It’s a foodie platform that has earned comparisons to America’s Serious Eats and Food52. Still, one of Britain’s leading food and cooking sites is upping the ante by offering a separate platform for those who are either vegan or are keen on adding more plant-derived and plant-based foods into their diets.
MOB, one of the fastest growing online food and recipe platforms in the United Kingdom, just launched VeganMob, its own vegan-centric hub for those thinking of making healthier yet equally flavorful changes to their daily fare.
Launched on Valentine’s Day – perhaps a tongue-in-cheek gesture towards the way veg-forward diets are touted as good for heart health – VeganMob has proven to be a surprising hit not only with vegans and vegetarians. It has also found a following among those who expressed an interest in eating more plant-based foods.
In the two days following the launch, VeganMob found its Instagram following up by around 50,000 followers – and the numbers have been growing over the past couple of weeks.
According to MOB founder Ben Lebus, VeganMob was born from what he and his team perceived as an increasing demand for vegan recipes and content on plant-based eating and products on their existing platform, as well as the infectious enthusiasm of the online community Indeed, feedback from MOBs audience of 20- and 30-somethings, mostly requests for vegan or vegetarian recipes that didnt skimp on portions, quality, and flavor, was one of the bigger prompts leading to the creation of the platform.
Not for Vegans Only
When Lebus and the VeganMob team launched the platform, they immediately put up a poll to determine how many of their followers were actually vegan. Surprisingly, only 23% of their Instagram followers lived a vegan lifestyle; the remaining 77% just wanted a more flavorful way to eat better and healthier.
For many conventional and social media analysts, this isn’t really surprising. A 2019 survey done by media monitoring giant Kantar noted that a whopping 92% of vegan or plant-based meals consumed in the United Kingdom were actually eaten by non-vegans.
That number is expected to grow as VeganMob has rolled out a number of delectable and easy to prepare vegan recipes, including crowd-pleasers like falafel sandwiches, lentil “meatballs,” and a number of pasta preparations alongside more exotic recipes inspired by the vegetarian cuisines of India and Southeast Asia.
So, Whats Next?
Interestingly enough, VeganMob may not exactly be the platforms permanent name.
On top of expanding its lineup of recipes and videos, Lebus has stated that the MOB team is working with a creative agency to help the new platform create a distinctive look and brand identity.
