By Matthew Cox 14:01 30 Dec 2023, updated 14:01 30 Dec 2023

A vegan activist who confronts McDonald's customers with pictures of factory farming and slaughterhouses has urged Brits to rethink their diet choices as 'we're a nation of animal lovers'.

Tarion Partridge, 25, has been vegan for over five years - an activist for three of those - and said that as we live in 'the easiest place to be vegan', it makes it even 'more of an injustice' to not be one yourself.

According to YouGov tracking, despite increasing commercialisation and accommodation of the vegan lifestyle, the proportion of the UK population has remained at roughly two or three per cent since records began in 2019.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Partridge asked:'How can you claim to love animals with the same mouth you chew their bodies with?

'People are very ignorant to what happens.They don't witness the slaughter, they just see these packaged up bodies.'

Ms Partridge's TikTok and other social media pages are flooded with clips of her and meat-eaters clashing over the morality of eating animals.

Her posts range from confronting customers at fast-food chains, to discussing veganism on the street and even clashing with employees at fast-food restaurants who ask her to not show pictures of animals in factory farms or slaughterhouses to their customers.

Responses range from people trying to quietly brush her off, many seeming sympathetic with her motivations but not her cause and the occasional few who take real issue with being challenged.

In one video from November 2023, Ms Partridge stops someone on their way to order a meal at McDonald's and asks if she likes animals.

The customer replies to say 'I do but I'm not going to stop eating them'.

She continued: 'I like meat, it's just nature.'

As the woman leaves Ms Partridge tells her to order the chain's vegan burger: 'If you care about animals, you should live in alignment with that and be vegan.'

Some meetings are more confrontational than that.

'Most of the reactions I've had are pretty good,' she recounted, 'but I had a bit more of tougher one in KFC once where this lady was super unhappy, and was like, "you know people are being killed in the world, and why would we care about chickens?"

'And I said to her that I don't kill people or chickens, because that doesn't really have any relevance.'

Staff at the chain were then asking her to leave, but she resisted until they threatened to call the police.

But any of the more nerve-wracking interactions do not deter her, and she says that when she is feeling uncomfortable, 'I just have to think of the animals'.

'You can't really spread a message without getting out there and sometimes pushing the boundaries, doing something a little bit controversial,' she said.

'People want activists to be silent. They don't want to feel guilty. But if you look throughout history activists are never silent.

'Those who have the privilege to know have the duty to act.'

The 25-year-old was raised in Lincolnshire as a meat-eater, but had an 'epiphany' aged 15 when she was eating chicken and wondered what the real difference was between that and her beloved dog, Saxon.

She went vegetarian straight away and a few years later upon realising that much of the dairy industry involves calves being removed from their mothers within hours of their birth, she took the leap to go vegan.

'I think I'm a compassionate person,' she said, 'and I want to live in a line with that.'

But it took until January 2020, when Ms Partridge met her partner and vegan activist Joey Carbstrong, that she began going even further by protesting against and researching the meat and dairy industry.

However, she pushes back on the common assertion that vegans are 'extreme' or 'overbearing'.

'I get called extreme and pushy and all things like that all the time,' she admitted, 'but I just think that you have to push back on that and think: What's more extreme, me showing the people what they pay for, or the fact that they pay for animals to be tortured in farms and violently executed in murder factories?

'If I was in a dog meat restaurant showing footage of dogs struggling in fear and being murdered, I'd be a hero.

'Nobody would be saying, 'that's extreme,' but because I'm defending pigs, chickens and cows, all of a sudden I'm extreme?

'That highlights the speciesism in our society. People need to realise that there's no moral difference between a dog and the animals that people eat.'

One of Ms Partridge's views that people might find extreme, though, or at least counter-intuitive, comes in response to one of the replies she often gets from the public.

Animals eaten by consumers are bred specifically for that purpose - they would not exist if they were never going to be eaten - but she is would rather live in a world without those billions of animals altogether.

'They shouldn't exist like this,' she asserted, 'chickens have been bred to grow at this accelerated rate, turkeys as well.

