Rolling with the vegans? (Picture: Getty/Rex)

If Piers Morgan’s attempt to start some kind of ‘vegan-sausage-roll-gate’ has done anything, it’s gone to show that yes, there were indeed quite a few vegans who were eagerly waiting for a sausage roll they can enjoy.

Cadbury chocolate orange twirlCadbury is launching a limited edition chocolate orange flavour Twirl

As the irate tweets from vegans keep pouring in, it’s clear that the, as Piers puts it, ‘PC-ravaged clowns’ at Greggs have actually tapped into a big market with their new vegan product.

Piers’ apparent, erm, beef with vegans notwithstanding, the statistics show that veganism is actually pretty popular.

Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by S Meddle/ITV/REX (10020153ck) Piers Morgan 'Good Morning Britain' TV show, London, UK - 10 Dec 2018
(Picture: ITV)

What does going vegan mean?

Vegans, similar to vegetarians, voluntarily restrict their diet. However, while vegetarians don’t eat any animals, vegans go a step further and don’t eat any animal products. That includes things like milk and eggs.

In this picture taken on June 5, 2017 a piglet is seen at a pig farm on the outskirts of Beijing. Millions of backyard pig farmers in China are being forced out of the industry as the government cracks down on pollution and encourages producers to expand their operations with the aim of modernizing the industry and smoothing out fluctuations in prices and supply. / AFP PHOTO / NICOLAS ASFOURI / TO GO WITH: China-agriculture-economy-pork, FOCUS by Allison JACKSON (Photo credit should read NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP/Getty Images)
It’s hard to argue with a face like that. (Picture: Getty Images)

What are the benefits of veganism?


The Vegan Society lists 3 key reasons why people should go vegan: for animals, for your health and for the environment.

Many people believe that the process of obtaining animal products is often unduly cruel, and going vegan is their way of taking a stand against it.

Not only that, but from the trucks used to transport the animals to the deforestation associated with the need to grow feed for them, the production of meat and other animal products has a negative impact on the environment.

As for the health benefits, The Vegan Society argues that turning vegan ‘is a great opportunity to learn more about nutrition and cooking, and improve your diet.’

So how many vegans are out there?

In April 2018, a survey found that the number of vegans in the UK had risen to a whopping 3.5 million.

That means that 7% of British people have the will to say no to traditional, dairy-full cheeses and meaty sausage rolls. This number includes a wide range of celebrities, from Ellie Goulding and Lewis Hamilton to Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke.

However, the Vegan Society reports a much lower figure of 600,000, which is obviously much less significant, but still represents a four-fold rise in four years.

It’s no wonder then that Greggs wants to cater to this massive, and growing, market.

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