The Vegan Pod

Is the future vegan? That's certainly our hope at The Vegan Society - and it's the subject of one of our ongoing campaigns and a major part of our 80th anniversary exhibition at the Library of Birmingham.   But what might a vegan future look like? Animal rights author, scholar and curator, Kim Stallwood, and Vegan Society Campaigns Manager, Hannah Montgomery, join Damian Watson for a look into a vegan crystal ball.

PR consultant Karin Ridgers, founder of vegan PR agency Mad Promotions, and Holly Johnson, editor of Vegan Food and Living magazine, join our host, Rachel New, to discuss how to counter misinformation about veganism in the media.

On today's Vegan Pod 'Children's story books – advocates for animal compassion?', Rachel New is joined by Tina Newman, creator of @ViviTheSuperVegan, and Jodie Barchha Lang @GreenVegan1, author of Nero the Brave Little Bull.   Grab a cuppa and settle in for vegan story-time as the trio discuss how children's books can inspire and empower mini vegans on their journey to compassion, and their role in education.

Today on The Vegan Pod, we're talking supplements and whether they're essential to a vegan diet. Vegan Society dietitians Angela Rymer and Emily Angus join us to set the record straight on supplements and whether it's possible to sustain a healthful vegan diet without them. 

Today on The Vegan Pod, we're revisiting a previous episode tackling the misconception that vegan cooking is difficult and takes time and effort. In this episode, guests Madeleine Olivia and Johnny Morillo help set the record straight, in a bid to inspire future vegans. Maybe you were even one of them! Why not refresh your memory and listen to the full episode on vegansociety.podbean.com or search “The Vegan Pod” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify 

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod we're diving into the history of veganism, tracing the movement's roots back to the founding of The Vegan Society in 1944 and exploring how it has grown and evolved over the decades. We're fortunate to have two incredible guests with us for this episode. First, we're joined by Kim Stallwood, an animal rights author and scholar with decades of experience in the movement. Also joining us is Matthew Cole, a sociologist and lecturer whose research has explored veganism, anti-veganism and the cultural construction of human-animal relations. Together, they explore the founding of The Vegan Society and unpack some of the challenges faced by vegans over the years.  The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.   

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we're talking about veganic agriculture—a method of farming that uses no animal products or byproducts in the growing process.  Joining us for this episode we have co-founder of the Veganic Agriculture Network, Meg Kelly, and pioneer in the field of stock-free organic farming, Iain Tolhurst. Together, they unpack the ethical and environmental benefits of veganic agriculture and explore how the movement can continue to grow. The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.    

As children enter the new school year and students head back to university after  summer, we're asking: What is vegan-inclusive education and why is it important?  Two brilliant guests join us for this discussion – Plant Based Universities Lead Coordinator, Alistair Stuart; and Laura Chepner, Education Officer at The Vegan Society and founder of The Vegan Society's Education Network. The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.   

Ultra-processed vegan foods have been a hot topic in the media recently and have been called out for having negative health implications. On the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we explore the truth behind the headlines and ask: Are ultra-processed foods bad for us? How do vegan ultra-processed foods compare to their non-vegan counterparts? Are there benefits to choosing to eat processed foods?  To answer all these questions and more, we're joined by guests Emily McKee and Jenny Chapman. Registered Dietitian Emily works here at The Vegan Society as part of our Nutrition Team, and biologist Jenny was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2023 to investigate the adoption, acceptance and trust of plant-based meat and authored the report “Processing the discourse over plant-based meat”.  The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.       RESOURCES: Processing the discourse over plant-based meat - Jenny Chapman Ultra-processed food and veganism: What are the facts? - Emily McKee Food labelling: nutrition information - British Dietetic Association Plant-based meat and health in Europe - The Good Food Institute

On the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we're celebrating World Environment Day by discussing how our relationship with non-human animals contributes to the climate crisis and asking what we can do to change it. Despite research illustrating the widespread environmental impact of animal agriculture, it is often an issue that gets left out of conversations about the climate crisis. To help us explore why this is and what we can do about it, we're joined by Dr Richard Twine and Dr Heather Marshall from The Centre for Human Animal Studies at Edgehill University. Together, with our host, they unpack the role that the current relationship between humans and animals plays in the environmental crisis, the impacts of the climate crisis on animals and how education can play a key role in encouraging wider adoption of veganism. The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.  

