Hull Daily Mail

Vegan chef wowing Instagram followers

SOCIAL MEDIA STAR TO COOK LIVE IN LONDON

- By HARRY INGHAM harry.ingham@reachplc.com @byharrying­ham

TOM Buckley has always had a passion for food and cooking, but that passion took on a whole new direction last year when he decided to go vegan.

Tom ditched the meat, cheese and eggs in 2021 in favour of a plant-based diet.

Tom, who lives in Willerby, has since started his own Instagram page under the name Plant Based Bloke, where he showcases all of the food he makes.

The budding social media chef has already hit 9,000 followers in just over a year.

After gaining attention on Instagram with his vibrant dishes, Tom was asked to contribute some recipes to a popular magazine called Vegan Life.

Having clearly made an impression with the magazine, he’s now been invited to cook in front of an audience at the Vegan Life Live festival in London.

Speaking to Hull Live about the opportunit­y, Tom said: “It’s really surreal. I’ve already shot a recipe video for a company down in London, but to have hundreds of people watching me cook will be quite the experience”.

“I’m going to be teaching them how to cook an indulgent tofu curry. I’ve always loved curries so I’m determined to do them really well.

“Curries are really easy to make vegan, too. You just need to swap the chicken for some tofu and it is just as delicious.”

Tom, who currently works for Swift Caravans, explained that he has big goals for the future. He said: “I’d love to work work with more magazines and eventually produce my own recipe book.

“I’ve also been creating a lot more content for brands and focusing on food photograph­y. So, I’m hoping to be able to focus on this more, offering food photograph­y and recipe developmen­t for other brands while developing my own.”

Speaking about his decision to drop the meat, Tom said: “I watched the documentar­y ‘The Game Changers’ which is all about vegan athletes and the effects animal products have on our bodies. I went vegan after that, because I’m a man of facts and you can’t deny the science on there.

“Now, I want to prove to other people that vegan food isn’t boring and that it can be so tasty. I’d recommend people try the like-forlike meat alternativ­es that are available at the moment, because you’d be amazed at how good they are.”

Tom Buckley will be cooking live at the Vegan Life Live festival in London on Saturday, June 11.

 ?? ?? Plant-based bloke, Tom Buckley
Plant-based bloke, Tom Buckley

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