Vegans of New Zealand
Getting to know us locals!
Get to know some awesome Kiwi vegans in our Vegans of New Zealand section. Find out why they became vegan, what inspires and motivates them, and what their favourite vegan haunts are.
Do you know someone we should profile?
Nominate yourself or someone else for our series by emailing us at [email protected]
SU
How long have you been vegan:
I became vegan half a lifetime ago when I was in London and it was great there as you had access to so many amazing Vegan food products
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
I love Herbivore’s vegan chocolate treats which I buy for my clients (at Sukha Organic Hairdressing) to indulge in. I like food in different places like: The Lotus Heart, Super in Lyttleton, Miyako Ramen in Church Corner, Water drop Cafe in the Buddhist Temple, Ramen x Music in Riccarton and The Origin cafe on Cranford Street.
Why did you go vegan:
I’ve always been an activist against animal cruelty… When we moved to NZ (when I was very small) my dad worked at the freezing works in Belfast, and I always remember the day I went to visit him and the imprint of what I saw stayed with me.
The last straw for me was after eating a steak and not feeling like I could digest it for days and feeling distress in my stomach, knowing that I couldn’t live like that anymore.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
I think I wish I knew more about nutrition then so I could have balanced my diet out properly from the start.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
Firstly, I wish that non vegans would know that you can be super healthy and have a balanced diet and have a clean body. I wish also that they knew what really goes on in the dairy industry and how brutal it is, the level of cruelty involved to give them milk for their flat white or cereal.
ROSIE
How long have you been vegan:
I started being vegan November 2018, so just over 3 years!
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
Biang Biang noodles with tofu from Miss Peppercorn
Why did you go vegan:
My interest was initially piqued from a sustainability perspective – around the same time I was looking into the effects that the fast fashion industry was having on the planet, which evolved into me learning more about the effect that our diet could also have on the planet.
When I discovered that humans could not only survive, but thrive without eating animal products, I started the 21-day challenge, which I found was a great way to do it. Once I began the journey, I started to learn more about the effects on animals, and the ethical aspect became important to me too
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
To go easier on myself when making a mistake – progress not perfection! And not to try and force my ideas onto anyone else. When I first learned about veganism, it was like my eyes had been opened, and I was incredibly passionate about the topic. But over time I learned that I was more likely to inspire people to explore veganism by being an example, rather than talking ‘at them’ about veganism
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
It’s easier than you think!
TE KOHA
How long have you been vegan:
All my life
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
The vegan margherita pizza at Little High with their soy oreo milkshake
Why did you go vegan:
I was raised vegan but I choose to stay vegan because of the environment and harm to animals
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
n/a because I have always been vegan
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
You can have really good vegan food and people should just try it
Paul Finch
Age: 54
Suburb/town: Rangiora
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
Finbo
How long have you been vegan:
5 years and it was a steep progression; always making changes and adjusting life-style
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
chickpeas and dumplings (Thug Kitchen cookbook) / jackfruit wraps and peanut dal. Favourite place jointly NomNoms and Portershed
Why did you go vegan:
I simply couldn’t face eating meat or consuming any dairy products any longer
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
just how simple the change would be and how much happier I’d become knowing that I wasn’t responsible for the death of animals
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
how the dietary change makes you feel so much better; fresher, more alert, livelier
Angelah Rose
Age: 31
Suburb/town: Ōtautahi
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
I am a fully vegan and cruelty free makeup artist and beauty services provider in Otautahi. I am also a light worker and burlesque performer.
How long have you been vegan:
nearly 10 years (wow I hadn’t actually realised!)
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
I can’t pick favorites it’s so great being vegan in this day and age and just having options to choose from is all we could ask for! I love all foods.
Why did you go vegan:
I feel like I was born this way. I never liked milk it always smelt wrong to me. Blood in meat grossed me out. I grew up in a vegetarian heavy household and was bribed with a cellphone in to eating chicken at 11. When I left home I picked what I ate, which became fewer and fewer animal products then I started going down the documentary rabbit hole and watched Cowspiracy and all the vegan docs on accident. Seeing how each animal was used as a product really deeply affected me I cried and it was almost a spiritual awakening realizing animals were sentient like us.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
It’s OK to make mistakes and that honey isn’t vegan – that one I remember learning way down the track.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
The true meaning of veganism is to try your very best. It’s not about being perfect it’s about doing what you can with what you have. So many think it’s about being perfect but it’s about doing what’s possible and practical to live ethically. Even the smallest parts help.
Photo by VE Photograpy.
Flip Grater
Age: 40
Suburb/town: Otautahi
What’s your vegan-friendly business: Grater Goods
How long have you been vegan: 25 years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
Apart from GG, definitely Miss Peppercorn.
Why did you go vegan: All the reasons
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
How to make seitan and cashew cheese. I lived on mostly lentils for a really long time.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
You don’t have to be perfect. All efforts at harm reduction are beneficial.
Krystal Paix
Age: 39
What’s your vegan friendly business?
Insurgent Foods, a slice and bake biscuit range. I’m also the host of fortnightly podcast/radio show A Vegan Lounge. Find new episodes here.
How long have you been vegan:
5 years. I had been a committed vegetarian since 2012 when I fell pregnant with my son almost 9. The move to veganism came about 4 and a half years ago.
What’s your favorite vegan dish/place to eat?
Walnut, herb, and caper pesto pasta .
Why did you go vegan?
I took an Environmental Ethics course in 2016 as part of my undergraduate degree. I had a wonderful lecturer who inspired me beyond belief – Dr Fiona Dalzell, who is a vet and a doctor of philosophy, so she had all angles covered. I also read alot of publications by Tom Regan and Carol J Adams and it became increasingly difficult to view any alternative lifestyle aside from veganism.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan?