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we're talking about cosmetics and asking how we can make more conscious choices in our everyday purchases. Interest in vegan beauty is at an all-time high after growing steadily over the last 10 years but lots of people don't fully understand what vegan beauty is or why they should be looking out for it.   To help us dig a little deeper into how our everyday choices can make such a difference to animals, we're joined by two brilliant guests: Hannah Montgomery, our Campaigns Manager here at The Vegan Society, and Jay Bharj, founder of “Root Minerals” a vegan cosmetics brand.  The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.    

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod we're turning our sights to the art world and talking to two vegan artists, Rebecca Lanyon Willmott and Philip McCulloch-Downs, about how their veganism intersects with their artwork, about using art as a form of activism and how to ensure all of your art materials are animal-friendly. The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.   

On this episode of The Vegan Pod, we're celebrating International Women's Day and talking to two women doing some fantastic work within the vegan movement Fiona Oakes, founder of Tower Hill Animal Sancturary, and Poonam Doshi, founder of Lola's Sanctuary, join our host, Maisie, to share their journeys with veganism, the challenges and successes of founding their animal sanctuaries, and to talk about women they find inspiring.    The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.   

In the first Vegan Pod episode of 2024, we're asking "is vegan cooking difficult?". A common stereotype is that creating vegan meals is complicated and time consuming, but is there any truth to this? As we approach the end of Veganuary, many people who are new to veganism will be deciding whether to continue the lifestyle or return to their old ways, and for a lot of people, convenience and ease can be a huge factor in this.   Vegan content creators and recipe developers, Madeleine Olivia and Johnny Morillo, join us for this episode to explore this subject and discuss how we can make veganism seem straightforward and accessible to those who might think otherwise!   The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society. 

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, and the final episode of 2023, we're getting into the festive spirit and talking all things Christmas.   Whether you're planning your Christmas day meal, assembling a gingerbread house, attending your works Christmas party or buying gifts – the holiday period can be tricky to navigate when you're trying to ensure everything is suitable for an ethical vegan lifestyle!   So how can we embrace holiday traditions as vegans? What are the best swaps we can make to enjoy vegan festive food? How do we shop for loved ones whilst sticking to our vegan values?   Joining us to help answer these questions, are Louise Macbeth, owner of Beck Hall – England's first 100% plant-based hotel – and author and recipe developer Katy Beskow.       The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society. 

In the UK, women are around twice as likely than men to be vegan – but why is this? That's what we're asking on the latest episode of The Vegan Pod. To help us explore the barriers that men face when it comes to living a vegan lifestyle, we're joined by geographer, lecturer, and writer Dr Catherine Oliver and author, academic and spokesperson for Animal Rising, Dr Alex Lockwood.   The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

In the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we're discussing the importance of offering nutritious vegan food in public services such as schools and care homes. Despite the UK's established and growing vegan community, we continue to face challenges in accessing healthy and nutritious food, with some public sector menus failing to consistently include a single vegan option. In this episode we're joined by two guests to help us discuss this issue, both of whom are doing fantastic work in this area to support vegans and increase plant-based options within public services. Colette Fox joins us from ProVeg UK, where she leads its flagship programme ‘School Plates', and Amanda Woodvine joins us from V for Life, a charity which aims to support, protect, and uphold the rights of older vegans and vegetarians.   The views expressed by guests on The Vegan Pod are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

The latest episode of The Vegan Pod explores the plant-based food market, asking whether the “vegan bubble” has really burst amid reports of drops in plant-based sales. We're joined by Joe Hill, co-founder of One Planet Pizza and Rik Roberts, General Manager at Crackd The No-Egg Egg, to discuss highs and lows of running a vegan business, to celebrate their successes and to explore what the future of the plant-based food industry might look like.   The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