'I think if I was an animal I would rather not exist than exist in a body where I'm suffering and where I'm gonna be sent to a murder factory.'

While Ms Partridge insists that 'there will be a day where we look back with pure shame and regret' at our meat consumption, meat-free enterprises are struggling to stay afloat.

The cost of living crisis has had a doubly bad effecton the industry, with consumers turning back to meat and dairy to save cash, at a time when business would have been more expensive anyway.

Heather Mills' VBites is the latest plant-based brand to fall into administration, following the falling sales of beyond meat and closures of roughly half of the UK's Veggie Pret stores.

Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife Ms Mills blamed 'nefarious practices' and a 'litany of lies' from animal-related rivals for the collapse of her vegan food empire.

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I'm a vegan activist - I show McDonald's customers pictures of slaughterhouses and factory farms and ask them: - Daily Mail

Join us with Derrick Slack and Taria Slack, Chief Culinarian of Black Leaf Vegan, as they showcase two delectable vegan dishes that redefine plant-based cuisine.

First up is the Horseshoe Blue Steak paired with Rosemary Smashed Potatoes, a savory delight that proves vegan meals can be both hearty and flavorful.

Following that, theyll present the Jazzy Jackfruit SNS (Sweet-N-Sour), a fusion of textures and tastes. What makes these dishes even more impressive is that they are 100% vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free without compromising on taste.

Black Leaf Vegan, a family-owned and operated business, is on a mission to promote health and wellness in communities by offering life-sustaining, plant-based products that nourish the mind, body, and soul.

For those looking to embark on a journey to a happier, healthier, and wealthier life, visit their website at https://blackleafvegan.com/.

Follow them on social media for more mouthwatering updates.

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Black Leaf Vegan to offer meal prepping in 2024 - WISH TV Indianapolis, IN

When youre thinking about cutting animal products out of your life or reducing the amount you use, its likely you start with your diet, before moving on to your clothing choices, and then perhaps your beauty routine. But what about your car?

The vehicles we use every day often get overlooked when it comes to making vegan choices, but it turns out, like most other industries, car manufacturers use animal products frequently. And one of the biggest culprits is leather. In fact, in 2021, the global automotive interior leather market was worth more than $31 billion.

But, if you dont like the idea of sitting on cow skin while you get from A to B, we have good news: a number of car companies are now offering vegan interior options. Heres what you need to know.

Jump to the List

Leather isnt the only animal-derived material used in cars. In fact, its actually very difficult to find a completely vegan car, and thats because animal ingredients can sneak into a number of different elements of the manufacturing process. For example, tires are made from rubber and plastic, which may have been toughened with tallow (fat from sheep), and steel frames may have also been lubricated with animal fat.

Unlike leather seats, tires and frames are very difficult to swap outbut this doesnt mean you should stop driving altogether.

Most leather used in automobiles comes from cowhide, which is produced by the meat industry. This makes leather a coproduct of animal agriculture (not a byproduct, as is commonly assumed). The latter is associated with the slaughter of millions of cows every year, but its also linked with major environmental issues, including deforestation.

That said, not all leather comes from animals. It can be made from plants, like cacti and mushrooms, and it can also be synthetic. If youre looking to avoid leather, here are eight popular manufacturers that offer cars without it.

BMW

In 2022, BMW announced plans to launch its first vehicles with completely vegan interiors. The BMW Group is serving the demand for vegan and leather-free interiors, which is set to increase further in the near future, especially in the US, China, and Europe, it noted.

In May 2023, it revealed that its new 5 Series is the first to feature an all-vegan interior made with its own Veganza leather. From July 2023, customers could also opt for Veganza in its BMW X1, BMW iX1, and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer models. Find out more

Ford

2 Ford

Ford is one of the most vegan-friendly car-makers on the market. In fact, according to one study by British car dealership Dick Lovett, it has 30 different vegan-friendly car models available. The latest models of the popular Ford Fiesta, for example, come with non-leather seats as the default. Find out more

Tesla/Instagram

In 2017, Tesla broke the automotive mold when it declared it would be moving away from the use of leather in its interiors. It started by phasing out leather seats, and after that, in 2019, it launched its first vegan steering wheel. Find out more

Volvo

In 2021, Volvo announced that by 2030, it will only sell electric vehicles, and all of them will be leather-free. We intend to reduce leather content in our cars and this will be a gradual transition, a Volvo spokesperson said at the time. We are conscious that consumers increasingly want leather-free materials, due to concerns over animal welfare.

