Vegetarian Society
The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom is a British registered charity. It campaigns for dietary changes, licenses Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks for vegetarian and vegan products, runs a cookery school and lottery, and organises National Vegetarian Week in the UK.
In the 19th century, various groups in Britain promoted meat-free diets, leading to the formation of the Vegetarian Society in 1847, which later split into the Manchester and London Vegetarian Societies in 1888 before reuniting in 1969, registering as a charity, and continued advocating for vegetarianism through public education and influencing food producers.
Focus areas and activities
The Vegetarian Society campaigns to encourage dietary changes, reduce meat consumption, and assist policymakers in developing a more compassionate food system.In 1969, the Society introduced the Vegetarian Society Approved trademark. It launched a Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark in 2017. The trademarks are licensed to companies to display on products which contain only vegetarian or vegan ingredients, and also that nothing non-vegetarian or non-vegan was used during the production process. These trademarks can be seen on products in shops and supermarkets and also on dishes in restaurants. In 2022 McDonald's launched their McPlant burger across the UK which is accredited with the Vegetarian Society Approved vegan trademark.
National Vegetarian Week is the charity's flagship event. It started in 1992 as a single day and was expanded into a full week.
The Vegetarian Society Cookery School runs leisure classes in vegetarian and vegan cooking. It collaborates with various charities and community groups to provide tailored cookery courses. The school offers training for professional chefs and individuals seeking new careers in the food sector through its Professional Chef's Diploma program.
History
19th century
In the 19th century, a number of groups in Britain actively promoted and followed meat-free diets. Key groups involved in the formation of the Vegetarian Society were members of the Bible Christian Church, supporters of the Concordium, and readers of the Truth-Tester journal.Bible Christian Church
The Bible Christian Church was founded in 1809 in Salford by Reverend William Cowherd after a split from the Swedenborgians. One distinctive feature of the Bible Christians was a belief in a meat-free diet, or ovo-lacto vegetarianism, as a form of temperance.Concordium (Alcott House)
The Concordium was a boarding school near London on Ham Common, Richmond, Surrey, which opened in 1838. Pupils at the school followed a diet completely free of animal products, known today as a vegan diet. The Concordium was also called Alcott House, in honour of American education and food reform advocate Amos Bronson Alcott. In 1843, members of Alcott House created the British and Foreign Society for the Promotion of Humanity and Abstinence from Animal Food, led by Sophia Chichester, a wealthy benefactor of Alcott House.''Truth-Tester'' and Physiological Conference, 1847
The Truth-Tester was a journal which published material supporting the temperance movement. In 1846 the editorship was taken over by William Horsell, operator of the Northwood Villa Hydropathic Institute in Ramsgate. Horsell gradually steered the Truth-Tester towards promotion of the "Vegetable Diet". In early 1847 a letter to the Truth-Tester proposed the formation of a Vegetarian Society. In response to this letter, William Oldham held what he called a "physiological conference" in July 1847 at the Concordium. Up to 130 attended, including Bible Christian James Simpson, who presented a speech. The conference passed a number of resolutions, including a resolution to reconvene at the end of September.Ramsgate Conference, 1847
On 30 September 1847 the meeting which had been planned at the Physiological Conference took place at Northwood Villa Hydropathic Institute in Ramsgate. Joseph Brotherton, MP for Salford, and a Bible Christian chaired. James Simpson was elected president of the society, Concordist William Oldham elected treasurer, and Truth-Tester editor William Horsell elected secretary. The name "Vegetarian Society" was chosen for the new organisation by a unanimous vote.After Ramsgate
The Vegetarian Society's first full public meeting was held in Manchester the following year, attracting 265 members aged 14 to 76, with 232 attending the dinner following the meeting. By 1853, it had 889 members.In 1849, members in London met and resolved to promote vegetarianism in the capital. In September, they launched The Vegetarian Messenger, priced at one penny, with a monthly circulation of almost 5,000 copies. The society made publications available on the subject, sometimes with accompanying lectures.
Following the deaths of Simpson, Brotherton, and their American colleague Alcott, the vegetarian movement experienced a sharp decline. Membership numbers fell significantly during the 1860s and 1870s, with only 125 members remaining by 1870.
