It’s been a giant 12 months in vegan media, and actually, even that appears like an understatement. 2023 has seen a lot development and progress throughout the board. We’ve had inspiring movie star tales (do you know Cher eats like a Blue Zoner?), new groundbreaking analysis (like this fascinating examine into an identical twins), and loads of heartwarming content material (sure, cows actually do have greatest buddies. No we’re not crying—it’s the onions).
It’s been extremely tough to choose the highest 10 tales of 2023, however someway, we’ve managed it. Taco Bell and Kraft actually pulled it out of the bag this 12 months (anybody else can’t cease consuming blue field vegan mac and cheese?), and Hershey’s, too (thanks, vegan chocolate Gods). However whereas there have been many excessive factors, we’ve additionally needed to say goodbye to at least one animal icon (RIP, Esther) and we noticed Miyoko Schinner half methods together with her eponymous vegan cheese model.
However general, we’ve to say, within the vegan world, the vibes have been good. Listed here are only a handful of our prime tales from the 12 months. Cheers to 2024, we will’t wait to search out out all the good information we’ll be sharing with you come the brand new 12 months.
VegNews’ Prime 10 Tales of 2023
The Hershey Firm
1 Hershey’s Launches Vegan Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
Again within the spring, Hershey’s made many chocolate lover’s goals come true when it launched the first-ever vegan model of its iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. And that wasn’t all, it additionally launched Hershey’s Plant-Primarily based Additional Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt.
“Our objective is to create extra moments of goodness for customers,” a spokesperson for The Hershey Firm instructed VegNews on the time of the launch. “We’re excited to make these moments extra accessible now for chocolate lovers in search of plant-based alternate options.”
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Taco Bell
2 Taco Bell Launches First Vegan Crunchwrap
The Crunchwrap is one among Taco Bell’s most-loved menu objects, however as a result of it’s normally made with animal merchandise, it has lengthy been off the menu for vegan clients. However this 12 months, that each one modified. The favored quick meals chain began trialing its first-ever Vegan Crunchwrap, full with plant-based beef, dairy-free bitter cream, and nacho sauce, in choose areas again in June.
“We by no means need our vegan and vegetarian followers to really feel like they should compromise at Taco Bell. The objective whereas in product growth was to create a vegan various that was simply as crave-able as the unique, whereas additionally being equally handy as a ready-to-order menu merchandise with no modifications wanted,” Missy Schaaphok, Taco Bell’s Director of International Vitamin & Sustainability, instructed VegNews.
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The Kraft Heinz Not Firm
3 Kraft’s First Vegan Cheese Singles Roll Out Nationwide
Again in the summertime, Kraft took everybody’s vegan cheeseburgers to the following stage when it launched its new vegan Kraft NotCheese slices in collaboration with Chile-based The Not Firm nationwide. The slices can be found in Cheddar, American, and Provolone flavors.
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Taco Bell
4 Taco Bell Launches Vegan Nacho Fries
Yep, it’s one other entry from Taco Bell, as a result of this 12 months, the TexMex chain stepped up its vegan recreation. In September, it introduced it was debuting Vegan Nacho Sauce, that means that plant-based diners may order Taco Bell’s Nacho Fries with out dairy for the primary time.
“This sauce, born from the success of our Vegan Crunchwrap, represents Taco Bell’s dedication to offering scrumptious, crave-able meals for a wide range of life—whether or not you’re vegan, flexitarian, or wish to attempt one thing new, there’s a spot for you at our desk,” Liz Matthews, International Chief Meals Innovation Officer at Taco Bell, mentioned in a press release.
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Michael Kovac/Getty Photos for Help & Feed
5 Billie Eilish and Finneas Are Opening a Vegan Restaurant in Los Angeles
Not content material with topping the charts, music duo Billie Eilish and Finneas additionally determined that 2023 was the 12 months after they would enter the restaurant enterprise. The siblings partnered with vegan restauranteur Nic Adler to open a brand new plant-based Italian restaurant in Los Angeles, known as Argento. “I need plant-based meals to be extra accessible,” Eilish mentioned on the time.
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The Kraft Heinz Not Firm
6 Kraft’s Iconic Blue Field Mac and Cheese Lastly Ditches the Dairy
Kraft was the model that stored on giving this 12 months. After launching its vegan cheese slices in the summertime, in November the meals big launched a dairy-free model of its iconic blue field Macaroni & Cheese. Once more, it’s made with vegan cheese from The Not Firm.
“By leveraging the strengths of each firms, we’re providing the creamy and comforting expertise Kraft Mac & Cheese followers have cherished for over 85 years—with out the dairy,” Lucho Lopez-Could, CEO of The Kraft Heinz Not Firm, mentioned.
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Miyoko’s Creamery
7 Miyoko Schinner Eliminated as CEO From $260 Million Vegan Cheese Model
In February, Miyoko’s Creamery introduced it was parting methods with founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner, stunning followers of the model, in addition to Schinner herself, who wasn’t conscious the information was about to be publicly introduced. In October, nevertheless, the entrepreneur and chef reassured VegNews that she was doing simply nice. The truth is, she is best than nice. “This will come as a shock, however I’m truly doing fantastically,” she mentioned. “I imply that in a really, very real, possible way. Had you requested me that three months in the past, I wouldn’t have been capable of say the identical.”
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Esther the Marvel Pig
8 Beloved Farm Animal Ambassador Esther the Marvel Pig Dies
Additionally in October, the unhappy information got here that Esther the Marvel Pig, a beloved ambassador for livestock all around the world, had died. She impressed a number of books, collected almost 580,000 followers on Instagram, and even motivated her dads, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walters, to open a farm animal sanctuary.
“Thanks Esther for displaying hundreds of thousands how stunning, candy, and humorous pigs actually are, and we thanks, Steve and Derek, for letting us all comply with alongside,” a spokesperson for PETA wrote on Esther’s Instagram web page after her demise was introduced. “Love her ceaselessly, the pig who modified the world for pigs.”
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Unimaginable Meals
9 Eat an Unimaginable Burger—It’s Good for Your Coronary heart, Says AHA
In November, the American Coronary heart Affiliation (AHA) confirmed that sure, plant-based meat will be helpful for coronary heart well being. The group granted Unimaginable Meals’ Beef Lite with its Coronary heart-Examine Meals Certification. In Could, Past Meat’s Past Steak was awarded the identical certification. “For almost 100 years, the American Coronary heart Affiliation has been serving to folks stay longer, more healthy lives,” Past Meat CEO Ethan Brown mentioned in a press release in Could. “As a part of that legacy, the Coronary heart-Examine Mark has turn into a gold normal in empowering customers to make knowledgeable well being choices.”
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Netflix
10 The ‘Hen Run’ Sequel Is About to Change Everybody’s Thoughts About Nuggets
And eventually, in December, we lined the information that consultants expect the sequel to the largest cease movement animation movie of all time to encourage an entire new era of vegans. Hen Run: Daybreak of the Nugget follows the identical gang of chickens from the unique Hen Run as they try to interrupt right into a manufacturing facility farm to avoid wasting their fellow birds from changing into nuggets.
“We wish the movie to be participating and entertaining and an incredible journey, principally,” Hen Run: Daybreak of the Nugget director Sam Fell mentioned, per the Guardian. “However sure, in case you come away and also you suppose a bit bit extra like a rooster by the top of it, then that’s not a foul factor.”
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Charlotte is a author and editor based mostly in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
