This August, Vegan Events UK hosted its 10th Leeds Vegan Summer Festival at Project House, Leeds. A two-day ticketed event, with over fifty vendors, showcasing their vegan wares and plant-based offerings. However, the event is much more than just food stalls simply serving up alternatives to ‘traditional’ items found in the average British household. The demonstrations, workshops, live music, and numerous charities holding tables at the festival, highlight that for many, veganism is a way of life.
Over the past decade, veganism in the UK has evolved from a fringe lifestyle into a mainstream movement. Once viewed as an unconventional choice followed by only a small minority, it has since expanded into a cultural force with significant influence on the nation’s eating habits, and the consumer market serving it.
According to the Goodness Project, in 2014 around 0.25% of the UK population identified as vegan, just 150,000 people. Two years later, that figure had more than doubled, and today it is estimated that roughly 12% of the population follow a meat-free diet. This rapid growth in people opting for a more vegan lifestyle has made the UK the largest meat-free market in Europe, with revenues from plant-based alternatives reaching upwards of £1.1 billion in 2022.
While the numbers are notable, the reasons behind the growth are just as important for understanding why veganism has become the stronghold it currently is within British culture. A 2021 survey from Mintel showed that animal welfare remains the leading motivation for going vegan (51%), followed closely by health (49%) and environmental concerns (31%). For many, adopting a vegan lifestyle isn’t just about food, it’s about values. This shift is reflected by consumer behaviours, with more than half of UK adults now checking to see if their toiletries are cruelty-free and/or vegan-friendly.
For martial arts instructor and personal trainer Benny Green, veganism is mostly about ethics.
“I was raised vegetarian, so I’ve never eaten meat in my life,” he said standing behind his stall that offered free Muy Thai demonstrations for those attending the festival.
“I watched a video about what happens [in the supply chain of the meat and dairy industry], and it was no question for me to go vegan. I never went back after watching that,” he said.
Green, also wanted to challenge stereotypes around plant-based nutrition.
He said, “When it comes to a vegan diet, protein is an over-emphasised topic. All protein comes from plants. You know, that’s where the animals get it from. I just choose not to get mine from animal flesh.”.
Arguably, the collective environmental impact of veganism can be seen as extremely significant. In 2024, an estimated 6.4 million people in the UK had adopted a meat-free diet (Finder), and data suggests that by choosing plant-based products over their counterpart, a person can save on average, one animal per day. This amounts to more than two billion animals from entering a slaughterhouse over the course of a single year. While that figure may be a considerable feat, when compared to the 50 billion chickens that are annually killed for human consumption (Human League), it is a relatively small dent made against the wider international agricultural market.
Events like the Leeds Vegan Summer Festival, however, highlight that the culture goes beyond dietary choices. The Huntsaboteurs Association, a non-violent, direct-action group, use festivals like the one at Project House to raise awareness around animal cruelty beyond what can be served on a plate.
“We are part of a regional division, and ultimately an animal rights activist group who prevent blood sports involving animals from taking place in the Yorkshire Area,” said Shark a local volunteer.
(pseudonyms are used to protect the identities of those involved)
“We go out every Saturday from September to March, disrupting hunts, mostly fox, in the surrounding region.”.
“We’ve had a good amount of interest today, with donations, and eight potential new sign-ups. I’d say we normally get a good response at vegan events,” they said.
“It makes sense though, that people who are actively living a vegan lifestyle are the same people who care enough to take action.”.
“It may be a fluke, but from the events that I have been too, vegan ones to tend to gather a fair amount of interaction,” they said.
The presence of Huntsaboteurs, alongside well-known charitable organisations like Dogs Trust and Sea Shepard, implied that their attendance was often well received. The conversation around animal welfare rights was a welcome one, further reinforcing the idea that for most choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, these philosophies extended beyond what one puts in their mouth for sustenance.
Even still, who doesn’t enjoy good food? For Zaynah Rasheed, owner of Bookmark Bakery, a vegan business that brings together a love of food and books, the last five years has seen one of the biggest changes in accessibility to vegan options being readily available.
“I’ve been vegan ten years, and in the beginning it was hard. There was just nothing for us. Whereas now it is so much more accessible, it’s so much easier,” she said.
“More people are aware of veganism now, and the ethical reasons behind those choices.”.
With that, she said, “People are more understanding now.”.
In just ten years, veganism in the UK has shifted from the margins to the mainstream, reshaping both consumer trends and cultural attitudes. What was once seen as restrictive is now widely accessible, with plant-based choices tied as much to ethics and the environment as it is to health. As the movement continues to grow, it is positioning itself not as a passing trend, but as a permanent fixture in Britain’s food culture.