a world-class entertainer AND contributed financially to the wellbeing of animals.

Is this the perfect time to use the well-worn expression ‘win-win’? Indeed.

Follow Martin Rossiter on Twitter

Like Martin Rossiter on Facebook

Join the Martin Rossiter virtual album launch party

Like League Against Cruel Sports on Facebook

Petition time!

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CLICK HERE TO SIGN or read on for more details

Do you remember when we all joined together as one vegan superpower and got Holland & Barrett to reverse their decision to not stock the Fry’s Vegetarian frozen vegan product range?

Fry’s Vegetarian original vegan burger

Well, we are about to flex our collective plant-based consumer muscle once again to ensure the same vegan food options are available all over the UK… in Sainsbury’s!

What is this campaign all about?

Consumers choose foods free of animal products for many reasons. Scientific evidence suggests the production of plant-based food contributes significantly less to environmental damage and climate change than animal farming.

Many religions require devotees to adhere to meat and dairy free diets during certain celebrations. People often choose a diet free of animal products for ethical reasons as they don’t agree with modern factory farming methods. Health is another major factor. A plant-based diet is completely free from cholesterol.

With plant-based food choices becoming increasingly popular amongst UK consumers, it is time for major food suppliers such as Sainsbury’s to answer this call for more vegan choices in their aisles. Brands such as Quorn and Linda McCartney have monopolised veggie shelves in UK supermarkets but very few of their items cater to people who want animal-free food. Quorn and Cauldron have the biggest presence of any veggie brands in the UK. The trouble is, they are the same company and clearly have little interest in serving the vegan community. Most of their products are not animal-free and those that are, are not even labeled suitable for vegans.

We don’t want egg in our food. We want burgers, pops, pies, schnitzels, sausages, sausage rolls, chunky strips and everything else made by Fry’s Vegetarian because it is all vegan!

Fry’s Vegetarian traditional vegan sausages

What can you do?

Click here to sign the petition to urge Sainsbury’s to carry vegan food by Fry’s. The petition will be sent to Sainsbury’s on your behalf.

Add extra steam to the campaign by emailing the following Sainsbury’s contacts to strengthen your request:

sarah.lich@sainsburys.co.uk Category Product Developer
alison.atkin@sainsburys.co.uk Buyer
richard.hall@sainsburys.co.uk Head of Frozen
andy.phelps@Sainsburys.co.uk Category Manager

Post a link to this page everywhere. Facebook. Twitter. Pinterest. Google+. Tumblr. Post it on message boards and your own blogs. Email it to family and friends and enemies. Get everyone you know to take one minute out of their day to sign the petition. Use any part of the text on this page in any way you see fit.

Leave a comment below letting us know if you have emailed/signed the petition/heard back from Sainsbury’s. Like all big businesses, they are not going to take notice unless we have big voices.

Let’s do it!

Imagine this in your local Sainsbury’s supermarket!

Rescued by Loving Hut

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My recent trip to the gorgeous Mexican city of Xalapa was downright sensational. I enjoyed a long hike through coffee and banana farms, I took in the sights of the glorious Teocelo waterfall and I swam during a torrential tropical rainstorm.

Oh, I almost forgot. I ate a lot of vegan food, too.

The city of Xalapa in the state of Veracruz won’t win any awards for being vegan-friendly. Heck, I even passed a restaurant that proudly proclaimed ‘NO VEGETARIANO’ on its front sign. Yes, it can be difficult to eat plant-based in Xalapa but the addition of a Loving Hut to the landscape has certainly brightened the outlook.

Loving Hut in Xalapa, Veracruz

Loving Hut outlets are seemingly popping up everywhere and it is making vegan travel easier. After our gruelling day of hiking and sightseeing, Josh and I were desperately in need of some recharging. Loving Hut Xalapa came to the rescue in a big way.

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Vegan airline food: guest post by The Vegan Butcher

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Following on from the immense interest shown in my recent post about vegan airline food, I have started to ask people to share their words and pictures about their own experiences.

My friend The Vegan Butcher has kindly supplied me with a written account of her meal on a recent Air Canada flight. Doesn’t sound too shabby!

If you would like to submit a story about a vegan meal you have been served in the air, please email me (with photos) at fatgayvegan at hotmail dot com. I would love to feature some guest contributors. Let’s build a library of vegan airline food stories!

