The V word: "Veganism seems to have passed a tipping point and is unstoppable now"
It's become one of Britain's fastest growing lifestyle movements. At least 542,000 people are now following a vegan diet, not consuming any animal products including meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs and honey.
This is three and half times as many as there were 10 years ago. Pubs, restaurants and cafes up and down the country are offering more choices on their menus and supermarket stock more 'vegan friendly' products on their shelves than ever before.
During the past decade there has been a steady rise in the number of 15 to 34-year-olds quitting meat and dairy, and almost twice as many vegans are female than male.
More than 860,000 of all vegetarians and vegans also avoid all non-dietary animal products such as leather and wool. The number of products labelled 'suitable for vegans' launched between 2012 and 2015 has more than doubled.
This has seen sandwich and salad chain Pret A Manger even open a branch in London offering only vegan and vegetarian food with more expected to follow.
UK and Irish pub chain JD Wetherspoon is also getting in on the act having recently rolled out new vegan options on its menu, which have been approved by The Vegan Society.
Many celebrities have also spoken out in favour of a plant-based diet including Alicia Silverstone, Ariana Grande and Liam Hemsworth, which has also made the lifestyle choice more appealing to younger generations.
Next weekend the ninth West Midlands Vegan Festival will be returning to Wolverhampton.
Thousands of vegans, aspiring vegans and those just curious about veganism are expected to flock to the two-day event.
So why has there been such a big rise in the number of people choosing to shun meat and animal products?
Kevin White, from Midlands Vegan Campaigns, which runs the festival, described the growing interest in veganism as 'phenomenal' and said there were many reasons for it becoming increasingly mainstream.
He says: "People are no longer scared off by the V word. Most people now seem to know vegans, either in their family, friends or work colleagues, and they read about veganism everywhere.
"These curious non-vegans are increasingly flocking to the West Midlands Vegan Festival and the countless other vegan events to taste all the delights of vegan cuisine and be inspired by the array of talks on the vegan benefits for health and nutrition, environment and animals. Veganism seems to have passed a tipping point and is unstoppable now."
It's believed that following a vegan diet reduces the need for animals to be slaughtered for food, benefits the planet and slashes the risk of people suffering from coronary artery disease as well as certain types of cancer and diabetes.
It's also been said that environmental and welfare issues relating to the food industry are also contributing to the swelling numbers choosing to go vegan.
The festival will feature a huge variety of food from top caterers and a range of cookery demonstrations to inspire people to create their own delicious dishes.
There will also be displays of ethical footwear and clothing and a wide range of cosmetics, as well as stands run by animal sanctuaries and campaigns. And, there will be more than 40 different talks taking place at the festival.
The event will be attended by local producers including Bridgnorth-based Mex It Up, which is run by Marc and Sarah Nelson and offers vegan tex mex street food.
The company was started 18-months ago after the couple struggled to find food they could eat when they attended festivals.
They now travel up and down the country serving up a range of Mexican-inspired dishes from quesadillas to tacos.
"Our most popular dish is our fully-loaded nachos which have barbecue jackfruit – a vegan version of pulled pork – and nacho cheese which we make from scratch," says Marc.
Also at the event will be Friendly Foods which recently opened a vegan grocery shop at The Garden Village at Shipley near Wolverhampton having been inspired by last year's event; Wombourne-based Deb's Pantry, which makes vegan, gluten free, nut free cakes and Shropshire's Butterbelle – makers of artisan vegan nut butters.
Also exhibiting will be Rachel's Cake Delights, which makes and sells vegan and gluten-free cakes and based in Wolverhampton and Nottingham and Telford-based Viva La Vegan specialising in vegan statement-wear and accessories.
Those coming from further afield include the UK's first authentic travelling vegan butcher shop.
Streaky rashers, smoked steak, rare roast beef, German spiced Mettwurst, and Italian salamino (pepperoni) – all of this doesn't sound very vegan friendly, but it's exactly what's on offer from Sgaia's Vegan Meats.
Vegan butcher shops are becoming a global trend with businesses in the Netherlands and the USA.
Sgaia's Vegan Meats create their products using wheat and soya protein. It is then seasoned and cooked differently according to several carefully devised recipes, to create a variety of products that authentically reproduce traditionally meat-based foods. Mr White says they were expecting this year's festival to build on the success of last year's event. "The 2015 festival was our best ever, with over 120 fantastic stalls, 40 inspiring talks and nearly 5,000 visitors over the weekend, half of them non-vegans. Eighty per cent of non-vegans described the quality and taste of the food at the event as excellent.
"Seventy-two per cent said they would include more vegan food in their diets and twenty-five per cent said they were either going or thinking of going vegan."
"With many exciting new vegan companies launching all the time, our 2016 festival is going to include more mouth-watering food and ethical products than ever before. It's never been easier to go vegan and my event shows you how," he adds.
The event will also feature live music and entertainment including live fire-eating, on stage all weekend, an all vegan bar by an award-winning organic brewery, a kids zone including a free all-day bouncy castle, a push-up contest, alternative therapies and a smoothie and juice bar.
By Heather Large
The event runs from 10am until 6pm next Saturday and Sunday at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, North Street, and Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Lichfield Street. Admission is £1 or free for under-16's. Click here for more information
