The Vegan Pod

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?  T...

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 explo...

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...

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 vie...

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 abo...

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 c...

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 l...

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 expres...

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 joine...

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...

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...

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...

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 Socie...

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...

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 neces...

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 fascin...

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 wedd...

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...

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-in...

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...

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...

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 ethic...

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.