It's been a few days since Veganuary ended, so let's discuss.
When Veganuary was founded in 2014 there were 3,000 people who signed up to participate and this year number increased to 250,000. This is more than an 8,000% increase in the people participating!
This January we saw Greggs Vegan Sausage Rolls, McDonalds Veggie Wraps and the Plant Based Kitchen range from M&S added to the shelves, these are some amazing (and hopefully permanent) editions to the wide range of vegan food that you can get your hands on. I also saw some veganuary promotions in restaurants like Las Iguanas and Pizza Hut - 2 for 1 on vegan meals!!
These big chains really hopped on the band wagon this January and I'm not complaining. Retailers such as M&S and Sainsbury's having their own plant based food ranges makes vegan food so much more accessible, it's maybe a little problematic that they're trying to 'milk' (haha) vegan wallets by bringing out new plant based food just in time for a huge vegan occasion but why would I criticise that when M&S are now offering me the most delicious vegan potato salad I've ever eaten?
I'm so glad that Veganuary is there to support new vegans, in many cases people are really battling with the idea of becoming vegan and this movement just gives them that little push to try it out - if you do something for 1 month it is more likely to stick, so I really do support what Veganuary is doing.
It's not too late to sign up now, the Veganuary Charity can help you all year round to make the next steps towards a more thoughtful and ethical life - but of course, as a charity they do need a helping hand sometimes.
Check out the link below to find out more about Veganuary!
https://veganuary.com