Talks & Demos

Once again we have a stunning line up of Talks & Demos at the BVF 08, including some of the most interesting and knowledgeable vegan people in the UK. Following on from the success of last year’s food prep classes and the huge interest in Raw Food, we have introduced a new area – the Raw Food Prep Class, where some of the UK’s leading Raw Foodies will be sharing their zest for all things raw and living. This in addition to the Living Raw Talks room, which continues from last year along with the Cookery Demos area, the Campaigns Talks area and the Nutrition Talks area.

Thanks to all our wonderful talkers and demo-ers for their assistance – it’s appreciated.

Living Raw Talks Room

Sponsored by Total Raw Foods

Featuring some of the UK’s leading raw foodies, this area focuses on Living Raw and the information you need to make the transition from cooked to raw, or simply to pick up some info about introducing more raw options into your lifestyle.

Saturday

• 12pm Jess Michael – Total Raw Food
• 1pm James Southwood – Championship Training on a Raw Diet
• 2pm Debbi Took – My Beautiful Year
• 3pm Jill Swyers – Living Foods & Raw Foods
• 4pm Gina Shaw – Successful Fasting & Cleansing
• 5pm Emma Goldie – Raw Intent

Sunday

• 12pm Jess Michael- Superfoods for Weight Loss
• 1pm Jill Swyers – Weight Loss/Weight Gain
• 2pm James Southwood – Raw Power
• 3pm Gina Shaw – Vegan Nutrition
• 4pm Saskia Fraser – Spirituality & Living in the Raw
• 5pm TBC

James Southwood

James Southwood is a very nice fella indeed and is also a UK Champion and European Silver Medalist in his chosen field of sport, Savate kickboxing. As well as teaching and competing in the sport, James follows a 100% raw vegan diet which he has done for years now, and here James explains some of the essential points to maintaining optimum health whilst pushing the body to the limits of endurance. Very very interesting, very inspirational, and absolutely essential information for those who are competing on a vegan diet or who have particularly active lifestyles – as well as everyone else! Learn how to keep your energy levels at their peak!

Gina Shaw

Gina Shaw is a lovely lady who for years has studied, taught, practised and written about cleansing, fasting and feasting on living foods as well as all round health and well being. She is a regular at the BVF and her talks are always challenging and informative and once again we extend a very warm welcome to Gina and thank her for coming all this way to share her passion and knowledge with us all.

Jess Michael

The Raw Lifestyle Coach, is the raw food coach to the stars. She is one of the UK's leading raw food experts, and one of the most inspiring and motivating health food promoters. She is the joint Managing Director of Total Raw Food Ltd, the UK's online raw and living food resource centre and superfood superstore. She is a best selling ebook author and health food writer and speaker. Total Raw Food: The Complete Guide for Beginners is her current ebook, whilst her forthcoming ebook Delectable Desserts will be out in the spring. Jess appears regularly in the national media as a raw food and raw chocolate pioneer, and has gone on to successfully develop the unique Real Raw Chocolate bar collection. Recently appeared on TV - see here here!! http://www.totalrawfood.com/media/   www.totalrawfood.com   www.therawlifestylecoach.com  

Raw Food Prep Class Zone

How to feast on Living Foods – this area will contain non – stop ‘cookery’ classes in raw food nutrition. Learn all about smoothies, superfoods, greens, fats, raw chocolate - and how to throw the most amazing raw banquets – every day!

Saturday

• 12pm Kate Magic – Raw Foods from the Heart
• 1pm Jill Swyers – The Wonders of Wheatgrass
• 2pm Louise Ashley – Plant Foods & Raw Recipes
• 3pm Jess Michael – Raw Chocolate Brownies
• 4pm Kate Magic – Raw Magic
• 5pm Tony Bishop Weston – Avocado Cheesecake

Sunday

• 12pm Debbie Took – Raw Food Real World
• 1pm Kate Magic – Kate’s Cacao Magic
• 2pm Emma Goldie – Raw Intent
• 3pm Jess Michael – Raw Apple Pie
• 4pm Jill Swyers – Green Power Smoothies
• 5pm Kate Magic – Raw Magic

Kate Magic

Kate is one of the leading raw food promoters in the UK. She has fifteen years of experience of raw eating, and is raising her three young sons on a raw diet. She is the author of ‘Eat Smart, Eat Raw’ (Grub Street 2002); and ‘Raw Living’, a recipe book and guide to the raw lifestyle, also published by Grub Street. ‘Raw Magic’, her third book, a ground-breaking book of superfood recipes, and another UK first, is published by Rawcreation in April of this year. She is also the proud parent of the Raw Living range of chocolate bars and cakes.
We’d like this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to Kate for coming once again to share her passion and experience for all things raw and warmly recommend that parents especially come to one of her classes to learn all about making the ,most excellent living food creations,
Kate’s talks and demos include:

1) Raw Foods from the Heart

Come try out Kate’s signature Pasta Sauce recipe as featured in books, magazine articles, and even on TV!

