The menu is a collaboration between vegan restaurateur Matthew Kenney and KBW Ventures, a mission-driven investment firm founded by environmentalist Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed of Saudi Arabia.

Focusing on ‘innovative’ culinary concepts

The multi-course menu is available at the hotel’s Après Spa Café and is said to focus on innovative creations inspired by a range of global culinary concepts – with an added Qatari touch. 

The menu boasts a selection of appetizers and entrées, including green papaya salad made with basil, cilantro, and spinach leaves, and topped with cashew dressing; and truffle pizza with Tuscan kale, wild mushrooms, cashew truffle cream, and lemon vinaigrette.

Chef Kenney has also crafted a selection of vegan desserts for the hotel, offering a combination of treats made from orange, chocolate, coconuts, banana, and cocoa.

“My mission has always been to empower, inspire and influence others to cultivate a healthy and conscious way of life through plant-based cuisine,” explained Kenney.

“Bringing vibrant food that is equal parts delicious, nutritious and sustainable to Four Seasons Doha is the latest milestone in our conquest to change the way the world thinks about food.”

Increased plant-based offerings in time for the World Cup

The menu has launched ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in Qatar later this year. As one of the five host cities, Doha is expected to attract a large number of tourists from across the world.

In a recent press release, Prince Khaled said, “It is fitting that Folia, crafted to appeal to palates that have eaten the finest in healthy cuisine, is being presented at Four Seasons Hotel Doha now that Qatar is preparing to welcome the world for one of the biggest sporting events in history.”

He continued, “I look forward to seeing the Qatari plant-based dining scene elevated with Chef Kenney’s inspired dishes.”

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Animal Rebellion, including two ex-RSPCA trustees, met with the RSPCA earlier this month. The meeting was an opportunity to press the charity to take a formal stance against animal farming, and to support a transition to a plant-based system. 

Martin Whybrow is a former RSPCA branch trustee and now a member of the Animal Rebellion group. He said in a press statement, “It is impossible to meet the targets needed to limit global heating without the shift to a plant-based food system.” 

Whybrow continued, “Already, millions of humans and animals are suffering from the effects of extreme climate. It makes total sense for a charity dedicated to animal welfare to join the dots.”

RSPCA’s animal welfare standards

The RSPCA campaigns for the “highest possible standards” of animal welfare during the rearing, transportation, and slaughter of animals.

But the organization permits controversial practices, including the use of gas and maceration for the killing of day-old chicks.

“Done correctly, both methods can offer an effective and humane kill and our welfare standards set strict parameters stating how both of these methods must be carried out to ensure this is the case,” the RSPCA shared in a Tweet.

Advocating for a kinder food system

Animal Rebellion is asking the RSPCA to fulfil its mission statement and support a future where all animals are respected and treated with kindness and compassion. 

“We ask the RSPCA how they can justify caring for dogs and cats while supporting the slaughter of the millions of farmed animals who are killed for food every year in the UK alone,” Animal Rebellion explained.

“Additionally, we ask the RSPCA how they can claim to care for and respect wild animals when they condone an industry that is one of the leading causes of the climate crisis.” 

The animal protection movement intends to continue taking action until “the world sees a food system that centers on climate, animal, and human justice, rather than unsustainable growth.”

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An undercover investigator for Mercy for Animals, a non-profit animal protection charity, captured the footage at a contract farm for the supermarket chain.

This comes soon after the charity exposed the names of major retailers that are lagging behind in their efforts to address welfare issues associated with chickens raised for meat.

Aldi is among the companies that ranked the lowest for standard practices in the chicken industry.

Animal cruelty on chicken farms

The hidden-camera footage shows tens of thousands of chickens packed into overcrowded sheds, forced to live in waste-soaked litter for weeks. The investigator also documented countless birds, including day-old chicks, suffering from severe open wounds, twisted necks and beaks, and other serious injuries.

Many of these conditions arise from the way chickens are routinely bred to grow unnaturally large over a short space of time. This inflicts a huge amount of physical and mental stress on the birds.

In the hard-hitting video, workers are seen hurling sick and injured live birds into buckets to die. Some were crushed under the weight of corpses piled on top of them.

In light of the footage, Mercy for Animals is calling on Aldi to adopt meaningful animal welfare standards for all its chicken suppliers. The charity is urging Aldi to undertake the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), which requires extra space, litter, and lighting, as well as environmental enrichments. 

