THE Winged Spur public house in Ullenhall, near Henley-in-Arden, was the setting for the first group outing by this recently formed society.

Landlord Clive Minshell, a trained chef, offered the 15-strong party a choice of five mouth-watering main course options and two desserts, all specially designed to please both palate and eye.

The animal-free entres ranged from spicy vegetable rogan josh through stuffed peppers and potato longboats to a colourful and crunchy mixed vegetable and bean salad, all accompanied by lemon rice, boiled potatoes and chips, whilst for dessert iced fruit salad with Cointreau or mixed spice pudding were on offer.

Mr Minshell took over the Winged Spur two years ago and prides himself on providing an innovative menu and using only the freshest of ingredients in his dishes.

He plans to build a conservatory extension onto the restaurant area shortly in order to expand the catering side of the business, which is his own personal passion.

He took on the challenge of catering for the party because his mother is a vegan but also because he believes that, as a musician is expected to read any piece of music, so a chef should be able to interpret and re-create any recipe.

Redditch Vegetarians and Vegans was set up in September 2005 to stage the first cruelty-free food fair the town has seen and has since gone on to assist with a further vegan festival in Leamington Spa, with other similar events planned for 2006 in Bromsgrove, Redditch and Leamington.

Group member Yvonne Cooper said: "We are keen to promote a vegan diet.

"It is not only varied and delicious but one of the healthiest diets you can have and has been shown to have a beneficial effect on a range of diseases and ailments, including elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, endometriosis, gout, constipation, ulcerative colitis and pre-menstrual and menopausal problems.

"In addition to all that, it's an environmentally sustainable diet."

Despite these advantages and a growing number of adherents, vegans as a group are frequently ignored by the hospitality industry, according to another group member, Clare Evans.

"Alot of restaurants/pubs in this country still only provide one vegetarian 'option'," said Clare, "and vegans often find themselves limited to baked potatoes or chips and baked beans.

"Yet the profit margins on vegan meals are higher, and they are suitable not just for vegans but for vegetarians, the lactose intolerant, Buddhists, Hindus and other religious groups - not to mention meat eaters!"

According to Clare, by substituting dairy products in standard recipes for soya equivalents, vegans can enjoy a wide variety of different dishes.

"It's not just all rice and lentils, she said.

"We held a vegan food fayre in Redditch in September to show people that there are vegan versions of hundreds of popular mainstream dishes, such as pizza, pasta, sausages and burgers, curries, quiches, cakes, biscuits and an amazing variety of desserts, all easy to make, cruelty-free and just as delicious as the standard versions."

Yvonne Cooper added: "We would be delighted to hear from restaurants/pubs who would like to cater for us in the future, particularly any within Redditch."

For more details about a vegan diet, visit www.redditchveggies.makessense.co.uk