2) Raw Magic

This is cutting edge nutritional teaching, combined with empowering inspiration and wisdom, and utterly amazing food - for your mind, your heart and your body, it's all in Raw Magic.

3) Kate’s Cacao Magic

Kate will be hosting an out of this world chocolate workshop like you’ve never experienced before. Kate will go into great detail about the cacao bean: its healing effects, its nutritional properties, its good sides and its down sides.

Jill Swyers

Jill Swyers is charming and wonderful individual with a really excellent approach to all things health and particular using Living Foods to achieve optimum health. Her down to earth, informed and lively presentations make her one of the most engaging speakers we are blessed with at the BVF and anyone looking to achieve better health and more energy should head straight ot one of Jill’s talks. We love Jill and we are grateful for her coming once again. Thanks Jill.
Jill’s 4 talks and demos include:

1) Wonders of Wheatgrass & other Chlorophyll-Rich Foods

Chlorophyll is the basis of all plant life as it allows plants to obtain energy from light. Green foods such as wheatgrass, barley grass and chlorella are particularly rich in chlorophyll and when eaten can create a highly-oxygenated environment in the body which allows the brain and all body tissues to function at an optimal level. This informative talk by Hippocrates Health Educator, Jill Swyers, will focus on the health properties and healing powers of wheatgrass and other foods rich in chlorophyll and will give you practical guidance as to how you can incorporate them into your diet.

2) Green Power Smoothies

How to make juicing part of your daily life and gain energy. Make life easier.

3) Living Foods & Raw Food. What this really means.

It is about understanding and getting balance of nutrition for the body from delicious Optimum energy foods.

4) Weight Loss / Weight Gain / Longevity / Energy / Reverse Disease

How to gain this from Living & Raw Foods. It is about change - just go that one step at a time. Add balance of raw nutrients to see a change!

Louise Ashley

Louise Ashley and h usband Jason Liosatos, recently opened a holistic workshop in Cornwall. Louise gives courses on healthy eating using a plant based diet, cooked / raw foods, and meditation. Louise's new poetry book "Survival in a Modern World", about life, love and the environment, includes some animal poems too. On 27th/28th Sept 2008, Louise and Jason   are holding an Eco/ Health/ Lifestyle event at the Eden Project, including some lectures on the effects the demand for animal products is having on the environment and our health. Louise's other publication is a called 'Healthy Eating with Plant Foods' www.therosesholisticcentre.com   Tel:01726 852583

Debbie Took

Debbie Took found Shazzie's site in February 2006 and said to her family, 'Don't worry, I'm not going to turn into a raw foodist!'   A few days later... raw for life!   With inspirations as diverse as The Essene Gospel of Peace, Hovannessian, and Big Brother (she will explain...), just eighteen months later Debbie is the Moderator of the thriving Raw Food UK Forum, runs a raw food coaching service, and has become 'one of the best-known raw foodists in the country.'    Debbie takes a 'raw food real world' approach, reaching out to those from all walks of life, from mainstream to alternative. Using the skills learned in a past life in media, and as a lecturer and teacher, with a passionate, enthusiastic and upbeat approach, her mission is to inform, encourage and inspire others to adopt the raw vegan diet - a diet that transforms physically, psychologically and spiritually.   www.rawforlife.co.uk

Campaigns Talks Area

This area represents the heart and soul of the BVF – the Campaigns area allows some of our most accomplished and respected campaigners to share their passion and commitment for a vegan cruelty free world. Prepare to be inspired!

Saturday

• 12pm - Clare - The SHAC Campaign
• 1pm - Keith Mann - Beyond the Mask
• 2pm - Justin Kerswell - Going Vegan
• 3pm - Mike Nott - The Monkey Sanctuary
• 4pm - Louise - Campaign against the Fur Trade
• 5pm - Rob Jackson - Vegan Education in Schools

Sunday

• 12pm ProGalgo – Greyhounds in Spain
• 1pm - Amanda - The SPEAK campaign
• 2pm - Amanda Baker - The Environment and Dairy Farming
• 3pm Mark Gold – Better Laughing Than Crying
• 4pm - Cerys Roberts - League Against Cruel Sports
• 5pm Speak Political – Campaigning for Animals

Mark Gold – Animal Aid

Mark Gold was Director of Animal Aid for twelve years and still works for the organisation, particularly on food issues. He is the author of four books on animal themes, including Living Without Cruelty and Animal Century. His first novel, Cranks & Revolution - a semi-comical history of 50 years of protest in the UK that is partly about trying to turn Thatcher and Blair's Britain vegan - is scheduled for publication at the end of 2008.

