- Spotted this previously unknown (to ScouseVeg) food venue via Happycow.net.

SOUPERNATURAL it is a vegetarian and vegan only takeout place deep in the heart of the city.

Located just off Water Street in the Norwich House arcade Soupernatural is only open office hours - from 8.15 to 3pm, Monday to Fridays.

Click the image to the right to view a map of their location:

Just Jonas reviewed them last March in his newsletter (scroll down a little bit) and raved about it:

“…Soupernatural, Rumford Street L2, can be described as a soup, salad and sandwich bar with not a hint of animal in sight and I have to say, I am hooked.

Mike and Karen took the Soupernatural plunge just 6 months ago and already they have a loyal (and delighted) customers base who regularly frequent a vast and varied menu of inexpensive and flavoursome vegetarian fare.

Entrance to the neatly designed bar is via the link way between Rumford Street and Covent Garden. Mike and Karen who both have a history in television design have given the space much thought in presenting a deli-style, utilitarian and spotless takeaway that frankly equals their nearest counterpart, Philpot’s.

Though there is limited space to eat-in, the majority of lunchtime grazers tend to take-away. I started with a delicious portion of cream of spinach soup and was delighted when it was presented in a recyclable bowl shaped container rather than a polystyrene cup. I was shocked by the volume of taste complimented by a generous wedge of sundried tomato bread.

My plan was to follow up with their famous nut loaf sandwich but sadly because of its popularity I had to make do with the marinated tofu and hoi sin duck wrap. It was sensational and I struggled to believe there was not a sign of duck to be seen…”

- A couple of ScouseVeggies have visited and this is what Stevie saw:

“On the day I went in (the menu changes a lot it seems) for lunch there were 6 soups on offer 2 of which were vegan veggie. There was also a choice of hot meals including a vegan veggie chilli and lasagne and quiche for ovo / lacto veggies. A choice of around a dozen salads on offer - all vegan veggie except 2.

Sandwich wise there was a decent choice of breads and fillings.

There are cakes, biscuits and cookies.

The breakfast menu seems to include croissant, pain au chocolat, Danish patries, toast, bagels, muffins, Greek breakfast and porridge.

Drinks wise it’s the usual teas & coffees (soya milk available), juices and water.

I thought the place was fine. The guy who served me was very helpful me as a vegan veggie. The atmo was fine and price wise it was pretty much what you’d pay elsewhere (but elsewhere is unlikely to be all vegetarian).”

» Full review here

…and Lil H popped in the other day:

“…The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about all dietary needs. It’s only a small place, with a seating area in the window (a little like a breakfast bar). However, they more than make up for it’s size with the varied menu available. It’s a very clean pleasant place, and you can see all the food being prepared in front of you…

… this place has become very popular with not just us lot, but meat eaters too. So I suggest you get in there fairly handy, as all the most popular dishes will be gone.”

- At the time of posting the owners are on holiday and the place will reopen on AUGUST 18th.

- They don’t have a website but you can visit the Eating Out page we created for them. We’ll update it when we have more info.

An American swimmer competing the Olympics in China took part in PETA’s Fur is Dead campaign by posing nude for the campaign publicity. The Chinese authorities tried to shut down a news conference but in the end PETA were allowed to continue.

The Grauniad has an article posted by Reuters about the whole thing:

US nude swimmer defies ban on animal rights protest

BEIJING, Aug 6 (Reuters) - U.S. swimmer Amanda Beard unveiled a demure nude photograph of herself urging women “Don’t wear fur” on Wednesday, hours after Chinese authorities had prevented her from her staging a news conference for “safety” reasons.

The Athens 2004 Olympic gold medallist said she was determined to carry on even after plainclothes police banned her scheduled news conference at a Beijing hotel “for our safety”.
Beard, 26, declined to say if she believed that was the real motive for the ban.

She went ahead with her campaign, only at a different location. Instead of the hotel, she appeared in front of reporters and TV cameras outside the heavily fenced Olympic athletes’ village.
“What happens with animals when their skin is ripped from their bodies when they are still alive, it’s heartbreaking for me,” she said. The Olympics provided a great platform for making those views known, she added.

Chinese Olympic security guards watched the media scrum from the South Gate of the village but did not intervene. The German Olympic cycling team, heading out for training in hot, muggy weather, stopped for a look.

