Tucson Eatery Nabs PETA’s National ‘Vegan Roast Boast’ Award
For Immediate Release:
November 8, 2022
Contact:
Robin Goist 202-483-7382
More people than ever are expected to celebrate a meat-free Thanksgiving this year, and local eatery Lovin’ Spoonfuls has won a national Vegan Roast Boast Award from PETA for its cashew Nut Loaf served with mushroom gravy and garlic mashed potatoes—a succulent solution to 2022’s soaring turkey prices and rampant bird flu outbreaks.
Owner May Gilley worked in restaurants for decades before she took the plunge in 2017 and bought Lovin’ Spoonfuls, an eatery that matched her longtime vegan values. Today, the business is widely loved by Tucson’s many foodies, sporting a massive menu and an exciting, mimosa-fueled Sunday brunch with some of the best pastries in town. Popular picks include the fried “chicken” dishes and the plant-based Wildcat burger, topped with house-made vegan bleu cheese. Also for sale is the artwork on the restaurant’s walls, painted by Gilley’s mom.
“Hearty and seasoned to perfection, the Nut Loaf at Lovin’ Spoonfuls is so comforting that diners insist on having it year-round,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “This ‘ThanksVegan,’ PETA is celebrating local businesses that make it easy as dairy-free pumpkin pie to enjoy a bird-friendly feast.”
Not only are vegan roasts free of saturated animal fat and cholesterol, they also spare animals immense suffering: More than 45 million turkeys will be killed for this Thanksgiving alone. During their short lives, they’re forced to stand in their own waste and inhale ammonia-laden air inside dark warehouses. The birds are even genetically manipulated to make them grow unnaturally large, which causes their legs to break beneath them.
The other nine honorees include Green New American Vegetarian in Phoenix; The Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis; Monk’s Meats in Brooklyn, New York; and Planted Table in Oakland, California. Each eatery will receive a framed certificate from PETA, which offers a “ThanksVegan” guide.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