ProGalgo

Every year more than 50,000 Galgos are brutally beaten, or simply starve to death, or most brutally they are hanged. As the dog is hanged so that his hind feet still touch the ground, he then survives for hours or even days until slowly strangling himself. PRO-GALGO aims to raise awareness of the plight of Galgos, pressure the Spanish government into enforcing their welfare laws in regards to hunting dogs; and to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home these noble and gentle hounds.

Justin Kerswell

Justin Kerswell is Viva!'s Campaigns Manager, heading a busy team making sure that animal and vegan related stories hit the headlines and effect change. He has been a vegetarian since he was 15 and vegan for the last 5 years - and has never been healthier or happier!

Justin will talk about how you can save even more animals going vegan than just by simply being a vegetarian. Also, how you can protect the planet, people in the developing world and yourself by simply making a few changes to your diet. Also, some practical tips on how to make the change as easy as ABC!

The Monkey Sanctuary

The Monkey Sanctuary Trust is an environmental and educational charity. The Trust aims to promote the welfare and conservation of primates; to create and maintain primate sanctuaries with excellent welfare practices and standards; to deliver far reaching education programmes to engage all visitors and sectors of the community on primates, conservation and environmental issues; to lobby political decision makers on primate issues and campaign against the primate pet trade. The Trust is cooperatively run and promotes vegetarianism and a sustainable lifestyle.

Amanda Baker

Amanda works as the Vegan Society's Media Relations officer and also runs their website, www.vegansociety.com - which is packed with vegan information. Amanda will discuss the environmental impact of the dairy industry. Shockingly, human farming of animals causes more climate change than all our cars, SUVs and planes combined. Dairy cows have a higher climate impact per animal than other cattle, because they are constantly lactating.   Dairy cheese has a particularly large eco-footprint .

The Vegan Society is a small membership charity promoting vegan lifestyles for the benefit of people, animals and the planet.

Rob Jackson

Rob is the Education Officer at the Vegan Society, heading up their new programme of school resources and speakers.   He'll be talking about and demonstrating the Vegan Society's Interactive CD-ROM, giving an update on the project and showing how you can get involved.   Rob's been vegan for 9 years, working on a Stockfree farm for two seasons before going back to his home town of Birmingham when the Vegan Society relocated there.

Nutrition Talks Area

Experts in vegan nutrition make up an excellent panel of talks in this vital and often misunderstood area of the vegan lifestyle. Anyone who is still wondering ‘Where do you get you protein (and iron, calcium, omega 3’s etc)’ will find all the answers here and a lot more too, including advice and information on vegan nutrition for kids, babies and older people.

Saturday

• 12pm Mike Abrahams – Food, the Best Medicine
• 1pm Amanda Woodvine – White Meat White Lies
• 2pm Anthony Aurelius – Fit Guy
• 3pm Dr Stephen Walsh – Plant Based Nutrition
• 4pm John Hamilton – Skincare Nutrition
• 5pm Lenka Pagan – The Vegan Diet and Children
  

Sunday

• 12pm Gareth Zeal – Vegan Sports Nutrition
• 1pm Dr Justine Butler – Why You Don’t Need Dairy
• 2pm Amanda baker – Vegan Catering for All
• 3pm Amanda Woodvine – Preventing Heart Disease
• 4pm Andrew Knight – Vegan Diets for Companion Animals
• 5pm TBC

Andrew Knight BSc, BVMS, CertAW, MRCVS

London-based veterinary scientist Andrew Knight is the President of Animals Count (www.AnimalsCount.org) – a political party for the animals, the Director of Animal Consultants International (www.AnimalConsultants.org) - which provides multidisciplinary expertise for animal issues, and the founder of the Extreme Vegan Sporting Association (www.ExtremeVeganSports.org) – which is extremely good fun. He speaks internationally on vegan companion animal diets (www.VegePets.info), animal experimentation, animal use in education and other topics. His published scientific studies provide some of the strongest evidence to date demonstrating that animal experiments do not generally contribute toward advances in human healthcare (www.AnimalExperiments.info), and received three awards at international scientific conferences in 2005-2006.

