Before switching to a plant-based diet, food writer Richard Makin had a decidedly un-vegan job: making ice cream. This, coupled with the fact he shared a production premises with a now-defunct vegan street food company, showed him the potential of plant-based food. “I don’t think I had put those two things together – I always thought that vegan food was kind of a punishment. Makin’s time working with ice cream introduced him to the world of recipe development: “The thing I loved about making ice cream was coming up with those flavours and making them a reality.” They try and find stuff that feels completely new that fits their idea of what vegan food is, when in reality, vegan food can be exactly what you were eating yesterday, but without the animal products,” he notes.