Meat Free Week is dedicated to raising awareness of the amount of meat Britons eat and the impact this has on human health, the welfare of farm animals and the environment.
Originating in Australia in 2013, Meat Free Week is set to roll out globally with the UK leading the way. The premise is to get people thinking and talking about meat, it’s a challenge that everyone can get involved in. Meat Free Week is not afraid to talk about meat, instead it wants to talk about it much, much more.
Britons eat double world average
With an average annual meat consumption of 84.2kg per person, Britons eat more than double the world average (at 41.9kg per person). This consumption compromises our health, and with global meat production predicted to double by 2020, it also raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability, the environment and animal welfare.
Everyone can sign up for the Meat Free Week challenge; go without meat, including seafood, for seven days and raise money to support the Meat Free Week movement as well as for one of three leading charities – Beating Bowel Cancer, Compassion in World Farming, and World Land Trust.
Impact on health, animals, environment
Through their research and from a wide range of experts they spoke to, founders Lainie Bracher and Melissa Dixon, realised the negative impact the large amount of meat we consume has on our health, animals and the environment.
“In Australia, Meat Free Week quickly became a hot topic, creating debate in both traditional and social media. We’re really excited to be launching in the UK and anticipate Meat Free Week will inspire a similar or greater level of interest here,” says co-founder Lainie Bracher.
Leading chefs amongst supporters
The campaign has attracted a wide range of supporters who are embracing the cause including leading chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger, Bruno Loubet, Jose Pizarro, Martin Morales, Bryn Williams and Skye Gyngell, as well as Lucy Boyd, Rachel Khoo, Deliciously Ella, Antonio Carluccio, Allegra McEvedy and Thomasina Miers.
These leading chefs and personalities amongst many others, have provided a range of delicious meat-free recipes for the campaign, available on the Meat Free Week website www.meatfreeweek.org
Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver is proud to support Meat Free Week and says:
“I’m a passionate meat lover, but I fully support Meat Free Week – it’s a wonderful excuse to focus on the incredible bounty, flavours and colours of veggies.
“There’s no question from what world experts are telling us that having more of a plant-based diet, and eating less meat, is the key to a longer, healthier life, and super good for the planet too.
“For me, it’s all about quality over quantity when it comes to meat and training your cooking skills to make vegetables incredible. I hope you support this week, and if you can’t, at least smash out a Meat-free Monday. I’m averaging two or three meat-free days a week at the moment and I’m loving it.”
Henry Dimbleby
Henry Dimbleby of LEON says, “I’m a life-long meat lover, but we’ve drifted into eating almost entirely vegetables in our house. They taste every bit as good, are cheaper, more fun to cook and leave you feeling wonderful, if a little smug.”
Mark Sainsbury
Mark Sainsbury of The Zetter Group and Sustainable Restaurant Association says, “I love that Meat Free Week is bringing the issue of our global appetite for meat to the table. We don’t think about the impact of our excessive meat consumption enough, its carbon and water footprints and the often intensive and environmentally damaging farming methods used; it takes 15,000 litres of water and 7 kilos of grain per 1kg of beef! At Grain Store we are not a vegetarian restaurant but we proudly place the vegetable in the starring role of every dish, we like to challenge the orthodoxy of meat as the primary ingredient.”
Visit the Meat Free Week website for information on the campaign as well as delicious meat free recipes and information on how to register to take part.
For more information click here
Follow us on Twitter @meatfreeweekorg @meatfreeweek