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STP
Retailer Description
Bleu Ocean
Report Design and Organising

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Aims and Objectives
Executive Summary
HR Strategy
Star Chart

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SWOT
Porters 5 Forces
Risk Log

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Unique selection of brands

Events

Unique design and concept

Workshops

Personal Stylist Services

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Brand Mix in the Store
Target Customer and Reason for Selection
Proposal for launch party

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HR Strategy: the 3 main Executives
Leadership Applied
RACE Model

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Brand Mix : 15 brands Selection

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Gantt chart

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AIDA Model

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Consumer experience,
Sustainable Strategies,
Eco efficiency in the cafe

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The best sustainable luxury clothing brands and fashion designers create beautiful, ethical, and luxurious apparel, shoes, bags, accessories, and jewelry under high social and environmental standards.

They feel a greater responsibility toward the environment and the workers in supply chains. They understand that overconsumption and overproduction of cheaply made clothes endanger people, animals, and the planet.

If you are interested in luxury ready-to-wear and designer pieces, choose items made from the best fashion designers and clothing brands that use eco-friendly materials and sustainable design techniques.

These sustainable luxury brands and designers create artisanal collections, haute couture, and driven clothing designs that promote sustainability and environmental responsibility.
Panaprium is proud to be 100% independent, free of any influence, and not sponsored. We carefully handpick products from brands we trust. Thank you so much for buying something through our link, as we may earn a commission that supports us.
Category: Basics, loungewear, outerwear, accessories
For: Women, men
From: London, United Kingdom
Values: Organic, recycled, give back, luxury
Prices: $190-$1,600

Katharine E. Hamnett CBE is an English fashion designer who launched her luxury brand in 1979 with a range of eclectic women's designs. She holds sustainability and ethical production to the utmost importance.

Her collections are seductive, timeless, and attracted fans such as Mick Jagger, Liz Taylor, Princess Diana, Boy George, and Madonna. Katharine's style is instantly recognizable across the world.

She gradually introduced new sustainable materials and moved out of the mainstream industry to concentrate on campaigning, political activism, and collaborating with charities.
SHOP KATHARINE HAMNETT
Was this article helpful to you? Please tell us what you liked or didn't like in the comments below.

Alex Assoune (MS) is a global health and environmental advocate. He founded Panaprium to inspire others with conscious living, ethical, and sustainable fashion. Alex has worked in many countries to address social and environmental issues. He speaks three languages and holds two Master of Science degrees in Engineering from SIGMA and IFPEN schools.

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20 Best Sustainable Luxury Brands You Need To Know

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The best sustainable luxury clothing brands and fashion designers create beautiful, ethical, and luxurious apparel, shoes, bags, accessories, and jewelry under high social and environmental standards. They feel a greater responsibility toward the environment and the workers in supply chains. They understand that overconsumption and overproduction of cheaply made clothes endanger people, animals, and the planet.

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https://sitemate.com/resources/articles/safety/risk-log/

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Risk log example

You are probably pretty familiar with risk register templates and frameworks, and as you'll see from the risk log example below, they share many similarities and can often be used interchangeably.

The most important columns and features of any risk log are (all of which you can see in the example below):

Description of the risk - Risk logs are collaborative documents. While there may be a project manager who owns the risk log, other people will want to or need to access and reference the log. These people should be able to see and understand the risk quickly, and a description really helps as they might not have the context that the risk creator or identifier had.

Impact on project - Looking at risks in a vacuum isn't incredibly helpful or practical. All companies and projects care about how risks are applicable to them, and this comes back to the impact that the risk can have on a project - whether that be through possible delays, injuries or compliance issues.

Related function - As we already discussed, grouping and categorising functional risk can be really important for workers and companies, especially as projects become larger. If you organise and group your risks properly, it will be easier to delegate specific risks and ensure every risk is handled by the appropriate person.

Assessment of likelihood and seriousness, and the resulting risk 'grade' - One of the most important aspects of a risk log is that it provides a company with a macro-level view of all of the different risks, which enables prioritisation. The two axis with which prioritisation are made are the likelihood of the risk eventuating and the seriousness of an event stemming from that risk. The combined 'score' of these two dimensions (the score is a standardised score based on a standard risk matrix) gives us a risk grade which can then be used to decide which risks need to be dealt with.

