Veganuary Made Better

Veganism is often defined by what people don’t eat: meat, fish, eggs and dairy, plus some of the animal ingredients that are hidden away in products, such as whey (from milk) and gelatin (from animal bones).

Instead of meaty burgers, sausage and steaks, plant-based versions are preferred and now more readily available. Instead of dairy cheese on a pizza or cows’ milk in our coffee, plant-based versions are used.

We’re just a few days into January and this year and ‘Veganuary’ is already the biggest since their pledge began in 2014. More than 500,000 people have already signed-up for the 31-day vegan challenge – surpassing 2020’s total of 400,000 – and sign-ups are continuing apace.

The supply of quality Vegan products is swiftly increasing to meet demand:

According to The Grocer magazine: “the rise is primarily being driven by non-vegetarians: while only 3% of the population describe themselves as vegan, 21% now identify as flexitarian, enjoying a mostly vegetarian diet but occasionally eating meat or fish. A report by Sainsbury’s goes as far as to predict vegans and vegetarians will make up a quarter of the British population in the next five years”.

We haven’t particularly gone out of our way to join the trend, but have sought and received approval from the Vegan Society for products that meet their stringent criteria.

And what a huge range of delicious sauces, relishes and condiments there are to make Veganuary tastier than ever – HERE.

“We love food, tasty food and whatever your diet and ethos, we create sauces to make what you eat tast amazing. We love animals too, particularly those made homeless through whatever circumstance they’ve had to face – hence the growing menagerie of fur and feathered friends who live behind Stokes Old Stables here at Rendlesham. Enjoy what you eat and stay safe. Rick.”

Rick Sheepshanks, Founder & MD, Stokes Sauces.

‘Veganuary’ has done so much to promote veganism, even if it’s simply part of New Year campaign, such as ‘Dry January’, to cleanse body and soul. That said, this appears to be more of a mission than seasonal trend.

According to Google Trends data, searches for ‘vegan cheese’ increased by 350% between 2013 and 2018.

The early days of dairy-free cheese turned noses up for all the wrong reasons. Now, there are so many dairy-free alternatives to all kinds of cheese varieties. Artisan producers have ‘got wise’ to technique and ingredient and create some incredible cheese. Larger manufacturers have also learned their lessons and use a wide range of different plant-based ingredients such as coconut oil, soy and nuts.

Supermarkets and Independent Retailers now stock vegan alternatives to cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella, feta and cream cheese. They look good, the textures are a perfect match to their dairy cousins, and they taste good.

Like all good cheese platters, cheese tastes better with Stokes – HERE.

Shop safely and conveniently on-line, directly from Stokes Shop (or from Ocado & Amazon).

Or, seek out your local Independent Retailer (butcher, delicatessen, farm shop), many of whom  stock a great range of Stokes products.

Enjoy.