Veganuary: Northamptonshire businesses share vegan recipes, products and tips on sustainability

Running for its ninth year, Veganuary is in full swing educating and encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January.

Winners from last year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards in the ‘Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product’ have come forward to share tips, recipes and products to promote the plant-based diet.

Whole food shop, Daily Bread, sponsored the award category and it aims to educate and inspire people to make more sustainable and healthy food choices.

Founder of Daily Bread John Clarke said: “Veganuary is a great way for people to learn more about the benefits of a plant-based diet. We encourage everyone to give it a try and see how they feel.

“Whether you’re an experienced vegan or just curious, Veganuary is an excellent opportunity to explore a new way of eating and living.”

The Northampton business stocks organic and local produce in addition to a wide range of gluten free and vegetarian products and produce.

Daily Bread will be sharing vegan recipes, tips and information throughout Veganuary. More information can be found on its Facebook page.

Bronze award winner of Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product for her Almond and Coconut granola, Salma Shah, is also a big supporter of everything vegan.

Salma said: “I consciously made my product vegan because I wanted them to be accessible for everyone to enjoy. There are so many other food sources that get overlooked and we need to be open minded to new food groups.

“People are conscious of how much they are spending on food. Granola is so versatile. Not only a breakfast cereal but a real treat too. I like to use it as a pudding, a crumble or even an ice-cream topper. It makes me feel less guilty to have a healthy pairing.”

Silver award winners, The Food Library, is making it a priority to educate people on how to grow and eat vegan. The Food Library is a library of books dedicated to food, drink and sustainability.

They produce a wide range of vegan preserves - including their award winning Spiced Rhubarb Chutney - plus an array of vegan liqueurs from seed to seal.

The Food Library grows the raw materials for their produce at The Workshop for Sustainability located in Cecil Road.

The Workshop for Sustainability teaches people how to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle by growing their own produce. They work in collaboration with Wombeldon Cider to produce a cider tipple, and Shoots & Spores to produce gourmet mushrooms, and they even keep bees.

Head chef at the gold award-winning Curious Vegan Co Paul Hunt said: “We are passionate about our recent work on meat replacers and are keen to promote a plant based diet that allows food to be produced in a more sustainable, kinder and cruelty free world that ultimately benefits everyone.”

You can find The Curious Vegan Co’s products locally on the menus at the McManus Pub Company.

The 2023 Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards will launch in the Spring. More information to follow.