Change in grade and time since last review - Understanding how risk is evolving over time is really important to deciphering how well the company is managing risk. Outside of unexpected forces, most recurring risks should become less risky. Companies and workers should learn how to better manage risk over time. Understanding how a risks grade has changed over time and the time since last review enables us to see whether or not our risk profile is improving over time.

Mitigation actions, cost of those actions - Once risks are prioritised, we need to make and take some actions to prevent these risks from eventuating. We want to be able to list the different types of mitigating actions which will be implemented, as well as the cost of those actions.

Person responsible - One of the key parts of any brainstorming or risk log related activity is to make sure that changes are made. It's easy to go through the great exercise of accurately identifying and defining all of your risks, but if those risks don't get actioned, then the exercise quickly loses it's value. Documenting who is responsible for each risk is the best way to ensure they get done - because then a specific person can be held responsible.

Ensuring every one of these critical elements is captured in your standardised risk log template is the best way to make sure all of your risk logs always have the information required to make good decisions.

As you can imagine, a risk log like this can become extensive very quickly when assessing risk on any sized project - even the small ones. This is where making a project manager or specific functional manager responsible for a specific area of risk or phase of works is often the best approach to managing risk at a more detailed level. And many risks can be classified as being unlikely to occur and non-serious, and those risks can be appropriately stored or classified as dormant.

While new risks will be constantly added to the risk log, old and redundant risks which have been eliminated or effectively managed can be archived. You probably don't want to delete the record entirely, as you have important information about that risk in the register, such as it's current risk 'score' and who 'was' responsible for managing it.

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Risk log: Here's what you need to know about risk logs (+ an example)

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You are probably pretty familiar with risk register templates and frameworks, and as you'll see from the risk log example below, they share many similarities and can often be used interchangeably. The most important columns and features of any risk log are (all of which you can see in the example below): Description of the risk - Risk logs are collaborative documents.

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Discover the MATCHESFASHION fashion point of view with our edit of over 650+ established and innovative designers, from Prada, Gucci and Balenciaga to Saint Laurent, Halpern and Wales Bonner.''

‘’According to BOF, MatchesFashion.com, which was founded in 2006, receives 55 million website visitors each year. 80% of purchasers come from one of the many international markets they serve (176 to be exact). Matches Fashion aims to be “the most personal luxury shopping experience in the world”.

’’24/7 style advice through the sites fashion-concierge team

‘’Shop online, in-store, or via the brand’s app’’

‘’Private shopping services are available in person or via email or phone’’

‘’The brand is committed to sustainability and works with Eco-Age’’

''MatchesFashion US shoppers are eligible for free delivery on all orders over $300 and free returns’’

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Bad contact with the customers, majority negative comments regarding purchase ‘’MATCHESFASHION has a consumer rating of 1.92 stars from 101 reviews indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. MATCHESFASHION ranks 149th among Designer Clothes sites.’’

‘’Depending on where you’re shopping from, returns can be pricey (they aren’t free everywhere)’’

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‘’Consider establishing a physical (brick and mortar) presence in different countries.‘’

’’With mobile accounting for around half of its overall sales, it has become the real driving engine of growth for the business and further development of the channel should not be ruled out.’’

‘’The retailer believes market share is up for grabs due to the recent merger between Yoox and Net-a-Porter, as this enlarged business has more of a focus on mainstream luxury fashion and lacks the up-and-coming designers that matchesfashion.com oﬀers.’’

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The premium market is becoming increasingly competitive, and this trend will continue in the future years.

Luxury businesses are also aiming to establish direct-to-customer websites in order to avoid losing out on profits, as brands like Farfetch and Yoox are constantly snatching market share.

''Poor financial crisis resilience, such as Brexit and COVID-19 ''

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https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-five-zeros-reshaping-stores
https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-
business/articles/retail-trends.html

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Shoppers are reshaping the retail landscape faster than ever before. Nearly 40 percent have switched brands or retailers during the pandemic, and more than 80 percent have new shopping behaviors. More than half of those who used a new channel or service such as "buy online, pickup in store," for example, said they would continue the practice post-COVID-19. As such, the omnichannel consumer has never been more powerful. They make purchases 70 percent more often and spend about 34 percent more than people who shop exclusively in stores. Based on the above, we expect cross-channel shopping to continue even as the pandemic fades.