Take it away, The Vegan Butcher.

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Keep it kosher

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I don’t plan my eating around religious concerns, unless you consider indiscriminate vegan overeating a religion. My food consumption, like all areas of my life, exists outside organised religion.

But my food atheism certainly doesn’t prohibit me from benefiting from belief systems that instruct devotees to separate their animal products when eating.

Enter Kosher Kingdom of North London.

Kosher Kingdom of Golders Green

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Falafelito es mi papito

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Mexico City is turning up some vegan surprises, that’s for sure.

I have purchased chocolate soya milk in grocery stores, enjoyed massive jars of tofu/olive paté and let’s not forget about the wonderful vegan cupcakes made right here in Distrito Federal. Oh no, I haven’t been going hungry.

Amongst this cornucopia of hidden vegan delights is one of the loveliest food outlets anywhere in the world. Vegans and vegan-curious, please let me introduce you to Falafelito.

Falafelito en La Condesa

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And it spread

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TOPAS bring some of the best vegan meat products in the world to my plate with their Wheaty range. The fact they are market-leaders is non-negotiable and I’ve known it for a long time. If you haven’t tasted their Chorizo sausage, you haven’t lived.

But what I didn’t know about TOPAS is that they produce a small and mouthwatering range of vegan pâtés. I recently discovered the three flavours of pâté made by this vegan company and it is safe to say I will only be growing more familiar with them in the future.

The TOPAS pâté range features paprika, marjoram and mushroom flavours. Most of the ingredients used are organically-sourced and all of the flavours are gluten free.

TOPAS mini pots of vegan pâté

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Who am I that I come to be here?

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Time for a quick poll. What consumes the attention of a FGV most?

Choices for answers:

1. Eating vegan food    2. Traveling    3. Morrissey

Well done to the readers who put a circle around all three answers. Let me take you on a little journey as a reward for your astuteness. Hold on as we take in the delights of Rome, Morrissey in concert and vegan gelato.

A few weeks ago I took a trip to a far off place to see Morrissey in concert. It was my first time in Italy and Rome certainly left a huge impression on me. The city was gorgeous of course, but the immense wealth harnessed and displayed by organised religion left a rather sour taste in my mouth.

The remedy for this was to find my way to Gelarmony, a gelato outlet with an entire case of vegan options. From an overwhelming range of flavours, I was able to whittle my choice  down to just three plus a healthy dose of vegan soya cream on top.

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Jet trails in the sky

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Do you often fly coach/economy? Then you will be acutely aware of how lousy airline food can be.

Requesting a vegan meal on a plane is even more of  minefield. I was once served a lamb curry for my special meal request. Another adventure involved nothing but a few blocks of cheese and water crackers. And of course we all know the anguish of having nothing to eat except a bowl of under-ripe melon. I have enjoyed the occasional vegan meal on a flight and the memory will always be cherished of being served a vegan donut with chocolate soy milk on a United Airlines flight.

I am keen to share my latest experience of vegan flying food with you, but before I do I want to ask a question. What is the best vegan food you have been served inflight? What is the least memorable? What is the most unbelievably bad? I know that is more than one question, but I am just that curious!

Here is the vegan meal I was served on British Airways a week ago on my way to Mexico City. Overall I was impressed by the quality and the thought that had gone into my meal. The vegan dishes were actually vegan as far as I could tell. It was definitely one of the most satisfying vegan meals I have experienced on a flight during the last few years. How does this rate with your experiences?

Dairy free bread with vegan spread was a rare flying treat

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Cupcakes en la capital

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Para los hispanohablantes hay una versión en español al final de esta página.

I traveled 11 hours by plane to the other side of the world and what did I discover? If you guessed delicious vegan cupcakes, give yourself a pat on the back!

Mexico City is not known internationally as a haven for vegans. Walking through any street market in the metropolis would lead you to believe the concept of plant-based fare is completely unknown. All sorts of dead animals are fried, boiled and seared before your very eyes and it is confronting and often gruesome.

But not all is lost. A new wave of vegan options is taking over Distrito Federal and I am extremely proud to say a dear friend of mine is part of the movement by making sure he offers cruelty-free treats as part of his new baking endeavour.

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