12 years ago The Vegan Society reported that 150,000 Britons identified as vegan, in April of 2018 a new survey revealed that 3.5million British people now consider themselves as such.
So what happens when more and more people chose to live plant-based? Dr Marco Springmann from Oxford attempted to calculate what a vegan planet would be like. The findings showed a saving of $1.1tn in healthcare costs and two-thirds cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
This hasn’t gone unnoticed by those on high street. Big chains such as Pret a Manager, Greggs and Starbucks have now introduced vegan ranges. Zizzi’s and Wagamama offer a vegan menu. Guinness now has put a stop to their ancient practice of using fish bladders in the brewing process. Vegetarian and vegan cafes and pubs are popping up in most cities across the UK. Newcastle upon Tyne is no exception to the phenomena of veganism becoming mainstream. Neil Gupta, the founder of NE Vegan Socials, told Newcastle Today:
“In the last twelve months it [vegan community in Newcastle] seems to have grown a lot, there is a mainstream drive in the North East.”
What are the driving factors behind the flourishing of the vegan community here in Newcastle?
Most people attribute three key reasons for adopting a vegan lifestyle (for some it is the combination of the three) – environmental concerns, animal welfare and personal health. Adam Haughes, 42, a Northumberland resident, explains:
“The community keeps growing because there are so many different paths that lead to the same answer. Health-conscious people are realising the benefits of a whole foods plant based diet. Environmentalists are realising the damage animal agriculture is doing to the planet. Animal lovers are realising the hypocrisy of cherishing one animal as a pet but exploiting and slaughtering another as food. The change is occurring now more than ever because of the easy exchange of information in this digital age.”
Dr Alex Lockwood, a local writer and activist, also believes it’s due to the new generation moving away from ‘all or nothing’ approach to life. In a conversation with Newcastle Today, he referenced a gender study carried out recently that showed older generations of men considering themselves far more masculine than the newer generation. Young men tend to perceive masculinity as a spectrum. Dr Lockwood believes this is why veganism is becoming more popular as society moves away from gender stereotypes such as ‘meat eating is muscaline’. Newcastle Today went to Mr Lockwood's talk at the Newcastle Vegan Festival:
Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that some A-list celebrities are openly advocating for veganism such as Paul McCartney, Natalie Portman, Miley Cyrus, Jared Leto and even the power couple Beyoncé and Jay Z.
Furthermore, Kathy Barley, from Darlington And Teesside Animal Save, says it is also due to the prominent vegan influencers:
“I believe these game changers in the field such as James Aspey, Joey Carbstrong and Earthling Ed, are what is driving the movement forwards.”
Some community members correlate the growth of veganism with the growth of technology and social media.
“The vegan community is much stronger online. I'm from a more rural area and I was vegan for over six months before I ever met another vegan is person. The tenets behind veganism (minimising harm, living healthy, compassion, etc.) transcend nations and religions. It's an inclusive, unifying movement and that's just one of the many things I love about it.” Says Mr Haughes.
It can’t be denied that there is also a shift that’s taking place in the vegan movement. Not too long ago vegans were perceived as ‘psycho grass eaters’ favouring aggressive and radicalising approaches. Jax Lord, from Northern Animal Welfare Co-operative, says:
“I think the only people who continue to stereotype, and are aggressive towards vegans, are those who feel their lifestyle is being challenged."
Mr Haughes chuckles:
“I don't think anyone really believes that stereotype anymore anyway. Of course now vegans are all ‘New World Order’ puppets trying to depopulate the world through protein deficiency and effeminate men through soy products.”
This goes hand-in-hand with the decrease of ‘all or nothing’ thinking pattern that Dr Lockwood proposed. Jacob Schmitt, 21, an engineering student at Newcastle University, notes:
“The best advocacy is spreading awareness. Protesting restaurants or butcher shops only makes us annoying. We need to focus on spreading information as much as possible.”
Mrs Barley approves:
“The new 'peace based' movement is working, and we must be tolerant and patient when being subjected to abuse and taunts. For me, having been involved in many different types of activism, I still believe that at the moment AV in its current form is incredibly effective. Showing images whilst having a conversation really does change hearts and minds.”
However, not everyone agrees. While Dr Lockwood believes in ‘all forms of activism’, he also noted that in instances like the recent Blue Whale killing in Iceland, more aggressive forms of activism are necessary.
“People need to be outside Iceland embassies, showing outrage and anger, waving signs and posters demanding change.”
So what exactly makes Newcastle specifically so vegan-friendly? Lee Farris, Green Party candidate and a fellow vegan believe's it’s because people in Newcastle are ‘spoiled for choice’. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the winning restaurant of the Vegan Awards 2018, The Bohemian, is located in Newcastle. With 4.5 star rating on TripAdvisor, The Bohemian is one of the most famous plant-based dining places in Newcastle and some like to think that this is exactly why people are more drawn to veganism. Holly Shire, 38, a mother of two says:
“There are so many alternatives available and the restaurant scene in Newcastle is very rich. People can have practically regular diet by purchasing quality substitutes such as Tyne Cheese or anything else from shopping at Alternative Stores. I think, being able to eat out delicious food and realising that vegans can eat more than salad and greens is what attracts some people to veganism. That’s what attracted our family to it. My kids hate vegetables, but that doesn’t mean that feeding them a nutritious vegan diet is difficult. There are so many mock meats on the market.”
Certainly the growth of ‘free from produce’ has been rapidly increasing all over the UK. Large supermarkets have ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ introducing their own-label vegan products. Last year Mintel reported predicted 48% increase in ‘free from’ sales from £470m in 2015 to £673m by 2020. The USA ‘health food’ giant Whole Foods has even got as far as to predict ‘plant-based diet’ as one of the leading food trends in 2018. In their annual food trends report they stated:
“Plant-based diets and dishes continue to dominate the food world, and now the tech industry has a seat at the table, too. By using science to advance recipes and manipulate plant-based ingredients and proteins, these techniques are creating mind-bending alternatives like “bleeding” vegan burgers or sushi-grade “not-tuna” made from tomatoes. Non-vegans won’t know the difference – or they might choose them anyway!”
And local businesses carrying vegan products are ecstatic, just like Dan Strettle from Alternative Stores told the audience during the Newcastle Vegan Festival Q&A panel.
Dr Lockwood agrees:
“The success of the local stores shows for itself.”
While the prominent vegan food blogger Canny Food agrees, she’s not too excited about the prospect of mixing in mock meats in the meats isle.
Even the seasoned vegans on the Q&A panel at Newcastle Vegan Festival couldn’t come to an agreement on the issue.
However, it’s not just restaurants, readily available mock-meats and other vegan alternatives that have spurred on the growth of veganism in Newcastle. It’s a combination of everything because luckily Newcastle offers all sorts of activities to keep our social calendars full. There is something for those that prefer hands-on activism and protesting, or for those that prefer sample vegan food in food festivals, or those wanting to follow the very popular route of ‘advocacy film’ viewing or those that prefer more physically active community bonding.