Vegetarian Places to Stay and Eat

I can recommend the following guides:
http://www.vegetarianguides.co.uk/index.shtml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/feb/29/vegetarian.bandbs.uk

I can personally recommend the following places:

Barnstaple: Cafe Libri
A vegetarian cafe has opened in Barnstaple. It's called 'Cafe Libri' and it is to be found in Maiden Street. Lovely scrummy food and friendly staff. The soups are a particular favourite of mine, closely followed by the cakes! There are always a tasty specials and filling vegetarian or vegan paninis available. Unfortunately this has now CLOSED! Oh how we miss you Cafe Libri, oh how we miss you!

Bath: Demuths
http://www.demuths.co.uk/
Quality vegetarian cafe/restaurant in Bath. Lovely atmosphere, great food!
Dartington, Devon: Cranks
http://www.cranks.co.uk/dartington.html
Located at Dartington Cider Press this is a lovely place to eat. Their products are sold at various outlets and we were delighted to find Cranks food on our last holiday to Center Parcs.
Edinburgh: The Greenhouse
http://www.greenhouse-edinburgh.com/
Top quality vegetarian bed and breakfast with friendly, helpful hosts. Fantastic selection of breakfasts.
I only wish they did evening meals as well, although with David Banns within walking distance it doesn’t really matter.
Edinburgh: David Bann
http://www.davidbann.com/
The most stylish, trendy vegetarian eatery I have had the pleasure to visit. A must if you are in Edinburgh. I only wish we lived a little closer and we would be eating here to celebrate every occasion.
Exeter, Devon: Herbies
Great selection of food. Popular cafe with a hippy feel. Living in Devon this is one of our favourite places to eat, even if it does involve an 80 mile round trip!
Exeter, Devon: The Plant
http://www.veggieheaven.com/guide/exeter.html
Open all week, Sundays as well (when Herbies are closed). Fantastic view of Cathedral and lovely selecton of tartlets, paninis, slads etc.
Grasmere, Cumbria: Lancrigg
http://www.lancrigg.co.uk/
We have been here three years running now - unbeatable. The 5 course eveing meals are so innovative and to die for.The location is totally beautiful. Fantastic walks on the door step. Cumbria, we love you!
I have included some pictures to show how lovely the hotel and area are.








Here are some views of Lancrigg, its beautiful garden, and our walk up the nearby waterfall - glorious!



Ilfracombe, Devon: Grassroots
http://www.thebestof.co.uk/barnstaple/42095/1/1/the_best_of.aspx
We are so pleased to have a really good vegetarian cafe in North Devon again.
Keswick, Cumbria: Lakeland Pedlar
http://www.lakelandpedlar.co.uk/
Unique, busy, unmissable vegetarian cafe and bicycle centre. I was so impressed I bought the t-shirt! Fantastic selection of vegetarian and vegan meals.
Llanidloes, Wales
Great, value for money eatery. Daily specials are really tasty and the portions are generous. We very much enjoyed the noodles on our first visit and the vegetable korma on our second. This is a popular, busy, well run veggie cafe minutes away from the beautiful Elan Valley.
Machynlleth, Wales: Centre for Alternative Technology
http://www.cat.org.uk/
Vegetarian food for the future from this forward thinking, environmentally friendly attraction. Lots of good information, lots of good food!
Meshaw, North Devon: Fern Tor
http://www.ferntor.co.uk/
Even though we live in North Devon we have stayed at this friendly B&B just so that we can enjoy the superb breakfast and evening meals.
St Ives, Cornwall: The Coast AND The Bean Inn
http://www.coastcornwall.co.uk/
St Ives is such a beautiful place to stay and this B&B and cafe are perfect. Lovely vegan dishes, the vegan cheesecake is particularly memorable.

Inspirational books

I would like to recommend the following books as particularly informative and inspirational:

The Great Compassion: Buddhism and Animal Rights by Norm Phelps
I am interested in Buddhism and found this book covered the much debated question of whether Buddhists should be vegetarian very thoroughly.

Bloodless Revolution: radical vegetarians and the discovery of India by Tristram Stuart
This book covers vegetarian history in a very methodical way. I learnt a lot about some very interesting characters who were waving the vegetarian flag centuries ago.

Extended Circle: Dictionary of Humane Thought by Jon Wynne-TysonThis is a reference book of thoughts and quotations on the theme of animal rights and vegetarian ethics

Introducing Myself

I became a vegetarian 22 years ago, when it first became clear to me how in-humane animal production for meat is, and also how unnecessary. Now as the mother of 2 healthy, intelligent, life-long vegetarian girls and being married to a fit vegetarian man, I can really appreciate the healthier life-style that our diet has afforded us, which makes the cruelty involved in meat production seem even sadder.

To quote Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) : “Studies have shown that vegetarians have stronger immune systems than meat-eaters and that meat-eaters are far more likely to die of heart disease and 40 per cent more likely to die of cancer. Meat and dairy consumption is also linked with diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, clogged arteries, obesity, asthma and impotence. A 21-year-long study comparing meat-eaters and vegetarians showed that the greater the meat consumption, the greater the death rate from all causes combined.”

My blog is aimed at those of you who would like to find out more about vegetarianism. It will contain links to all those sites that I have found useful in the past, plus a lot of personal information about how we, as a family, have coped.

Medicine!

I never cease to be surprised at how many commodities include animal ingredients. When I first became veggie I didn’t consider checking cosmetics and medicines! Even when I did think about medicine I thought if I avoided gelatine capsules I would be alright. I’m afraid it’s not quite so simple. You may like to check your medicines for the ingredients listed on
http://www.ivu.org/faq/maybe-animal-derived.html and
http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=72 .
After consulting the Vegetarian Society I now take Aspro Clear, or other dispersible pain killers, so as to avoid stearates etc. It’s a minefield!