How to stay vegan for the rest of your life

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This post was originally published as my column in Vegan Life Magazine a few years ago.

If you would like to read my monthly column, you can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online now.

So, you’re a vegan. Congratulations. Now what?

If you currently find yourself newly vegan, you are not alone.

Over the past few years, January has become a favourite time of year for people to explore what it means to live vegan. Dietary habits of old are replaced with plant-based groceries as thousands of consumers begin expanding their ideas surrounding compassion to include the welfare of non-human animals.

If you are one of those who decided the festive season or January was a good time to try veganism on for size, you are probably a few weeks into your plant-based adventure as you read this column.

The hard job of trying to convince you that veganism is worthwhile is obviously out of the way, so I won’t waste precious energy listing the reasons why animals are important. I’ve got a lot of leftover chocolates to eat, so let’s just do what we have to. OK?

I’m more interested in chatting with you about STAYING vegan for the long term.

You and veganism got together a short while ago, but let’s be honest with ourselves. The honeymoon period is coming to a close. Being vegan so far has been effortless because you were happy to have found something you could see would make a big, fat positive contribution to the planet.

This initial excitement of committing to veganism was enough to spur you on through what otherwise might have been tough time.

The bacon jokes and baffled looks didn’t touch you these past few weeks because you were ecstatic to finally be living vegan after all these years. Doing the right thing felt so darn good and you have been riding that wave of positivity since you made the switch. Right?

But what amount the months ahead? Being a happy and committed vegan might just take a little bit of planning and self-care, so I’m dishing up tips for staying vegan after the initial excitement has worn off.

Tip number one is to find like-minded people. Get along to social groups, shop at your local vegan street food market, and fill your calendar with vegan food festivals. I’m not saying you will make lifelong friends, but at the very least you will feel less isolated in your choices.

Try not to put yourself in situations where it is going to be tougher on you socially. A meal out with non-vegan friends isn’t the obstacle course it once was thanks to all the vegan menus being offered up by mainstream restaurant chains. Always make your voice heard when a restaurant is being picked for a night out with friends and you’ll eat well every time.

Know your facts and practise talking about your veganism. I often say that a well-informed, unapologetic and friendly vegan is the best advertisement for the cause. Stand firm behind your reasoning and chat happily with anyone who is curious. You might just be opening their eyes to veganism and of course you will be reaffirming your own commitment.

Inspiration is everywhere. Follow vegan recipe blogs on social media for new ideas that will keep your love affair with vegan eating in fine form. Be adventurous in the kitchen and stay updated with the latest vegan food trends.

Once you have got the plant-based food part of being a vegan in place, start looking at other areas of your life that can be veganised. Need new shoes? Try non-leather. Get familiar with household cleaning products that are not tested on animals and if you wear make up, start buying animal-friendly brands.

Most importantly, work hard to keep your vegan community an inclusive, strong and welcoming place. You are going to love being vegan even more than you already do if you are surrounded by other people who love being vegan. Look for ways to weave your veganism into other aspects of compassionate living. Volunteer with a local garden that supports at-risk members of your community.

Shop with (or join) a local grocery cooperative in order to create better opportunities for workers. Keep your savings in a bank that limits investments into unethical projects. If you can afford to do so, shop with local independent vegan businesses in order to keep money in your community. When you are helping to organise vegan events, ensure the space is accessible for everyone.

For anyone with a vegan journey that is just commencing, I say congratulations. Enjoy your choice to help animals and keep them positioned as the reason you went vegan.

Once you have that deep understanding of why you are vegan in your heart and your mind, it is close to impossible to go back. As your vegan journey continues, be confident that your choices are improving outcomes for non-human animals more and more each day.

Vegan brioche buns in major UK supermarket

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The future is here and it tastes like brioche.

Superstar vegan eatery Make No Bones of Sheffield has been collaborating with local bakery Fletchers to design the perfect vegan brioche.

And guess what? They have done it!

Don’t they look sensational?!

I asked Lauren from Make No Bones to give me a brief comment on the brioche launch and she said:

From our point of view, we are dead excited that there is a demand for vegan brioche and how far the accessibility of vegan food has come!

