NOVEMBER is World Vegan Month. Now there’s a sentence I never thought I would hear myself saying five years ago.

Long gone is the worn out perception of the mung bean and tofu loving vegan. These days the young and beautiful, the wise and worldly, the athletic and nimble are all enthusiastic flag-bearers for the biggest shift in our food perception in decades — and it is exciting to see this unfold!

There are a plethora of reasons why people choose to adopt a vegan diet — religious grounds, health reasons, environmental and animal welfare concerns... each motivating factor has as much merit as the next.

And thanks to social media it is possible to see that, done correctly, moving to a plant-based diet doesn’t adversely affect your long-term health or prevent you competing in triathlons, for example, if that’s your thing.

A recent poll conducted by iReach showed that 2% of the Irish population are Vegan; 26% quote it as being a lifestyle choice and men are more likely to adopt a vegan lifestyle than women (77% vs 47% respectively). It also indicated that, although veganism in Ireland is still relatively small, changing attitudes and increased awareness of the issues raised by the movement will see a significant spike in adoption over the coming years: younger people are more likely to become vegan than adults and will do so because of environmental concerns (44% vs 10% respectively).

In Cork, it seems, veganism has found its spiritual Irish home! Our tribe of Cork-based vegan food producers, food trucks, bloggers and coaches are here to guide and support those in search of a healthy vegan lifestyle.

In May, Cork hosted the city’s first ever Vegan Food Festival, VegFest, in City Hall which was such a huge success, it announced its return in May 2018 just days after the inaugural offering.

To understand how and why this is one food movement that is only going to continue gathering momentum, I spoke to a few of Cork’s vegan movers and shakers.

Here’s what they had to say about their own vegan journeys.

LOUISE KELLY, BLOGGER AT I’M A LITTLE VEGAN — “GOING VEGAN HAS NEVER BEEN EASIER…”

“I was vegetarian since I was a child and then became vegan as an adult for ethical reasons.

“There is an abundance of information and helpful websites out there. Try and find a vegan blog or page that you can relate to and enjoy following and then contact them directly and ask for some guidance.

“I love receiving messages from people looking to go vegan. It’s why I set up ‘I’m A Little Vegan’ all those years ago.

“I have a shelf of large screw top jars that I keep topped up with all my basic grains, nuts and seeds.

“It’s usually the Quay Co-Op or Natures Choice, then for my meat-free alternatives and dairy-free butter, milk and vegan cheeses and then fresh fruit and veg weekly from the endless farmers markets around Cork.”

See https://imalittlevegan.wordpress.com/

CLAIRE DUFFY, LE LEGUMERIE — “BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY”

“It would be no exaggeration to say I was a bona fide cheese fiend before I became vegan. Feta, brie, camembert, goat’s cheese, blue cheese, mozzarella: I loved them all, so it came as quite a surprise that I was able to give it up easily and not miss it!

“It all comes down to why you’re vegan: nowadays I find the idea of drinking the milk of another species udderly absurd.

“If you’re trying to reduce the amount of animal-based foods in your diet, start with the amount of processed foods you eat. I think people are amazed at how many animal ingredients find their way into their shopping trolley when they really start to look.

“Veganism becoming more mainstream is definitely helping to make it easier for people to adopt a vegan lifestyle.”

Visit Le Legumerie, which is back at the English Market right through to Christmas.

MADLYN SMYTH, THYME & TONKA, PRODUCERS, LIFESTYLE BLOGGER AND COACH

“There’s such great produce in Ireland — it motivates people to gravitate towards eating more plant foods. I initially went vegan to cure my acne.

“I was vegetarian my whole life but it wasn’t until after going vegan and seeing such drastic changes in my health and educating myself that being vegan was more than just looking after myself, but also the world and the animals.”

Mantas Skipinas (the other half of Thyme & Tonka) is very into fitness and when he realised that he could feel good and also improve athletic performance on a plant based diet, he was happy to transition, as well as knowing that animals and the planet would not be hurt.