As a way for individuals to take action, Mercy for Animals encourages eliminating animal products altogether. It states on its Aldi Uncovered website: “We can end this cruel, unsustainable system. By choosing plant-based foods, we can build a food system that is good for animals, people, and our planet.”

The post New Investigation Uncovers Severe Animal Cruelty In Aldi Supply Chain appeared first on Plant Based News.

Nike x Eilish

Eilish first joined Nike’s artist roster last year. She kicked off the collaboration with a range of leather-free vegan Air Jordans, featuring her signature slime green color.  

In their latest collaboration, Eilish puts her own unique spin on the iconic Nike Air Force 1s.  

The new sneakers – featuring a neutral mushroom color palette – are made from a synthetic nubuck leather material, derived from 80 percent recycled materials, including 100 percent recycled polyester. 

Similar to past releases, the sneakers channel Eilish’s own oversized aesthetic, featuring chunky mid-foot straps. The collection showcases a total of four chunky straps covering the sneaker’s laces, a look that is inspired by two other Nike staples, the Alpha Force Low and Air Trainer 3.

The sneaker also features a fifth strap that goes around the ankle in the high-top version of the vegan-friendly AF1s.

Eilish’s stick-figure Blohsh logo is displayed on the lace deubrés and the Nike Air logos appear as usual over the tongue and heel. The insoles are made with cork and embossed with lyrics from her song Billie Bossa Nova: “It’s hard to stop it once it starts.”

“The challenge and opportunity with this collection was to respect the originals, but make them my own. It was also important for me to mix in environmentally preferred materials where we could and present them in a way that felt fresh,” Eilish shared in a press release.

New apparel collection

The Nike x Billie collaboration also features a new range of matching mushroom-colored apparel in her signature oversized style.

The clothing range includes a fleece hoodie, t-shirt, and sweatpants, embellished with subtle silicone Billie Ellish graphics and the iconic Nike logo turned on its side, pointing straight upwards.

Cruelty is never in style

Beyond Eilish’s music career, she’s an avid activist working to promote sustainability and veganism. She uses her platform to influence the fashion industry as a whole to recognize that cruelty is never in style. 

PETA has also recognized Eilish’s work, naming her its “Person Of The Year” in 2021. President of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, previously shared: “PETA is happier than ever to celebrate her for seizing every opportunity to point out that vegan fashion and foods are kinder to the animals and the planet we share with them.”

The new Nike x Billie collection is now available on Nike’s website.

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Greek for “fasting food,” Nistisima offers an insight into dishes eaten during Lent and other Orthodox fasting periods. According to Hayden, Cypriots go without meat for a number of days during these periods. This includes the 50 days before Easter, 50 days before Christmas, and every Wednesday and Friday.

“Many people think of Greek and Cypriot food as meat-focused, but we actually spend about 200 days a year eating plant-based food. That’s because Cyprus and Greece are Orthodox countries,” Hayden explained to Plant Based News.

While many think of fasting as giving up food completely, in the Orthodox Church, it involves giving up meat and dairy and, instead, using vegetables, grains, and pulses to create simple plant-based dishes. While there are some exceptions (honey and shellfish), people typically eat a fully plant-based diet when fasting.  

Hayden said: “Of course, my background is Greek Cypriot, but the Orthodox Church is prominent throughout Eastern Europe and the Middle East. There are so many dishes and so much food from these places that are naturally vegan.”

The chef’s research for Nistisima was extensive. She reached out to monks, priests, and religious friends from across the world, which helped her develop 120 naturally vegan recipes for the cookbook.

The dishes originate from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. But instead of using plant-based meat or vegan cheese, Hayden relies on centuries-old whole food ingredients, like lentils, for example.

Plant-based diets and religion

While veganism may seem like a relatively new concept, accounts of eating plant-based can be traced back thousands of years — way before nut milk was even a thing.

Plant-based diets were typical in parts of Africa, India, and parts of the Mediterranean about 2,000 years ago. And as well as the Orthodox Church, plant-based eating is deeply rooted in various religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. 

Hinduism’s strong tradition of vegetarianism stems from spiritual practice and the reverence for the sacred cow. Similarly, in Buddhism, one of Buddha’s teachings prohibits taking the life of any person or animal. Many Buddhists, therefore, do not consume animals, as doing so would require killing.

