As one of the capital’s biggest vegan Instagrammers, Clare’s account (@thelittlelondonvegan) is a go-to for finding, eating and reviewing independent cafés, restaurants and eateries in London that serve the best of plant-based foods. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it. And, if her 80,000 followers are anything to go by, she knows what she is talking about. Her aim is to encourage chefs and restaurants to be more inclusive towards vegan options, and what better time to speak to her than during the month of Veganuary.
I actually went vegan for the first time about four years ago for around eight months. I was already vegetarian, but had been toying with the idea of veganism and wanted to give it a try. I think the reason that I didn’t stick with it at the time was purely for selfish reasons.I wanted convenience. I didn’t know any other vegans and it was a lot more difficult to buy food from supermarkets and in restaurants back then. With a busy lifestyle, it felt lonely and difficult to maintain. I went back to being vegetarian for about a year, although it never sat quite right with me. Then, about two and a half years ago, I decided that I wanted to go vegan for good. I had watched lots of documentaries, researched the impacts a vegan lifestyle can have and made the connection between animals and the food on my plate. I decided that, no matter how difficult it might be, I could no longer contribute towards the suffering of animals and this is what pushed me to make the change. Luckily for me, by the time I’d decided to go vegan full time, it had become so much easier.