As more Britons turn to veganism, food influencer Ian Theasby is offering plant-based versions of dishes that make up our daily diet. Extract from the magazine “We, the Europeans” of February 23, 2023.
To find the first step towards a vegetarian society, we have to go back to the beginning of the 19th century in the United Kingdom: in 1822, Bill Burn, a farmer, was condemned for hitting his donkey. A world first, a law is created, the Martin’s Act, to fight against the “cruel treatment of cattle”.
More recently, Charles III, opposed to force-feeding geese, banned foie gras from royal tables. And more and more English celebrities are openly vegan: Paul McCartney, Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox, or 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 has tackled by posting recipes daily to his 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 even a “faux gras”, an imitation of foie gras made up of 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 of our childhood, which make us crave. So what we do is we ‘veganize’ the recipes: we transform everything that is creamy, runny or rare into a vegetable dish. As a result, for people who want to favor vegetables on a daily basis, it becomes super easy” specifies Ian Theasby, while preparing a tiramisu based on juice from a can of chickpeas to replace the egg white.
Excerpt from “The vegan, it wins you!”, broadcast in “We, the Europeans” on February 23, 2023.
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