Google says Australia is the most vegan curious

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There’s another great reason to go down under.

SBS reports that Google Trends ranks Australia number one for searching the word “vegan.” Taking the lead from New Zealand and Canada, it’s Tasmanian residents who are doing the most research, with Hobart topping the list (Newcastle, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Canberra make up the top five locations).

But Aussie’s are doing more than just reading. SBS spoke to Karen Bevis, coordinator for Facebook’s Vegetarian Tasmania group, about the growing community and how vegans stick together. “In Tasmania, we’re a small community, a closer degree of separation, so it’s easier to get the message out to people. The Vegan Tasmania Facebook community has grown really quickly too, with over 800 members in a short space of time.” She cites the demand at a vegan cafe for cakes, a pizza shop steadily increasing it’s vegan choices, and the region hosting a vegan cooking school (Otis Beanery) as further proof that the times they are a changing.

Suzy Spoon, owner of Newtown’s ethical butcher (Suzy Spoon’s Vegan Butcher) also credits the internet as a catalyst. “I think there has been a massive surge in the interest of veganism and I believe it’s because of the internet. I’m 45 so the internet has not always been around, but for young people now they don’t need to wonder why about anything because they can search it instantly. People are interested in where their food comes from. They google it and then realise that factory farming is not a pretty picture. I think this has been a massive push for veganism and has really changed the landscape for veganism and vegetarianism.” No doubt sharing mouth-watering vegan food has helped, too. I’m looking at you, Aussie Instagrammers!

@madpizzaebar_ now have a Vegan Supreme Pizza using Suzy Spoons products. I know it’s still breakfast time but I really could eat one of these now! 🍕 #suzyspoons #veganpizza #plantbased #veganproducts #crueltyfree A photo posted by Suzy Spoons Vegetarian Butcher (@suzyspoonsvegetarianbutcher) on Apr 4, 2016 at 2:21pm PDT

Rounding out the bunch, Tim Salmon of Cherry Darlings Bakehouse told SBS that losing it’s ‘hippie edge,’ celebrity endorsement, and vegan focused documentaries are more reasons vegan is finding popularity. He also gives due credit to the movement itself, saying “the products and food have gone up a level in terms of taste and quality; people want good food so the game has been stepped up by ethical businesses.” Let’s have a moment of silence for all the 15+ year vegans who had a teeny fraction of the prepared vegan foods we have today. Well Australia, we look forward to watching you shift from searching ‘vegan’ most, to being the most vegan.

Look no further – all the info you need to go vegan is here.