However, consumers today are likely to be looking for more than convenience and cross-channel connectivity. As one 20-something shopper told us, "I don't spend money in places I don't believe in." According to our survey of 999 American consumers in 2021, 45 percent of all consumers and more than half of Gen Z, millennial, and Black consumers believe companies should support Black-owned businesses. Among our survey respondents who agreed that companies should pledge to support Black-owned brands, more than 40 percent intentionally buy from Black-owned brands and are bigger spenders overall, doling out an average of 30 percent more on holiday shopping.

The implications for retailers are profound. As the shopper continues to change-and expects retailers to do the same-customer experience, store operations, and talent become more inextricably linked on the journey to keep pace with customer preferences.

A great customer experience, in store and online, now requires end-to-end product availability and visibility, which in turn requires first-rate operations: talent in IT, logistics, procurement, fulfillment, and other functions. Similarly, in-store staff need to recognize when customers need help-and when they don't. And with high employee turnover and the need to keep up with rapid changes in the marketplace, retailers must train new hires and longtime employees quickly, effectively, and at scale.

In case that to-do list doesn't seem long enough, consider that one in three shoppers now expects same-day delivery -a share that will accelerate as fast-moving retail giants and nimble start-ups compete in the realm of customer experience.

One thing is clear: shoppers aren't just browsing-they're taking sides. To win their loyalty, retailers will need to keep raising their games.

How retailers can meet rising challenges

The margins for error in retailing are shrinking toward zero in five areas: shopping channels, customer assistance, delivery times, equity and sustainability, and talent (exhibit). We believe retailers will have to bend, reinvent, and innovate to meet customers where they are-and where they're going.

Zero difference in channels

To serve omnichannel customers better, winning retailers are reimagining channels and bridging the gap across supply chains, stores, web presence, and partners. Some players, such as Target, are transforming stores into supply chain nodes to serve customers both online and in the store. Target moved quickly and early to devote operations and space to e-commerce fulfillment, including curbside and in-store pickup, and has since evolved to ship-from-store in most locations. Staff are now cross-trained to pick goods from the sales floor and "fast moving" zones for certain SKUs to get nearby customers what they want, when they want it. A few retailers are now bypassing stores altogether with manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) models.

Further blending channels, the "all on, anywhere" service model is permanently raising consumer expectations of zero differences in channels. Apple, a leader in this realm, makes specialist advisers available by phone, online, and in stores. Across every channel, advisers are armed with data about what products customers own, what updates they have made to their operating systems, and what support they have needed in the past. Staff are trained to advise customers on multiple elements of the purchasing process, including product selection, carrier plans, and financing options. Channels integrate seamlessly with Apple ID, allowing customers to schedule in-store appointments in seconds and helping reps to quickly recognize customers.

As channels blur, retailers will need to rethink traditional measures of productivity and what success looks like in the eyes of the consumer. Omnichannel is the new four wall, and metrics should reflect the cross-channel contributions of stores and managers.

Take action-suggestions on where to start

Redefine channels and the bridges between them. To provide a seamless omnichannel customer experience, companies can identify their weakest links and build a road map to strengthen them. Retailers could start by integrating back-office processes, for example, using inventory-management systems that incorporate distribution centers with stores and building reporting and tracking capability to track new four-wall metrics.

Zero need for assistance with transactions

Shoppers are giving retailers less "credit" for traditional and transactional services from checkout at cash registers to beyond. Our research shows that more than 70 percent of those who began using in-store self-checkout in the past two years, or used it more often, intend to keep using it after the pandemic. This indicates that self-service is the preferred service in these instances. By introducing technology at "transactional moments" of the in-store journey, retailers can redirect associates to activities that shoppers value more, such as intercepting the digital experience when it isn't working and doubling down on consultative selling where help and guidance really matter.

Sephora and Trader Joe's have both adapted the roles of in-store associates to pack more punch in customer support. At Sephora, they provide personalized recommendations and tips with the help of mobile devices loaded with customer loyalty data. Trader Joe's, perhaps counterintuitively, urges staff to stock stores during peak shopping hours, increasing the chances that they will interact with customers in what they believe is a high value-add way: answering questions, introducing new products, and making cross-selling suggestions.

