The Fresh Network Blog

Do you have your ticket for THE raw event of 2009?

We're talking, of course, about our Christmas party and it's less than three weeks away now. It takes place on the evening of Sunday, December 6 at Saf restaurant in London and you can read full details here. It promises fantastic food and fantastic company and as if those were not reasons enough to attend you can also look forward to discount shopping, music and dancing, and a goody bag packed with raw treats and worth over £30.

We're excited to announce that regular Get Fresh! columnists Karen Knowler, Elaine Bruce, Philip Weeks, Russell James and Dr Doug Graham (along with Professor Rozalind Graham and their delightful daughter Faychesca) have all accepted our invitation to be there on the night. We can also reveal that Radio 2 presenter and Imperfectly Natural Woman author Janey Lee Grace is looking forward to 2009's biggest raw food fiesta! That's not all, but it's all we're disclosing for now. We are delighted these people will be there to enjoy the evening with us, sign books and chat to guests.

Guests will be able to take advantage of our December Sale, featured only at this party. Everything in our online store will be included in this bargain bonanza, with most products on offer at a fantastic 20% discount! The shop will open at 5pm - an hour before the party starts - and you'll be able to leave your shopping with us while you enjoy the evening, so why not take this chance to stock up and make some BIG savings?

Want to bring your kids? No problem! Children of all ages are welcome, and there is no charge for children under 10, up to a maximum of two pint-sized guests per paying adult. But be sure to book your little ones a place when you purchase your ticket/s as they will need to be on the list. If you want to take advantage of this amazing deal please call us on +44 (0)845 833 7017 as it is not available on our website.

The party kicks off early to make it easier for those who live outside London to attend and leave in time for their last train, should they wish to. But for those of you who will be staying overnight, we have listed some hotel recommendations on the party page of our website. Here are our top tips:

The Hoxton is offering rooms at just £78 at the time of writing. This chic and trendy urban lodge is a 2-minute walk from the party venue.

If you're looking for the lowest-cost accommodation, check out the Travelodge. This no-frills chain has many hotels in London, and rooms in the Marylebone, Farringdon and King's Cross locations (all within easy reach of our party) can be had for as little as £30. The best deals on hotel rooms are only available if you book and pre-pay and the same goes for train travel - on many routes you will enjoy savings of up to 75% if you buy your ticket two or more weeks in advance. So with the party now under three weeks away, why not sort this out right now!

Full details of our party, including highlights from the night's menu, can be found here.

We do hope to you will join us for this truly first-class event!

Go here to book your ticket/s, or ring us on +44(0)845 833 7017.

Come to our Christmas party!

Just because you’re into all things eco and organic doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy a big night out and a good old knees-up as much as the next person. But if you choose to eat raw vegan, chances are you’re used to being left pretty disappointed on the food front, as you politely pass on the champagne, the steak and the crème brulée and push limp lettuce leaves around your plate.

But not on Sunday December 6! We are holding a party at London’s Saf restaurant, which is for our money not only the UK’s but also Europe’s top raw restaurant. This will be THE raw party of the year, folks! And there are still some tickets left, so read on to find out more...or just book your ticket now! Our early bird prices are still on offer - book by October 31 and you get 10% off the ticket price, and there are further savings if you buy more than one ticket.

Four reasons you will want to be at this party:

The food We tasted everything on Saf’s menu and hand-picked the delights to serve to you on this special night. Naturally, it was a tough job but we don’t cut corners when it comes to ensuring our customers are getting the very best! The food will be served as passed canapés, starting with savoury delicacies and moving to sweet treats as the night progresses. Among other things, we selected amazing raw sushi, Saf’s famous beetroot ravioli (pictured), an out-of-this-world cashew cheese with sage pesto and a pink peppercorn crust, and some raw cakes that have to be tried to be believed. There will also be a salad bar serving three gorgeous "to-live-for" salads. Food will be in abundance, and it’s all created by none other than Saf’s executive chef, the legendary Chad Sarno, and brilliant new head chef Anupam Som.

The people If you’ve attended previous Fresh Network events you’re sure to see familiar faces here! If you haven’t, you will find it the ideal place for meeting people who are on your wavelength, should you wish to. A hint: if you’re passionate about all things raw but don’t have any (or many) friends who share that passion, consider it a priority to be at this party! Ask anyone who lives an alternative lifestyle and has plenty of like-minded friends: it makes a huge difference to your quality of life. Many customers report that they have forged some of their best friendships at our events. Oh, and did we mention that a number of high-profile raw food experts will be there on the night to chat to guests and sign books? This will be your chance to meet some of the people you’ve read about online, or seen in the pages of Get Fresh! magazine.

