February 2011

It was early February 2011. I was working as a website developer for a company specialising in online hotel bookings. One lunchtime, my line manager and a colleague joined me for lunch. They were both vegetarian, and over the course of a 30-minute conversation, my perspective on food changed forever.

I’ve always tried to be open to constructive arguments. Although I can’t remember every detail of that conversation, I do remember the central point they made: if I genuinely cared about animals, then eating them didn’t sit comfortably with that compassion.

Being someone who values logic and consistency, I had to admit they made a compelling argument. I spent the next few days turning it over in my mind, but I couldn’t escape the conclusion that, for me, they were right.

A man sits on the stern of a narrowboat at sunset, looking out over a calm canal. In the foreground, a spread of vegan food: grain bowls, tofu curry, wraps and hummus. A chalkboard reads Compassion, Choice, Health, Creativity, A Better World. A mug reads Choose Kindness. The documentary Earthlings is visible among the items.

Compassion. Choice. Health. Creativity. A Better World.

Redundancy, and a Decision That Held

A few months later, I was made redundant. (For the record, my line manager had nothing to do with that decision.) Losing my job didn’t change the decision I’d made back in February, and I remained vegetarian.

The Narrowboat, and the Next Conversation

Fast forward to 2015. I was living on a narrowboat when I started a relationship with a woman from the south of England. She eventually moved onto the boat with me. Without any pressure from me, she decided to become vegetarian too. Not long afterwards, she suggested we both become vegan.

I’ll admit I was sceptical.

“What’s wrong with milk and eggs?” I thought. “Isn’t veganism a bit extreme?”

It wasn’t until I had a long conversation with the only vegan on our moorings and, at her recommendation, watched the documentary Earthlings that my views changed again. I realised that the dairy industry raised many of the same ethical concerns that had led me to stop eating meat in the first place.

So I went vegan.

De-Dairy and an Unexpected Side Effect

It took about two months for my body to adjust — or “de-dairy”, as the long-term vegan on the moorings jokingly called it.

Then something happened that I never expected. After suffering with chronic hay fever since my early teens, it almost disappeared within about three weeks. I can’t say for certain that changing my diet was the reason, but after years of trying everything from prescription medication to alternative remedies with little success, I was suddenly enjoying summer again.

Health, Blood Tests and Not Doing Boring

Since then, there have been other unexpected changes. My health has remained excellent. A recent full blood test came back completely normal, with no nutritional deficiencies. My blood pressure, heart rate and everything else were exactly where they should be.

And the food? Honestly, I don’t do boring. If anything, becoming vegan made me more creative in the kitchen. Fifteen years ago, vegan options often meant a dry jacket potato with beans and a side salad. Today, things are completely different. Whether it’s curries, Mexican food, burgers, wraps or countless other dishes, there’s now an incredible variety available almost everywhere.

One Conversation

This isn’t about telling anyone what they should do. It’s simply the story of how one lunchtime conversation led me to make a decision that I’ve never regretted.

If any part of my story resonates with you, perhaps do a little research, try one vegan meal, and see what you think. You don’t have to change overnight — I certainly didn’t. But you might just find that one conversation changes your perspective too.