The Make No Bones vegan brioche buns launched in 400 Tesco stores today (January 27, 2020). I haven’t seen a store list yet but I have heard that they are mostly in Tesco Extra locations.

Are you excited for vegan Brioche buns?

Follow Make No Bones on Instagram.

Northern vegan business in London pop up

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Do you all remember when I wrote about a new vegan döner and cocktail place in York?

If you don’t recall, you can read about it online here.

Döner Summer is getting rave reviews and now it is London’s turn to find out what all the hype is about as the northern comfort food specialists serve their cuisine during a two week pop up residency in Shoreditch.

The menu at the Shoreditch pop up in Dinerama is certainly enticing.

Döner Summer is serving up their signature vegan döner and shawarma alongside the London exclusive of Korean BBQ Kebab featuring Korean BBQ sauce, five spice chick’n, daikon, kimchi mayo, pickled cabbage, and onion mix.

I’m drooling.

Döner Summer is at Dinerama Shoreditch until February 1, 2020 and serves Wednesday through Saturday between 5pm and 11pm.

Londoners, get along quickly if you want to see what the north of England has been raving about.

You can follow Döner Summer on Instagram.

Best vegan burger in the UK

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The Oumph! Burger has won Best Vegan Burger in the 2020 Vegan Food & Living Product Awards. Up against the likes of Linda McCartney, Fry’s and Quorn, The Oumph! Burger was praised for its texture, flavour and close resemblance to a meat-based burger.

The jury’s verdict reads:

“This really tastes like a burger, with the crust and centre being pretty bang on. It has a very enjoyable taste and texture. This is a great one for anyone doing Veganuary in particular as it proves that vegans don’t have to miss out!”

Nick Jacobs, Head of Sales UK & Ireland, Oumph! Food for Progress comments:

“We’re delighted to have won vegan burger of the year and that it is testament to the incredible success the Oumph! Burger has achieved nationwide both in the retail sector but also within leading UK restaurants.”

The Oumph! Burger is available across the UK in Asda, as well as in popular, nationwide restaurant chains Café Rouge and Bella Italia, and London and South East pub chain Shepherd Neame.

Marc Saunders, Head of Brand at Bella Italia, Casual Dining Group comments:

“The Oumph! Burger makes up for more than 22% of Bella Italia’s burger sales. We offer a number of different dishes featuring Oumph! on our vegetarian and vegan menu, and they are all very popular, which contributed to Bella Italia recently being awarded Best Vegan Menu.”

In Ireland The Oumph! Burger is available at SuperValu and Centra stores.

Congratulations to Oumph! but we also wanna know which burgers came in second and third, right?

Second place (or highly commended) went to The Fry Family Quinoa and Brown Rice Protein Burger.

And third place (commended)? Quorn Ultimate Burger was recognised.

What do you think about these top three burgers? Are they the brands or products you would pick?

If you are interested in seeing the other category winners for the Vegan Food & Living Product Awards 2020, click here.

Fry’s ditched by Ocado

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Since 1991, The Fry Family Food Co has been making meat alternatives and recent data sees the brand ranked as the 7th largest meat-free brand by retail value, growing at an astonishing +211% year on year.

Yay for vegan food and yay for animals!

But the bad news?

After stocking Fry’s for the last 6 years, Ocado online supermarket has decided to stop selling the brand.

Those who rely on home delivery for their shopping in the UK will now find it much harder to access the full Fry’s range.

The Fry Family Food Co is hoping their supporters and fans can show Ocado how many customers they are disappointing and get them to reconsider the sudden decision.

If you want to get involved with asking for a reversal of this decision, tag Ocado in your social media posts. You can also write to Ocado directly at ocado@ocado.com with your opinions.

Contact Ocado on Facebook and Twitter.

You can also buy Fry Family Food Co products from independent vegan and health food stores around the UK.

Celebrate anniversary of a London vegan Landmark

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How time flies when you are having fun being compassionate!

The legendary London vegan pub The Spread Eagle is getting ready to celebrate its two year anniversary.

The birthday party for the vegan pub is taking place on Saturday January 25, 2020 between 9pm and 2am.

