As more Brits turn to veganism, food influencer Ian Theasby is offering plant-based versions of dishes that make up our daily diets. Extract from the magazine “We, the Europeans”.
To find the first step towards a vegetarian society, we must go back to the beginning of the 19th century in the United Kingdom: in 1822, Bill Burn, a farmer, was convicted for hitting his donkey. A world first, a law was created, the Martin’s Act, to fight against the “cruel treatment of livestock”.
More recently, Charles III, opposed to the force-feeding of geese, banned foie gras from royal tables. And more and more English celebrities are openly vegan: Paul McCartney, Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox, or even Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. If this trend is progressing, it is also because the English have succeeded in changing the image of veganism.
“We didn’t just want to eat salad, seeds or tofu”
A considerable challenge that culinary influencer Ian Theasby took on by posting recipes daily to his more than 800,000 followers on Instagram. The entrepreneur wants to prove that you can be vegan and have fun. The dishes offered are comforting: a mushroom-based sandwich that imitates pulled pork with barbecue sauce, or a “faux gras”, an imitation of foie gras made with lentils and nuts.
“When we became vegan, we didn’t just want to eat salad, seeds or tofu, he explains. We wanted to continue eating the dishes from our childhood, which we crave. So what we do is we ‘veganize’ the recipes: we transform everything that is creamy, runny or rare into a plant-based dish. So, for people who want to favor vegetables every day, it becomes super easy” explains Ian Theasby, while preparing a tiramisu using juice from a can of chickpeas to replace the egg white.
Excerpt from “Vegan, it wins you!”, broadcast in “We, the Europeans”.
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