I wish I’d gone straight for tofu, tempeh, and seitan instead of being frightened of it.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism?
Protein options far outweigh meat and dairy by far.
Ruth Killoran
Suburb/town: Christchurch
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
My vegan friendly business is creating and selling paintings and stone sculptures from my home studio and gallery, exhibiting in galleries and art shows around NZ.
How long have you been vegan?
My vegan journey began in 1982. It became clear I needed to do my research back then and convinced myself I needed to be vegetarian to be healthy. (How wrong I was) I proudly became fully vegan, body, mind and spirit in 2010.
What is your favourite vegan dish/place to eat?
It would be something spicy like a Mexican burrito, tortilla with chilli, salsa and guacamole. Mexican corn bread. I prefer somewhere fully vegan so you’re not having to look at others tucking into body parts. So it would be Grater Goods, Bonobo and Portershed.
Why did you go vegan?
I originally watched a film called ‘The Animals Film’ newly released in the UK on Channel 4 in 1982. Watching that totally changed my life and made me question everything to do with how we exploit others. I realised I had been lied to all my life by those I love. Later, with the rise of social media it became very clear I needed to try and realign my morals with my actions.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan?
That just because I have woken up and I was trying to wake others up doesn’t necessarily mean they will. That I would lose friends and not be invited to events. I wish I had had more vegan friends instead of losing friends because I challenged them too much. To always check ingredients as they change, even the familiar products you’ve always bought. That it’s not just about food. It’s a mind shift away from using animals for our convenience and entertainment.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism?
I wished people would see that it’s not about them, it’s about the victims. That generally most doctors don’t always know best. Most people call themselves kind and compassionate but being kind and compassionate is a universal principal and means to all beings. I wish people could see they have great power. Each of us taking away the demand for something means it will stop being produced. Not to be afraid to stand on your own for your principals. The more people that speak out in a respectful way, gives confidence to others to do the same.
Hayley Budd
Age: 26
Suburb/town: Auckland
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
Nuzest – Plant-based supplements (I am the marketing coordinator for the company)
How long have you been vegan:
10 years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
I don’t have a favourite, everything is good, but I love a good Asian fusion restaurant or Tart Bakery.
Why did you go vegan: For health and for the animals. My aunty from Australia was doing research into it, she then told my mum and I about it, so we said why not.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
Don’t worry what others think or say, they will soon understand and follow you without you saying anything. You will make an impact no matter what, just being vegan will make people think about their choices.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
It isn’t that hard and you aren’t restricting yourself. Humans eat such a small percentage of food available, being vegan opens you up to so much more.
Vicky Ha
Age: Late 30s
Suburb/town: Wellington
What’s your vegan-friendly business: House of Dumplings
How long have you been vegan:
A year or two, on and off
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
I’m addicted to House of Dumplings Japanese Six Mushroom Dumplings with my mum’s sauce and chilli oil. Yum.
Why did you go vegan:
Better for health and I did not want to kill animals.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
Keep an eye on your nutrient levels, especially iron for women.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
Vegan food is full of flavour. I love using the abudence of whole food and getting to enjoy different textures and flavours.
Alice Shopland
Age: 57
Suburb/town: Birkenhead, Auckland
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
Angel Food (vegan cheese)
How long have you been vegan:
18 years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
Nut roast en croute with all the trimmings, made by my husband Colin.
Why did you go vegan:
I realised that our society is built on exploiting animals for food and entertainment and clothing, and it doesn’t have to be that way. I felt as though the blinkers had been removed from my ideas about the hierarchy of humans and non-humans. I love the Alice Walker quote, “The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.”
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
How to make vegan cheese. It took years to figure that out.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
It feels great and tastes great.
Lisa Yee
Age: 39
Suburb/town: Christchurch
What’s your vegan-friendly business:
Smiles All Round Pet Sitting
How long have you been vegan: 7 years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
Garlic bread and Bonobo in Sumner.
Why did you go vegan:
For many reasons such as health, lifestyle and for the animals. I always had a deep love for animals since I was a kid and eventually came to question myself on why I would want to contribute to their pain and indirectly ask for someone to chop them up ready for me to eat. It felt right to at least try to minimise the harm to them.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
All of the above and also that there are so many fun vegan events and eateries.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
The transition is not as hard as you think it would be. Everything you need, want and desire is available and if not, definitely in the making! From handbags, makeup, shoes, chocolate, food, it’s all there. You don’t miss out on anything.
Mel Patterson
Age: 50
Suburb/town: St Albans, Christchurch
How long have you been vegan:
25 years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat:
There are so many places that I love to eat in Christchurch. As my favourite food is Italian one of my top picks would be Tutto Bene as I’m so impressed with their menu and service.
Why did you go vegan:
My husband was vegan when we met and I was interested to learn more. He’s a great cook and I quickly found I didn’t need to eat/drink animal products to be fit and healthy.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan:
I wish I had connected with more people sooner in the vegan community.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism:
It’s a lot easier than people think.
Paul Ferguson
Age: 39
Suburb/town: Addington, Christchurch
How long have you been vegan?
Eight years
What’s your favourite vegan dish/place to eat?
I’m in love with seitan, as prepared and cooked at Welcome Chinese Vegetarian Restaurant in Riccarton.
Why did you go vegan?
Mostly for ethical reasons, but happy it’s good for my health and the planet too.
What do you wish you knew when you first became vegan?
Protein deficiency is nothing to worry about, and you can live a thriving, healthy life with amazing tastes as a vegan.
What did you wish non-vegans knew about veganism?
It’s not a sacrifice, as many non-vegans think.
