ILR talks to Gav Lawson, owner of THTC. THTC is an ethically driven underground clothing label, specialising in eco-friendly, politically-conscious hemp street wear.
ILR>> You are 10 years old this year - what have been your highs?
Stocking into Virgin Mega stores has to be one of the highest moments.
Collaborating with so many great artists, and producing ranges for Foreign Beggars, Asian Dub Foundation, Zulu Nation
Working with Woody Harrelson / Goldie /
Coming runner up at the Observer Ethical Awards and the Re Fashion awards, being names in the top 100 social entrepreneurs of 2008.
ILR>> What made you passionate about hemp?
My brother, originally, and then on learning the history of the plant, the brainwashing and anti-hemp propaganda made me angry and, as I was studying marketing and achieved the top mark in Advertising at UWE in
ILR>> What celebs wear your garms?
Danny Dyer, Newton Faulkner, Goldie, Woody Harrelson, Foreign Beggars, Benjamin Zephaniah, Sinead Oconner, Beardyman and many many more..
ILR>> Who designs your images?
THTC come up with a lot of the concepts, and work with Mau Mau, Herse, Devolution Design, Sam Coxen, Paul Yuille and other artists to produce them.
ILR>> Plans for the future?
Licensing the brand onto recycled and sustainable products, including stationary, rebranding with Ad agency Quiet Storm, collaborations with bigger artists, increasingly pushing hemp into the mainstream.
2009 is THTC's 10th anniversary! Congrats Gav - keep up the good work.
Visit THTC for some great designs and superb quality eco t shirts: www.thtc.co.uk
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The laws of attraction placed the gorgeous Charlie on my table at Shazzie & Philip's Ecstatic evening last month & I was able to taste her wonderful superfood brownie. So clearly passionate about treats & goodies Charlie really should own her own raw chocolate factory!
ILR asks Charlie about her journey & she even gives us some great recipes to try at home!
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ILR>> How did you discover raw treats?
Ever since I was small, I loved making cakes. For me, cakes are a centre-piece at every special occasion, filled with family and celebration. The problem was that these cakes were filled with refined sugar, wheat and dairy. When I turned over a healthy new leaf, putting unhealthy cakes on the table did not sit right for me. I spent years shunning the very cakes that gave me so much pleasure to make and eat. In June 2006, I discovered Shazzie and the raw food diet. I found that I could make truly decadent cakes and treats without dairy, wheat, and refined sugar. What is more, these fabulous cakes make you feel love and bliss as they are raw, vegan and organic delights which are filled with superfoods. They make the cakes I had when I was small look positively boring! Since then, making treats has become my passion, and I want to make raw treats to fill lunchboxes and dinner tables around the world!
ILR>> What is your favourite ingredient?
My favourite ingredient is Lucuma. This Peruvian superfruit is packed with vitamins & minerals! I add it to smoothies, raw ice-creams, and treats and it makes anything I’m making turn in to the creamiest delight ever. It is very sweet and mild in flavour, very creamy, and you can buy it from DetoxYourWorld.com. Even though it seems rather expensive at first glance, a little goes a long way.
ILR>> Some people say superfoods are all just hype - what do you think?
My challenge to them is to superfood up their diet for a month, and then they can truly judge from their own personal experience whether it is hype or not. My one month challenge is to include significant portions of superfoods such as raw cacao, blue-green algae, goji berries and maca in with every meal, every day and then they can see for themselves… My own personal experience is that superfoods make me look and feel fabulous, so much so that they are a priority in my weekly budget, (even before clothes and shoes.)
ILR>> What about treats for kids? Any easy recipes for people to make at home?
Treats for kids? Provided that they are not sensitive to nuts, here is a little recipe which is great for kids.
Cashew and Almond Treats
100g raw cashews
100g almonds
100g dates
100g raisins
Blend in a food processor until the mixture forms a soft dough. Form in to little balls to create biscuits which are free from refined sugar and preservatives. Cashews and almonds are mild in flavour, but the dates and raisins provide lots of sweetness. Above is the basic recipe from which you can experiment and then add in some superfoods, (the best part):
*You can add in a tbsp or so of raw cacao powder or raw carob powder to create chocolate goodies
*Add in some lucuma for a creamy taste
*Experiment & Enjoy!
Note: I like to soak the nuts for 8 hours before-hand and then dehydrate them until they are nice and crispy. This makes them easier to digest.
Superfood Fudge
These are great for kids and big kids alike
Here is a delicious recipe that does not even require a food processor. All you need is a bowl and a spoon. Simple and scrumptious– what more could you want?
*170g raw almond butter / Light Raw Tahini
*20g raw cacao powder
*20g raw carob powder
*20g lucuma
*10g mesquite
*30g agave nectar or raw honey
*30g raw coconut oil or melted cacao butter
Simply mix in a bowl and serve with delight.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all of the superfoods for this recipe. Just one or two will add a lot of zing to your treats. I like to use Carley’s White Almond Butter, but DetoxYourWorld.com has some delicious nut butters.
ILR>> What is Charlie's favourite treat?
My favourite treat is Charlie’s Raw Treats’ Lemon Cheesecake. Its all vegan and organic, but it has a very lemony and creamy filling. You won’t believe there is no dairy in here. It really hits the spot! Coming a close second is Charlie’s Raw Treats Chocolate Superfood Brownies. They are very rich and chocolatey with star anise and cinnamon.