In this episode of The Vegan Pod, we're asking “Should veganism be used as a vehicle for comedy?”. Does vegan humour reinforce negative assumptions about veganism or help to tackle them? How can we deal with non-vegans who choose to make jokes about the vegan lifestyle? This month we were joined by two long-time vegans and professional comedians, Chris Stokes and Ishi Khan, to help us answer these questions and understand whether it's possible to toe the line between making people laugh and simultaneously raising awareness around such a serious issue. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

In July's episode of The Vegan Pod, we're exploring how protest laws are impacting the vegan movement and discussing how we can be effective activists in the current political climate. In this episode, our host, Rachel New is joined by Dr Alex Lockwood, spokesperson for the activist group, Animal Rising, and Dr Steve Cook, Associate Professor of Political Theory who's research focusses on justice for nonhuman animals and the ethics of activism. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

Is it expensive to eat a vegan diet? That's what we're asking on June's episode of The Vegan Pod. Host, Rachel New, is joined by Vegan Punks, Dan and Jess and best-selling cookbook author, Katy Beskow, to help tackle the myth that it's costly to be vegan and discuss delicious ways to keep your food shop budget down! The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

In May's episode of The Vegan Pod, we're celebrating Spring by talking all things gardening! Host, Rachel New, is joined by vegan gardeners Matthew Appleby and Danielle James, who help us understand how to make our gardens animal-friendly and offer advice on how to grow successfully whilst limiting our impact on natural ecosystems. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

April saw thousands of runners take place in the London Marathon, in this episode of The Vegan Pod, we talk to two vegan runners who completed this year's race! Host, Rachel New, talks with Matthew Fordham and Emily Goyal to hear their running stories, their experience of the race and how they've fuelled themselves for their training on a vegan diet. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

In this episode of The Vegan Pod, we're asking "Do companion animals make vegans hypocrites?" For vegans, there can be a number of questions and concerns when it comes to taking on a companion animal, from the overarching question “is it vegan to keep an animal?” to questions around breeding and adoption, and, of course, what to feed them to keep them happy and healthy. To help us with this fascinating and important discussion, host Rachel New is joined by Veterinary Professor, Andrew Knight, and co-director of Vegeco, Damian Eadie.   The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

Happy Valentine's Day! In this month's episode of The Vegan Pod, we're talking love and asking - would you have a vegan wedding even if it meant losing guests?   Joining us on this episode, to discuss organising and hosting vegan weddings, we have Tomi Makanjuola, vegan chef, writer and content creator, who had her vegan wedding at the end of last year, and Sian Bowron, who's been running her wedding planning business, Amythest Weddings, since 2012. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of the Vegan Pod 2023! January is a time for fresh starts, resolutions, and making positive changes for the year ahead. One thing lots of people are considering this year, is their environmental impact - a Vegan Society survey has found that over half of Brits planned to make a resolution this year with an environmental goal in mind.   Joining us on this episode to discuss low-waste living and veganism, we have Camilla Gaillardin, co-founder of vegan, zero-waste personal care brand, Milly & Sissy, and Gittemarie Johansen, sustainability expert and zero-waste blogger. The views expressed by our guests are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.

Christmas is upon us and, naturally, in the latest episode of The Vegan Pod, we're talking all things foodie and festive!   Host Rachel New is joined by Sandra McLaren-Stewart, Founder and Director of Saorsa 1875, the UK's first 100% vegan hotel in the Scottish Highlands, and food blogger Vegan Olive.   Together, the trio discuss the delicate business of hosting non-vegans at Christmas and the ever-increasing range of vegan seasonal goodies to appease their palettes.  