The discount shopping There’s no need to wait for the January sales if you shop with us! We will be selling everything from our online store at extra-special prices at this party, with discounts ranging from 10% to 20%. Why not beat the crowds by arriving at 5pm for the hour of pre-party shopping? We’ll be operating a system whereby you can leave your shopping with us and collect it later. If you purchase any of our kitchen equipment (ideal as Christmas gifts, including to yourself!) we will mail them to you to save you lugging heavy boxes across London. With discounts like these you don’t have to do much shopping to make back the cost of your party ticket in savings!

The goody bag As our gift to you for attending you will receive a special surprise Christmas goody bag packed with raw treats: a selection of lovely things to eat and to read, along with discount vouchers from some of the top companies in the field. It wouldn’t be a surprise if we told you any more than that, but suffice it to say that Christmas will come early for you if you attend this party.

The agenda
5pm Doors open for shopping
6pm Party begins
7pm-9pm Enjoy the canapés and visit the salad bar
9pm-11pm Music and dancing
Midnight Doors close

From the night’s menu...

Welcome cocktail
Lavender & Ginger Lemonade

Savoury canapés
Beetroot Ravioli
Taco Mexicano
Vegetable Maki
And more...

Salad bar
Baby Gem Caesar Salad
Spinach, Tomato and Basil Salad
Thai Papaya Salad

Dessert canapés
Chocolate and Orange Marble Torte
Raspberry Geranium Cake
And more...

Tickets will not be available on the door and numbers are strictly limited so book early to avoid disappointment!

Ticket price includes:

• welcome cocktail and raw nibbles
• savoury and sweet canapés, in abundance
• as many visits as you want to the salad bar
• unlimited filtered water and herbal and green teas
• goody bag filled with gorgeous raw treats

We hope to see you on December 6. Remember - we're still offering early bird prices, but not for much longer, so why not book your ticket right now! On our website you will find masses of useful information including how to get to Saf, hotel suggestions and a mini raw guide to London for those who are planning to make a weekend of it.

We're back - with more exciting news!

We're sorry this blog hasn't exactly been a hive of activity over the last fortnight. That's because there has been so much activity going on behind the scenes. We can't go into too much detail right now as it has been a bit of a marathon and we all need an early night. But in brief, here are a few things you might be interested to know...

To the left is the cover of our much-anticipated ebook, which is just out - Raw: your biggest questions answered. This is the book we updated you on two weeks ago, it features the opinions of 12 leading raw food experts on a wide variety of topics, and you can now find out more about what's in it, and/or instantly download it and get your hands on 270 pages of the most valuable and fascinating health information ever published.

But this isn't the only publication we've brought out this week: we're also proud to bring you the Autumn issue of Get Fresh! magazine, now available in print or as an instantly downloadable emag.

Also newly launched this week is our affiliate programme. This is for those of you who have a raw business, website or blog and and would like to earn a potentially very nice source of passive income referring customers to us. It's as simple as signing up online and then putting a special link or banner (which we'll provide) on your website. This will automatically track traffic from your site to ours and pay you commission on any sales that result. Go here to read more about our affilate programme and/or to sign up.

Finally, we have been busy planning our Christmas party. It's on the evening of Sunday 6th December, it's at Saf, London's top raw restaurant, and it will be THE raw party of the year. Tickets are on sale as of today and numbers are limited so they are sure to sell out fast. Go here to read more about it and/or to snap up your ticket/s before it's too late. 

Insider secrets to success on a living foods diet

That's the name of the event we're hosting in London on Saturday, and it promises to deliver just that. The speakers are none other than Drs Brian and Anna Maria Clement, world experts on the subject.

But this event won't just be about information. There will also be great opportunities for raw shopping, raw eating and raw mingling. You'll be able to buy a wide range of raw foods, books and healthy lifestyle products at up to 20% off and a gourmet raw lunch from caterer Rainforest Creations for just £5. Our last event attracted over 300 and this one looks set to attract an even higher number, making it a great opportunity to meet like-minded people.

It will all take place in Friends House, conveniently located just across the road from Euston station. The lecture begins at 11:30, and doors will open at 10:30 for early birds who want to shop before the crowds arrive and grab a freshly made snack to take into the lecture.

We'll be selling tickets on the door but to save queueing on the day why not pre-book your place through our website?

Click here to read more about the event, and/or to buy tickets.

We hope to see you there!

