We're a UK group of over 100 people formed to encourage people to adopt a veggie or vegan lifestyle and to enjoy ourselves too! Our members come from the South Hampshire, East Dorset and South-East Wiltshire area, which includes Southampton, Romsey, Lymington, New Milton, Ringwood, Salisbury, Fareham, Gosport, Locks Heath, Portsmouth, Petersfield, Hedge End, Waterlooville, Eastleigh and Winchester.
For the benefit of anyone who doesn't live in the UK who has surfed their way onto this web site, the Solent is a geographical area in the South of England centred on the city of Southampton. If you don't live in or near the Solent area, look at Vegetarian Society Local Network to find your nearest local UK veggie/vegan group. If you live outside the UK, go to the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) website.
Our social events include: walks, talks, parties, pubs, picnics, outings and meals at cafés and restaurants. SVV does not subsidise these - all spare cash that we raise is donated to various non-profit-making vegetarian, vegan and animal charities and groups.
Allsorts Psychic Café, 22 Carlton Place, Southampton. 023 80237561. They have soup, a choice of main courses and desserts, including many vegan choices (although choice for vegans is poor Wednesdays). Open Wednesday to Saturday 10.30 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. Elsewhere in the building during the daytime only they do massages, tarot, aromatherapy, etc. www.allsorts-psychic-cafe.com. 10% discount at Allsorts Psychic Café off daytime food and drink (but not therapies or evening food/drinks) if you're an SVV or Viva! member and spend £5 or more. Allsorts is occasionally open on Friday and Saturday evenings for veggie food and events/workshops, run by a separate organisation - Active Arts Community - see www.activeartists.org.uk.
The Art House, 178 Above Bar Street, Southampton, SO14 7DW. 023 8023 8582. www.thearthousesouthampton.co.uk. They used to be in Bedford Place, Southampton, but moved and re-opened on 12 April 2009 at their new and bigger place. It's an art gallery with a fully vegetarian café serving an imaginative range of internationally inspired vegetarian and vegan food. Open Tuesday-Sunday during the day, and also on some evenings (check their website for details).
Applebys, 5 Old Hughenden Yard, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1LT. 01672 515200. This used to be called the Stones in Marlborough but has changed its name (and presumably owners too).
Café Paradiso, 9 Priory Lanes, Northgate, Chichester, East Sussex, PO19 1AR. 01243 532967. Fairly limited choice for vegans.
The Greenhouse Kitchen, 59 Marmion Road, Southsea, Portsmouth. PO5 2AX. 023 92815511. www.thegreenhousekitchen.co.uk. Opened in May 2008. Vegetarian Society approved.
The National Trust Circle Restaurant, High St, Avebury (Near Marlborough), Wiltshire, SN8 1RF. 01672 539514. This is at the celebrated stone circle in Avebury. It used to be called the Stones Restaurant which was fully veggie. It closed down around 2000, but opened up again in 2001 as Circle Restaurant, and is now run by the National Trust. We've heard that it has remained fully vegetarian.
The Salad Centre, 667 Christchurch Rd, Boscombe, Bournemouth. 01202 393673. www.thesaladcentre.co.uk.
'The Barn', 112 Lyndhurst Road, Ashurst, Hampshire, SO40 7AU. 023 8029 2531 or 07791 990351. www.veggiebarn.net. An exclusively veggie/vegan guest house in Ashurst (in between Southampton and Lyndhurst). They currently have two rooms (both en suite) but plan on a third as and when demand requires it. Owned by vegetarians and committed to providing high quality environmentally sensitive holiday accommodation for fellow veggies and vegans. They have solar water heating and electricity, and even their website is hosted by a company that runs its web servers from renewable energy sources - see www.ecologicalhosting.com for details.
Brambles Vegan Guest House, 10 Clarence Road, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. This closed down in August 2004 but opened up again in April 2005. All rooms are en-suite, non-smoking. 01983 862507. www.bramblesvegan.co.uk.
Seashells B&B 7 Burlington Rd, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LR. 01929 422794.
Sorry, we're not expert enough to make a list, but we've seen quite a few books on this subject, and can recommend Vegetarian Britain 2006 by Alex Bourke. If you are travelling to London try Vegetarian London or Europe - Vegetarian Europe. You can buy all of these from October Books at 243 Portswood Road, Southampton - also available by mail order (see www.octoberbooks.org/veg). Another book covering the UK (cheaper and a new edition yearly, but not as good as Vegetarian Britain) is Vegetarian Visitor by Annemarie Weitzel (also available from October Books). Viva! sell lots of different local guides and also guide for different countries which you can buy from them by mail order. - see www.viva.org.uk. There's also a few internet sites which recommend places to eat out for veggies and vegans. You can help them to grow by emailing them your recommendations and corrections. We recommend www.happycow.net.
