19th century In the 19th century, several groups in Britain promoted and followed meat-free diets. Groups involved in the formation of the Vegetarian Society included 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 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 without
animal products, now described as a
vegan diet. The Concordium was also called Alcott House, after the American education and food reform advocate
Amos Bronson Alcott.
Truth-Tester and Physiological Conference, 1847 The
Truth-Tester was a journal that 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 moved the
Truth-Tester towards promotion of a "Vegetable Diet". In early 1847, a letter to the
Truth-Tester proposed the formation of a Vegetarian Society. In response, William Oldham held what he called a "physiological conference" in July 1847 at the Concordium. Up to 130 people attended, including the Bible Christian
James Simpson, who presented a speech. The conference passed several resolutions, including one to reconvene at the end of September.
Joseph Brotherton,
MP for
Salford, and a Bible Christian, chaired. James Simpson was elected president of the society, the Concordist William Oldham was elected treasurer, and
Truth-Tester editor William Horsell was elected secretary. The name "Vegetarian Society" was chosen for the new organisation by a unanimous vote. 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. Following the deaths of Simpson, Brotherton, and their American colleague Alcott, the vegetarian movement declined. Membership numbers fell during the 1860s and 1870s, with 125 members remaining by 1870.
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 criticised the Vegetarian Society in Manchester for what it saw as insufficient support. Manchester members regarded the existing organisation as adequate, while London vegetarians disagreed and considered moving the national offices to London.
Dietary policy debates and growth and
May Yates From its beginning, the Vegetarian Society was influenced by members of the Bible Christian Church in Salford, who supported the inclusion of eggs, dairy products, and honey in the vegetarian diet on biblical grounds. The Church did not argue for the reduction or elimination of these foods.
Henry Stephens Salt argued in his 1886 work
A Plea for Vegetarianism that the main aim of vegetarians should be the abolition of flesh-meat, while acknowledging that dairy products and eggs were unnecessary and could be given up in the future. Salt argued for avoiding unhealthy, expensive, and unwholesome foods, rather than only eliminating animal products.
Francis William Newman served as president of the Vegetarian Society from 1873 to 1883. He made associate membership possible for people who were not completely vegetarian, including people who ate
chicken or
fish. He was also against the abandonment of salt and seasonings. On associate membership, Newman wrote: also known as the London Vegetarian Association. After this, the Vegetarian Society was often called the Manchester Vegetarian Society (MVS). In 1920, the MVS hosted a summer school at
Arnold House, Llanddulas, with around 70 attendees each week. Both societies organised holidays and outings for vegetarians, and the MVS's May meetings remained annual events after
World War II. Meat rations during the war were small, to increase the food supply. Many meals were vegetarian, and the government promoted vegetarian recipes. The population ate more cereals and vegetables, and less meat. Many people retained wartime eating habits after the war. There was also public interest in nutrition and diet, and the effects of eating less meat.
Reunification In the 1950s and 1960s, the MVS and LVS began working together, with calls for unification. In 1958, their magazines combined to become
The British Vegetarian. They reunited in 1969 as the Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom. In 1986, it introduced a scheme allowing manufacturers to use the logo on foods that met its vegetarian guidelines. McCartney became a patron of the society in the same year.
21st century The Vegetarian Society Awards began in 2001 and recognised businesses and services for vegetarians in the United Kingdom. The first ceremony took place at the
Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with later events at
the Waldorf Hotel and
the Magic Circle headquarters. These early events were open to members and the public, and included fundraising activities such as celebrity auctions and raffles, with prizes donated by vegetarian-friendly companies. In 2003, the Society launched a "Fishconception" campaign after a survey found that many restaurants, canteens, and hospitals mistakenly believed that vegetarians eat fish. The campaign sought to correct this misconception and advise the catering industry on vegetarian standards. In 2017, the Vegetarian Society launched Veggie Lotto, described as the first vegetarian and vegan lottery in the United Kingdom. Tickets are priced at £1, with 50p allocated to the Society. Funds raised support training for caterers, free courses for community groups and vulnerable people, and the promotion of vegetarian and vegan food. Historian
Ina Zweiniger-Bargielowska has written that "against the background of growing concern about the environment, animal rights, and food safety the society has flourished in recent decades." In 2024, the Vegetarian Society announced a rebrand. It adopted a new logo, magazine branding and website. In the same year, the Society moved its head office to
Ancoats, Manchester. In 2025, the Vegetarian Society opened COOK in the former Ancoats electricity sub-station as a cooking centre, supper club, and event space. == Publications ==