People decide to follow a vegan diet for many reasons. For me, it was a combination of inspiring moments that led me to go plant-based in 2006. A lot of my friends were making the switch from vegetarian to dairy-free, I was reading Peter Singer’s essays on animal rights and I’d just freaked myself out by watching Earthlings – a harrowing documentary on the horrors of the meat industry narrated by Joaquin Phoenix.
Back in the early aughts vegan options were fairly limited, unlike today where you’ll find plant-based meals on every menu, dedicated aisles in supermarkets and vegan food in your favourite takeaways and fast food joints. I often feel this development is bittersweet, given how difficult I found it to eat vegan at any standard restaurant in 2006.