PETA spokesman Jason Baker said eight Chinese security officials in plain clothes showed up at the group’s hotel late on Tuesday to announce the planned press conference would not be permitted. They cited safety concerns, he said.

“I think they just didn’t understand what we had planned,” he told Reuters. “We are not protesting against China. We just want to promote compassion for animals.

“We know they don’t like talking about animal rights. I guess they didn’t want to take any chances right ahead of the opening of the Olympics,” Baker added.

But there would be no protest, he said. “Five years ago we wouldn’t even have considered doing this here.”

» Full article

- More info about the campaign can be found via Fur Is Dead.com

- More coverage about the photoshoot and press conference can be found on PETA Europe’s blog

Via the Beeb:

Chef sorry for poison plant error

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has apologised after he recommended use of a poisonous plant in recipes.

In a magazine interview about watercress and other wild foods, Mr Worrall Thompson said the weed henbane was “great in salads”.

Healthy & Organic Living magazine’s website has now issued an urgent warning that “henbane is a very toxic plant and should never be eaten”.

The chef had meant to recommend fat hen, which is a wild herb.

Mr Worrall Thompson, currently on holiday in Spain, told the BBC the mix-up was “embarrassing - but one of those genuine mistakes”.

Henbane - Hyoscyamus niger - has sticky serrated leaves, yellow, funnel-shaped flowers and a stale scent.

Its name has Anglo-Saxon origins - meaning killer of hens - and it can cause hallucinations, drowsiness and disorientation in humans.

Larger quantities can cause a loss of consciousness, seizures, trembling of the limbs and, in extreme cases, death.

The television chef said the poisonous weed has a “nasty history”.

“Henbane is associated with lots of mythical tales - it’s said to turn you black and it’s used in witches potions,” he said.

But fat hen is perfectly edible.

“You can use the leaves in salads like spinach, make tea and eat the roots,” said Mr Worrall Thompson.

He is unsure how the mistake happened.

“It’s a bit embarrassing but there have been no reports of any casualties. Please do pass on my apologies.”

» Full article

» Healthy & Organic Living

Kathy Freston explains…

Why Vegan Is The New Atkins

[A snippet from the article. Link to the full thing below]

…So what is someone who wants to lose weight supposed to do? The answer is fairly simple: Switch to a diet made up of a diverse selection of foods: vegetables, whole grains (we should skip the refined carbs– South Beach gets that right, of course), beans, chickpeas, nuts, fruit, lentils, etc. A wide array of evidence shows that vegans are less likely to be overweight or obese than meat-eaters–because it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle transition. Because these foods are less calorie dense and lower in fat than animal products, and because all plant foods contain zero cholesterol, eating that way allows us to shed weight in a sustainable way.

And a well-rounded vegan diet will provide us with a healthy mixture of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats, as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber. Because most nutrition advice is aimed at meat-eaters, it’s worth reading up a bit on how to maximize the health advantages of a vegan diet; I like the Optimal Vegan Nutrition web page. And of course we shouldn’t think that our healthy new diet means giving up tasty food–web sites and cookbooks with thousands of delicious vegan recipes abound; eating should be a celebration–and we should do it joyfully, like the French and others in the Mediterranean do.

» Full article

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before… Abuse on dogs still on the rise in the UK.
We are supposed to be a nation of dog lovers. Obviously not.

Via the Beeb:

Rise in dog cruelty convictions

Convictions for cruelty against dogs rose by more than a third last year, the RSPCA has said.

A Staffordshire bull terrier whose owners cut its ears off to make it look more macho is included in the charity’s annual cruelty report.

It highlights a 12% increase in all RSPCA cruelty investigations leading to 1,149 convictions.

But new powers introduced in 2007 mean the increase may not represent higher levels of actual cruelty.

Tim Wass, chief officer of the RSPCA Inspectorate, said dogs had always borne the brunt of animal cruelty.

“That’s what makes this year’s horrendous 34% increase even more shocking: it’s a massive increase on an already high figure,” he said.

One case highlighted in the report was the 2007 conviction of Abishai Hayes, 22, of Holloway, north London, who admitted torturing his 10-month-old dog.

The collie cross-breed was found with two broken legs, slash wounds to the face and deep stab wounds to the neck, legs, back and chest.

In another separate case, a dog was found in such a bad state of malnutrition that RSPCA workers struggled to identify the breed.

As well as dogs, convictions against cat and horse owners have also risen.

“These animals are the helpless victims of our throwaway society,” says Wass.