I also LOVE Booja Booja Ice-cream. What an amazing company. I love to Booja Booja and I believe that everyone should have a bit of Booja Booja in their lives! Their chocolate truffles are superb.
ILR>> A huge thank you to the lovely Charlie for sharing her passion with us. For more info visit www.charliesrawtreats.co.uk
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* Curry powder
* Cayenne pepper
* Ginger
* Thyme
* Paprika
* Cinnamon
* Oregano
* Dill
* Turmeric
* Peppermint
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You can do a lot of different combinations & adding earthy vegetables with the ingredients to make soups by using medicinal Raw Tea Bases like:
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* Ginger Tea
* Burdock Seed Tea
* Lotus Root Tea
* Kudza Tea
* Ume - Sho - Ban
* Kudza - Honey Tea
Thank you
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Burdock Root Tea - 1 portion of burdock - 10 portions of water
Preparation: Boil water, let it cool to a little hotter than room temperature. Pour into pot where the burdock is, leave to steep for 10 minutes.
Health Benefits: This tea is good for strengthening vitality & for inducing bowel movement.
This base is also great for keeping your body strong & warm, raw teas are great for cleansing your body, which helps guard against common colds & other seasonal health related problems.
ILR: What are you shopping list tips for mums to stay on top of having foods at hand to make healthy things for kids to eat.
To succeed on the raw food diet you must be prepared - it is so easy to succumb to your cravings or go back to your old patterns when you're not. This is true on a personal level, but more soon a family level.
Once a week you could have a raw food preparation day. Make things in quantity, such as dried fruit, raw chocolate cakes, raw lasagnas, raw crackers, raw granola bars, raw almond milk & raw cereal.
ILR: Do you have any tips on healthy snacks for kids - easy to have at hand
* Frozen grapes
* Banana, pineapple, strawberry popsicles
(blend the fruits & pour in popsicle mold)
* Mixed dried fruit on the counter
* Fresh fruit on the counter
* Sliced vegetable platter & avocado dip in the fridge
* Raw chocolate, raisin, hemp seed & raw coconut oil truffles
* Date, almond, raisin & cinnamon sauce (blend apples, mix in cinnamon to taste, honey to taste & add raisins at the end, pour out into a container & leave in fridge for kids to eat.)
Have snacks ready & leave a note if your not there so kids know what they can dig into. Ask them what was their favourite & try to make those more often.
For more infomration visit TTS Raw Food Resources *
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Raw Insight from Joe McCanta
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Corporate Sommelier/Mixologist - Saf,
www.safrestaurant.co.uk
March 2009. I was on a high for several days following my first meal at Saf. Having made the transition from steak tartar eater, to vegetarian t-total, to raw - in under 18 months - I feared I would become a social recluse & never eat out again.
It seemed that my favourite places to eat were no longer so appealing & none of my friends really knew what to do with me. I longed to find somewhere with really great food & be able to invite non raw foodies. Somewhere I could suggest eating without sensing a lot of eye-rolling at their end of the phone.
My friend, Helen, who steered me onto the raw path, mentioned Saf.
I was like a little kid, over-excited by everything on the menu - not to mention the cocktail list. The virgin cocktails are also divine, all the drinks are created by Joe. My favourite named cocktail was the 'Lacey Langston', apparently so-called after Joe's best friend in the States. Great name, great drink.
To make it even better - it was down the road from my old stomping ground in Hoxton. It felt like nothing had really changed, other than me & my health. My world had simply 'evolved' magically, rather than my fear of it 'concluding' tragically - with a large salad & glass of water for one.
It took me several days to come down from my food high. Once I touched down I ordered my friend a birthday cake from Saf - I wanted the world to taste the heavenly delight that is their chocolate ganache tart.
Pregnant, I knew this cake made with nothing but raw goodness would be a blissful treat for body & baby - guilt free & able to replenish every cell in her body. Jacki, who is not really one for raw food, loved it & so did the rest of her family. A true testament. (That was after she'd called Saf to make sure it was OK to eat raw food whilst pregnant.) Raw vegan food is fine. No dairy - no danger.
I spoke with Joe McCanta, the creator of the cocktail list at Saf,
Joe gave some great advice. "Balancing flavours is the key to any good drink. There are three main tastes. Examples of acid flavours could be citrus fruits, passion fruits & tomatoes. There are many sweet flavours; apples, grapes, mango, beets, carrots & bananas are great as they are creamy too. Then there are the spicy & salty flavours from foods like celery, garlic, red peppers, cayenne pepper, greens." Celery is great for salty - mother nature's very own sodium.
It seems that if you pick a combination like lime, apple & ginger - you're getting a great mixture of acid, sweet & spicy. A little something that reaches all corners. Key word here is 'balance'.
Some more great tips from Joe:
Ice cube trays
Money saving tip - buy fruit in season & freeze to use throughout the year.
* Make up ice cube trays filled with blended fruit
* Either drop them in a drink to add flavour - or use to make quick smoothies or ice cream.
Examples of what you could create:
Lemon/ agave/ ginger
Nice twist in a glass of sparkling or still water
Cucumber
Refreshing flavour to use in long summer drinks
Pomegranate
Great flavour & anti-oxidant hit!
Ice creams
Use frozen fruit cubes, nut milk & agave or maple syrup to sweeten. Blend & serve
A good ratio to remember when making ice cream is 3:1. Frozen:non frozen ****
