Now we have entered November, the Thanksgiving month. This is such a good time to reflect on and enjoy the abundance of food provided by nature.

However so many countries are currently struggling with enormous debt, much of it due to the unsustainable use of natural resources. This debt is hurting mankind on all levels.

On an individual level, we can help protect ourselves against the consequences of such debt in five simple ways:

1. Choose more grains and vegetables instead of animal protein, ideally organically certified (Clearspring branded foods are a good choice!). This way the debt to nature is less, as the intensive farming of animals is ecologically and resource inefficient.
2. Recycle all vegetable waste as compost works wonders for the land.
3. Feet on the ground or on the peddle versus foot down on the accelerator.
4. Buy organic cotton clothing for yourself and for Christmas presents, as non-organic cotton farming is a disaster for the environment.
5. Cook and eat together with family and friends as often as possible.

Best wishes,

Christopher Dawson

Founder

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Tofu Recipe Competition Results

Here are the winners of the 3 categories who will each be receiving some Clearspring goodies:

Dip / Sauce: No winner
Savoury: Hannah Murfet’s Rendang-style Tofu Curry
Sweet: Sonia Shah’s Tofu Tantaliser

Highly commended award: Kate Stuart’s Poached Pear, Walnuts and Tofu

We have included these new recipes in our recipe search. Thank you!

Seasonal Feature

Since this is our end of the year newsletter, we are introducing some lovely Festive Vegan Feast recipes, courtesy of the inspirational Marlene Watson-Tara. Together with our existing recipes, we have made a suggestion for your special day.

STARTER

Pureed Sweet Vegetable Soup A delicious sweet soup made with four different vegetables to warm and nourish you in the winter months. Go to the recipe

MAIN

Rissole Patties served with Cranberry Chutney These risolle patties made with wild rice, artichoke hearts, toasted pecans and dried cranberries are a delicious uplifting party dish. Topped with a zesty and refreshing cranberry chutney they make for a mouth watering combination. Go to the recipe

SIDE

Sweet French Fries with Tofu Mayonnaise Beautiful orange coloured fries served with a smooth, very moreish mayonnaise. Go to the recipe

GRAVY

Shiitake gravy This vegan gravy is a perfect accompaniment to everything from grain dishes to roasts. Go to the recipe

Meet & Greet

Yoko Kurokawa, New Product Development and Package Design.

How long have you been with Clearspring: 3 years and 9 months

Favourite Clearspring product: Brown Rice Miso. Making miso soup with our Brown Rice Miso immediately gives me a nostalgic flavour of granny’s home cooking. I think this must be because my grandmother used to make her own miso at home and our miso has a somewhat similar taste.

Best part for working for Clearspring: Healthy hot lunch that we share and cook for each other from scratch. Our chairman encourages us to have a proper lunch even at a time of hectic activity.

Store Focus

Whole Food Markets’ first store in Scotland opened in Giffnock, Glasgow on 16th November. Shoppers can experience many of the features Whole Foods Market is known for in the UK including a full service butchery counter, a from scratch bakery and outstanding fresh produce and grocery departments. We wish you all the very best.

Broading our horizons: Clearspring has just sent its first order to India. If you are in Mumbai, you will now be able to buy Clearspring Tea, Ramen Noodles and Teriyaki Sauce alongside local specialities such as chapattis, curry powder and spices.

Where to next?

If you would like to feature your local store then do get in touch with us at info@clearspring.co.uk

Shojin Ryori event by Mari Fujii

We supported a demonstration of Shojin Ryori by Mari Fujii at the Japanese Embassy on 10th Nov as well as cookery classes linked to Atsuko’s Kitchen and a dining experience linked to A La Japonaise on that the same weekend. Shojin Ryori is derived from buddiest monk temples and its philosophy and a choice of ingredients are pretty much like ours, we were delighted to be involved with the event.

You can read about the event retrospectively via the given links.

Other News

The next warehouse sale will be on Saturday 26th November 2011 from 9am to 5pm. It will be a great opportunity to meet the team, taste some products and we will have some great bargains for you. All items will be at least 25% off and short dated stock maybe up to 50% off!
Please bring your own shopping bags and we can only accept cash or cheque. We look forward to seeing you there! For more details please go to our website or email Eri at eri@clearspring.co.uk.

A brand new look!! We are currently in the process of updating and re-designing our website to make it more user friendly, easier to navigate, more effective and more attractive. Watch this space.

Office opening hours over the festive period

We will be closing the UK office as usual for the Bank Holidays, as well as closing a bit early on Friday 23rd and Friday 30th. It will be business as usual from 3rd January.