“They’re bought on a whim and discarded when the novelty wears off.”

» Full article

- A couple of local items about the abuse and neglect of some dogs - one of them from a vet.

Via the Echo:

Horror story of dog that was starved

Jul 30 2008 by Michelle Fiddler, Liverpool Echo

A PREGNANT dog was so emaciated she had to have her puppies aborted because she was too ill to carry them.

Cross-breed Donna was found together with 11 other dogs and a rabbit, many of which were on the brink of starvation, in a house in Huyton.

Her case was one of the most horrific to be highlighted as new figures released today reveal a 34% increase in convictions for cruelty to dogs across the UK.

Last year in Merseyside, 19 people were convicted of almost 40 offences.

Donna’s owner, Cheryl Antrobus, 62, of Oakfield Drive, Huyton, was given a two-year conditional discharge in June last year.

She was banned from keeping animals for five years and ordered to pay £250 costs after pleading guilty to 10 counts of failing to provide an adequate diet and veterinary attention.

Two of the dogs recovered from her home by RSPCA inspectors had to be put down, as did the rabbit.

Donna was rehomed with new owner Angela Hampson and her family in Chester and has been renamed Molly.

» Full story

Also via the Echo:

Vet struck off after owner finds pet dead

Jul 30 2008 by Kevin Core, Liverpool Echo

A MERSEYSIDE vet who said he “took his eye off the ball” because a dog owner “got on his nerves” has been struck off.

Les Higgott was removed from the veterinary register at a hearing of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) yesterday.

The Wallasey vet’s conduct was described as “almost as far distant from the standards properly to be expected of a competent veterinarian as it is possible to conceive”.

The RCVS committee heard that while treating Patricia Cook’s dog Fliss in June last year, her pet was kept in a urine-soaked, faeces-encrusted box.

When she complained, Higgott told her: “I’ve never certified a cause of death as dog s*** and wee.”

The committee heard how on one occasion when Mrs Cook visited the Poulton Road practice, Higgott refused to let her in, saying: “For f***’s sake, you were only here yesterday.”

When she went to the back of the premises to check on Fliss, she found she was dead.

Mrs Cook told Higgott, but he argued she was mistaken, until he checked the body.

The hearing found Higgott guilty of “disgraceful conduct in a professional respect”.

In a written verdict, the committee said: “The circumstances prevailing in this case resulted in the dog Fliss suffering in conditions of absolute squalor.

“The committee was of the view that the respondent’s conduct was likely to undermine public confidence in the veterinary profession and did bring the profession into disrepute.

“It is for those reasons, and not without a heavy heart, the committee concluded the only proper sanction to impose in this case is the ultimate sanction of removal of the respondent’s name from the register.

» Full article

…and he’s been busy:

Hello everyone,

“As some of you may know I’ve been living and working in Vancouver since last October.

Vancouver is amazing for being vegan and vegetarian. There are many exclusive veggie and vegan places to eat out and shop in.

I’m working on a mini series called “Veggie In Vancouver”. It’s aimed at promoting vegetarianism and veganism through the positive example of Food and day-to-day way of life that vegetarian and veganism is for many people.

I’ve created VeggieWorld, a site that will be used to categorise places by City and have video guides for a particular city. It’ll also have further information about each video guide/particular show such as a map and location of a eatery, close ups of food and embedded link of the video.

VeggieWorld : http://www.veggieworld.org.uk/

The video channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/VeggieWorld

I’ve only (last night) put the Video up for Gorilla Food, a vegan organic raw food eatery in downtown Vancouver. If you want to see what it’s like and see some great examples of raw food then check out
both parts on the video channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/VeggieWorld

There will be more shows appearing in the next week or so (I’ve got three to edit up yet, and filming a couple this week).”

» Jay Davé.com

Via the Echo:

Everton kit failed quality control

EVERTON had to shelve the launch of the club’s new kit because the first batch was not good enough.

The ECHO understands strip manufacturer Umbro decided to pull the original set of shirts after suffering problems with its producers in the Far East.

The firm is said to have cut its workforce back after a big fall in demand for its England shirts after the home nation failed to qualify for this summer’s European championships.

It is understood there were subsequent quality problems with kits produced for Everton and two other Premier League clubs.

The Blues postponed the launch of its 2008-09 strip until this Thursday earlier this month, for reasons the club described as being beyond its control.

