Like most kids, I bloody loved animals, often remarking that “all I want is a piggy in my lap” when the closest I would have come was bacon on my plate, which I would have happily eaten because I also bloody loved meat too.

The catalyst came on the 25^th of December 2001, when my brothers told me they’d love me more if I didn’t eat meat. I’m well known for my resistance to peer-pressure (I didn’t drink until after my 18^th birthday and don’t even think about recommending a movie to me!), however this was different. I knew that deep down I had recognised the connection that the animals I loved were the animals I was eating. Plus, I was living in an entirely vegan/vegetarian household, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the typical challenges a lot of new vegetarians and vegans face when discussing this decision with their family.

At the point I went vegetarian, I ditched a few animal by-products that I was no longer comfortable consuming, like gelatine, leather and wool and over the years tried to avoid some other stuff as well.