Joining means...
A year's membership costs:
£2 for under 18s, unemployed, low waged, students or pensioners
£5 for adults
£6 for family
If we've convinced you, make your cheque/PO payable to 'Solent Vegetarians and Vegans', and post it to Janet Lewis, 12B Farmery Close, Swaythling, Southampton SO18 2JX. We will keep your details on a computer since this makes life a lot easier for us. We promise not to give your details to anyone else and you'll get no junk mail. Got any questions? Phone Janet Lewis 023 8058 4824. Alternatively, email us.
UPDATE...
You can now also join for five years, with a 10% discount. It's less trouble for you since you don't keep having to pay us every year, and it's less admin for us since we only have to process your payment every five years. That's why we offer you the 10% discount. Five year's membership costs:
£9 for under 18s, unemployed, low waged, students or pensioners
£22.50 for adults
£27 for family
Remember to take along your SVV membership card to get the discount!
Ken Golding Picture Framing 023 80736466. Web: www.kengoldingpictureframing.co.uk. photographs-prints-watercolours-maps-certificates-oil paintings- etc. Large selection of frames and mountboards. Personal service and free estimates. Ken refuses to frame anything depicting bloodsports or cruelty. 10% discount (please say you are an SVV member when you order).
Sweet Joe Pye Healthfoods 31 St Thomas Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9NE. 01590 672931. Owned and run by Angela, a veggie and one of our members. NB: they close at 1 p.m. on Saturdays. 10% discount if you spend more than £10.
Allsorts Psychic Café, 22 Carlton Place, Southampton. Tel: 023 80237561. www.allsortspsychiccafe.com. 10% discount at Allsorts Psychic Café off daytime food and drink if you spend £5 or more.
Alternative Soles www.alternativesoles.com. 0191 236 4904. Mail order vegan shoes + a lot of other itemss. 20% discount on orders over £20. Email SVV if you are a member, and we'll give you a code to enter in their website.
Puja Sweet Mart, 57 St Mary's Road, Southampton. 023 8023 3677. They sells both Indian sweets and savouries, e.g. pakoras, samosas, onion bhajis. Most of the savouries and a few of the sweets are vegan. It's owned by Jagdish and Kashmira Chavda who are both vegetarian. One of our members told us "it's fantastic, and very low priced too!" They also cater for Weddings and Parties. Opening hours: Mon: Closed. Tues-Fri: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sat: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sun: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. They have recently increased their range of vegan goodies and have introduced some gluten-free goodies too.
October Books, 243 Portswood Road, Southampton, SO17 2NG. Tel: 023 8058 1030.
Web: www.octoberbooks.org.
October books moved to this new and much larger shop in 2003. They are a neighbourhood co-op aiming to provide literature and information that would not otherwise be available. They now sell 'conventional' books, but have retained their commitment to stocking alternative and challenging publications, at the same if not greater volumes, or under new or condensed categories. They have a wide range (over 100) of journals and magazines (including The Vegan and Vegan Views magazines), animal rights and environmental literature. They also stock a large range of Fair Trade/Traid Craft goodies from biscuits to bogrolls, all suitable for vegetarians and a good portion suitable for vegans! From 2008, they started to sell some organic foods. There is a large community notice board, so please send them materials to put on it. Posters/leaflets for events must mention whether the venue is wheelchair accessible. For those who have shopped till they drop, there is a comfy sofa at the front of the shop, which is conveniently located next to a frequently served bus stop. Open from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. Monday till Saturday. They are also happy to supply book stalls to large or specialised events, or book boxes for smaller events.
Sweet Joe Pye 31 St Thomas Street, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9NE. 01590 672931.
Owned and run by Angela, a veggie and one of our members. N.B: they close at 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
10% discount if you're a member of either SVV, the Vegetarian Society, Viva! or the Vegan
Society and you spend more than £10.
Spice of Life 3 Bemisters Lane, Gosport Hampshire PO12 1HB. 023 9250 1912.
10% discount if you're a member of the Vegetarian Society
The Bran Tub 20 Lavant St, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3EW. 01730 267043.
Salisbury Health Foods 15 Queen St, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 1EY. 01722 335965/412519.
