Veganuary Hits 2 Million Sign Ups Since 2014

Veganuary, the global campaign encouraging people to try vegan for 31 days, is celebrating a huge milestone!

Over two million people have officially signed up since the pledge began in 2014. Some famous participants include wildlife presenter Chris Packham, TV presenter Jasmine Harman, actor Peter Egan and ‘dragon’ Deborah Meaden – all of whom are now Ambassadors for the charity.

Everything started on a kitchen table in York by a husband-and-wife team in 2014. Since then, Veganuary has made newspaper and TV headlines around the world – from front page of the Times and New Scientist to features in the Washington Post, New York Times and South China Morning Post. The official participant numbers grow year on year from 3,300 in 2014 to 580,000 in 2021.

The organisation now has campaign hubs in seven countries – UK, US, Germany, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and India – and has welcomed participants from every country in the world except North Korea and Vatican City.

Piers Morgan went furious when Gregg’s launched a vegan sausage roll for Veganuary 2019 sent into meltdown. In 2020 KFC and Burger King joined the campaign with the first fast-food Veganuary launches. McDonalds joined them in 2021.

Celebrities, actors and musicians support Veganuary -Joaquin Phoenix, Paul McCartney, Joanna Lumley are the faces of the campaign and urged people to take part in Veganuary.

Jasmine Harman, who took part in the first-ever Veganuary in 2014, said: “I feel very proud and very privileged to have been with Veganuary from the start and to be one of their Ambassadors.”

Chris Packham, who did Veganuary in 2019, is encouraging everyone who cares about climate change to take part this year in the Veganuary 2022 official campaign video.

Peter Egan, who took part in 2016, said: “The first thing which is wonderful about Veganuary is that there is no pressure. So you can, if you like, say ‘ok I’m only going to do it for January’. I’d be very surprised if you decide to do it for January and then not do it for February because it is such an exciting and interesting way of living in terms of foods. So, I think it’s a wonderful imperative. And one that, of course, I totally support and I’m very, very happy to be an Ambassador for.”

Deborah Meaden, who joined as an Ambassador for 2022, said: “Taking part in Veganuary helped me change how I eat, and now my diet is the best for animals, the planet and for me. If the climate crisis, animal suffering or the loss of wild places and species concerns you, sign up, take part and let Veganuary help you, too.”

Reflecting on the two million milestone, Matthew Glover, co-founder and Chair of Veganuary, said: “When my wife Jane and I decided to launch a new year’s vegan pledge in 2014 we expected only 1,000 people to take part. More than 3,000 signed-up and we were blown away. Now Veganuary is a bigger feature in the retail calendar than Christmas, reflecting the ever-increasing number of people choosing plant-based food.” He added: “Two million official Veganuary participants in just eight years is a huge achievement, but the explosion in plant-based products that has accompanied it is truly revolutionising the future of food.”

Thinking of trying Vegan lifestyle?

The Vegan Kind has everything you need to make your Veganuary challenge easier. We have the largest collection of plant-based and vegan products in the UK. Our extensive range includes plant-based meat alternatives, dairy-free milks and yoghurts, vegan cheeses, drinks, sweets, snacks as well as vegan beauty and household products. We aim to inspire and support people want to follow a vegan diet throughout the whole year.

Check our special Veganuary Essentials collection, informative articles on vegan lifestyle, plant-based diet, and delicious vegan recipes.