Vegan Student Transforms University of Manchester's Cafeteria!
For anyone who still doubts that one person can make a difference, Aless Donebauer’s story should definitely serve as inspiration that they can!
An 18-year-old mathematics student, Donebauer has also been a vegan for over six months, and was understandably worried about the apparent lack of suitable options in her cafeteria at Tree Court at Owens Park at the University of Manchester. The only vegan out of 300 students in the hall, her attempt to get more inclusive options led to a much more significant change. As a result of her new vegan options becoming so popular, the catering staff launched new vegan-friendly menus throughout the entire university, and they now include at least one completely vegan meal a day for every single hall, as well as some more plant-based options for milks. On the change Donebauer stated:
“Before coming to university, I was worried that there wouldn’t be anything for me. But when I met the catering team, Deana understood my needs and was very enthusiastic about cooking vegan meals. Hopefully the new menus will help educate people as to how veganism is great for not just the animals, but also the environment and our health.”
Myles Kitchiner, Operations Manager in Catering, has also noted the increase of vegan students in general, and stated the inclusion was a win for everyone:
“There’s been an increase this year of vegan students throughout Manchester and we’ve reacted to that. It’s been very well received that we’re providing the choice and the variety to all students. We’ve found that non-vegan people are also enjoying the dishes, so it’s a win-win.”
And just what are some of the vegan options that students–both vegan and not, can enjoy? Some of the dishes so far include chickpea curry, mushroom stroganoff, red peppers stuffed with quinoa, shepherd’s pie, red bean stew, falafel, and spinach burgers!
Donebauer’s request for plant-based food completely transformed her school’s menus, and as a result, delicious vegan food will be accessible to all students!
Photo Credit: http://www.bu.edu
