ENTREPRENEUR, SPEAKER, INVESTOR AND FOUNDER OF THE UK'S LARGEST PLANT-BASED RESTAURANT WITH LOUI BLAKE
What's the best way to jump-start your day?
Get a cold bath or a cold shower first thing in the morning when you don't want to. If you can overcome that, you can overcome anything else that pops up in the day.
What got you into Veganism? How was that journey?
It was a health decision. I had chronic fatigue and burnout. Then one day, I couldn't get out of bed. At that time, I was researching diet to feel better, and I connected with its ethics in a way that I'd never really thought about before.
Going into vegan life, What were some of the challenges you faced in your old life?
The thing that I've gone back and forward over the years has been fashion—buying leather, not purchasing leather. Last year, I was like, I can't buy leather anymore. I was disconnected from the impact it had, and I've now made that connection as well when I've done the research and I looked into it.
How did you adjust your perspective following a traumatic experience?
I think it was a pivotal time in my life at 16 where you're making decisions on what to do next and what life's going to be. I was standing next to my friend when he was hit and killed by a car after an altercation. There were many questions. Wow! It can be over like that. It motivated me to want to do something positive and enjoyable and make the most of my time. It was a traumatic experience, but it taught me a lot about mortality if I look at it now. It probably caused me to be more proactive in what I wanted to do.