Vegan Month
November is World Vegan Month so we felt it would be important for us to write a few words about what Vegan Month is all about, and showcase some of our amazing vegan producers.
Vegan month is a celebration of the plant-based lifestyle. It starts with World Vegan Day on November 1st, which was first celebrated on November 1st 1994 on the 50th anniversary of the Vegan Society.
It’s particularly pertinent this year with COP26 going ahead in Glasgow. Many people choose to go vegan, or reduce their meat/dairy consumption, in order to reduce their individual environmental impact. According to a survey by Veggly, 64.1% of people who go vegan do so for environmental reasons. That makes it the second biggest factory behind animal welfare (89.1%).
A plant-based diet isn’t for everyone, but it’s becoming increasingly popular in the UK to eat several vegan meals per week or even go for stretches of time eating only vegan food (for example, Veganuary!). In 2021 582,000 gave the plant-based diet a go during January. 82% of those who tried it ended up significantly reducing their meat consumption in the 6 months after January.
It’s a growing movement, and is inspiring some wonderful creativity among food producers. Here are a few of our favourites on the ShelfNow platform:
Wallaroo. Wallaroo makes tasty, healthy vegan snacks with a passionate focus on sustainability. They use sun-ripened fruit from community farms to make delicious, healthy, low emission snacks. They are processed as minimally as possible and no additives, preservatives or flavourings are added, ever. We’re particular fans of their Toasted Coconut Chips.
Boo Chi Kombucha. Kombucha is a traditional fermented drink that has been around for centuries but exploded in popularity in recent years. It’s tasty, refreshing and mentally and physically restorative. Boo Chi Kombucha is made using traditional far eastern methods. 100% organic, never pasturised and, of course, vegan, Boo Chi’s Kombucha is a beautiful pick-me-up if you’re feeling a little under the weather.
Nutcessity Organic Caromel Cashew Nut Butter. Nutcessity create mouth-watering nut based butters for use on toast, in cooking, in baking, or anyway you like. Their Caromel Cashew Nut Butter is made with cashew, coconut, carob and pumpkin seeds. It’s got a malty, rich flavour and won a Great Taste award in 2020. Works beautifully on bagels, crumpets or English muffins, especially with sliced banana. It’s vegan, gluten free and has no added sugar or oil.
Press. Press make mouth-watering, healthy, plant-based juice drinks and immunity shots. Founded in 2014, they aim to make all vegan drinks to help people to feel healthier. Their first cold-pressed juices were sold out of a bathtub in Old Street, London and they’ve grown exponentially since then. They source fruit and veg exclusively from G.A.P global certified farms to ensure their drinks are safe, healthy, ethically sourced and environmentally friendly.
Pour Hot Chocolate. Pour makes indulgent, delectable, 100% vegan, award-winning hot chocolate. They use ethical and sustainable ingredients and (where possible) source their ingredients locally, including Scottish oats. Founder Jared, who himself is dairy intolerant, found that most hot chocolates either had milk products in them, or were packed full of artificial ingredients. That’s why he set out to make his own. Despite being vegan, it’s got a lovely creamy texture and taste.
Slab Bakery Slab bake a variety of luxurious vegan and gluten free treats. Slab was started by Lesley, who felt that most gluten/wheat-free products had far too much sugar in them and were far too dry. Her cakes and treats have now won two Great Taste awards and they try to be as sustainable as possible in everything they do, from ingredient sourcing to packaging. Their vegan Mulled Gin Christmas pudding is particularly popular at this time of year and we can confirm it’s to die for.
The growth of veganism, and environmentally conscious food production in general, has injected some fantastic creativity into the food world. Whether that’s making new vegan versions of foods that previously relied on meat and dairy, or finding new, sustainable and cruelty-free ways of rearing animals, the industry is adapting to the challenge of climate change in an admirable way.
We can’t wait to see what the future holds.