London Food Reform Society
The London Food Reform Society, founded in 1875 with the help of Martin Nunn, an advocate of cooperation and industrial reform, held free bi-monthly lectures and debates at Franklin Hall, attracting increasing audiences due to support from eager young men and notable food reformers. John E. B. Mayor served as its president and was succeeded by W. J. Monk, when Mayor became president of the Vegetarian Society.The LFRS's Food Reform Magazine subtly criticised the Vegetarian Society in Manchester for not being supportive enough. While Manchester believed its organisation was sufficient, London vegetarians, often recent converts, disagreed and considered relocating the national offices to London.
Debates in 1882 and 1883 on expanding to a national scope faced criticism due to potential hostility and funding issues. The LFRS briefly renamed itself the National Food Reform Society until October 1885 when the Vegetarian Society paid its debts and made it an auxiliary in London. This led to the loss of the LFRS's subscription list interest, office closure, and establishment of an independent auxiliary. In 1888 the auxiliary regained its independence as the London Vegetarian Society.
Dietary policy debates and growth
From its inception, the Vegetarian Society was significantly influenced by members of the Bible Christian Church in Salford, who supported the inclusion of eggs, dairy products, and honey in the vegetarian diet based on biblical teachings. The Church did not advocate for the reduction or elimination of these animal-derived products.In the early 1850s, the London Vegetarian Association was established as a local branch of the Vegetarian Society and became associated with a form of vegetarianism that excluded animal products such as eggs and dairy. Led by William Horsell, a former secretary of the national Society, the LVA was influenced by the Alcott House community, which had promoted a plant-based diet. This approach differed from the ovo-lacto vegetarianism supported by many Society members in Manchester, including those affiliated with the Bible Christian Church. In 1856, Horsell was replaced by a secretary more aligned with the national leadership, and the LVA appears to have declined shortly thereafter. The group is considered an early example of differing views within the British vegetarian movement regarding the inclusion of animal-derived foods.
Henry Stephens Salt argued in his 1886 work A Plea for Vegetarianism that the primary aim of vegetarians should be the abolition of flesh-meat, while also acknowledging that dairy products and eggs were unnecessary and could be dispensed with in the future. Salt emphasised a focus on avoiding unhealthy, expensive, and unwholesome foods, rather than solely eliminating animal products.
Francis William Newman served as president of the Vegetarian Society from 1873 to 1883. He made an associate membership possible for people who were not completely vegetarian, such as those who ate chicken or fish. Newman was critical of raw food vegetarianism which he rejected as fanatical. He believed that abstinence from meat, fish and fowl should be the only thing the Society advocates and that it should not be associated with other reform ideas. He was also against the abandonment of salt and seasonings.
Under Newman's presidency the Society flourished as income, associates and members increased. From 1875 to 1896 membership for the Society rose to 2,159 and associate membership 1,785. Around 1897 its membership was about 5,000. In regard to the associate membership, Newman commented:
Manchester and London Vegetarian Societies
Relations between the Society in Manchester and the London branch were strained due to differing definitions of vegetarianism and conflicts over required approval of "advanced" literature by the Society. In 1888, the London branch split, forming the London Vegetarian Society, also known as the London Vegetarian Association. After this, the Vegetarian Society was often referred to as the Manchester Vegetarian Society.The first President of the LVS was raw food advocate Arnold Hills, and other members included Thomas Allinson and Mahatma Gandhi. Members of the LVS were considered more radical than the MVS.
The newly independent society's ambitions were laid out in its journal, The Vegetarian, funded by Arnold Hills. Despite challenges, optimism prevailed with plans for a Charing Cross Vegetarian Hotel and Restaurant. Several branches existed, attracting new members in Oxford, Nottingham, Brighton, Guildford, and Reading. In 1889, the LVS and Vegetarian offices moved to the Congregational Memorial Hall, becoming a hub for reform activities. The movement's growth led to specialist societies for children, athletes, and others, with vegetarian restaurants serving as meeting places. In 1889, the LVS created a national Vegetarian Federal Union, despite controversy from the MVS. By 1901, 21 societies had been established, coordinated from 1895 by the LVS.