Fans reacted angrily when the original July 10 launch date was put back, pointing out that Liverpool’s new kit has been on sale for some time.

Today, Umbro would not comment specifically on the quality of the first batch of Everton strips, although the club promised fans that kits going on sale this Thursday would be “of the highest possible standard”.

An Umbro spokesman said: “The Everton kit delay was due to logistical issues in the Far East.

» Full article

Shortage of child slave labour to make them…?

» Clean Clothes Campaign
» Ethical Consumer

» Following up on the item the other day which mentioned about any artist performing in China would be the subject of censorship - here’s a list of musicians that will soon be on a blacklist.

E! Online report via Yahoo News:

Sting, Matthews, Mayer Gamer for Tibet Than Beijing

Just in time for China’s moment in the spotlight, some of the biggest voices in showbiz are taking another stand on behalf of Tibet.

Sting, John Mayer and Dave Matthews are among the rockers lending their musicianship to Songs for Tibet, an all-star album intended to draw more attention to the Asian province’s ongoing struggle for national sovereignty.

The album, which will also feature tunes by Alanis Morissette, Moby and Garbage, will have a global release on iTunes Aug. 5, three days before the 2008 Summer Olympics get underway in Beijing. Hard copies will hit stores Aug. 12.

“We wanted to express our support for the Tibetan people and their message of peace through music, a fundamental means of expression, at a time when the eyes of the world are on China,” said the Art of Peace Foundation’s Michael Wohl, whose Dalai Lama-supporting nonprofit is behind the CD project.

Also on the track list are songs from Rush, Suzanne Vega, Imogen Heap, Damien Rice, Underworld and Duncan Sheik.

“The commitment and enthusiasm from such a wide group of artists has been astonishing and truly heartfelt. It’s been exciting orchestrating such an historic project,” album producer Rupert Hine said.

Wohl added, “This album will focus people’s attention on the importance of Tibet, the gifts of its culture, and the crisis the Tibetan people are facing today.”

And yes, the timing of Songs for Tibet’s release was deliberate, he said.

In addition to being the culmination of four years—or lifetimes—of training for thousands of athletes from all over the world, this year’s Olympics has been the most controversial since the Cold War-era Moscow Games, which the U.S. and others chose to boycott in 1980.

China has been questioned from all sides about a range of issues, from its air pollution to its human-rights record to its ties to the Sudanese government.

Steven Spielberg stepped down from his role as artistic adviser of the Beijing Olympics earlier this year in opposition to China’s relationship with Sudan despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

In March, both Björk and the seemingly less-controversial Harry Connick Jr. were both told to keep a lid on it—Björk after she shouted pro-Tibet sentiments during a concert in Shanghai, and Connick before he’d even sung a word.

Shortly after Björk was denounced for “turning a commercial show into a political performance,” censors forced the New Orleans-bred crooner to revise his set list after certain songs on the original list were deemed off-limits.

» Full article

Article via the Independent:

Experiments on animals rose to 3.2m last year

By Nigel Morris, Home Affairs Correspondent
Tuesday, 22 July 2008

More than 3.2 million experiments on animals, including dogs, cats and monkeys, were carried out last year – the highest total since the early 1990s.

Government figures showed it had presided over a steady rise in the number of animals used for research in the past 11 years, despite promises in opposition to cut the numbers. Ministers insisted the experiments were tightly controlled and essential for medical research but anti-vivisection groups accused the Government of reneging on promises to look for alternatives.

The number of experiments went up by 190,000 to 3,202,000 last year, a rise of 6 per cent. The main reason for the rise was the growing practice of breeding genetically modified mice and fish for tests in which disease-causing genes are inserted or removed. About 1.15 million such procedures took place last year, an increase of 114,000. The Home Office also recorded the use of monkeys on almost 4,000 occasions but the number of tests was down by 6 per cent.

Wendy Higgins, of the Dr Hadwen Trust, a charity that promotes humane medical research, said: “For a government that claims animals are only used when absolutely necessary, this is a shameful record indeed.”

Meg Hillier, a Home Office minister, said: “Advances with non-animal test methods continue to be made but at present licensed animal use remains essential to develop improved healthcare technologies.”

» Full article

- Alexia over at PETA Europe’s Blog has a few words to say about this plus pictures of some protesters who went to the Home Office after this news got out.

The Olympics are on 19 days away now and here are some items about the Chinese government’s efforts to control every aspect - From the environment to what people can see and hear.

