The good, the bad and the curry: A complete guide to being vegan at Durham

Catered college food, frozen hash browns and getting good at cooking: My experience of being vegan at Durham

2 months ago

Adopting a plant–based diet almost four years ago now has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and it’s crazy to think that over half of that time has been spent at university. From spending my first year in a catered college to sharing a kitchen with my housemates in second year, I’ve gained a good grasp on how to be vegan whilst at Durham.

Although this article may imply otherwise, my attitude towards veganism has always been pretty laidback. I’ve never had a “Meat is Murder” argument over the dinner table, and understand going cold turkey (no pun intended) is not an option for everyone, so it’s rarely something I’ll bring up without being asked. However, I do believe that collective small changes can bring about great difference, so I hope you can take something from this piece and apply it to your own life. Besides, I cook for my non–vegan Mum at home, and she’s always happy to come home to whatever I’ve made. Approval from her is, to me, a sure sign that it really ain’t that bad.

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Catered

If you’re in a catered college, you can let your college know in advance that you’ll be opting for the plant–based option. I filled in a form I was sent before I arrived at university, but if you haven’t been able to then don’t worry, as there is always a vegan option three meals a day (something that I was seriously stressed about before I arrived). That being said, you will only have one choice when it comes to meal times, which means that the three–week meal plan will inevitably get repetitive.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the options were (aubergine and tofu katsu curry I miss you everyday) and it’s still easy to ensure you are getting enough protein to see you through. With the exception of one fake–cheese concoction my friends dubbed “vomit curry”, I never had to resort to my supply of instant noodles, meaning that I never
missed out on the social aspect of being catered either.

Self–catered

That being said, the freedom of living out has meant that the quality of my meals has significantly improved over the second half of my time at Durham. I’ve found cooking for myself a really pleasant experience, and one that has been significantly enhanced by having more choice than one catered option a day.

There’s definitely an assumption that veganism is an expensive lifestyle choice, but I have instead found the opposite to be true. With the exception of Linda McCartney’s vegan sausages (if you know you know) or the odd meatless meatball here and there, I tend to steer away from fake meats for this reason, and have found my food bill significantly reduced by making good use of tofu, beans, lentils and pulses, which can be bought dry and in bulk for practically nothing.

It may sound boring to the untrained ear, but if veganism has taught me anything, its that seasoning makes food taste good, not meat. My go–to’s recently have been tofu udon noodles, chickpea curry, chilli, Mexican black beans and bolognaise. It really isn’t all doom and gloom.

Going out

Eating out in Durham as a vegan is also super easy, and everywhere I’ve visited has always had at least one option, so it‘s not something I’ve ever had to worry about. My favourite meals I’ve had out are as follows:

– The Milano pizza, Spags
– The Portobello pizza (ask for it to be made vegan), Rudy’s
– Tofu katsu curry, Kokoro
– Notorious VFC, Fat Hippo
– Grilled tofu, avocado and mushrooms on toast, Flat White
– The Vegan breakfast, Riverview Kitchen

Going out out

Post night out scran, however, does tend to leave much be desired if you’re following a plant–based diet. This is something that will definitely depend on how relaxed you are about cross–contamination, but if I’ve just put in a good shift at Jimmy Allen’s, I tend to care quite little. This is mostly because I’m not sure the employees at Big Bird would enjoy an annoying intoxicated student questioning whether their chips are fried in the same oil as their chicken wings.

I will concede that having to say goodbye to cheesy chips is a tough pill to swallow, but there are still alternatives you can opt for. My usual orders are usually either chips drenched in ketchup or onion rings, but if I’m totally honest I much
prefer waiting until I get home and whacking some frozen hash browns in the air fryer. Not only is this good for your bank account, but tends to be better for your digestive system the next day.

If you told me five years ago I would not only go vegan, but keep it up for so long, I would have laughed in your face. Present me, however, has never looked back. I’ve become a better cook, it’s made me more aware of where the food I eat comes from, and, despite some naysayers, has been better for my health and energy levels. I don’t believe it has to be an all or nothing decision though, so I’d recommend giving a vegan option a go every now and then. Besides, you might find something new that you really like.