Similarly, Sam's Club and Decathlon have greatly eliminated low-value activities from the responsibilities of associates. Sam's has partnered with Brain Corp to use robots that not only check for stockouts but also double as floor cleaners. Decathlon has partnered with Simbe Robotics to use its "Tally" robot to count inventory, identify out-of-place inventory, and assess trends in customer-purchase behavior to help sales associates serve customers more effectively.

The race to zero is on for self-service. Self-checkout is at the forefront, and other areas such as stockouts, cleaning, and even returns are well on their way.

Take action-suggestions on where to start

Focus on value-added service. Every retailer should know which services matter most to the customer experience and the bottom line. Do customers truly prefer self-service, and when do they value consultative, personalized selling? How important is the expertise of in-store associates? The answers can guide decisions about where automation investments are warranted.

Zero wait for delivery

Two-day delivery is the new five-day, and instant will soon take its place in many markets. Amazon led the way in raising expectations by cutting average delivery times from eight days in the early 2000s to two days and even same day in some locations. More than 90 percent of consumers now see two- or three-day delivery as the baseline. Thirty percent expect same-day delivery, and they're more likely to be willing to pay for it, especially if they're younger, urban, and generally more time constrained.

Falling short on delivery times has consequences. When online customers discover during checkout that they may need to wait longer for delivery, about 46 percent abandon their shopping carts. This helps explain why more than 75 percent of specialty retail supply chain leaders have made two-day delivery a priority, and more than four in ten are aiming for same-day delivery in 2022. Many are now trying to figure out whether two-day or faster deliveries are realistic, how much each customer segment cares about speed, and how to partner with other companies to create new delivery models to meet rising expectations.

Some retailers are responding to the challenge by offering more options. Walmart, for example, has continuously evolved its delivery offering. It acquired Jet.com in 2016 to offer a broader assortment online and grow e-commerce capabilities. Since then, the company's delivery model has grown to include free two-day shipping with a purchase of $35 or more or with membership in Walmart+. In the new Walmart InHome program, delivery associates bring groceries into consumers' homes and put them directly into cabinets and refrigerators.

Retailers that don't have these in-house abilities are already partnering with third-party delivery services. Macy's now partners with DoorDash to provide same-day delivery of select goods. The emergence of quick-commerce players such as Gorillas in Europe will raise the stakes even higher. Gorillas' vertical or "dark store" model includes micro fulfillment centers to deliver groceries and other everyday items by bicycle in as little as ten minutes for a fee of about two dollars.

Take action-suggestions on where to start

Define the delivery promise. Based on what customers expect, a retailer should determine the capacity needed to meet those expectations-and how quickly they might change. Delivery capabilities range from in-house (through ramped-up in-store fulfillment) to new partnerships with rapid delivery players. Retailers whose products are customized or otherwise worth a wait can be more transparent with customers about where their products are in the journey to their front doors.

Zero tolerance for inaction on equality or sustainability

Consumers, especially the coveted Gen Z and millennial segments, are increasingly anchoring their retailer and brand choices on sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion. About 90 percent of Gen Z shoppers believe companies should address racial equity, for example. Their convictions can be strong. As one shopper told us, "Companies have huge leverage. And if they don't support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, they do not share my values. So why would I give them my business?"

More than half of Gen Z and millennial consumers say they're aware of brands' commitments to sustainability, and more than 40 percent consider sustainable practices in their purchases, spurring a rise in preowned items in the circular economy. Retailers are responding with innovations in their business models. Rothys, for example, has moved to streamlined packaging including a minimalist, eco-friendly shoe box that can be resealed without tape for returns. The company relies on wind to power its headquarters.

Consumers no longer just talk about their values; they spend to support them. In the current marketplace where 40 percent more shoppers are trying new brands, their zero tolerance on values is more consequential than ever.

Take action-suggestions on where to start

Put diversity front and center. Every retailer should take a clear-eyed look at diversity in the ranks and on the shelves. It can count the number of diverse and Black-owned brands in its merchandising mix, for example, and tally the revenue generated by those brands. (Most fall short of where they and their customers want them to be.) It can also review diversity in staffing, particularly in leadership positions. Based on its baselines, the company should set aspirations, craft realistic plans to get there, and near-in key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure progress. Many companies enlist the guidance and partnership of nonprofits, accelerators, and other third parties.

