THE CRUELTY-FREE SHOP INTERVIEW
Claudette Vaughan interviews Jessica Bailey

Jessica Bailey had a huge success last year organising The Cruelty-Free Living Festival which will repeated this year on Sunday the 4th of November. She also runs the marvelous online Cruelty-Free Shop – No Animal Ingredients, No Animal Testing and all products are vegan – of course! Here she talks to Claudette Vaughan about veganism, the cruelty-free lifestyle and bringing up baby the vegan way.

Want to be part of the 2007 Cruelty-Free Expo in Sydney? Email: Jessica@crueltyfreeshop.com.au

Abolitionist: Tell us about yourself?

Jessica: I am a happy, healthy vegan with a beautiful son who is my best friend. We live in the inner city of Sydney with three beautiful cats (all ex-strays) who I couldn’t imagine being without; they make me happy every time I spend time with them (I think it’s reciprocal!). I dream of moving to the country and having a sanctuary for rescued farm animals but my friends are so important to me that I’m not sure I’d make it without them.

Abolitionist: Why did you start the Cruelty-Free Shop?

Jessica: I spent my twenties as a high-powered career woman in IT/Telecommunications then, after I had Robbie. I had a (very early) mid life crisis and realised that I wanted to do something that actually made a difference rather than being part of the money-go-round that only serves to make a few obscenely rich men even richer. So I threw it all in to start up The Cruelty Free Shop. Now I am permanently broke but happier and more fulfilled than I’ve ever been. I love running the shop and still get a buzz every time someone places an order. I’ve been running the shop for around five years now and have lots of customers who have evolved into friends over that time which has been an unexpected bonus. I don’t actually take a wage from the shop so I still work part time to make ends meet and have been fortunate enough to find wonderful jobs within the animal right movement, first with the Australian Association for Humane Research (AAHR) and now with the World League for Protection of Animals (WLPA).

Abolitionist: What Australian vegan products are available from your shop?

Jessica: There are lots of vegan products in Australia, in fact 90% of my products are sourced from Australian suppliers. Most are small businesses so it’s great to be able to support other small business owners too. For example I have just connected with a woman in South Australia who hand-makes fabulous, essential oil scented, soy wax candles, they are lovely. Soy wax is so much better as it is non-toxic, virtually soot free and burns much longer than petrochemical waxes. We both benefit from the relationship as she reaches a broader audience through my shop and I get to sell her beautiful candles. I would much rather support someone like her in a small business than a large corporation.

Abolitionist: Until recently you were one of the few activists selling vegan parmesan cheese.

Jessica: Parmazano has only recently arrived in Australia from the UK and has filled a real gap in the vegan market. I use it on pasta and pizzas and it tastes great. It sells for $6.25 which initially sounded expensive to me but it lasts for ages as you only need use a very small amount so in fact is quite economical.

Abolitionist: Are vegan marshmallows available?

Jessica: Well I’m glad you asked that! I have just recently made contact with a lovely woman in New Zealand who is making vegan marshmallows and they are delicious. My first shipment has just arrived. I’ve been told that one of the US brands discovered recently that their gelatin wasn’t actually vegan which is a bit of a shock but these ones are made with carrageenan and locust bean gum instead of gelatin so they are definitely safe. Due to the exchange rate and shipping costs they are a bit pricey but we all deserve a treat from time to time. She also makes vegan fudge which is heavenly, that’ll be arriving late September.

Abolitionist: Tell us about your son Robbie and veganism.

Jessica: Robbie is vegan when he is with me. Unfortunately his father is a meat eater so feeds Robbie meat when he stays there (which is quite often). It is a difficult situation as his father tells him things like “you won’t grow up big and strong if you don’t eat your meat”. It’s natural for little boys want to be like their Dads so it makes things very confusing for him. The best thing I can do for Robbie is to tell him the truth and teach him compassion so that he will be armed with the right tools when he is old enough to make his own decisions.

Abolitionist: What problems, if any, have you experienced bringing up a vegan child?

Jessica: I don’t have any problems it’s everyone else who does! The constant questioning gets wearying: How will he get enough protein, calcium, vitamins etc etc? It’s so easy to have a balanced and nutritionally complete vegan diet, all it takes is a little research and knowledge. I’m tempted to retort with questions like: Aren’t you concerned your child will develop high cholesterol, higher risk of cancer, osteoporosis etc in later life from eating too much meat and dairy?

Abolitionist: What advice would you give to mothers with children, thinking of going completely vegan?

Jessica: Do it!! But make sure you know your stuff nutrition-wise, you don’t want to take any risks with children’s health (incidentally I would give the same advice to a meat eating mother). Also when you start being questioned (see above) it’s great to be able to dazzle people with brilliant facts and figures about the benefits of a vegan diet.

Abolitionist: What's your most sought after product in the shop?

Jessica: Anything new! Whenever I find some new exciting vegan product everyone wants it. Right now the most sought after products are my new vegan lip balms and the organic air fresheners.

Abolitionist: What do you think vegans could do better?

Jessica: Be more tolerant of people who are not yet vegan. I think sometimes vegans can be a bit judgemental of non-vegans and that can alienate people. Once people are alienated then are not receptive so we loose any chance of educating them. I don’t know of anyone who has gone from meat eater to vegan in one step so we must be supportive and encouraging of the people who are still on that path.

Abolitionist: What are your (vegan) plans for the future?

Jessica: I would love to see the Cruelty Free Shop grow to the point where I could concentrate on it full time. I am also very keen to develop my own vegan range so that I have complete control over the ingredients. My first attempt at this has been the making lip balm and I’m really happy with the way it’s turned out.

Check It Out: www.crueltyfreeshop.com.au
Cruelty Free Living Festival: www.crueltyfreefestival.org.au