10% discount if you're a member of either the
Vegetarian Society or the Vegan Society.
Wilton Wholefoods Salisbury
Not a shop but a market stall every Saturday in Market Square, and one of the owners is vegetarian. Wilton Wholefoods are also wholefood
distributors, (Redlynch, Salisbury, SP5 2HA. 01725 513122) supplying many healthfood shops, and have markets stalls at Newbury and some other towns too. Check out: www.wiltonwholefoods.co.uk.
Naturally healthy Bedford Place, Southampton.
Sunnyfields Organic Farm Jacobs Gutter Lane, Totton, Southampton, SO40 9FX. 023 80871408. www.sunnyfields.co.uk. Very extensive range. Home delivery service available, catalogue with many organic items. They also have a shop at the farm.
The Vegetarian Society Parkdale, Dunham Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 4QG, 0161 925 2000.
Web: www.vegsoc.org
The Vegetarian Society is a charity which provides many free information sheets. Examples are Basic Nutrition, Pregnancy, Infant Diet, Vegetarian Nutrition for Children, Vegetarian Wines, Footwear & Alternatives to Leather, and Gardening for Vegetarians. They will send you up to four free if you send them a stamped self-addressed envelope. You get the Vegetarian magazine, which you can't buy in the shops, free four times a year if you join. [SVV send regular donations to the Vegetarian Society.]
The Vegan Society Donald Watson House, 21 Hylton Street, Hockley, Birmingham. B18 6HJ. 0121 523 1730.
Web: www.vegansociety.com
The Vegan Society is an educational charity which provides many free information sheets. They publish several vegan books covering nutrition and cookery. They also produce a guide that's invaluable for veggies and vegans - The Animal-Free Shopper. You get the Vegan magazine (otherwise only available from some alternative book shops and a few healthfood shops) free four times a year if you join. [SVV send regular donations to the Vegan Society.]
Viva! 8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH. Tel: 0117 944 1000.
Web: www.viva.org.uk
Viva! is a vegetarian and vegan group with a strong emphasis on animal campaigning. It is especially good for teenagers and young people. You get the Viva!Life magazine (not available in the shops) free four times a year if
you join. Under 18s get Viva!Active magazine instead, which is aimed at teenage veggies & vegans. [SVV send regular donations to the Viva!]
Vegan Village gives free publicity to small organisations in the UK which are run by vegans on vegan principles. They also have a noticeboard, with several new notices appearing every day. Start sending them in!
Vegfam is a charity which provides relief to victims of drought, flood, war and other emergencies. Vegfam promotes the advantages of a plant-based diet and lifestyle for feeding the world in an environmentally friendly way. They are a sort of veggie Oxfam. [SVV send regular donations to Vegfam.]
Plants for a Future is a resource centre for rare and unusual plants, particularly those which have edible, medicinal or other uses. They practice vegan-organic permaculture with emphasis on creating an ecologically sustainable environment and perennial plants. They have two pieces of land, in Devon and Cornwall, where they demonstrate their agricultural principles and carry out research into interesting plants.
VEGA (Vegetarian Economy and Green Agriculture) is a research, information and campaigning organisation focusing on farming, food, health and the land.
Vegan Organic Network is a charity that has developed a worldwide membership and aims to promote the growing of food without the use of any animal manures or slaughterhouse by-products whatever and without the use of artificial chemicals or genetically modified material. This is the basis of growing food vegan organically. [SVV send regular donations to Vegan Organic Network.]
Stockfree Organic Services promotes the growing of food without the use of any animal manures or slaughterhouse by-products to farmers.
Movement for Compassionate Living, 105 Cyfyng Road, Ystalyfera, Swansea SA9 2BT. Working non-violently for change, promoting lifestyles that are possible for all the world's people, sustainable within the resources of the planet, environmentally friendly and free of all exploitation of animals and of people.
Vegan Views is a quarterly UK magazine available from a few radical bookshops, and also available on subscription. Their entire magazine can be downloaded for free, including many back-issues.
www.vegcom.org an accommodation free listing service for vegetarians and vegans looking for somewhere to stay or offering somewhere to stay.
www.ethicalsingles.com an online dating service specifically for singles that care about animal welfare, human rights and the environment. Vegetarians, vegans and animal lovers can meet other like-minded singles in their local area. Free sign-up! All members of the Vegetarian Society can get 10% discount off premium membership by quoting the promotional code 'UKVS93X74T' when upgrading.