Anthony Aurelius

Anthony Aurelius known in the media to be ‘The UK’s No.1 Fitness Expert’ and he is VEGAN! Anthony is also a successful Author. In 2007, his new book ‘Why Exercise’ was published.
Anthony is the Founder of Dynamic Choi Kwon Do, a non-combat, non-violent martial art designed for self-defence, health & fitness and personal development. The system is both scientific and fun to learn. If you have aims to make your body and mind stronger, by learning how to exercise properly, Anthony’s talk will be of great interest to you.
His new book, written with fellow Nutritional Advisor, James Gorman - ‘Fit Guy’ - promoting Vegan living with passion and humour, will also be available at the show.

Gareth Zeal

Gareth is a leading expert in sports nutrition and as well as being vegan for many years he is also an Aiki – Jitsu master, a former powerlifter and also nutritional adviser to a number of Premiership football clubs in the not too distant past. An excellent speaker, he will guide you through all the mysteries surrounding the vegan lifestyle and achieving the highest level of success both in competitive and relaxational sport.

Mike Abrahams

Food the Best Medicine
(how to stop killing yourself with what you eat)
Letting food be our medicine and medicine be our food is all very well in principle, but what food, and what medicine? Cutting through the hype and fads around food, here is a clear and logical introduction to simple ways of balancing your diet for optimal health while as a bonus, you'll be minimising your carbon footprint.

You'll also learn how to choose the best local, seasonal and organic vegan foods and cooking styles for exciting, nourishing and healing meals for you, your family and friends.

Dr Justine Butler

Dr Justine Butler is a Senior Health Campaigner at the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation and author of the ground-breaking White Lies report. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, BSc Biochemistry and Diploma in Nutrition. She has written an extensive list of articles published in national and regional newspapers including the Guardian, and given numerous radio interviews including BBC Radio 4's Farming Today. 

Justine's compelling talk Why You Don't Need Dairy asks: is it natural or normal to consume cow's milk? Why is milk full of hormones and how do they affect us? What are the links to certain cancers and other diseases? And do we and our children need calcium from dairy?

Amanda Woodvine

Amanda Woodvine holds a BSc degree in Nutrition from King's College, London and is one of the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation's Senior Health Campaigners. Her specialties include chronic disease prevention and vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and she regularly gives dietary advice to branches of the Stroke Association. She is about to launch a campaign challenging the assumption that poultry is a healthy food. Amanda will be presenting two talks:

White meat: white lies! The latest on how eating poultry really affects your health Nutritionist Amanda asks whether poultry is just another junk food - and guides you towards tasty, healthy alternatives.

Preventing and treating heart disease and stroke with a vegan diet

How to understand, prevent and reverse cardiovascular disease. And why vegan diets are best. Also great tips on how to eat to save your heart.

Cookery Demos

Brilliant and highly entertaining zone hosted by the affable Mr Tony Bishop –Weston, who will most likely be appearing as his alter ego the infamous pirate Long John Tofu. Learn how to make the most amazing selection of nutritious, healthy, tasty animal free concoctions available today!

Saturday

• 12pm Tony Bishop Weston– Muff Diving – Healthy Vegan Muffins
• 1pm Heavenly Cakes – Apple Crumble & Ice Cream
• 2pm Clare Persey – Introduction to Vegan Cooking
• 3pm Jane Easton – Veganise It
• 4pm Gareth Blake – Hot Chocolate & Truffles
• 5pm Kemi from KemiSoy – Cooking with Soya
  

Sunday

• 12pm Ben Asamani – Cooking with Seitan
• 1pm Julie from Yaoh – Pizzas and dessert
• 2pm Jane Easton – Have a Heart
• 3pm Lush – Making Fresh Bodycare
• 4pm Tony Bishop – Weston – Sneaking in Superfoods
• 5pm Louise Ashley – Plant Foods, Cooked Recipes
  

Kemi Daniels

Whole Soya Recipes (Beyond Tofu)- Fun Fast Filling Fantastic Foods
Soya’s amazing versatility makes it so easy to include in your daily diet and benefit from its wealth of health benefits. For the full spectrum of health benefits packed in this magic bean, Kemi Daniels, a Pharmacist with a passion for soya as Nutrition for Health, has created a unique range of whole-soya, vegan-friendly, high fibre, omega-3 rich, protein rich, wheat free, low GI, Soya Superfoods. Learn how to prepare some truly unique, quick, easy, delightfully delicious dishes, fit for a feast
www.kemsoy.com

Heavenly Cakes

We make cakes straight from heaven! Handmade and healthy. Made with organic spelt flour, coconut oil and raw-cane sugar. No preservatives, additives or soya. (We also make gluten-free and diabetic-friendly cakes).

