The Veganuary is here! It used to be the month of inquiries like: Where do you get your protein from? Why wouldn’t you eat honey? Don’t plants feel pain too? The answer is no, and I’ll come back to that topic in future issues. Now, as more and more people have become curious, involved, flexitarian, and even year-round vegans, the questions have evolved—some requiring thorough research before I can answer. Do mussels and other bivalves, like clams and oysters, which have simple nervous systems but no centralized brain, feel pain? And if not, can they be eaten by vegans? Given that figs rely on wasps for pollination, are they vegan-friendly? What do you really know about the vast world of mushrooms?

I keep learning, reading, and talking. To me, veganism is not about searching for loopholes, nor is it just about whether to consume something, but about choosing not to—for the welfare of animals. Since becoming vegan, I can’t look, smell, or pass by a butcher shop without thinking of scenes from Earthlings.

So here’s my question for Veganuary: In a world where we strive to be egalitarian, inclusive, and humanitarian, shouldn’t we also stand as advocates for species equality—even when certain facts remain yet to be discovered?

Here’s a sneak peek at our fifth issue before you dive in:

The Place: The quest is over: the croissant is found.
The Article: Chapter two: The Ethics of Dairy and Eggs: What’s Really Going On?
The Latest News: Are you ready, The Veganuary is here.
The Recipe: Tomaso Mannu creates, teaches, and has even prepared a kit for you to master vegan cheeses at home.
The Plate: Aubergine Parmaggiana Pizza Sandwich by Ace Pizza at Pembury Tavern, Lower Clapton

If you’re just joining us, here’s a link to our previous issues. Send me your questions about veganism at thevegangazette@gmail.com so I can research, dig deeper, and come up with some mind-opening thoughts.

Happy Veganuary! Who is pledging this year?

Hazal

The Quest Is Over: The Croissant Is Found

Words by: Hazal Yılmaz

When I gradually became vegan, it followed a clear path. First, the renunciation of any kind of living, breathing animal on land, in the sky, or underwater. Later, the bargaining of dairy products, mainly cheese, due to the years I’ve spent in France, following the Sunday omelettes, French toasts, crème caramels, and profiteroles. With a little bit of practice in the kitchen and technology evolving in response to the increasing demand by vegans, most of my desires were catered for. The Sunday omelettes became chickpea flour with spinach, leek, and potato mixture or turmeric tofu scrambles. The cheese, whether homemade or store-bought, is easily found or prepared nowadays. The one thing I could neither find on demand nor cook at home remained the crackling, crumbling, flaky croissants—hence, my search began.

First, in Paris, while visiting, I was referred by some friends to this vegan patisserie, Land & Monkeys, that was slowly expanding across neighborhoods, so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what I was expecting. The croissant seemed dull and flat and the Croque Monsieur was slices of bread coated with a thick, dense batter. On to the next stop: Cloud Cakes. Tasty but it was a little too sweet for me. At last, I met VG Pâtisserie. Yes. Exactly. The croissant I was yearning for. The croissant I wanted to devour with no other accompaniment than a filter coffee. But, unfortunately, I don’t live in Paris, and although just a weekend trip to feast on a croissant at Boulevard Voltaire seems romantic, it’s not affordable. I returned to London and started my quest. And soon enough, I found Knead A Little Love in Bethnal Green. Until their closing in April 2024, I didn’t need to look for any other croissant anywhere else. 

It wasn’t until 19 December that I discovered the buttery, slightly salty, snapping croissant was available at Third Culture Deli in Broadway Market. After simply asking if they make their own or source them from a third party, I was on my way to Spitalfields, to OKJA, a vegan patisserie I hadn’t heard of before. OKJA was founded in 2020 in Camps Bay, then opened a second venue on Kloof Street before arriving in London in July 2024. Considering I had been away for a couple of months from the city, I wasn’t actually too late in my information. 

The secret behind their products lies not only in having an ex-Michelin-star-trained pastry chef to commandeer in-house recipe development but also in making their own plant-based milks using Italian oats, free of glyphosate residue. Choosing cold-pressed, unrefined sunflower oil and sea salt. Their soy milk is the kind a 4-year-old would happily drink with chocolate chip cookies. And the butter? They make their own cultured cashew butter, which explains the exceptional quality of their croissants and other items in the store, such as the swirls, with my personal favorite being the chocolate and hazelnut.

What to Order: Honestly, anything! If you're nearby, you can try a different item every day. They offer a wide variety, from The Pizza Twist with OKJA’s cultured cashew butter, to the Cinnaswirl.

My Favorite: The croissant. Obviously, I don’t even need to say more.

Bonus: OKJA also sells their creations to take home. Some new pantry additions may include Schmear, a creamy, smooth, and tangy cultured cashew cream cheese perfect for bagels and sandwiches, the Chocolat Hazelnut spread, The Granola with banana, dates, coconut, flax, spices, and the secret ingredient: rosemary extract.