How they are combating pollution, or not as the following item reports:

Beijing Begins Massive Shutdown To Curb Pollution Before Olympics

Beijing’s Olympic shutdown begins Sunday, a drastic plan to lift the Chinese capital’s gray shroud of pollution just three weeks ahead of the games.

Half of Beijing’s 3.3 million vehicles will be pulled off the roads and many polluting factories will be shuttered. Chemical plants, power stations and foundries left open have to cut emissions by 30 percent _ and dust-spewing construction in the capital will be halted.

In a highly stage-managed Olympics aimed at showing off the rising power of the 21st century, no challenge is greater than producing crystalline air for 10,500 of the world’s greatest athletes.

“Pea-soup air at the opening ceremony would be their worst nightmare,” said Victor Cha, director of Asian Studies at Georgetown University.

Striking venues and $40 billion spent to improve infrastructure cannot mask Beijing’s dirty air. A World Bank study found China is home to 16 of the 20 worst cities for air quality. Three-quarters of the water flowing through urban areas is unsuitable for drinking or fishing.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has repeatedly warned that outdoor endurance events lasting more than an hour will be postponed if the air quality is poor.

» Full story

- An item about the American television channel NBC, who paid millions for exclusive coverage of the events for the USA and what will happen and what would they do if anyone protests during the ceremonies:

NBC Officials Uncertain What Censorship They Will Face In China During Olympics

For several years now NBC has meticulously planned all the details for its coverage of the many sports events at the Summer Olympics in China.

But with the Games only 19 days away, many at the network are concerned about how they will be permitted to cover any unscheduled events, like political protests or government crackdowns — or whether the Chinese government will allow them to cover such things at all.

One of the most common hypothetical questions NBC officials have bandied about involves the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8.

Hundreds of athletes will parade into a stadium in front of world leaders, including President Bush, and a huge global television audience. If an athlete holds a protest sign or waves a Tibetan flag, how will the Chinese hosts react? Will the television networks show the scene? How will the Chinese handle the media for the rest of the Games?

The stakes are high for both the network, which paid $900 million for broadcast rights for the Olympics, and the reputation of NBC News. If it covers any controversies aggressively, it risks drawing the ire of the Chinese and interfering with coverage of sports events. But if it shies from coverage of any protests, NBC risks being criticized in the West for kowtowing to China — particularly since its corporate parent, General Electric, is aggressively expanding its investments in China.

It is a moot point actually. Since the broadcasting of pictures from the Olympics will be done by the Chinese government controlled television stations, if there are any protests it will never be seen. The screens will just go black.
» Full story.

- Lastly one from the Guardian about the knock on effect from Bjork’s appearance in Shanghi:

China to screen setlists for anti-government songs

Björk’s protest song forces China’s Ministry of Culture to review musicians who ‘threaten national unity’ or ‘violate religious policy or cultural norms’

Sean Michaels/Friday July 18, 2008

When Björk yelled “Tibet! Tibet!” at a concert in Shanghai earlier this year, she might as well have been shouting “O Chinese government - crack down on foreign artists!” Though the state’s initial response was just to rebuke the Icelandic singer, they have now implemented new policies to guard against musicians who “threaten natural unity”. China will not just be screening artists’ work visas - they will even be screening setlists.

“Any artistic group or individual who has ever engaged in activities that threaten our national sovereignty will not be allowed in,” the Ministry of Culture announced in a statement. Artists from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas will be under particular scrutiny.

China has already banned pop festivals and restricted outdoor events in the lead-up to this summer’s Olympics, fearing protests or simply unruly crowds. Björk seemed to have protesting in mind when she performed her song Declare Independence in March, throwing Tibet’s name into the mix.

China has occupied Tibet since the 1950s, calling it their own rightful territory. The Tibetan independence movement - long active on the world stage - has received renewed attention in advance of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

China has now promised to ban any performer who “threatens national unity”, “whips up ethnic hatred”, “violates religious policy or cultural norms” or “advocates obscenity or feudalism and superstition”. These conditions are sufficiently vague that we suspect Ringo Starr could be banned, say, just for singing of a superstitious Octopus’s Garden. The Ministry of Culture will also be reviewing setlists for hints of trouble - for example, any songs called Declare Independence. Even encores will be subject to government scrutiny. “Nothing that has not been approved will be allowed to be performed,” they have stated.

» Full article

… always finish with a song:
Bjork - Declare Independence: