Feed Me Vegan: Lucy Watson

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I think eventually, people will realise that veganism is the only compassionate option," Lucy adds passionately. "Eventually they'll change laws around the situation, and it will become a lot harder to access non-vegan products. I hope to see it in this lifetime, and if not, I'd hope to leave behind some sort of influence." Nothing seems too complex and the recipes look logical and straightforward. This is a really great book for a new or relatively new vegan who has some experience in the kitchen. The focus of this book is on vegan comfort food with veganised versions of classic meals such as pancakes, pizzas, lasagne, burgers, curries and cakes. It’s got all of the popular choices that us Brits tend to serve up but it doesn’t seem ‘samey’; Lucy clearly has a flair for flavour and the recipes really nail this down.

First impressions? The recipe looks like a fairly standard bean chilli, not overly complicated so it might be good for a weeknight meal. And, as a TV-star-turned-businesswoman who’s more focused on guiding people on their journey to ethical eating and vegan living, Watson is hoping to see more of this from other public eye fugures in the future. Now 27, Watson has made it her goal to spread all the positive aspects of her vegan lifestyle far and wide. With a social media audience of millions at her fingertips, the Manchester-born star has also opened a vegan restaurant, ‘Tell Your Friends’, in London alongside her sister Tiffany, and now has two cookbooks to her name, including her latest, Feed Me Vegan: For All Occasions. I don’t want people to think they’re just going to be eating salads and soups for the rest of their lives, because that’s not the case,” she says. “You can be adventurous and really enjoy your food.” Lucy's top tips for going vegan Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and macaroni to the saucepan with the sauce and stir well until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a deep 25 x 30cm ovenproof dish.It’s the greatest feeling when people message me to say they’ve gone vegan because of me. It makes everything worthwhile.” How complex was the recipe? Pretty easy. There were a few steps but nothing complicated – sauté onion, garlic and chilli with the spices, add beans and tomatoes and simmer for 15 mins. Put the dried mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl. Pour 150ml boiling water over them and leave to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid for the bechamel sauce. Roughly chop the mushrooms. But if you’re not London-based and you don’t have any veggie stores near you, many restaurants like Zizzi and Pizza Express have great vegan menus, and Pret a Manger is fantastic for vegan lunch options.

Lucy has collaborated with a number of brands, including Nasty Gal, Wilkinson Sword and PUMA. Additionally, she serves as the vegan ambassador for Bulk Powders, alongside celebrity athletes such as Anthony Joshua and Katarina Johnson Thompson. Lucy has also been a global ambassador for PETA and the only U.K. ambassador for PUMA. This is the only vitamin you’ll be missing from your diet, which is good for your blood cells. You can get tablets, but I love using a spray – it’s actually really yummy. I haven’t seen that Bake Off vegan week just yet, but I thought it’s amazing!” she enthuses. “It just shows how mainstream it’s really becoming and that there is a demand for it. I know that Jamie Oliver always talks about vegan, plant-based food – he’s a massive supporter of it. I think that it’ll happen naturally, if I’m honest. People will see there is a demand for it and they should get on the bandwagon. Bigger names have that profile and they should be able to show people better than anyone how amazing and different vegan food can be.” To be honest not a lot. It states ‘comforting vegan recipes for all your favourite meals’ on the front and it delivers that perfectly. On to the recipes… Her passion for spreading the word about veganism is admirable, especially given the prevailing stereotype of the ‘preachy vegan.’I think I found it difficult only because I’d never cooked. I used to live on takeaways, and there were no takeaway companies that did vegan food, so then I was bit like ‘I’m screwed!’,” she laughs. “That was sort of how I came up with the first book because I went on my own struggle and I know that so many people were going through the same thing; not because they were getting takeaways but more because going vegan makes you think you can’t eat anything! There’s so much you can eat though – you just need to go on your own discovery.”