Celebrating Veganuary

Are you up for the challenge of Veganuary?

It’s that time of year again. Are you ready for Veganuary? This is the ‘plant-based revolution’- the challenge to change your lifestyle, to go vegan for just 31 days.

Last year, a staggering 620,000 people from an amazing 220 countries took the pledge to try the vegan lifestyle- with many choosing to keep the challenge going long into February and beyond. So, are you up for the challenge?

What does it mean to go vegan?

It’s not just the food you put on your plate. Being vegan is an entire lifestyle choice- influencing everything you buy, from toiletries to cleaning products. But don’t let that scare you- there’s lots of support on the Veganuary website to help you out. Check out the Getting Started guide, where the team shares their top tips on how to make the transition easily, plus how to plan for success to make sure you meet your goals throughout the month.

So, although veganism is often thought of in terms of what you eat, it’s so much more than that. It’s a challenge, but if you’re up for it you won’t regret it.

Do it for charity

Why not choose a charity to support this year, and drum up support for them? This can be a great motivator for many.

Veganuary itself is a non-profit organisation, relying on fundraising to help them reach more people and continue their work to protect the planet and all its living creatures.  There are some great ideas on how to fundraise to support Veganuary here.

Do it for your health

In need of a little TLC after the excesses of 2022, and Christmas in particular? Join the club! And Veganuary might be just the encouragement you needed too.

The vegan diet s generally much lower in cholesterol and higher in calcium and fibre, so making the switch can be fantastic for your health. Remember though, that just because a food is labelled vegan, doesn’t mean it’s automatically healthy. There are still vegan junk foods out there, so learn how to read labels and make informed decisions about your food before you buy.

Celebrate Veganuary with Hilltop

So why do we celebrate Veganuary here at Hilltop? Well, as much as we love our bees, we also want to make sure we can provide vegan-friendly products for everyone to enjoy too. We’re not a vegan business, but we do want to support those who live a plant-based life as much as we can.

Honey can’t be listed as vegan because it does not fully comply with the vegan philosophy to minimise animal exploitation. This is because there are, sadly, some bee-keepers who do not properly care for their bees and keep them in less-than-optimal conditions in order to produce honey for profit.

Here at Hilltop, our bees are our number one priority. They’re well cared for and respected- we only ever take honey from happy bees. So while we understand that most vegan diets exclude honey, we also want to reassure you that the welfare of our bees will always be vitally important to us.

Vegan friendly products at Hilltop

Because we take our global responsibilities every seriously here at Hilltop, there are some vegan friendly products in our range.

Agave Nectar

Our Organic Agave Nectar is directly extracted from the agave plant, it’s 100% natural and pure- and there’s absolutely nothing added or taken away. It’s light in colour and mild in taste, but it’s a pretty powerful sugar replacement in its own right. We love it drizzled straight onto porridge or even squeezed into the odd cocktail now and then!

Agave Nectar is as great for cooking with as honey, and it seems just made for breakfast in our opinion- the best meal of the day! Try our delicious PB&J overnight oats, or our stunning Apple & Blueberry overnight oats. And if you’re feeling really fancy this Veganuary, go for our amazing Apple Crumble Baked Oats. You won’t be disappointed! 

Carob Syrup

Carob is traditionally grown in Mediterranean climates, and is extracted from the pods of the carob tree. It’s actually classed as a legume, and has long since been used as a very worthy chocolate substitute thanks to its velvety sweet taste.

Our carob syrup is 100% pure and natural, and has a wonderful light flavour which is highly versatile and, of course, vegan friendly.

Fancy giving it a whirl? We love this super moist and totally delicious Banana and Carob cake recipe- and we think you will too! 

Maple Syrup

Think maple syrup, think pancakes, right? But there is so much more to it than that. Our maple syrup range consists of:

• Amber Maple Syrup- this one packs a punch with flavour, thanks to its early harvest from wild maple trees in Canada.
• Very Dark Maple Syrup- award winning and delicious, this one owes its bold flavour to a late harvest, just before the snow hits the maple trees.
• Maple Blended Flavoured Syrup- a tasty blend of real Canadian maple syrup and invert sugar syrup. Amazing on pancakes or waffles!

We’ve got some pretty tasty recipes with maple syrup too- our Gingerbread Cookie Skillet is perfect for cosy nights in, and our Apple Gingerbread Breakfast Cookies are great for cosy mornings too! We also love our Banana and Pear Porridge, delicately sweetened with maple syrup- amazing! 

Make your Veganuary pledge today

Ready to make the pledge? Head to the Veganuary website now to get involved. As the organisers say: “Make your mark for animals and the planet”- and let’s make this year the year we all join forces for good!