Monday February 22nd 2021

Up-and-coming celebrity vegan blogger and author Aimee Ryan is riding high after publishing her first meat-free cookbook Great British Vegan.

After years of developing stunning recipes for her award-winning blog Wallflower Kitchen, Aimee turned her attention to making plant-based diets mainstream and gained a big following for her stunning take on some all-time classics in the process.

After recently sharing her recipe favourites, we asked Aimee, who has recently featured in The Telegraph, Independent and more to tell us more about her life in Woking, her passion for cooking and what’s next on the agenda for this budding culinary delight.

Originally from the Goldsworth Park area and now based in Brighton, Aimee remembers her childhood in Woking fondly.

“My favourite thing about Woking is the hidden wildlife spots. I loved going for a stroll around Horsell, Bisley and Chobham Commons, Brookwood Cemetery and St John’s Lye, spotting all the wildlife and enjoying a bit of nature. It’s safe to say a lot has changed since I grew up in Woking and I’m glad to see my hometown is now the home to the WWF headquarters.”

Reflecting on her recent successes in publishing her first plant-based cookbook, Great British Vegan, Aimee’s now making a living out of her passion.

“About 10 years ago I was seriously ill and house-bound, so in order to help pass the time I started up Wallflower Kitchen, which was a lifesaving creative outlet for me. With a lot of time on my hands I was able to focus on my passion for cooking and developing new recipes.

“Once I transitioned to a fully vegan diet in 2014, Wallflower Kitchen really began to develop and expand as I explored the world of plant-based recipes. I slowly started to focus more and more of my energy on my food blogging, and now I’m grateful to be able to say this is my full time job!”

A dedicated vegan, Aimee has devoted her work to proving that plant-based diets aren’t just a trend and is encouraging everyone to give it a try.

‘I really hope to show people that it’s possible to make and enjoy comfort foods you love such as bangers and mash, hotpot, spaghetti Bolognese, Sunday lunch or stew without using animal products and without compromising on flavour and familiarity. It doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favourite dishes.”

Aimee points out that if every person avoided eating meat just once a week, it would create a reduction in greenhouse emissions equivalent to taking 16 million cars off the road.

Following the success of her first cookbook, Aimee’s keen to get back to normality for a while. Although she’s turning her attention back to her blog Wallflower Kitchen, we have no doubt it won’t be long until her next big move.

Great British Vegan by Aimee Ryan is available to buy at a variety of online outlets at £20. It’s published by White Lion Publishing. Photography by Jamie Orlando Smith. For more information and inspiration, visit http://wallflowerkitchen.com/great-british-vegan/