Well by now you may have tried a vegan KitKat – today they hit the shelves and are dominating the vegan news as I write this….. And brought out by the controversial Nestle…. Now the likelihood is yes I am going to try them however they won’t be a staple for me.
For one I am embracing the world of raw at the moment and OMG my lovelies I feel good for doing this. I am no expert however I realised I was turning into a junk food vegan and just woke up one morning feeling “I’ve got to go raw”.
It’s funny how raw is in percentages too…. I am 80% raw or 100%… or another number usually above 70! And the higher the number of course the more impressive! At the moment my number is undetermined….
And thinking about it … we don’t have this with vegan do we… “I am 90% vegan – the other 10% I eat animals…” Thankfully this just doesn’t work does it…
And for two I do aim to support the small vegan business as much as possible. Many created the bandwagon or created their vegan delights to make a difference…. And I should know as I am one of them through my vegan PRing business and presenting!
However I have to say that even back in the day 25 years ago we had vegan chocolate and it was made by ethical SMEs and in cottage industries and it tasted out of this world!
And they still exist today! The Vegan Traders Union is a great place to check out for the small vegan owned businesses and vegan “KitKats” have been available for years!
Annie’s Vegan Treats have sold their Annie’s Wafer Bites for 6 months and they are a best seller. Julie the founder says;
“I started to eat less meat in 2019, with a view to becoming vegetarian as I felt this was better for the environment. As a result of becoming vegetarian though, I was connecting with lots of vegans and learning so much about animal farming both in the UK and worldwide. This led me to become completely vegan and to support several animal charities.
Frankly, I think we care a lot more – about the animals, about the planet and about our customers. Keeping a connection with customers and working with them on bespoke items like wedding favours or gift hampers builds rapport and trust – and it keeps them coming back!
The bigger companies are now jumping on the plant based bandwagon, wanting a slice of the market that small independent businesses have had for a while. During these difficult times, this has had an effect on small businesses, and many have not survived. Buying from indies puts food on the table, it buys football boots, dance classes, Christmas presents – it really does make a difference – and we really do dance when we get an order!”
Jessica from Jessica’s Vegan Delights turned vegan 5 years ago because of her love of animals, and has run her chocolate business for 3 year since leaving school and craving a Crunchie after turning vegan and making her own.
The Krispy V is a best seller is the only product she hasn’t changed the recipe for and one of the first she sold.
“Now more than ever it’s so important to keep supporting the UKs small businesses, I know it’s easier to go into a supermarket and grab widely accessible vegan replacements however it’s so important to make sure that the smaller businesses aren’t eclipsed by the new big brand vegan arrivals!”
“Shopping small businesses just guarantees your supporting a 100% vegan business. I produce a variety of veganised classic chocolate bars, I know there are some new bars coming out from Nestle however there’s a lot of trouble surrounding the brand itself, shopping small is more sustainable and ethical and I try to shop small and support my fellow small business owners wherever possible too.”
And now as I come to a close my hubbie has brought in some vegan KitKats to try….. It has been more than 25 years since I had one and to me, they taste as I remember….
Glad I tried it…. however let’s all remember to support the small vegan business owners too – use them or lose them…..
