For some Veganuary is all year round Part 1

Last month was the 12th Veganuary, a movement where people try and go vegan for the month. According to Veganuary’s organisers and based on YouGov survey results and the current population estimates for each country, roughly 25.8 million people worldwide chose to try vegan in January 2025. Gibraltarians are included in this figure, of course, with a number of people going vegan for the month. But, for some, it is not just one month of being vegan. The Chronicle spoke to three people about the choices of food on their plates and other products in their life. Today is part one of a two-part series.

For many, the idea of going vegan might seem daunting but for one Gibraltarian, Erin Cary, it’s a lifestyle that’s transformed her health, broadened her culinary horizons, and inspired those around her.

Speaking to the Chronicle, she shared her journey, experiences, and advice for anyone considering veganism.

There was a mix of reasons as to why Ms Cary decided to go vegan.

“Initially, it was for my health. I feel much better on a vegan diet, and my digestive issues disappeared. But I’ve also become more mindful of the environmental impact and, of course, the ethical side of it,” she said.

She started with Veganuary, as many do, a month that is focused on plant-based food and goods with a number of people taking up the opportunity to try something new in the knowledge that others are doing the same.

“I’d watched a few documentaries and read books on plant-based nutrition, which made me curious.

"Instead of committing to veganism overnight, I decided to try Veganuary,” she said.

“It felt more achievable to commit for a month and see how I felt.”

“By the end of January, I noticed big changes—more energy, clearer skin, and my digestive issues had disappeared.”

“I thought, ‘why not keep going?’ One month turned into two, then it became my new normal.”
She has been vegan for five years now.

One of her favourite things about being vegan is being creative in the kitchen. If she sees a recipe she would like to try that isn’t vegan, she challenges herself to tweak it and make it plant-based.

“It’s also introduced me to so many new cuisines. Before going vegan, I stuck to classic dishes like gambas pil pil, peppered steak or pescaito frito, but now I love experimenting with Indian, Thai, and other Asian cuisines,” she said.

With all these exotic cuisines being whipped up in her kitchen, her favourite dish is more traditional British fare.

“It has to be my husband’s vegan shepherd’s pie—pure comfort food,” she said.

“If we’re eating out, the vegan gyros from Sam’s Kitchen is unbeatable.”

For snacks, she opts for crisps, nuts, or popcorn.

“If I’m busy at home, I’ll throw together a quick stir-fry or make a salad with whatever veggies I have. And if I need something quick, I’ll rely on vegan frozen meals from the local supermarkets,” she said.

While every month is Veganuary for the couple, she does get excited to see more people give being vegan a try at this time of the year.

Her advice to those who plan on extending Veganuary, or even starting in February is, “take it slow and don’t overwhelm yourself.”

“What helped me was adapting meals I already loved, like spaghetti bolognese or chilli, using vegan substitutes. Once you’re comfortable, start introducing new recipes and ingredients,” she added.

When it comes to finding vegan options when eating out, she recommends the Happy Cow app.

“It’s a lifesaver for finding vegan options locally or when you’re travelling,” she said.

“Social media is also packed with recipes to help you get started.”

In addition, she actively posts reviews and adds new restaurants to the Happy Cow app to help others find vegan options locally and when travelling.

She also finds it easy to navigate social situations, like eating out or attending events as a vegan, as now a number of restaurants on the Rock offer vegan options. If she is unsure, she will contact the restaurant in advance.

“Many places are happy to prepare something off-menu or tweak a dish to make it vegan if you ask ahead of time,” she said.

Being vegan just hasn’t changed what she eats or uses, it has also made her more aware of what she actually is consuming.

“Just because something is on a shelf doesn’t mean it’s good for you. I now pay close attention to ingredients in food, perfumes, and cleaning products,” she said.

Initially, she found the biggest challenge was reading labels to check if things were vegan, but she said that is easier now as most supermarkets label vegan products clearly and even have dedicated sections.

There are numerous misconceptions about being vegan, some she finds funny she said.

“That we only eat salads and lack protein—it always makes me laugh. Another misconception is that veganism is automatically healthy.”

“Like any diet, it depends on your choices. There’s plenty of vegan junk food out there, so you still need to be mindful,” she added.

Since being vegan, she has inspired both her husband and father-in-law to give it a try.

“They both noticed they felt better on a vegan diet compared to a typical one,” she said.

Her advice for anyone wanting to try veganism and looking for inspiration is follow No Meat Disco on social media.

In addition, she noted that social media is a great resource in general.

“Instagram and TikTok are packed with vegan recipes from people all over the world, which makes it easy to find new meals to try,” she said.