Zero wiggle room for talent

The pandemic has greatly raised the stakes in recruiting and retention. Retail job vacancies in the United States rose from about 446,000 in April 2020 to more than a million in December 2021, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve. To recruit and retain the right people, retail leaders are raising pay, providing more autonomy (through, for example, flexible "gig" schedules), promising better career paths, and more. Traditional recruiting and onboarding will not be enough for most retailers in the years ahead. They will need new approaches to talent that infuse data from end to end, from AI-driven hiring to digital training throughout employees' careers to flexible staffing models.

Automated recruiting and management are still in their infancy but showing great promise. For example, CVS partners with Modern Hire to bring data and personalization to the hiring process and raise recruiting success. Modern Hire automates parts of the hiring process including screening and initial interviews while gathering and leveraging personalized data to ease the process for candidates, recruiters, and hiring managers.

On the training front, Walmart pioneered the use of virtual reality (VR) in 2018 in a partnership with Strivr, using Oculus Go headsets to train employees on in-store pickup. Since then, the company has offered this training to more than a million associates in the United States. According to Walmart, those who use the new system report 30 percent higher satisfaction, score higher on tests 70 percent of the time, and demonstrate 10-15 percent more knowledge retention than before VR. Sam's Club put its own martial arts spin on training by awarding white, blue, and orange belts based on the skills employees master, from using knives in food preparation to budgeting.

Take action-suggestions on where to start

Modernize talent management. With competition for labor fiercer than ever, retailers must up the ante on how they hire, train, and retain people. We often recommend surveying frontline employees to understand their pain points. Some retailers are too slow to respond to applicants and lose out on great talent. Some training creates stress rather than getting associates excited about their work and career opportunities. Compensation is always important, but talented people are looking for much more today, including autonomy, flexibility, and especially a sense of purpose. (For more on this topic, please see " Great Attrition or Great Attraction? The choice is yours.")

The time is now

As changes accelerate in consumer behaviors and attitudes, retailers with "wait and see" approaches will only fall further behind. The bad news may not be apparent immediately, since frustrated or disappointed shoppers may not lodge a complaint. Instead, they may simply walk out the door or abandon their shopping carts, never to return. They will find another retailer that understands them and moves fast to meet their needs.

There's no time to waste-the race to zero has already begun.

Hear Tiffany Burns and Tyler Harris discuss the "five zeros" on this related McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast episode.

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Shoppers are reshaping the retail landscape faster than ever before. Nearly 40 percent have switched brands or retailers during the pandemic, and more than 80 percent have new shopping behaviors. More than half of those who used a new channel or service such as "buy online, pickup in store," for example, said they would continue the practice post-COVID-19.

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As technological innovation accelerates, fashion companies have an opportunity to serve customers better whilst also creating a more efficient, more responsive, and more responsible business.

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https://www.longdom.org/open-access/nanotechnology-as-a-tool-for-enhanced-renewable-energy-application-in-developing-countries-2090-4541-1000e113.pdf

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https://www.wen.org.uk/2022/06/07/just-and-sustainable-food-conversation-with-dee-woods-and-rokiah-yaman/

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As part of the Just Food and Climate Transition Programme , and the Blueprint Architects are researching what a just and sustainable food system looks like for Tower Hamlets.

As part of this they've been organising co-learning and networking events with inspirational women pioneering alternative models.

The first event was hosted at the Teviot Centre in May, with Dee Woods and Rokiah Yaman, here's what they had to say!

Co-learning & networking event (with delicious food) - on building alternative food systems in Tower Hamlets - photos from Platform London

DEE WOOD AND GRANVILLE COMMUNITY KITCHEN

Granville Community Kitchen is a truly collective community venture, made up of a community garden, kitchen, and a solidarity vegetable box scheme.

They also had a food aid service, which when the pandemic hit, went from supporting 50 households to 300 households. To make it possible to meet demand they had to take food from what Dee described as 'the charitable industrialised food system', which didn't sit right with their values.

Dee's questions for Granville Community Kitchen were - 'Can we grow the food ourselves or connect to farms? Or if not, can we access food from global markets in a just and sustainable way?'. With support from Landworkers Alliance and Better Food Traders they made direct connections to farms, and started working with the African and Caribbean Food Network on how they could set up just and sustainable food chains internationally. This month, they are hoping to sign for a farm on the outskirts of West London.

