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It might surprise some to learn that The Vegetarian Society is over 150 years old. A far cry from its status today as a modern, influential organisation, its origins were far more humble. |
| In 1807, the Reverend William Cowherd, founder of the Bible Christian Church in Salford, famously advanced the principle of abstinence from the consumption of flesh. Two followers of Rev Cowherd, Rev William Metcalfe and Rev James Clark set sail for the United States with 39 other members of the Bible Christian Church in 1817 and it was from this that the American vegetarian movement grew. |
 Joseph Brotherton, MP for Salford, chaired the historic meeting at Ramsgate which led to the formation of The Vegetarian Society. Northwood Villa, opened in 1846 as a 'hydropathic infirmary' for people of limited means - it was the first vegetarian hospital in Britain.
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Joseph Brotherton, social reformer and MP for Salford (also a member of Rev Cowherd's congregation), was an important figure in the formation of The Vegetarian Society. Earlier, in 1812, his wife published the first vegetarian cookery book. Although there were many vegetarians, until the mid-l9th century there was still no formal organisation to represent them.
On the 30 September 1847, at a vegetarian hospital called Northwood Villa in Ramsgate, Kent The Vegetarian Society was born. The name was the result of a unanimously passed resolution. The following year, at the Society's first annual meeting in Manchester, the fledgling organisation could boast 478 members, with 232 attending the post-AGM dinner. London's vegetarians met in 1849 and decided to organise to spread vegetarianism in the capital further. In September 1849 'The Vegetarian Messenger' was launched, with almost 5,000 copies circulated each month of this penny publication. |
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Shorthand 'guru' Isaac Pitman spoke at the Society's second annual meeting, proudly announcing that he had been vegetarian for 11 years.
Throughout the 1850s, meetings were held in many parts of the country, resulting in a number of local branches. |
 George Bernard Shaw (pictured in 1937), became vegetarian in 1881.
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In 1877 The London Food Reform Society (LFRS) was formed, with Dr T R Allinson of bakery fame one of its founder members, a man who abstained from flesh, tobacco and alcohol. The two societies merged in 1885, with the LFRS becoming the London branch of The Vegetarian Society until 1888, when there was a breakaway and the formation of The London Vegetarian Society, with its own publication -- 'The Vegetarian' (replaced by 'Vegetarian News' in 1921).
By the late 19th century, Britain could boast two influential vegetarian organisations. Both were to flourish as the nation entered the 20th century. The great Mahatma Gandhi was a member of The London Vegetarian Society, and playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw joined the original society, which was based in Manchester. Other notable vegetarians of the time included the Salvation Army's Bramwell Booth, Dr Anna Kingsford -- a leading campaigner for women's rights, Mrs Annie Besant of the Theosophical Society, and the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. In 1908, as a consequence of the growth in vegetarian movements world-wide, the International Vegetarian Union (IVU) was founded, succeeding the Vegetarian Federal Union which had been established in 1889. To this day, the IVU continues to encourage vegetarian societies around the world to work together to promote vegetarianism on a global stage. Throughout the IVU's history, members, board members and staff from The Vegetarian Society have figured significantly. |
| In 1920 The Vegetarian Society held a summer school at Arnold House, Llanddulas, with amazing attendance figures of approximately 70 people each week. Both societies organised holidays and outings for vegetarians, with the May meetings of The Vegetarian Society remaining hugely popular annual events until well after World War Two. |  Holiday centres became a feature of the Society's activities in the 1920s, with its May meetings particularly popular. |
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Wartime proved difficult for the nation's vegetarians as rations did not then make provision for vegetarians in the armed forces.