One of the key principles of Jainism is to avoid harming any living things, even the very small ones. Many Jains are strict vegetarians that abstain from even root vegetables (as harvesting potentially harms the insects in the soil). All three religions believe in Ahimsa, which means to practice kindness and non-violence towards living beings. 

To learn more about the Orthodox faith and its link to plant-based eating, Nistisima is available to buy now.

According to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, alongside “mouthwatering recipes” the book also offers readers “beautiful storytelling.” Itamar Srulovic, the co-founder of popular London Middle Eastern restaurant Honey & Co, adds: “This book is the sunny window that everyone needs.”

The post This Cookbook Celebrates Orthodox Plant-Based Food appeared first on Plant Based News.

Both Balenger and the Tesla began at the same starting point approximately 250 miles outside of Austin, Texas. The vehicle was driven until its fully charged battery gave out at an average speed of 65 mph, and set a race distance of 242 miles. 

Balenger then followed the exact same route as the Tesla, fighting against extreme heat, elevation changes, and minimal sleep, and was able to beat the vehicle by 100 feet in just under 77 hours.

“Initially, the goal was to beat the Tesa’s distance in 72 hours – in the ultra community, a respectable time for finishing a 100-mile race is 24 hours, so I was giving myself 3x that – however, three straight days of unrelenting 90+ degree weather killed that plan,” shared Balenger. 

Running exclusively on plants

As a plant-based athlete, Balenger is passionate about pushing his body and mind to the very limits in order to promote the benefits of eating plant-based. He also credits his vegan diet for letting him go the distance for the various mammoth challenges that he sets for himself.  

“I have two key considerations when it comes to my diet: environmentalism and performance – and Tesla excels at both. Outlasting a Tesla has been the longest single effort I have undertaken to date,” adds Balenger. 

The post Vegan Ultra-Runner Outlasts Fully Charged Tesla appeared first on Plant Based News.

The marketing strategy saw PETA teaming up with McDonald’s operators in Texas and California to buy 10,000 McPlant burgers, free from dairy cheese and mayo, for a giveaway campaign that began last month. 

The bigger picture

Concerning the unlikely collaboration, PETA shared: “Ordering a McPlant at a drive-through is no biggie to us, but it’s a matter of life and death for cows and perhaps for the buyer…

“PETA’s gift to thousands of people may introduce them to a healthier way to eat and show them how easy and delicious it is to grab a vegan meal these days.”

Joey Blanton, a McDonald’s franchisee in Texas, said that the PETA giveaway resulted in an “uptick” in sales. Blanton told Bloomberg, “PETA bought basically a bulk purchase for them to give away, that alone helped our numbers on the units sold per week.”

Marley Delgado, a coordinator for PETA’s McPlant campaign, also spoke to Bloomberg about the campaign. Delgado explained that the McPlant has the potential to “save millions of animals’ lives, which is our ultimate goal.” They added: “It’s helping sales, getting the word out there.”

The post PETA Buys 10,000 McPlant Burgers In Unlikely McDonald’s Collaboration appeared first on Plant Based News.

These findings are in line with previous studies that show the benefits of plant-based diets in the prevention of T2D.

The relationship between diet and diabetes

Researchers from the Department of Nutrition, at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, set out to identify any associations between dietary profiles and the risk of developing T2D. 

To do this, they analyzed the metabolite profiles associated with different plant-based diets. A metabolite is a substance that is used or produced by a living organism through the chemical process of breaking down or metabolizing foods. 

The study methodology

The study involved analyzing blood plasma samples from 10,684 adults from three different longitudinal cohort studies (Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, and Health Professionals Follow-up Study).

All participants filled out food and diet questionnaires. They were then separated into three different groups:

• Group 1 was made up of participants who ate a diet rich in healthy plant foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes 
• Group 2 was made up of participants who ate a diet of unhealthy plant foods, such as refined grains, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, and sweets/desserts
• Group 3 was made up of animal foods, such as dairy, eggs, and meat, including fish

The study’s findings

The researchers found that participants who went on to develop T2D generally recorded lower consumption levels of healthy plant-based foods. Those with T2D typically had a higher average BMI and were more likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They were also less physically active. 

Further, researchers found that participants who stuck to plant-based foods, especially those rich in polyphenols, had lower odds of developing the disease.