Facts you should now:

  • Onsite food experts Club Mexicana (who run the regular kitchen at the pub) will be serving
  • Spread Eagle will be handing out 50 free margherita shots (be early)
  • The event is FREE ENTRY
  • A DJ will be spinning fab tunes

See the exact location of The Spread Eagle in Homerton thanks to Google Maps.

If you can’t get along for the birthday party, be sure to follow them on Instagram and visit ASAP.

The power of saying you are vegan

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Here’s a blast from the past!

Every month I write a column for Vegan Life Magazine and sometimes I re-share the content on here.

Today I am sharing my column from way back at the end of 2017. I hope you enjoy it!

You can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The power of saying “No, thanks. I’m vegan”

We’ve all been there. That awkward moment when you are out with friends, work colleagues, family members or even people you don’t know all too well and somebody offers you something to eat or drink that isn’t vegan.

There can be an uncomfortable silence and you can often feel a huge desire to not want to offend people or come across as a difficult vegan.

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s OK to say no to non-vegan offerings with a friendly confidence.

Actually, it’s more than just OK.

Learning to love saying “I’m vegan” gives you confidence in your beliefs, affords people a super quick insight into the type of person you are (i.e. kind!) and acts as a form of outreach to help spread your compassionate message of caring for animals.

For some people, becoming confident and comfortable with the decision of going vegan and being vocal about it takes time. One of the best ways to become assured of your own veganism is to talk about it and this can include something as simple as turning down non-vegan food.

I strongly believe a confident vegan is an attractive friend prospect to most people, not just other vegans.

When it comes to picking my friends and the people around me, there is nothing more important or admirable than a person who believes strongly in something positive and takes an unwavering stand on that topic.

You are going to look like a person of your convictions to those around you if you employ a zero-tolerance approach to non-vegan food items. I’ve been vegan for twenty years and one of the things my friends say they love about me is my commitment to the causes in which I believe.

A confident person who can be unapologetically vegan with a smile on their face is not only an admirable person, they are also the best form of activism.

When a kind and approachable vegan stands firm and friendly in their convictions, it is the best advertisement for veganism. When people see you sticking to your beliefs yet still getting on with life and enjoying the company of those around you, it can be the inspiration they need to start thinking about taking that step themselves.

It’s not being preachy to say “No, thanks. I’m vegan.” It’s being true to yourself and it is just one of the ways you are working to improve outcomes for animals.

The majority of vegans you know haven’t always been vegan, so they must have had a first time hearing about the lifestyle.

Think of how many people’s first time you can be if you find a way to say no to non-vegan food. By politely but assuredly turning down non-vegan food and drink, you might just be positioning yourself as the seed that will one day sprout and take someone on their compassionate journey.

Seeds sprouting into compassionate journeys? Yes, even my metaphors are vegan.

Of course it isn’t always plain sailing when you are the only vegan in your social group. People can sometimes take your vegan stance as an attack on their choices or even come to see you as a ‘sanctimonious inconvenience’ (yes, that happened to me and still stings).

It can be a tricky balancing act to manoeuvre within certain groups of friends and family, but it is completely OK to stand your vegan ground even when some individuals will see your lifestyle choice as a challenge.

It’s completely understandable how the concept of veganism will be met with some resistance when you consider how ingrained the use of animals is in our society. Heck, they are even in our money!

But that is exactly why we are vegan. We want to help enact a change in these attitudes and practices in order to cause less harm. A little social awkwardness is surely a small price to pay as we find our vegan feet and save the planet.

You can gently yet firmly reassure people that your choice to not consume animal products is based on how you feel about the world around you (and animals!) and is not an attack on their personal consumption of ribs, rumps and legs. You can do this in a good-natured way that doesn’t have to lead to offense being taken.

It’s your decision and your life being affected, not theirs. Being self-assured and happy with your choices is one of the best parts of living vegan. Learn to enjoy it.

Temple of Seitan sold in bars UK wide

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This is huge (and conflicting) news. 

Beer company BrewDog has announced an exclusive deal with vegan fried chicken pioneers Temple of Seitan to feature their signature seitan wings and burgers in BrewDog Bars across the UK available from Tuesday January 14, 2020.

I’m thrilled to hear my friends at Temple of Seitan are experiencing this phenomenal success.

But I’m not a BrewDog fan.