Taste is first and foremost for us when we’re creating our unique vegan and free-from recipes. So many people are deterred from eating free-from or vegan foods because of an unfounded pre-conception or previous bad experience with the taste or texture of a product. We want to re-introduce more and more people to great tasting, premium and indulgent treats. Contact us through www.heavenlycakes4u.co.uk or 07958498583.

Ben Asamani

Ben Asamani is the Head Chef from the renowned 222 Veggie Vegan Restaurant in West Kensington & will be demonstrating a range of easy to cook dishes using Vegetalia’s organic Seitan. Seitan is a very versatile meat free ingredient and can be used in any recipe instead of meat or fish. Ben is one of the founders of 222, he is a highly trained international chef of vegetarian and vegan food. He is always willing to create dishes that stimulate your taste buds, giving consideration to texture and appearance and to nutritional value – a top class chef with a God-given talent for cooking. 222 was selected by The Times for ‘Top Ten Vegetarian Restaurants’.

Tony Bishop Weston - Long John Tofu - Cookery Demos Host

Tony Bishop-Weston will once again be dissolving vegan catering myths and proving anything is possible in an ethical vegan kitchen. Tony (who recently appeared on BBC's Donny Osmond Game Show, Identity) helped transform The Vegetarian Society and Vegan Society following ten years at Taigh Na Mara Highland Guesthouse proving that vegan catering is even viable in the most off the beaten track locations that Scotland has to offer. His new book with the ridiculously long title 'The Complete Book of Vegan Cooking: Everything You Need to Know About Going Vegan, from Choosing Ingredients to Advice on Health and Nutrition' by Anness Publishing is the latest in a long list of vegducational veganic projects. His company PEA PR helped his wife, celebrity London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston, set up Foods for Life, a nutrition consultancy in London that has resulted in regular ethical and sustainable healthy messages appearing in many magazines, newspapers, on radio and on TV. His new project MiV is committed to campaigning to make healthier vegan pizzas the norm on every high street in the UK. Other new projects include some cookery DVD's by White Dolphin Films and a plant based optimal health and weight loss program with a working title of  The 007 Diet and the 'Lush - Against Animal Testing UK Road-show'

Julie from Yaoh

Julie has raised her whole family on a veggie/vegan diet over the last quarter century here in Bristol, and is a real maestro when it comes to making nourishing tasty and imaginative vegan food - especially designed to keep the kids happy too. Here our Julie prepares vegan pizzas and also shows how to rustle up some excellent vegan desserts including her legendary vegan blackcurrant tofu cheesecake. Not to be missed and bound to be well attended. Cheers Jule, very much appreciated

Clare Persey - Introduction to Vegan Foods

Clare is Information Officer at the Vegan Society. She has studied vegan catering and chefed in a vegan cafe. She wrote 'Being Vegan - A Guide' for The Vegan Society and in her workshop aims to show new and aspiring vegans that they can still have chocolate, cake and all sorts of other delights.

So, if you don't know your soy from your Oy! then come to this short introduction to vegan foods:

- taste test different soya and rice milks and vegan chocolate

- find out about meat alternatives

- learn some tips with tofu

- learn the secrets of vegan cake-making

- make a delicious healthy pudding in five minutes

Includes a free information pack to take home.

Jane Easton

Jane Easton is Food and Cookery Co-ordinator for both Viva! and the Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who loves to demystify vegan cooking and inspire non-vegans and vegans alike.

Jane will be doing two demos - her first on Saturday is Veganise It! -How to give old favourites a healthy and cruelty-free makeover

and then on Sunday - Have a Heart - preventing and reversing heart disease with delicious, healthy dishes/without losing taste - How to prevent and even reverse heart disease by simple and delicious tweaks to your diet - as shown to various branches of the Stroke Association in the UK

Gareth Blake

One of the joys of running a vegan chocolate truffle business is being constantly surrounded by one of the planets greatest ingredient, cacao. In its raw form it can be ground down to a paste and with a few natural ingredients added can make a drink fit for the ancient Aztec Emperors. In its processed form it can be used to make smooth and creamy truffles that will fill your mouth rich chocolaty goodness.

Gareth is a vegan chef and a chocolatier (in training) that has written two recipe books and runs a vegan chocolate company called Hipo Hyfryd.