As the pandemic hit in Spring 2020, we were encouraged by the upsurge in vegan living. Interest in vegan lifestyles was up 25% amongst British millennials and we saw sales of our own vegan range in supermarkets increase by 60%. It felt like attitudes were changing. Then came Christmas, filled with ever-changing plans. Sales of turkeys increased by a massive 36% in 2020, compared to 2019, which also saw a reduction in sales of pork, beef and lamb, and supermarkets catering for an increasing number of flexitarians. With the disappointment of a Covid Christmas and fractured families everywhere, came a regression to old, comfortable, familiar Christmas traditions and can I see why that happened.
But now more than ever, we need to make a change. A raft of stars from Sir Paul McCartney to comedian John Bishop have teamed up with environmental groups to encourage participation in Veganuary this year. Environmentalist, Chris Packham, told The Observer that the pandemic has taught us about the clear link between the food we eat and how that impacts nature. He was also keen to say that this isn’t about turning everyone into an “ultra-vegan” and stopping meat consumption overnight. It’s about making small changes towards a more vegan way of living and paying more for quality meat to support farmers, especially in areas where livestock farming actually helps biodiversity.
By December 21st, sign ups to Veganuary had already hit 260,000 and the campaign said it was on course to double last year’s participation. The initiative has seen 1,000,000 people participate since 2014. So why not give it a try this year, in a time when it could genuinely make a difference. It’s never been easier, with amazing vegan options in places such Subway and Dominos, and a boat load of easy, healthy recipes available online. And we know where you can get some pretty amazing vegan ice cream as well….
*Northern Bloc are proud supporters of Veganuary.