But you dont have to wait until the end of the decade to get your hands on a Volvo with vegan-friendly interiors. According to PETAs European car survey, the Swedish manufacturer has several leather-free models right now, including the S60, the V60, and the C40 Recharge. Find out more

Toyota

5 Toyota

Toyota offers vegan interiors as standard in a number of its models, notes PETA, including the Aygo, the Prius, and the Corolla Hatchback. The Japanese manufacturer is in the top 25 vegan-friendly car companies, confirms Dick Lovett, with 11 leather-free models in its range. Find out more

Jaguar Land Rover

The attitude toward animal byproducts is changing. Personally, Id be quite happy to move away from leather tomorrow. I dont like that we have to slaughter all those cows to create leather, Jaguar Land Rovers Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern said in an interview in 2017. And in 2021, the manufacturer started to act on that sentiment when it introduced its first vegan interior options in partnership with Ultrafabrics. Find out more

Mercedes-Benz

In 2022, Mercedes-Benz debuted a concept car, called the Vision EQXX, which featured vegan interiors, made with materials like mushroom leather, cactus leather, bamboo, and bio-based vegan silk. But the German luxury car manufacturer also has several vegan options in its current models, too. According to PETA, models like the Marco Polo, the Vito, and the V-Class are all fitted with leather-free interiors as standard. Find out more

Citron

According to Dick Lovett, this popular French car manufacturer is in the top 10 vegan-friendly car brands, with 15 leather-free models on offer. PETA confirms this and notes that vegan-friendly varieties include the C3, the C4, and the -C4. Find out more

Charlotte is a writer and editor based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.

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These 8 Auto Makers Offer Vegan Leather Interior Options - VegNews

Indulge your taste buds with todays Tasty Takeout featuring Black Leaf Vegan!

Known as the premier vegan restaurant in Indianapolis, Black Leaf Vegan offers a delectable array of plant-based delights that cater to both vegans and food enthusiasts alike.

From mouthwatering entres to tempting desserts, their menu is a celebration of flavors and creativity.

For more information about this culinary gem, explore the offerings and ethos of Black Leaf Vegan on their official website.

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Tasty Takeout: Black Leaf Vegan - Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather | Indiana Traffic - WISH TV Indianapolis, IN

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it should also be the most exciting. To accomplish both of these goals, weve combined sweet acorn squash filled with a creamy vanilla yogurt, fresh fruit, and crunchy granola. This unexpected combination proves that breakfast canand shouldbe nutritious and delicious.

1 acorn squash 2 to 3 teaspoons maple syrup teaspoon pumpkin pie spice cup vegan vanilla yogurt cup granola cup raspberries cup blackberries 2 tablespoons almond butter 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes 1 teaspoon chia seeds 1 teaspoon cacao nibs

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Vegan Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash Breakfast Bowls - VegNews

Looking for the best veggie burger in America? Youve come to the right place. Love Life Caf, which was awarded Seed Food & Wine Festivals 2016 award, specializes in vegan, plant-based bitesincluding a superfood burger with homemade guacamole, pickles, cheese, marinated kale and cilantro aioli. Other menu items include plant-powered arepas, burritos and tacos, pizza with cashew cream and basil-pesto and a slate of desserts, from apple cobbler to guava rose cheesecake. Love Life Caf is also behind Shido, a pop-up vegan sushi concept. Think smoking karrots roll, with smoked carrot, avocado, cashew cream and shiitake mushrooms or the fried rice shumai, Japanese-style dumplings filled with sticky rice and mushrooms.