In celebration of World Vegan Month, our latest episode of the Pod is exploring how veganism has grown and how it is experienced across the world. To help us on this cultural journey, host Rachel New is joined by Nadia Mckechnie and Saori Kondo, founders of Vegan Consulting Japan and Brighde Reed, co-founder of Vegan World Travel. As well as being the official trademark agent for The Vegan Society, Saori and Nadia are helping to raise the vegan profile in Japan while Brighde's worldwide luxury tours ensures vegans have an unforgettable experience with food aplenty.

In October's podcast episode, we're celebrating Black History Month. Joining host Rachel New are chef Ngwafu Tansie, whose catering service Gwafuvegan specialises in West African food, and recipe creator and food photographer Livhuwani Tshikhudo, to share insights into how veganism ties into their cultures and some of their favourite ingredients and dishes to create and adapt.  

In honour of International Day of Peace, this episode is all about the practicalities and possibilities of achieving a vegan utopia.   Guest host Rachel New is joined by sociology lecturer at the University of Kent, Dr Corey Wrenn, and the author of How to Argue with Vegans, Benny Malone, to discuss how a global shift to veganism could benefit humankind, how realistic it is and what a vegan world might actually look like.  

In this episode, guest host Rachel New will be joined by Sascha Camilli, founder of the world's first digital fashion magazine, and Shaun Packe, Global Sourcing and Sustainability Director at clothing and footwear brand Superdry, to discuss responsible fashion. They'll be talking about how vegans adapt their wardrobes to align with their values and how brands are tackling the overlap between ethical and sustainable clothing.  

As the UK prepares to host the Commonwealth Games, we decided what better time to tackle stereotypes of ‘weak and unhealthy vegans'.   To get us in the spirit our guest host, Rachel New, is joined by vegan athlete, Lisa Gawthorne, and former Midlands boxing champion, Jamal Le Doux, to discuss all things fitness and vegan. 

Do vegans live longer than non-vegans? Is veganism the secret to living a longer, fuller life? Is it sustainable long term? Is it a suitable diet for older adults to follow? Plant-based dietitan Harpreet Sohal and healthy ageing writer Jane Thurnell-Read discuss this further with our host Francine Jordan.

Is extreme activism counterproductive to the vegan movement? Is there such a thing as ‘good' or ‘bad' activism? Sentient Media's Ana Bradley and Think Like a Vegan author Emilia Leese join our host Francine Jordan to discuss this further. 

Interest and excitement around veganism might be at an all-time high, but why do vegans still seem to get a bad rap in the media? This time our host, Francine Jordan, was joined by vegan food writer Anay Mridul and vegan journalist Selene Nelson. 

As more and more people turn to veganism, and with the number of vegan children in UK schools on the rise, we wanted to touch on this often-controversial topic in more detail. This time our host, Francine Jordan, was joined by Specialist Dietitian Lucy Kendrick and Danielle Saunders owner of Dirty Kitch and vegan mum of one.

Should vegans exclusively only date other vegans? That's what we're asking during the first episode of The Vegan Pod for 2022!  To kick start the series, and with the arrival of Valentine's Day, we thought what better topic to discuss than vegan dating. We were joined by two brilliant guests, Lewis Foster – CEO and Founder of vegan app Grazer and Claira Hermet – Self Love and Confidence Coach and BBC Radio 1 Presenter.

The Vegan Society has announced the return of its podcast – The Vegan Pod. Hosted by The Vegan Society's Media and PR Officer, Francine Jordan, the podcast will delve into topical issues faced by the vegan community.

In this episode, we will be looking into all the amazing work that animal sanctuaries do, with guests such as Wenda Shehata, founder of Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary in East Sussex, UK, Poonam Doshi, founder of Lola's Sanctuary in West Sussex, UK, and Chris Williams, volunteer for Elephant Nature Park in Northern Thailand. We will be exploring the inspiring stories and experiences of three very different animal sanctuaries who all share similar values.

In this first episode, we discuss how vegan businesses have coped with the challenges of Covid19. We are joined by Mike and Joe from One Planet Pizza, Richard from Doisy and Dam and Gregg from Fruitive. We've recorded this episode as a vodcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csGqIq7M5_0&t=2253s