I genuinely hope BrewDog has morphed into a much more considerate and compassionate company following on from some of their thoughtless and unkind marketing campaigns and controversies of the (not too distant) past.

See examples here (sexism) and here (using dead animal bodies as promotional tools) and here/here (transphobia) and here (they were taken to an employment tribunal) and here (they sold a half meat/half meat alternative burger) and here (sexism mixed with misogyny) and here (explicit sexism and misogyny) and here (pay disputes and suggestions of intellectual property mishandling).

I will never personally drink a BrewDog beer again in my life however I wanted to report this news on behalf of my friends at Temple. I do not support the BrewDog company due to ethical and political reasons, but I love and support Rebecca and Patrick of Temple of Seitan even though I personally would have made a very different decision.

I wish they had found a less problematic beer brand for a partnership. I know this blog post makes me sound like a hypocrite by saying I don’t support BrewDog but here is some information about BrewDog.

I’m not the boss of vegans so I’m giving you the info and you can do what you want with it. Perhaps you can walk into a bar and only buy the Temple food? LOL.

And perhaps by reporting this news spliced with commentary on their shitty marketing, I might get BrewDog to take a little bit of notice. Perhaps it will encourage other vegan consumers to say ‘thanks for the vegan wings from a legendary vegan company but please be better people as well’.

If you are a BrewDog customer and are excited to dine with Temple of Seitan while in one of the bars, perhaps you can also take the time to voice your opinions to the company whenever they do something shitty.

Patrick from Temple of Seitan said they were sold on the deal due to BrewDog paying Living Wage to their employees.

BrewDog is launching this partnership with Temple of Seitan in their UK bars before expanding the supply to their European locations soon.

Temple of Seitan has been featured in ‘best of’ lists across numerous publications – from Time Out to Easyjet Traveller. In 2017 Temple of Hackney won the best UK restaurant in the public voted VegFestUK Awards and in 2019 the ‘Nashville Hot’ burger was the number one selling vegan item on Uber Eats, London.

You can follow Temple of Seitan on Instagram.

New vegan takeaway in Covent Garden

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YEDA just told me that they serve food that is good for you and the planet at their Covent Garden location.

The grab and go restaurant opened its doors just before Christmas, in the vibrant Seven Dials in Covent Garden, London. The full address is 55 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PJ.

YEDA focuses on delivering good food on the go. They serve delicious satiating food that is good for you, the environment, and the planet. The place was developed by Elena, a 27-year-old UCL graduate, who felt London was missing delicious vegan food available on the go.

On the menu YEDA has loaded salads, several tasty sandwiches and wraps that can be toasted in a grill, and an already popular Breakfast Burrito. The selection of hot mains includes shakshuka, creamy mac and butternut squash, chickpea and coconut curry, and a sweet potato jackfruit waffle.

There are two elements to the YEDA space: the ground floor that is all-hands-on-deck for quick grab and the lower ground floor lounge with comfy seating and a relaxing atmosphere. The shop itself is bright and vibrant with natural woods, terrazzo tiles, and modern chic fittings.

The food is not the only passion YEDA wants to share with the city. They are trying to do their bit to be kind to the planet by using recyclable and compostable packaging that is both practical and Earth-friendly.

Follow YEDA on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Smokehouse vegan ribs in the UK and Ireland

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Oumph! are launching their new plant-based Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! into select Tesco stores, in the United Kingdom and Tesco Ireland, this month.

Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! are rib style fillets, covered in a richly flavoured sticky, smoky barbecue sauce.

Like the other popular, award-winning Oumph! products at Tesco, such as Pulled Oumph!, Oumph! The Chunk, and Oumph! Kebab Spiced, the Sticky Smokehouse Oumph! is sold in the frozen section.

“Following the phenomenal success of the Oumph! Sticky Smokehouse in Sweden we are delighted to be launching in the UK and partnering Tesco. We know this will be a great hit with all customers and Veganuary is a perfect time to try it, whether your new to Oumph! or trying for the first time, our feedback suggests you’ll be amazed with the great taste and it’s perfect for those Big Nights In”, said Laura Weadock, Account Manager at Oumph! and Food for Progress.

You can follow Oumph! on Instagram.