What was once regarded as a fringe movement viewed by the wider public with varying degrees of suspicion, veganism is now winning British hearts and minds in ever greater numbers.
According to new research released today, World Vegan Day (1 November), more than half of UK adults (56 per cent) are now adopting vegan buying behaviours and Britain is more vegan-friendly than ever before.
Half of those surveyed said they know someone who is vegan and over a fifth said they would consider becoming a vegan themselves.
One in five (19 per cent) cut down on the amount of meat they buy and the same number check if their toiletries are tested on animals, and nearly one in eight (13 per cent) now choose meat or dairy free options from the menu when eating out.
Around half of those surveyed (51 per cent) said they welcomed the rise in vegan foods available in shops, cafes and restaurants, with almost one in 10 (9 per cent) saying they would like to see an even greater choice of vegan food options on offer.
A third thought there should be better education in schools to teach about the impact of animal farming on the environment, 26 per cent said prisons, schools and hospitals should provide a vegan option by law and 9 per cent think there should be a tax on animal based products.
Far from feeling threatened by an individual's decision to give up eating meat or dairy, 43 per cent said they respected them for their stance and nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said they admired them.
But many remain to be convinced with nearly half (46 per cent) saying they would never consider becoming a vegan, even if they knew they would lose weight, improve their health and have a genuine impact on animal welfare.
For those who have embraced veganism though, there's a feeling that the revolution has only just begun.
Later this month, we will be commemorating World Vegan Month 2017 with the launch of our Vegan on the Go campaign which encourages retailers to provide more vegan on-the-go food options, firmly establishing veganism as part of mainstream culture.
The survey was comissioned by The Vegan Society and carried out online by Opinion Matters between 17-23/10/2017 amongst 2,000 UK adult respondents. All research conducted adheres to the MRS Codes of Conduct (2010) in the UK and ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines.
