British Cricket Club Goes Vegan, Ball and All 

Gary Shacklady—the Chairman of Earley Cricket Club in England—recently adopted a plant-based diet and has transformed the cricket club to align with his values. The club now serves a fully vegan menu that includes a vegan British tea service with sandwiches and tortilla wraps, biryani, pasta, bruschetta with various toppings (hot and cold), Moroccan tagine, sausage and mashed potatoes with vegetables and gravy, and spaghetti Bolognese. “The tea [service] has been well received as our players understand and support the reasoning behind the decision. Many of them do not follow a vegan lifestyle away from the club but are increasingly aware of the issues around meat, dairy, and egg consumption, and have made efforts to reduce it,” Shacklady said. “Visiting teams have praised our tea [service] and the plates tell the full story—each week they are piled up high, then emptied very quickly. The only complaints are about the need to resume a cricket match with a stomach full of delicious vegan food.” The club—which now boasts four vegan crickets players—is also ditching leather balls and testing a vegan ball made with synthetic materials. “We love to see organisations make a real difference and a vegan menu benefits both animals and humans,” Dominika Piasecka, spokeswoman for animal-rights organization The Vegan Society, said. “Offering plant-based food as default is inclusive, cheap, and convenient, as well as contributing to a healthier society and more sustainable food choices that don’t harm others. We hope other clubs and organisations will follow Earley Cricket Club’s decision to switch to an all-vegan menu for everyone’s benefit.” The United Kingdom is also home to the world’s first vegan soccer team, the Forest Green Rovers, and vegan rugby squad the Green Gazelles is currently recruiting members.