It’s been a giant 12 months in vegan media, and truthfully, even that seems like an understatement. 2023 has seen a lot progress 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 equivalent twins), and loads of heartwarming content material (sure, cows actually do have greatest mates. No we’re not crying—it’s the onions).
It’s been extremely tough to select the highest 10 tales of 2023, however in some way, 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 got to say, within the vegan world, the vibes have been good. Listed below are only a handful of our prime tales from the 12 months. Cheers to 2024, we are able to’t wait to search out out all the good information we’ll be sharing with you come the brand new 12 months.
VegNews’ High 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 desires 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 goal is to create extra moments of goodness for customers,” a spokesperson for The Hershey Firm advised VegNews on the time of the launch. “We’re excited to make these moments extra accessible now for chocolate lovers searching for plant-based options.”
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Taco Bell
2 Taco Bell Launches First Vegan Crunchwrap
The Crunchwrap is one in every of 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 must compromise at Taco Bell. The purpose whereas in product growth was to create a vegan different 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 World Vitamin & Sustainability, advised 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 subsequent degree 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 sport. In September, it introduced it was debuting Vegan Nacho Sauce, which means that plant-based diners might 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 quite a lot of life—whether or not you’re vegan, flexitarian, or need to attempt one thing new, there’s a spot for you at our desk,” Liz Matthews, World Chief Meals Innovation Officer at Taco Bell, mentioned in an announcement.
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Michael Kovac/Getty Photos for Assist & 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, referred to as Argento. “I would like 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 saved 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 liked 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, surprising 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 superb. In reality, she is best than superb. “This may increasingly 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 in a position to say the identical.”
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Esther the Surprise Pig
8 Beloved Farm Animal Ambassador Esther the Surprise Pig Dies
Additionally in October, the unhappy information got here that Esther the Surprise Pig, a beloved ambassador for livestock all around the world, had died. She impressed a number of books, amassed 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 lovely, candy, and humorous pigs actually are, and we thanks, Steve and Derek, for letting us all observe alongside,” a spokesperson for PETA wrote on Esther’s Instagram web page after her loss of life was introduced. “Love her without end, 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 individuals stay longer, more healthy lives,” Past Meat CEO Ethan Brown mentioned in an announcement in Could. “As a part of that legacy, the Coronary heart-Examine Mark has turn out to be a gold customary 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 at last, in December, we lined the information that consultants expect the sequel to the largest cease movement animation movie of all time to encourage a complete 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 save lots of their fellow birds from turning into nuggets.
“We wish the movie to be participating and entertaining and an incredible trip, largely,” Hen Run: Daybreak of the Nugget director Sam Fell mentioned, per the Guardian. “However sure, in the event you come away and also you assume just a little bit extra like a hen 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.