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The Absolute 12 Best Vegan Restaurants in Miami - PureWow

Believe it or not, cheese wasn't originally a standard ingredient on pizza. Ancient people had long been making flatbreads with various toppings, but pizza as we know it today was born in the coastal city of Naples in the early part of the 1700s. The very first variety was pizza marinara, topped only with tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano. It actually wasn't until the late 1800s that we have any record of pizza being made with cheese.

Over the past couple of centuries, pizza marinara has become anything but a relic, still highly respected and legally protected in Italy. Seriously, there's a regulatory body called the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, which dictates certain standards that a pizza has to meet to be considered true Neapolitan-style pizza. According to the association, there are only three true styles of Neapolitan pizza: marinara, Margherita, and "extra" Margherita. Marinara, by definition, includes only tomato sauce, garlic, and oregano as toppings. If you try to add cheese to a marinara pizza, you run the risk of the pizza police coming after you. (Okay, not really, but the fact that pizza styles are regulated by law should demonstrate how important Italians consider their recipes, even the humble marinara.)

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If You're Making Vegan Pizza, Say No To Imitation Cheese - Daily Meal

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Veganuary: These Studies Show the Health Benefits of Vegan Diets - Green Queen Media

If youve been living under a rock and still havent heard of Christspiracy, its a hugely anticipated vegan documentary being released in 2024.

Its the latest brainchild of Kip Andersen, known for his renowned films Cowspiracy (2014), What The Health (2017), and Seaspiracy (2021). All of these explored different aspects of the benefits of veganism, covering the environment, health, animals, and human rights.

Christspiracy: The Spirituality Secret looks set to explore veganism and its links to spirituality. It explores the link between the vegan lifestyle and various religions, and aims to answer one question: Is there a spiritual way to kill an animal?

This question was put to Andersen by an audience member named Kameron Waters at a Q&A session a few years ago. The two subsequently teamed up, and decided to set off on a six-year investigation together to answer it through the lens of religion, philosophy, spirituality, sociology, and psychology.

Heres everything you need to know about the new release.

In an attempt to find out whether there is a spiritual way to kill an animal, Andersen and Waters traveled to four continents to explore animal ethics within five different religions. As the name suggests, one of these religions was Christianity. The two spoke to experts around the world to shed new light on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The film includes conversations with a number of interviewees, including well-known archaeologists and theologians. The interviews were conducted, say the filmmakers, to uncover the biggest cover-up in the last 2,000 years, one that will transform history, forever.

Waters grew up in Georgia in the US, and spent much of his life in the church. He even attended a Christian hunting and fishing club, and didnt initially question the treatment of animals by members of his faith. After a few years, however, he eventually started to think seriously about his relationship with animals, leading him, eventually, to the Q&A session with Andersen.

Kams relationship to food and faith were intertwined from the day he was born, the filmmakers previously said in a statement. But it wasnt until he started reassessing how his Churchs interpretation of scripture had convinced him that hunting and eating animals was okay, that he started to question, How would Jesus kill an animal?.

While Christianity may have been the initial plan of focus, the film is by no means limited to this religion. It explores the issue of animal ethics in a variety of different faiths, and Andersen previously told Plant Based News (PBN) that the film has universal appeal for all.

Were not pointing fingers, were asking questions, he said. Its a very full spectrum discussion and exploration of this subject. Whats been really fun [in test screenings] is that from atheists to hardcore conservative Christians, any walk of life, they love this film.

Due to the name, however, some people have assumed that Christspiracy would focus wholly on Christianity. In response to whether Christspiracy is a Christian or Christian-bashing film, Waters and Andersen wrote on Instagram: Absolutely not. In fact, this film explores more than the Christian faith and includes Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and even philosophy, sociology, and history to deeply explore how faiths around the world answer the question: Is there a spiritual way to kill an animal? No Christians were harmed in the making of this film. We promise.

The filmmakers have also emphasized that, while the film does explore religion, it is more than a religious film focusing on ethics, as well as a number of different areas and disciplines.

We dont yet have a confirmed Christspiracy release date, but we do know it will be some time in 2024.

Andersens other films are available to stream on Netflix, but he previously confirmed to PBN that he turned down the streaming service for Christspiracy due to the fact that they wanted to retain their own edit of the film (which was initially called Cowspiritual).