Dee talked about the alternative systems that have fed us throughout history - through solidarity, exchange, community to community. She also stressed the importance of thinking holistically. Food insecurity is a symptom of poverty that needs to be solved through a progressive welfare system, which includes better wages, better social security, all of which we don't currently have.

Granville Community Kitchen are committed to decreasing reliance on temporary charitable food provision, and have recently closed their emergency food aid service, more about this here.

Photo from Platform London

LEAP specialises in micro anaerobic digestion (AD) and has built an urban circular food model that could help communities manage their food waste more sustainably and grow food for local consumption.

Rokiah explained how AD works, where it happens and what it produces. Micro AD turns food waste into biogas, a renewable source of energy, which could be used to power a community kitchen! It also produces a liquid fertilizer ( digestate), which can be used in hydroponics. LEAP combines AD with composting to produce valuable soil organic matter to support soil health and fertility.

Currently some of our food waste from London goes out to Oxfordshire to be processed. Instead LEAP wants to create a more localised circular system, which combines on-site food waste management with food production. They've been largely running on grant funding but are now looking to scale up their economically sustainable model - SOURCE - across three sites in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham to create local green jobs.

A current Tower Hamlets case study is on the Teviot Estate in Poplar, you can read more about the project here!

The next co-learning and networking event will be on Saturday 25 th June, find out more and book your place!
Find out more about Just FACT

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JUST AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD - CONVERSATION WITH DEE WOODS AND ROKIAH YAMAN - Wen

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As part of the Just Food and Climate Transition Programme , and the Blueprint Architects are researching what a just and sustainable food system looks like for Tower Hamlets. As part of this they've been organising co-learning and networking events with inspirational women pioneering alternative models.

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New Year’s Resolutions?

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions?  I find January a challenging month, with dark mornings, cold weather and I generally feel tired and exhausted. So I tend to avoid resolutions, when energy levels are so low – waiting rather until the spring.

Veganuary by stealth

Back in January 2020 my 12 year old daughter decided her resolution was to do Veganuary.  We were vegetarians already, but enjoyed the delights of Greek yogurt and cheese. But with pressure from our daughter we stopped buying dairy products during January and dived head first into vegan cooking – New Year’s Resolutions by stealth!

January rolled into the spring and summer, lockdown after lockdown and we were still eating mainly plant based meals.  To our amazement we cooked up some of the best meals. We invested in the vegan cooking book  Bosch and found some fantastic vegan cooking blogs, sharing easy vegan recipes for beginners.

Delicious vegan meals

Between us we cooked up Korean feasts, vegan “fish and chips” , Katsu curry and some rather delicious vegan bagels, cakes and cinnamon rolls.  And fast forward to January 2022 my daughter is still eating a plant based diet and myself and the rest of the family the majority of the time.

Food for nurturing and nourishing

But food isn’t just about nourishment.  Yes we need to ensure we get the right balance of nutrients, but food can be a great nurturer too. Taking time out to cook, to sit down and enjoy your meal (light a candle for some hygge, play some music too), can really help lift spirits.  Using food to not only nourish your body but also your mind. I like to create small moments – a herbal tea in my favourite mug or indeed a square or two of dark chocolate.  Here’s a few ways that I like to nurture myself during January:

5 ways to nurture and nourish yourself in a January

Start fermenting

Fermented foods are rich in probiotics. They help strengthen the immune system and promote a healthy gut – leading to good digestion and uptake of nutrients.

Include fermented food into your meal repertoire.  Try making Sauerkraut (it’s not difficult at all)  or your own Kimchi.  Sauerkraut is delicious added to salads or in a sandwich. Kimchi can be added to fried rice – try this recipe.

Get sprouting!

Seeds are packed with protein, fibre and iron plus they aid digestion. They are so easy to make and I always have a jar on the go. I like to sprout dry brown lentils, chickpeas and sunflower seeds.  Just take a glass jar and puncture some holes in the lid.  Put a couple of handfuls of seeds into the jar and cover with water.  Allow to soak overnight.  Then drain (with the lid, acting as a colander).  Put on a bright windowsill.  Rinse every day and drain.  Once the seeds start to sprout they are ready to eat. Great in sandwiches and salads.