Plant-based diets and diabetes prevention

The authors concluded: “Our findings support the beneficial role of healthy plant-based diets in diabetes prevention and provide new insights for future investigation.

“… our findings regarding the intermediate metabolites are at the moment intriguing, but further studies are needed to confirm their causal role in the associations of plant-based diets and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.”

You can view the full study here.

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The review draws attention to neuroscientific research, delivering a damning conclusion: elephants living in unnatural captive environments suffer from captivity-caused brain damage.

Ricky Gervais, vegan animal rights advocate and celebrity comedian, is calling for all elephants to be released to accredited sanctuaries where they can live a more natural life.

“Elephants are sensitive, emotional, and highly intelligent beings — seeing them suffer mentally and physically behind bars is heartbreaking,” said Gervais.

The #1 worst zoo of 2021

Edmonton Valley Zoo in Alberta, Canada, has been identified as the worst zoo of 2021. The facility has held 46-year-old Asian elephant Lucy in solitary confinement for the past 15 years. 

Bob Jacobs, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience and lead author of Putative neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans, summarized the findings. 

“Decades of neuroscience research shows that an impoverished brain is a damaged brain. Whether it is the 10 Worst Zoos or the ten best, all zoos are detrimental to elephants’ brains and cause physical and mental suffering,” said Jacobs. 

Captivity and ‘neural cruelty’

According to Jacobs, captivity leads to neural cruelty, which negatively impacts the hippocampus, which handles memory, and the center of the brain that processes emotions. This essentially leads to repetitive stereotypic behaviours that many animals adopt in captivity – crippling their social, mental, and neural needs.

Despite the fact that these zoos hold relevant accreditations by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), and the Canadian equivalent (CAZA), the gold standard for zoos, they fail to provide an adequate duty of care for the elephants, In Defense of Animals says.

In fact, the organization found evidence of neural cruelty in every zoo on this year’s list – and also in every other zoo with elephants to various degrees. 

Gervais is encouraging the public to join him together, with In Defense of Animals, to call for the end of elephant captivity. He said: “I personally urge all zoos on the 10 Worst Zoos list to urgently retire elephants to accredited sanctuaries so they may live their lives with dignity.”

The post Ricky Gervais Calls For Urgent Release Of All Elephants From Zoos appeared first on Plant Based News.

The meat-free chicken brand has seen rapid success in several culinary hubs across the world, including the United States, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Singapore (where Next Gen Foods was established).

The move into UK restaurants marks the brand’s second European launch, only six months after its debut in Amsterdam.

Taking animals out of the equation

Former meat-loving engineer Andre Menezes began to look at food differently after recognizing how inefficient and archaic the animal farming system is. Menezes went on to create TiNDLE, which claims to be the first plant-based chicken designed by chefs, for chefs.

“Since the very start, we have known that bringing TiNDLE to London would be a critical milestone for the company. It is not only one of the world’s premier food destinations, but also a global hot spot for innovation,” said Menezes in a recent statement.

“We are thrilled to be working alongside some fantastic restaurant partners and chefs in the UK, who are helping us achieve our goal of bringing delicious – but also sustainable – options to diners.”

Some of the confirmed menu items include meat-free Coronation chicken sandwiches, Wellingtons, Katsu dishes, curries, and chicken steak burgers. 

London locations

More than 50 locations are set to offer TiNDLE thanks to partnerships with iconic eateries and restaurant groups, including BrewDog, Aqua Shard, Get Plucked, City Spice, Other Side Fried, sketch London, Let’s Do Maki, Refuel Your Soul, Paternoster Chop House, Unity Diner, and Neyba.

Ben Hedley, the co-founder of the multi-cuisine kitchen Neyba, shared: “TiNDLE has been a mind-blowing experience for our chef team at Neyba. It is not just the texture, but also the fibers within the protein and how quickly it absorbs various marinades, seasonings, and sauces.

“TiNDLE is incredibly versatile and has added a whole new dimension to our plant-based offering.”

TiNDLE’s pop-up event is coming soon

To celebrate its UK debut, TiNDLE will be hosting a three-day pop-up in Soho in partnership with Sides, a food brand from YouTube collective The Sidemen. At the event, held between April 27 to 29, attendees will have the chance to sample complimentary TiNDLE sliders.

To find out if TiNDLE is available near you, head on over to its website.

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