Waters and Andersen have stated that Netflix wanted to redact key parts of the documentary to take it in a different direction than they had intended. They therefore decided to go it alone.

[We are] super grateful to Netflix for providing a platform and releasing the other three previous films, said Andersen. With this film it is a little challenging, as some of the subject matter is so bold and so controversial.

The filmmakers have fundraised to help bring the film to as large an audience as possible. They are aiming to bring the film to at least a billion viewers. According to their Kickstarter page, they raised USD $433,747 to help them to do this.

Andersen and Waters say that they want the Christspiracy documentary to go where no film has ever gone before, and that they hope to bring it to billions of viewers. To do this, they have launched a pay-it-forward model where its hoped that people will watch the film and donate money to allow someone else to watch it for free. Its a cycle of kindness that YOU get to start, they said. This philosophy allows the film to be accessible to anyone around the world, regardless of ones income status or subscription.

They hope that Christspiracy will be shown in movie theaters, places of worship, and many more platforms, including our own collective one. Its more than a movie, its a movement, they said.

Find out more about the film here.

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What Is 'Christspiracy'? Inside The Film Everyone's Talking About - Plant Based News

A winter party does not have to mean heavy, oily food that leaves you feeling stuffed. A vegan spread can be light, flavourful and healthy HUMMUS AND PITA/ HARA BHARA KEBAB A great option is hummus and pita bread, which is fully vegan and delicious, especially with a dash of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika. If you want to stick to something Indian, go for the hara bhara kebab, which is packed with the goodness of spinach and green peas. BRUSCHETTA Toasted, flavourful, and easy to make, you can throw open the evenings snack board with bruschetta. Its the simplest of starters you can use any type of bread, veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, black pepper, salt and basil leaves. Vegan chef Raveena Taurani says, Toasted quinoa sourdough bread gives a unique twist to the bruschetta. For an extra punch, crumble some vegan cheese on top. GAJAR KA HALWA Yes, you can make a vegan version of this winter special dessert! Simply substitute the ghee with coconut oil while cooking the peeled and grated carrots. For sweetness, add jaggery to the mix and replace the whole milk cream with coconut cream for the desired thickness, says chef Surabhi Sehgal. Add cardamom powder and a sprinkle of slivered nuts and rose petals to finish off. MISSI ROTI Made with khapli atta, besan, methi leaves, salt, chopped chillies, turmeric, achar masala, and ajwain, this crispy vegan delight is packed with earthy goodness and perfect for the winters. Methi and turmeric not only enhance the flavour but also contribute to its wholesome, seasonal appeal. The crisp rotis can be served with a vegan yoghurt dip. WATERMELON SALAD A watermelon salad is perfect, since it is light and easy to digest. Vegan chef Surabhi Sehgal suggests a combination of watermelon scoops, fresh basil leaves, capers, olives, pickled onions and pumpkin seeds with dressing of virgin oil, white wine vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt. Freshness is the key to delicious vegan food. Make sure that ingredients like herbs and veggies are not stale. Plant herbs like curry patta, mint and basil at your home. When you make a cream substitute, make sure you soak the nuts overnight and blend it properly for the sauce. Otherwise, they will remain coarse and grainy Surabhi Sehgal, vegan chef Instead of a cheese platter, go for a mezze platter with various types of hummus apart from baba ghanoush and muhammara. Going for South Indian cuisine is a great idea, since most of it is vegan, and ghee can be easily replaced with olive oil or coconut oil Sriharsha Narra, chef Vegan substitutes for dairy-based ingredients * Butter can be replaced with vegan butter, but opting for olive oil is a reasonable option * For creamy sauces, blend cashew nuts, almonds and pine nuts * Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds are great substitutes for milk when soaked and blended * If youre allergic to nuts, replace them with coconut milk for that creamy flavour * Nutritional yeast can be used instead of cheese in sauces * If you cant get your hands on vegan ghee, you can use coconut oil instead

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This New Years Eve, plan a vegan feast - IndiaTimes