Why we’re going nuts for vegan lifestyle
Big change in our kitchens as firms respond to increased demand
The number of Scots adopting a vegan diet has surged in recent years, according to new figures.
A survey suggests that up to 350,000 Scots could now be eating plant- based diets while shunning meat, dairy and egg products.
That would represent a massive rise since research just two years ago.
New data from comparethemarket. com suggests 3.5m people in the UK – or 7% of the population – now identify as vegan.
Of those figures, 6% of Scots have gone vegan and 14% are considering it.
Previous research by The Vegan Society in 2016 showed that 540,000 British residents – just 1% of the population – were vegan.
Barbara Bolton, of Go Vegan Scotland, believes an increased awareness in the environment and health is behind the surging popularity of a vegan diet.
“There is so much more information available on the internet,” she said.
“If the internet had been around when I was growing up, I would have been vegan at 12.
“A lot of information has come out in recent times about the impact animal agriculture has on global warming. The reasons to be vegan soon accumulate, especially now we know we don’t need to consume anything from animals to be healthy – all the leading dietetic associations recognise this.”
Retailers and restaurants are reacting in kind. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer are just some of the major stores to have introduced new vegan ranges. Chains like Pizza Hut, Zizzi and Pizza Express have expanded their vegan options, while even Guinness is now vegan, after changing the filtering process that once used fish bladders.
“Businesses only respond to demand,” Barbara said. “So everything we are seeing is as a result of that demand.
“When people see how easy it is there will be less resistance, but they need to understand veganism is not just about a plant-based diet. It’s about more than that – it’s about recognising the rights of animals. We feel it’s important to focus on the moral aspect.”
Lots of Scottish businesses are making waves in the vegan industry. Paisley- based Sgaia makes vegan steaks, burgers and bacon rashers, which are shipped around the world, while a fish and chip shop in Polmont, near Falkirk, which sells deep-fried vegan products every Tuesday, is hugely popular.
Five years ago, animal rights campaign group PETA named Glasgow the vegan capital of the UK and the number of vegan eateries has only grown since then.
“Glasgow now has 14 fully vegan venues and Edinburgh has nine,” Barbara continued.
“When we started compiling a list of veganfriendly venues in 2016, Edinburgh did not yet have a vegan venue. Now it would be easier to count places that don’t have a vegan menu.” The amateur chefs behind one of the most-watched cookery programmes in the world say the huge rise in veganism is no fad.
Henry Firth and Ian Thirsby are the stars of Bosh!, which enjoys 26 million views every month – that’s more viewers than Celebrity Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off combined.
They only put their first recipe online in June 2016 and now have millions of fans.
Their debut cookery book, out on April 19, was the subject of an eight-way auction between publishers and was signed up in a six-figure deal.
Celebrities like Beyonce, Brad Pitt and heavyweight boxer David Haye promote a vegan diet and supermarkets and restaurant
This isn’t a fad diet. It’s about long-term change, backed by good science
chains are producing more and more plant-based food as veganism continues to grow.
But Henry and Ian, who have been dubbed the Jamie Olivers of veganism, say it isn’t just the latest fad diet and is here to stay.
Henry said: “A fad diet would be based on poor science and driven by a few key individuals, but veganism has none of that.
“It’s backed by good science. The UN is suggesting we need to eat less meat, while the World Health Organisation is talking about the negative impact of processed meats.
“It’s about long-lasting change, driven from lots of different angles, compared to fad diets that are quite niche.
“We would love it if everyone ate more plants. People need to think more about what meats they eat, because right now the way we approach it is not sustainable.”
There is a growing battle – especially online – between vegans and the farming community, but Henry and Ian refuse to join the argument.
Henry said: “We can see the conflict, but if you ask anyone on either side, I think they would say they can relate to the other person’s perspective.
“We have one group not happy with factory farming, but on the other side we have someone’s livelihood, so we understand what’s going on from both sides.
“But it’s more important for us to concentrate on making delicious food.”
The childhood friends from Sheffield have been stunned by the reaction to their recipes.
“It’s home cooking, the sort of meals people do like to make or can rustle up in the kitchen from ingredients they already have,” added Henry.
“This is food everyone can enjoy and we’ve had commendations from people like The Hairy Bikers and Anna Jones, while Take That’s Gary Barlow joined us in the kitchen to work on some recipes.
“Our mission is to make it easier to eat plants whether you do it every day or some days.
“We want to show it can be easy, tasty and fun.”