Exciting news about next week's event!

It's just four days until the fabulous evening of information, inspiration, shopping, socializing and raw food that we are putting on in London on Monday. If you haven't booked your place yet, the great news is it's not too late! You can do that here, or by ringing 0845 833 7017. If you are already on the list, we have some new information about the night that we're sure will be of interest to you.

Read on to find out about the great shopping opportunities and the special discounts we'll be offering; the gorgeous, fresh, raw food and drinks that will be available; and the extended opening hours we have arranged to ensure you'll have time to enjoy all of the above.  

First of all, to recap on the main details, this event will take place in Friends House, near Euston Station in central London on the evening of Monday December 1 (the full agenda for the night is below). The main attraction of this event is a lecture with Drs Brian and Anna Maria Clement on the topic of raw rejuvenation (more details about the content of the lecture here), but as if that wasn't reason enough to attend, there are plenty of others.

Firstly, we will have the majority of products from our online store on sale, with most of them at an amazing 20% off and the rest at 10% off, and plenty of time during the evening for shopping. On offer will be nuts, seeds and other raw food staples, gourmet packaged raw foods, superfoods, supplements, kitchen equipment, detox aids and other health essentials, plus back issues of Get Fresh! magazine, and a huge selection of brilliant books. Tickets for the lecture cost just £17 in advance and £20 on the door, so bearing in mind you will also avoid paying postage costs, you really don't have to do a lot of shopping to end up saving money! Oh, and you will also go away with a special goodie bag from us.

We want this event to be the most fabulous night possible for all who attend, so we have secured one of London's top raw caterers to provide gorgeous fresh food at very reasonable prices. We are talking about the highly acclaimed Rainforest Creations. If you've already sampled their innovative salad boxes and amazing raw cakes, you'll be as excited as we are that they will be there on the night, and if you haven't, this is your chance! Here's a sneak peek of what they will be selling at Monday's event:

• Salad boxes for £5 - a mega selection of tropical-themed, freshly prepared raw salads featuring sprouts, greens, leaves, other raw vegetables, herbs, fruits and spices - try a bit of each or pick and choose your favourites
• Raw cakes at £3 a slice - chocolate or mango-banana, anyone? ; )
• Raw sweets made of nuts and dried fruits - £1 for a very satisfying chunk. Choose between beetroot, carob ginger and pumpkin coconut, or just choose all three!
• Young coconuts at £3 each - drink the highly nutritious and hydrating fresh juice and then scoop out the flesh
• Rainforest's home-made raw ginger beer - a spicy non-alcoholic brew at £3 a cup

No, we can't wait either!

Better still, the venue will now be open until midnight, not the previously announced 10:15pm. This is by popular demand, given how many customers said they'd have liked more time for shopping after our last evening lecture. So here is the agenda for the night:

• Doors open at 6:15 - get there for then and you'll have 45 minutes before the start of the lecture to browse, shop, buy food, meet old friends and/or make new ones.
• Lecture from 7:00pm to 9:30pm - with a break in the middle, for shopping, eating, chatting and powdering of noses.
• Venue open until midnight - giving you more time after the lecture to shop, eat and mingle at a leisurely pace.

The final announcement is that having moved to a larger lecture hall for this event (if you already have a ticket, worry not - the address remains just the same), we will now be selling tickets on the door. However, we can't guarantee they won't sell out before you arrive, so to be sure of a place, book yours in advance. You will also save money doing this - if you pre-book your place you will pay £17, compared to £20 on the door. Our office will be open and taking bookings online until 3:30pm on the day of the event and phone bookings until 4:30pm that day - call us on 0845 833 7017.

If you already have your place booked, we look forward to meeting you on Monday. If you don't, but there is any way you can make it, we do hope you'll decide to join us for what is sure to be a very enlightening, enjoyable and memorable evening.  

A date for your diary!

How would you like to:

• hear two of the world’s leading experts on living foods nutrition sharing their most cutting-edge knowledge
• spend an evening among like-minded people
• AND enjoy some very special offers on the best raw lifestyle products on the market?

If all this sounds good to you, you will want to mark the evening of March 25 in your diary. We are delighted to announce that we are hosting Brian and Anna Maria Clement for a lecture entitled Life Force: superior health and longevity. This unique event ties in with the recent publication of Brian’s long-awaited new book of the same name.

You may well have heard of Brian and Anna Maria. They are co-directors of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida – the cutting-edge complementary healing centre that was voted 'The No 1 medical spa in the world' by the prestigious Spa Magazine. Those of you who have heard them speak before will know that their knowledge and their passion for this subject know no bounds.

