The CEO of UK bakery chain Greggs has adopted a vegan diet after watching Netflix documentary, The Game Changers.
Roger Whiteside, who runs the chain that's best known for its hearty meat bakes, has become the latest convert surrounding the buzz of the show. He announced his news while accepting an award, saying that although avoiding meat is the easy part, he found it harder than vegetarianism. However, the numerous benefits of forgoing a steak bake or bacon and cheese wrap have motivated Whiteside to give it a go. It helps that Greggs is planning to expand its vegan range in addition to the vegan wraps and sweet mince pies.
The documentary, which focuses on the plant-based diets of top athletes and celebrities like Jackie Chan and Novak Djokovic, sets out to dispel the myth that meat-based proteins are the only way to fuel sports performances. The film certainly provides a compelling case for anyone considering switching to a meatless diet with Arnold Schwarzenegger asserting that real men don’t need to eat meat.
The popular British bakery sells thousands of meat-filled pastries but has joined the pro-environment and health movement by successfully rolling out vegan sausages, which have contributed to a jump in sales by 62%, even thriving off unintentional publicity from the criticism of TV pundit Piers Morgan. While many shops are closing on the high street, Greggs remains a staple amongst the ranks of Pret a Manger and Tesco (which is popular for its lunchtime meal deals).
Game Changers, much like similar vegan-focused documentary Cowspiracy, has convinced many people to change their diets. Over half a million people in the UK are following plant-based diets, funding a huge appetite for animal-free products. Part-time vegans are also a huge market with social media campaigns like Veganuary. The vegan movement now has one more influential follower devoted to saving the planet one vegan sausage roll at a time.
If you like to keep up with all of the latest food and diet trends, check out why seaganism is predicted to be the biggest food movement of 2020.