In past years, veganism has been a fairly fringe lifestyle choice; one that might have brought to mind a particular type of person.

However, it’s moved well past being a trend and entered the mainstream, with the people taking up the vegan lifestyle having different motivations, from health, to animal welfare, to environmental consciousness.

Becoming mainstream has meant that the food service industry has had to adapt and start providing alternatives to tried, tested and loved food products. It’s not doubt a challenge, but with a UK bakery survey of university students revealing more than half would choose a vegan product over a similar non-vegan product even if they weren’t vegan themselves, it’s definitely a formula worth cracking.

And there’s no better time than January to refine your vegan recipes as the well-intentioned New Year resolution vegans flood in, as well as those who sign up for ‘Veganuary’; an annual event which encourages participants to live the vegan life for the month of January and reap the health benefits (in a similar vein to Dry July or Sober October).

In 2020, the non-profit organisation, which aims to reduce the suffering of animals, has had a record-breaking 350,000 people sign up for the challenge, and it’s challenging bakeries and other eateries to come up with alternative products to cater to a growing market, in much the same way they’ve catered to gluten-free, dairy free, vegetarian and other special dietary requirements.

Vegan no longer limits followers of the lifestyle to rabbit food. Bakeries like Flour of Life Bakery in Helensvale, QLD, Cherry Darlings Bakehouse in Forestville, SA, Mister Nice Guy’s Bakeshop, and Weirdoughs in Melbourne, VIC have found ways to cater to the plant-based crowd with traditional croissants, doughnuts, breads, and scrolls whilst keeping it vegan at the same time.

Do you offer vegan products?