Address: 29 Toynbee St, London E1 7NE

Chapter Two:

The Ethics of Dairy and Eggs: What’s Really Going On?

Let's start by answering this question: Why are we vegan?

Is it because we can learn about the nutrients in plants, fruits, and grains to improve our health? That’s one reason. Or is it to prevent diseases like heart attacks, diabetes, and cancer? Let’s call that a bonus—who wouldn’t want a longer, healthier life? Is it to reduce our carbon footprint and support a sustainable future? Definitely a good reason. But above all, we’re vegan for the animals. We’re not just talking about the cats, dogs, and rabbits we treat as family. We mean the cows, lambs, turkeys, chickens, and calves slaughtered in factories to become meat on our plates—the animals we turn away from in disturbing videos. Since they can't speak, we speak for them. We condemn this system.

We choose not to drink milk or consume dairy products—and here’s why.

Have you ever thought about how milk gets to your household? Probably not—otherwise, you might think twice before doing so. Here’s a brief overview: A heifer is artificially inseminated and gives birth after about 283 days, at which point she becomes a cow. Her calf is taken from her immediately after birth and fed a substitute from machines instead of her milk. The mother cow is milked for about ten months, often with the aid of antibiotics to increase production. The milk is pasteurized, packaged in factories, and put on shelves. After a dry period of around 60 days, the cow is artificially inseminated again. This cycle continues until the cow's productivity declines, and she is sent to slaughter. She never gets to feed or even meet the calves she gives birth to. This raises even more ethical questions about the exploitation of female bodies—a topic we’ll revisit in a later chapter. 

If it’s the taste or memories of milk, cheese, and yogurt you’re craving, don’t worry—you can easily make the switch. In almost any store in big cities, you can now find plant-based replacements for these products: parmesan that even cheese lovers can’t differentiate, oat, soy, pea, or almond milk that makes your lattes creamy, and yogurt that’s perfect for tzatziki. Need some inspiration? Let’s say for cheese specifically? Check out brands like I’m Nut Ok, Kinda Co, La Fauxmagerie, Violife, Sheese, and the vegan versions of popular brands like Philadelphia, Applewood, and Babybel. The list goes on, but for those who wish to avoid packaged items, as we’ll guide you in The Recipe section further on, vegan cheese selections are easy to make at home.

We choose not to eat eggs—and here’s why.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many hens in factory farms and where the roosters are? We’ve thought about it, researched it, and what we learned is the reason we don’t eat eggs. In the egg industry, only female chickens are deemed useful. New technologies identify male chicks while they’re still in the egg and kill them. In the worst-case scenario, they’re killed while still in the egg. More often, they’re killed shortly after hatching—either by having their necks broken or by machines—because they cannot lay eggs. The female chickens, which would naturally lay only ten to fifteen eggs a year, are fed high-protein, nutrient-rich food to make them produce up to 300 eggs annually. If they don’t die from bone disease before being sent to slaughter, they typically perish from it later. And all of this happens just because we’re unwilling to give up the taste of omelets.

So, why not give up eggs and discover store-bought items like Just Egg, Oggs, Crackd, or homemade aquafaba? It's an essential vegan ingredient made from the liquid left over after boiling or draining beans, like chickpeas. Depending on the recipe, you can also use applesauce, flax seeds, or even soft tofu as egg substitutes. The vegan world is wide, you just have to encounter and uncover.

It’s the 11th year of Veganuary. Established in 2014 by UK-based non-profit founders Matthew Glover and Jane Land, the campaign aims to promote and educate people about veganism for the month of January and beyond. 

In 2024, 1.8 million people worldwide received Veganuary’s resources, and 17.5 million coaching emails were sent. The purple sweet potato was the 2024 Vegetable of the Year, and over 2,100 new vegan menus and products were launched. Some of them include Ben & Jerry’s Strawberry Cheezecake, Burger King's Vegan Royale, and Greggs' Vegan Sausage Roll. In the UK, Beyond Meat celebrated the launch of its plant-based pepperoni at Pizza Hut, while Costa Coffee joined forces with BOSH!

Meal kit delivery service Planthood, specializing in plant-based, chef-prepared meals has seen a 500% increase and gained wider recognition after securing investment on the television show Dragons' Den.

So, welcome 2025! We’re excited to see what you bring to the table. For at least this month, you, your friends, partner, family, or kids can try going vegan and see how it works. We are by your side.

Feta, Vegan Goat Cheese, Camembert, Cultured Ricotta, and Blue Cheese at Home!

From feta for your salads and breakfasts, to mozzarella for grating or melting on your pizza, parmesan wedges on top of your pasta creations, to slices of cheddar inside your toasties, fresh ricotta or camembert, and blue cheese—Tomaso Mannu creates, teaches, and has even prepared a kit for you to master vegan cheeses at home!