Because being vegan is about more than just what you eat.
There’s no denying that Veganism is a way of life.
It’s a lifestyle choice that goes way beyond picking up a pack of quorn or tofu opposed to meat or even eggs and cheese.
From the furniture you buy, the shoes you wear, to the countless health and beauty creams we use; non-vegan products are all around us and finding vegan alternatives can be difficult.
Studies suggest that over 600,000 of us in the UK class themselves as vegan. In January, this figure rises to over 1 million as vegan-curious individuals commit to the lifestyle throughout the first month of the year, often known as Veganuary.
Whether you’re a die-hard carnivore or could simply never say no to a real leather bag; there are certainly lessons we could all learn from the vegan influence. In particular, the sustainability of items often associated with vegan products plays a huge roll in protecting our planet.
With this in mind, we should all do our part to shop vegan at times, even if that means opting for a plant-based candle opposed to a beeswax one.
To help you make better vegan choices this Veganuary and beyond, we’ve selected a variety of totally vegan-friendly products, available for you to purchase right here in Newbury.
Natures Corner
Generally speaking, we find Natures Corner to be a bit of a godsend across many fronts. From helping us to top-up on our vitamins and making it easier for us to make environmentally-friendly choices with their bamboo products and sustainable face wipes, to name but a few. Natures Corner also has a fantastic variety of vegan-friendly products.
Having recently launched a new vegan frozen food range, Moving Mountains, in-store, they also offer vegan supplements, chocolate and goodies.
Most notably, Natures Corner sell the 100% naturally-scented and cruelty free ‘Faith in Nature’ range. Made in the UK, each product is presented in a 100% recycled and recyclable floral tub, and comes in vegan range of hair care, body wash and hand soaps. They’re so good in fact, that 10% of profit proceeds from sales of hair mask products will be donated to The Wildlife Trusts charity.
If that wasn’t enough, Natures Corner provide refillable stations so you can fill-up your existing tubs at a reduced price.
Available in-store Monday – Saturday, 9am-3pm and Sunday 11am-3pm.Inn at Home
Who’d have thought that our favourite alcoholic beverage was something we may have to rethink when giving veganism a go!
Many traditional beers include animal byproducts such as gelatine and isinglass (a kind of fish gelatine, to you and me). For those that don’t, some can still contain other non-vegan ingredients such as milk and honey.
Fortunately, Inn at Home have you covered with multiple varieties of vegan craft beers, ales and wines to choose from.
Simply go onto the Inn at Home website and search ‘vegan’ in the search bar before selecting if it’s wine or beer you’re after.
Alternatively, pop in-store Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm or Sunday, 11am – 4pm, where their dedicated team will be happy to help you.Valarie Jerome Optometrists
If you wear contact lenses on the daily, you may well suffer from dry, sore skin around the eye area. If so, perhaps it’s time your reconsidered the very products you are using to try and solve this problem. Many creams and formulas designed to aid this issue, are actually making it worse. From this, We Love Eyes was born.
Developed by an Optometrist, We Love Eyes is a specially formulated, vegan product designed to aid relief from dry eye & blepharitis symptoms, often experienced by contact lens wearers.
Leading Optometrist, Valarie Jerome, has seen this problem crop up time and time again among her clients, recommending the all-vegan, We Love Eyes, products as a solution.
Be it the Ultimate Eye Self-Care Kit to the Kit for Starters, find the non-toxic, totally neutral range on the shelves of one of the Top 100 UK Small Businesses of 2020; Valarie Jerome Optometrists.
Available to order online or call 01635 528844 to book-in an appointment.
Plum & Grain
And just when being vegan began to feel like a bit of a breeze, the bomb drops that maybe soy isn’t exactly the miracle answer, either.
Soy crops demand rainforest space, and a growing demand in soy products means an increased need for space. While soya-based products may be more vegan-friendly than their animal byproduct counterparts, they also have their downsides, too.
With this in mind, searching for other natural, plant-based alternatives can help keep your mind at ease. One of Newbury’s newer independent stores, Plum and Grain, help to do exactly that with their selection of plant-based candles.
Handmade in Harpenden candles are a wax blend of coconut and rapeseed, making them some of the most sustainable candles on the market.
Sister duo opened their Plum and Grain shop with an eco-focus at their very core. With their array of beautifully presented, unique and sustainable products on offer, they have certainly achieved this from all angles.
You can check out their range online to order for click and collect or delivery (currently free when you spend £50 or more).
Schuh
Look down at your feet. Are the shoes you’re wearing vegan-friendly?
Chances are, if they’re a pair of sneakers, boots, or work shoes worth above £30 then probably not.
So, those comfy old boots you promise to replace year-on-year, are probably best put on the charity pile alongside those leather pants (they never quite looked right anyway).
Schuh, and more specifically, Dr. Martens, have a whole range of vegan shoes and boots on offer for whatever the weather.
Great news for those wanting to stay trendy while staying vegan while also, staying indoors…
Available to order for delivery online.
New Look
From shoes to clothes. The vegan market really has taken the whole retail sector by storm, too.
As fashion-brand retailer, New Look, say; Veganism has leapt from our diets into our wardrobes.
For the first time ever, New Look have launched a fully-vegan fashion range. Because if you ever thought that because it’s not leather it’s vegan, you’re wrong.
PU leather isn’t strictly vegan. In fact, most textured sprays used to complete the appearance of many PU products, often feature an animal byproduct. The same can be said for adhesives and even the chemicals used to stop your zips from rusting.
To stay on the safe side, shopping New Look’s vegan range can give you total confidence, for when you’re really trying to stay within the vegan-lines.
Available online for delivery.
Superdrug
Moving on from backpacks to make-up bags.
More than likely, your make-up needs an animal-friendly shake up.
Animal derivatives are found across a whole host of your favourite beauty must-haves. If you’re a sucker for red lippy, the likelihood is that it contains carmine, the red-pigment derived from insects. Your lip care, shower gel, moisturisers, the list goes on. Many contain, beeswax, yoghurts, milk or honey, to name a few.
Thankfully, Superdrug have listened and answered your vegan prayers.
Offering a wide selection of vegan cosmetics, particularly across their own B. beauty brand, you will be able to fulfil your vegan lifestyle to its fullest!
Available to shop online for delivery.