Yvette Potter
For many, the decision to go vegan is deeply personal, often inspired by health, ethics, or environmental concerns. For Yvette Potter, it was a profound connection with animals that led to a lifestyle shift—one that has influenced not just her diet, but her entire approach to life.

“I was a vegetarian on and off for ages, having read extensively on the subject of eating animals, and I really wanted to make that change because of the animal cruelty involved,” she told the Chronicle.

“On acquiring, quite unexpectedly, my dog Cory and falling deeply in love with him and feeling an instant connection to an animal which I had never done before as this was my first dog, I realised that there was no difference between a dog, a cow, a pig, in fact, any living being, and I started on my transition to veganism.”

She cut out all animals from her plate, including fish, and then slowly cut down the milk, cheese, yoghurt, and eggs.

She explains that at the time, she was also immersed in learning about animal behaviour and training, focusing extensively on animal cognition, emotions, and pain.

“This opened up my eyes more to the overwhelming suffering of all animals, including humans,” she said.

Her research into animal welfare led her to the concept of the Five Freedoms, a framework ensuring animals are free from hunger, discomfort, pain, injury, disease, fear, and distress.

“At the beginning of my journey, I was not very clued up about animal welfare other than 'do no harm,' but as I delved into my research on dog behaviour, I realised the Five Freedoms are not adhered to by the farming community,” she said.

“Legalities that portray animal welfare standards on packaging do the absolute minimum legally to be able to use that wording.”

“For example, 'free range' might mean a certain amount of minimum space, which is in fact inhumane for chickens because they do need lots more space for roaming.”

“However, 'free range' holds connotations of chickens roaming through acres of land, which we know not to be true at all and, in fact, is not much different from battery hens. The end result is the same: death.”

Transitioning to veganism was not always easy, especially in Gibraltar.

“I realised that a lot of people had, at the time, no idea what being vegan was, and I have encountered difficulty in some parties and restaurants where there literally was nothing for me to eat apart from crisps or chips, so I ate the chips and the nuts and that was it,” she said.

“That is why I started [Facebook page] Seeds of Change back in the day so vegans could come together and chat about their experiences, and that has opened a huge conversation which has created a lot of change in Gibraltar, which I am very happy and proud about.”

Since she became vegan, she noticed that she has loads of energy, her bloods are great, and her connection to nature is enhanced.

When it comes to food, she enjoys a variety of flavours, with curries being her favourite go-to dish. Others include spinach patties, fried tofu with teriyaki sauce and rice, anything potatoes, vegan spinach pie, vegan torta patata.

“My favourite processed food has to be the non-fish fillets made from banana blossom—yummmmm,” she said.

“Oh, I love dhals and especially Indian food. I make my own Buddha bowls from sprouts, rice, and everything you can think of, which are really nutritious and full of flavour.”

She also emphasised that veganism extends beyond food and drink, it was about what you wear, what you put on your skin and hair, and what furniture you buy and the bags you put your stuff in.
She acknowledges that veganism is sometimes misunderstood.

“Vegans are also not weird or strange, just society members who do not adhere to the cruelty of eating animals, and as such, they should not be ridiculed. I see a lot of this still in social media, which is appalling.”

“Also, I have not yet died from lack of animal protein,” she said.

However, she does not impose her views on others.

“I only speak about my veganism if a topic of conversation requires an answer from me or if someone is cooking for me as a guest and I let them know.”

For those looking to learn more, she recommends various books and podcasts.

“I still listen to this day to Our Hen House podcast, which is an American podcast that has a fabulous amount of knowledge and information, plus books that can really help you on your journey to veganism and beyond,” she said.

“Melanie Joy's books, especially Beyond Beliefs, is a fabulous book, as are all her books, to be honest.”

“The Ethical Vegan by Jordi Casamitjana is very informative and a go-to always.”

“I would also like to mention my friend Rosanna Morales, who wrote a lovely book called Ageing in the Garden of Vegan, which is packed full of amazing recipes.”

She also highlights the work of prominent vegan advocates such as Moby for his human rights advocacy, Peter Egan for his animal rights journey and advocacy, Kim Stallwood for his articles and commitment to veganism in bringing animals' rights to the fore, and Juliet Gellatley, the founder of Viva, who she said has done such amazing work for animals and their rights.

Back on the Rock, she said she is proud of the progress made in Gibraltar.

“We have also moved on quite a bit since 2016 when I first started off Seeds of Change on Facebook,” she said.

“I now see vegan options and even takeaways, which would never have even been thought of back in the day, so I’m really proud I started a little group which grew, and veganism is now more mainstream. I hope that people, as they find out more, make more vegan choices.”