“As well as producing delicious Vegan sweet treats which we sell at Farmers’ Markets, cafes and coffee shops, Thyme and Tonka is a plant-based fitness and health blog where we share recipes, exercises, healthy lifestyle hacks and tips, and mindfulness. We also offer a large variety of cookery demos and courses, specialising on basics for vegans, sports nutrition and, of course, desserts.”

See www.facebook.com/thymeandtonka

JESS LOUKS, FOUNDER, LITTLE GREEN SHOOT, VEGAN TRUCK

“It can still be quite hard to eat out well as a vegan — there is a vast amount of room for improvement.

“Don’t get me wrong, there are a few trying, but most can do better, even if it’s just one option on the menu.

“That’s part of the reason I set up ‘Little Green Shoot’; to give people a vegan option in West Cork, even if it is just a few days a week.

“Even just going meatless one day a week makes a huge difference. Try a new vegan recipe once a week and explore some really amazing dishes that are out there.

“There are tons of vegan food bloggers just dying to share their recipes. I love “veganising”; everyday foods: Lasagna with a “cheesy” sauce made from cauliflower and nutritional yeast is my go to. Oh my goodness, CHEESE! We have such amazing cheese producers in West Cork and it is especially hard to stay away from the cheese!”

“Stick at it — be open to trying everything, it really is good for you in the long run.”

Little Green Shoot is currently serving a range of vegan foods from 9am to 2pm on Saturdays at Skibbereen Market, in West Cork and starting in Clonakilty Market mid-November.

BOB CHRISTY, VEGAN CHEESE PRODUCER, LITTLE GREEN LEAF

“I’m not a vegan or even a vegetarian! I’m very open about that! I am, however, a chef of 50 years’ experience who saw an opportunity to fill a wide open gap in the vegan store cupboard for a great quality non-dairy cheese.

My research establishes that vegans most missed eating cheese! Although production was straight- forward enough, what was lacking in products already on the market was a cheese that was also flavoursome, versatile and with an artisan feel. Vegans wanted to have toasted cheese again without the dietary or moral conflicts.

“The response to our vegan cheeses has been phenomenal, not only from Ireland but also from people as far afield as New Zealand and New York who have visited Ireland and tasted our cheese.

“I get immense satisfaction watching folk eating my cheese when they have been without the dairy version for years. I met one woman who hadn’t touched blue cheese in 40 years — she tried my non-dairy blue and the look of amazement on her face said it all!”

See www.littlegreenleaf.ie

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION?

http://irishvegan.ie

www.bitesizevegan.com

www.facebook.com/corkvegfest

WHERE TO EAT OUT?

Some vegan-friendly Cork eateries — as tried and tested by our vegan foodies:

143V

Iyers

Liberty Grill

Jacob’s on the Mall

Café Paradiso

Sakura

Docklands

Ummi Falafel

Pilgrim’s (Rosscarbery)

STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS IF GOING VEGAN

Chickpeas

Red lentils

Oats

Non-dairy milk

Soya yoghurt

Hummus

Mushrooms

Frozen fruits

Dark chocolate

Peanut butter

Spirulina

RECIPE FOR SINFUL AND DELICIOUS VEGAN MAC & CHEESE, BY LOUISE KELLY, I’M A LITTLE VEGAN

Ingredients

350g of macaroni cooked in boiling water and a crumbled veg stock cube

For the cheese sauce:

Sautée 2 chopped onions in dairy free butter

Once golden brown add:

1/2 cup of white wine

Scoop of wholegrain mustard

Pinch of salt

450ml coconut milk (carton not tin)

Shake of pep and garlic powder

Method:

Slowly add a cup of wholemeal flour stirring constantly followed by two cup of grated Art of Zen Foods Violife mozzarella cheese.

Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and keep mixing until smooth and creamy

Drain macaroni and divide into two oven proof dishes. Divide and pour cheese sauce between the two

Grate another layer of cheese over each dish

Top with a mix of nutritional yeast flakes, panko crumb and dried thyme

Into the oven at 180c for 20 min. Finish off under the grill for 2 minutes.