Have you heard the term ‘Veganuary’ in January and wondered what it means? Are you also questioning why vegan food is more visible in supermarkets and restaurants across the UK during this time? This is because Veganuary is an international campaign that encourages people to try vegan for the whole month of January.

HISTORY

Jane Land and Matthew Glover started the movement as a crowd-funded campaign in 2014 and only hoped 100 people might take part. Little did they know that Veganuary would grow rapidly year after year, with over 580,000 people from 209 countries taking part worldwide in 2021. Additionally, over 600 restaurants and supermarkets promote the Veganuray campaign and have launched over 1200 products in the UK. The campaign has four main aims including:

• Increasing participation
• Corporate outreach
• Growing the global movement
• Increasing awareness

IMPACT OF VEGANUARY

So what are the impacts of all of this on the planet? By removing meat from our diets, we could remove 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions that livestock creates. The 2020 Veganuary campaign has saved the CO2 equivalent of 450,000 flights and the lives of more than one million animals.

Since it began in 2014, According to Dr Helen Harwatt from Harvard University’s Animal Law and Policy program, the collective impact of the campaign has been huge:

• 103,840 tonnes of CO2eq saved, equivalent to driving around the world almost 15,000 time
• 405 tonnes of PO43-eq (eutrophication) saved, the same as 1,645 tonnes of sewage
• 6.2 million litres of water saved, the same as flushing the toilet almost half a million times
• More than 3.4 million animals were saved according to the Vegan Society’s Veganalyser calculations
  
  

Besides the positive impacts on the planet, Veganuary also offers people a way to take positive action to protect their health. A plant-based diet packed with various fruits and vegetables has been linked to reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

VEGANUARY & COVID-19

Did you know that there was a massive surge of people trying a more plant-based diet during lockdown? There was also an increase in vegan orders on Deliveroo, which shot up by 115% from November 2019 to November 2020.

One possibility of the increase in veganism during lockdown is due to the rumour the covid-19 started because of a wet market in China. Popular Musicians such as Brian May and Paolo Cavalieri believed that the pandemic resulted from animal consumption and has influenced people to re-examine their relationship with meat.

Another reason for the increase in participation of the Veganuary is that people want to take more command of their eating habits when confronted with an uncontrollable virus. The impact of Covid-19 has made the vegan lifestyle more appealing as people pay more attention to their health and want to strengthen their immune systems.

HOW TO GET STARTED

If you want to get involved in Veganuary, you can sign up on their website here and find out more about the campaign. Additionally, if you’re ready to try Veganuary and you don’t know where to start, here are some tips:

• Plan - research and prepare what you might eat ahead of time.
• You’re already doing it – you might not know, but there are so many everyday food items that might already be vegan, so make sure and check.
• Take it slow – You don’t have to try anything exotic; stick to your eating habits but switch it out with the vegan alternative.
• When you’re ready, try something new – Try out some brand recipes or order off the vegan menu at your favourite restaurant; you never know you might find a new favourite.
• Socialise with others – the vegan community will welcome you open arms, so don’t hesitate to find local and online groups.
  
  

We hope you enjoyed learning about Veganuary, and if you are planning to get involved, we wish you the best! If you’re a Cardiff local, check out our previous post of the Top 7 Vegan Restaurants in Cardiff.

With small homes and apartments on the rise, kitchen space is something we can never seem to have enough of. Whether it’s our washing machine making it hard to squeeze through the door, or our cupboards overflowing with utensils, there is always an aspect we have to adapt to better utilise our space.

Fortunately, there are many ways to optimise our kitchen so that we’re not having to shove our drawers shut, or bump into things as we cook. Whether you’re thinking of renovating or are wondering where to start designing your small kitchen, here are some tips for making the best of your space.

MAPPING YOUR SPACE

Appliances are the building blocks of any kitchen - the essential components. They also tend to take up the most space, so you want to make sure to choose them carefully to best optimise your room. It’s important to consider the following:

• Need - Do you really need the appliance, and will you use it? Start with the basic appliances first (i.e., washing machine, fridge, microwave) and move on to the small appliances afterwards. Question whether you’ll really use that pasta maker, or whether it’ll just collect dust.

• Functionality - For your core appliances, you want to invest in something that is practical and appropriate to the space. Whilst a big, range cooker might be appealing for larger kitchens, you’re going to want to look for something that functions the same but in a more compact way.

• Efficiency - To optimise your space, you might want to look into efficient appliances, such as 2-in-1 combo appliances (e.g., washer dryers).

COMBO APPLIANCES

Combo appliances are a great way to save space as they generally roll two appliances into one. As mentioned, you may consider investing in core appliances that are more efficient in the long run, rather than having to sacrifice space elsewhere. Here are some combination options:

• Washer Dryers: A washing machine and tumble dryer in one. If you don’t have a utility room, you can optimise your kitchen by not having both of these appliances take up space.

• Fridge Freezers: Slimline, freestanding fridge freezers take up minimal floor space whilst giving your lots of storage.

There are also integrated appliances, which can be customly fitted to your kitchen, or built into your cabinets:

• Washer dryers
• Dishwashers
• Fridge freezers
• Cookers
• Microwaves

FOOD PREPARATION

Once you're done choosing your core appliances, it’s time to decide on the smaller ones. You can make up for what you lack in counter space with some small, handy appliances that’ll do the manual jobs for you.

You might want to invest in a MultiTalent food processor, for example, which has up to 8 different features - including chopping, blending, and mixing. Mess tends to pile up in small kitchens, so if you can regulate these tasks to one place, you’re more likely to optimise counter space.

Coffee makers are also another good option. Small and convenient coffee pods can supplement the multiple steps that go into making your coffee. They are also more efficient, and some can even replace your kettle if all you use it for is making hot beverages.

However, as handy as these gadgets may be, it is important that you only choose the appliances relevant to you so that you’re not wasting space in the long run.

STORAGE

When packing a box, you’re usually advised to start with the big things and slot the smaller things in afterwards. Therefore, by choosing combo or integrated, core appliances it means that there is more space to ‘slot’ the smaller things into storage. For example, when floor space is optimised, you can perhaps have an island or free-standing pantry shelf to store spices, ingredients, or utensils.

Another option is overhead storage. One tip is to hang utensils on the walls or have magnetic racks to stick them to. Smaller appliances, like microwaves, can likewise be installed overhead to optimise counter space.

You can also optimise drawers with drawer dividers to keep your cutlery and utensils neat and organised. Cupboards can be arranged in the same way, with storage containers.

GET STARTED

Once you’ve decided on the right appliances for you, and their layout, all that’s left to do is get started! Small kitchens may seem daunting at first, but when you take the time choosing the most efficient appliances and storage solutions; it becomes a lot easier to best make use of your space.