Eat Chocolate

Yes, chocolate! It’s good for the immune system and digestion. Opt for 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate without sugar and milk. If you love hot chocolate then January is a great time to indulge.I warm up oat milk (extra creamy) and add organic cocoa powder, agave syrup and some cinnamon.

Feel the heat with Chillies

Chillies are great at removing toxins and boosting the metabolism. I always have dried chilli flakes in the cupboard. They bring a lovely warming and spicy flavour to any dish.   Fresh chillies can be bought, sliced and frozen, ready to use.  I like to grow my own , it’s really easy to do on a window sill. You can start sowing seeds in January if you can keep them warm.  I also like to make my own chilli oil – just add some dried flakes or whole dried chilies to a jar of olive oil.

A lovely cup of tea!

Herbal teas are not only great at keeping you hydrated but they can be nourishing and nurturing.  I like to make my own teas in a little tea pot and take time to enjoy the moment.  I like the aniseed flavour of fennel tea. I use fennel seeds (I use these a lot in cooking) – 1 tsp in a cup and then add hot water.  Ginger tea is so warming (great for arthritic pain and good if you are feeling nauseous) . I keep sliced ginger in the freezer – so it’s easy to add a couple of slices to a cup of hot water. The same goes for any herbs that you grow or buy – keep them fresh by freezing them.  Mint is my absolute favourite,, great to drink after dinner.

Our Food system

I see Veganuary as a great opportunity to question what I’m eating.  What ingredients does it contain? Where is it from? How is it packaged?  All key questions when you consider our food system creates more than 20% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. It’s a huge contributor to climate change. But it isn’t just damaging our environment, it is also damaging our health. Western diets tend to include high levels of red meat, sugar, high fat foods, salt and refined grains and processed foods, all linked to obesity, heart disease and cancer.  New research, this week, suggests that the global spread of autoimmune disease is linked to western diets.

Plant based recipes

So what about Veganuary?  Well whether you decide to cut meat and dairy from your diet permanently or just to cut down, there are so many easy plant based recipes to try.  Many of the team here at Wen are either vegan or regularly cook plant based dishes.  Our cooking workshops in Tower Hamlets are all plant based – here are some of the recipes we have used.

The team have been sharing their favourite plant based recipes: Miso Glazed Aubergine, Grilled Portobello mushrooms, Basmati and Wild Rice and vegan and banana bread.

Need some Veganuary inspiration? Here’s my top 5 veganuary recipes – all easy to make:

Fish and chips with mushy peas and tartar sauce

Quick vegan smoked salmon

Double chocolate beetroot cake

The World’s Easiest cinnamon rolls

Vietnamese tofu

I hope you will try some of these recipes and ideas to nurture yourself and your loved ones this winter. The sun is shining today, it feels like Spring is not too far away!

5 of my favourite plant based and vegan bloggers:

So Vegan

Lazy Cat Kitchen

The Korean Vegan

Nora Cooks

Minimalist Baker

5 vegan and plant based cookbooks in my kitchen:

Bosh

The Oh She Glows Cookbook

Ottolenghi Flavour

Vegan Cakes and Other Bakes

The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everyone

By Heidi Ringshaw, Wen

We would love to know your favourite plant based recipes and tips.  Please leave a comment below.

Here’s a favourite recipe from Julie Yip our Local Food Coordinator:

Saag aloo

600g wilted, cold-rinsed, squeezed, and chopped spinach (can use frozen spinach, defrosted)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 med-large tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp ginger powder (or you could use fresh)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 black cardamom
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black mustard seeds
Small handful fresh curry leaves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp turmeric
Fresh coriander (a whole bunch, stalks very finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped)

Fry cumin seeds, cardamom, mustard seeds, bay leaves and curry leaves in 3 tbsp oil for a few minutes on high (until the cumin is getting jumpy), add the onion and reduce heat / add a lid, until cooked down. Add the garlic for a few mins, then the tomatoes and all other spices. cook the tomatoes right down. Stir in the spinach and fresh coriander and cook on low heat with the lid on for 10-15 mins. If you’re adding potatoes, make sure to pre-boil them in salted water with turmeric in, remove and let them steam, and add just for the last 5-10 mins.

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VEGANUARY - FOOD TO NURTURE AND NOURISH - Wen

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Make sure you are nourishing and nurturing yourself with food this Veganuary. Enjoy our favourite plant based recipes and top tips.

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