The situation during the Second World War improved somewhat with the formation of the Committee of Vegetarian Interests, which included members of the nation's two vegetarian societies, as well as health food retailers and manufacturers. Despite the bloodshed of the battle field, vegetarians continued to show their firm commitment to the cause. Concessions were won from the authorities and vegetarians were allowed extra rations of nuts and cheese, with special ration books also available on the 'Home Front', along with the encouragement for people to 'Dig For Victory', by growing their own fruits and vegetables. In 1944, a group of vegetarians who ate no animal-derived foods, including eggs and dairy products, decided to organise themselves formally. The Vegan Society was the result, which continues in very good health to the present day. With the end of rationing, the Committee turned its attention to the production of cheese with non-animal rennet, to examining general standards in vegetarian catering and also to the manufacturing and greater availability of soya milk. |
| Vegetarian cuisine really began to flourish in the 1950s. Walter Fleiss, owner of the popular 'Vega' restaurant off London's Leicester Square, convinced the Salon Culinaire Food Competition organisers to incorporate a vegetarian food category, with The Vegetarian Society sponsoring the event and those subsequent. Vegetarianism was now well and truly in the public realm. |
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During the 1950s and '60s, old rivalries were forgotten and the two vegetarian societies began to work together, with calls by many for
unification. In 1958 the two magazines merged into 'The British Vegetarian'. On 1 October 1969, the two societies amalgamated to form The Vegetarian Society, finding a home at Parkdale. The magazine had undergone several name changes but was to revert back to 'The Vegetarian' and in its many guises has enjoyed continuous publication since 1848.
During the 1950s, Dr Frank Wokes developed the Vegetarian Nutritional Research Centre, based in Watford, with the Society working in close partnership to promote research into vegetarian food and health. Eventually it was incorporated into the Society and much valuable research has been carried out with results published in leading journals, magazines and newspapers. In 1982 The Vegetarian Society established The Cordon Vert Cookery School, an unrivalled vegetarian academy of culinary excellence. In 1986, a scheme was developed to grant manufacturers the right to use the Society's logo on foods which satisfied the Society's strict guidelines on vegetarian suitability. This development was not only to make shopping more convenient it also pioneered the appearance of other vegetarian symbols on food packaging, as manufacturers and supermarkets followed suit. In 1991 the Society first staged National Vegetarian Week, which has been held almost every year since. The event has proved to be hugely popular and has also ensured that vegetarianism has hit the headlines of the national and local media. This has had a knock-on effect of attracting hundreds of thousands of people to vegetarianism and the joining of an organisation which so vigorously promotes it. Vegfest was introduced in 1997. It continues to be a fun-filled day of vegetarian celebration, which usually takes place in central Manchester and draws many thousands of attendees every year. A number of other organisations dealing with specific aspects of the vegetarian lifestyle have also been founded and developed alongside The Vegetarian Society. The Vegetarian Housing Association (formerly Homes For Elderly Vegetarians) provides sheltered accommodation in various locations nationwide. The British Vegetarian Youth Movement was responsible for co-ordinating social events and outdoor activities for many years. In 1986 the assets of The Vegetarian Children's Charity were combined with the Jersey Vegetarian Home for Children, to form The Vegetarian Charity, which still exists to support young vegetarians. In more recent years, there has been major redevelopment of the Parkdale site, predominantly focused around the Cordon Vert Cookery School. Parkdale can now also provide superb conference facilities. Such significant development work has occurred without compromise to the undeniable original character and charm of Parkdale. The preservation of which has been central to the project which was completed in 1999, as an alternative to a wholesale move to central Manchester, which had also been considered. There have been many important and compelling developments and personalities that have forged the identity of today's Vegetarian Society, as it heads with confidence and commitment towards the challenges of a new millennium. The Vegetarian Society is just as relevant as it ever was. It can take a lot of the credit for bringing vegetarian food to the nation's dinner plates and menus, it remains a powerful and pioneering force, helping to shape the very future of food in the UK. As for the next 150 years, who knows? One can only wonder, as those pages are still to be written... |
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next page: history of the Cordon Vert Cookery School |
| www.vegsoc.org/21cv : 21st Century Vegetarian |