Both Brian and Anna Maria have spent the past 25 years conducting ground-breaking research into living foods nutrition, ensuring that what they share is always right at the cutting edge. They are two of the most sought-after speakers in the field, and this event is a rare opportunity to hear them in the UK.

In this information-packed lecture, Brian and Anna Maria will zone in on the role of enzymes in health, healing, rejuvenation and longevity. Through their work at Hippocrates, this dynamic husband and wife team promote a diet high in enzyme-rich living foods. Living foods include sprouted legumes, seeds, nuts and grains, wheatgrass and a fascinating class of superfoods called ‘baby greens’. 

Feel Good Show

Are you free next weekend? If so, why not come and see us at The Feel Good Show in Brighton? We'll be selling irresistible raw gourmet treats, top quality ingredients, the best supplements and superfoods, plus a range of life-changing books and labour-saving kitchen equipment.

As is our policy at events, you'll get 10% off books and kitchen equipment and an insane 20% off everything else!!

Why not make a weekend of it and also attend the David Wolfe lecture in nearby Hove from 6:30 to 10:30 on Friday night? This is the once-a-year opportunity to hear this uniquely inspiring and knowledgeable speaker on UK turf. But hurry on over to Detox Your World now and secure your ticket – they're almost sold out!

Come and meet us!

This is just a quick note to let you know that we will be at the Mind Body Spirit Festival which starts tomorrow, Wednesday May 23. This event will be six days of great shopping opportunities, talks, workshops and classes, ending on bank holiday Monday, May 28. Always a huge success, this festival encompasses everything from life coaching to energy healing and is in its 31st year.

The Fresh Network is not listed on the official programme but we'll be on The Nutri Centre's stand showing off the new Get Fresh! magazine (scroll down this page to the May 16 entry to see it in all its glory) and also selling a select range of raw foods, supplements and superfoods.

If you are at the festival, do come over and see us. The wonderful Jill Swyers will be there for most of the event, ready to serve you and answer any questions you may have. And at selected times Cary Kikis, the new director of The Fresh Network, and Sarah Best, the editor of Get Fresh! magazine, will be on the stand, and would be delighted to meet you.

The Mind Body Spirit Festival is being held at The Royal Horticultural Halls, Greycoat Street, Victoria, London SW1P 2QD. Map here, nearest railway station Victoria and nearest tube stations Victoria, St James's Park, Pimlico and Westminster. The festival is open from 11am to 6pm from Wednesday 23 to Friday 25, and from 10am to 7pm from Saturday 26 to Monday 28.

We do hope to see you there!

Last Call for Dr Brian Clement - this coming Saturday (8th July 2006)

We are very excited to announce that the highly acclaimed Dr. Brian Clement, director of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, is delivering a one day seminar this Saturday in London to reveal his latest discoveries about living food and its effects on the living body.

This is the only event that the Fresh Network are holding this year with Brian, as he cannot attend this year's Fresh Festival, and it promises to be one of the most life-changing, health educating and rewarding days you will have ever experienced. 

Are you confused about Living Foods?

There is so much information available now regarding raw and living foods that it can sometimes feel as though it is all too much hard work. By the end of this seminar you will know the answer to all of your questions about living foods, and will feel ready, willing and able to make living foods part (or all) of your health-promoting lifestyle.

For full details about this seminar, click here.

This whole day seminar with one of the world's leading raw and living educators is only £59 - and this includes lunch and a goody bag.

Saturday 8 July - 10.00am until 4.30pm                                                     Cavendish Conference Centre in London (5 mins from Oxford Circus)

Book now to avoid disappointment - tickets must be dispatched no later than Thursday 6th July to reach you in time.

Call:0845 833 7017                                                                               

Online:www.fresh-network.com

Yes, you can pay on the door but unfortunately we won't be able to serve you lunch, as we are catering to exact pre-booked numbers, so call today to avoid missing out on Russell James' fantastic food!

What is a Teleclass?

By Emma: It suddenly occurred to me the other day that before I joined the Fresh Network, I had read about teleclasses, but they were a new concept to me, and I didn't understand them straight away, so therefore I didn't really pay much attention to them.  It all seemed too complicated.  It happens occasionally that when people are faced with things they don't understand, they feel vulnerable or it is just too much hard work to find out answers. 

Now, obviously working at Fresh, I now understand fully about teleclasses and have been on every call to date and have felt absolutely delighted and overwhelmed as to how rewarding they really are.

Allow me to explain...