Portraits of the week

1 – Rafaëlle Roy, vegan singer-songwriter

Introduce yourself

My name is Rafaëlle Roy, I’m 27 years old, I’m a mom of a little vegan of almost 8 months and I’m a professional singer and content creator.

How and why did you decide to go vegan?

I became a vegetarian around the age of 7 after linking meat to animal. I was no longer able to dissociate them and I didn’t understand that we could eat my friends! I then went vegan at my 19th birthday, after discovering the horrors of the dairy, egg, honey, and leather industry, in short, animal exploitation. It’s actually Instagram, thanks to its hashtags, which redirected me to vegan pages of recipes and activism, which in turn convinced me to stop encouraging these industries out of justice and compassion. So it’s for animals that I went vegan at 100 %, and for life!

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

The only obstacles I faced in becoming vegan, sincerely, are in my interpersonal relationships with people who didn’t understand my choice and whom I actively argued with. When I realized I needed to go vegan to align my actions with my values, all this new information also came with misunderstanding, sadness, helplessness and anger that was complex to deal with. Over time, I learned to live in a world whose majority don’t share my principles with a little more nuance and sweetness to spare myself, because it was deeply difficult for me to function on a daily basis with, in thoughts, the nightmare that so many animals are victims of every second because of us. Naturally I walked away from the people for whom it was inconceivable to adopt the lifestyle I chose and it’s great as it is! It’s really important to surround yourself with people who at least don’t question our core values.

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

Most of the time I move on public transit (I don’t have a car! ), I recycle (always! ) and prioritizes local and seasonal food. I regularly visit my little zero waste store near me, refuses plastic straws and has reduced my consumption of over-packaged products in recent years. The vast majority of my clothes are second hand too! I am increasingly aware of my ecological footprint and want to continue to adapt my routine to the changes we need to adopt for the sake of our wonderful planet.

What is your favorite recipe?

I think my favorite recipe of all time is mine: my vegan lasagna! On the other hand, I’ve never written it down…so it’s still a secret… hihi! If not, I really love EVERYTHING Marie-Michelle Chouinard (aka Une maman végane), though my favorite dish remains a good big multicolored salad! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmm

2 – Morgan

Introduce yourself

My name is Morgan. I became a bicycle technician thanks to my passion for cycling. I love sport, and trail running is my favorite because it allows me to blow off steam while observing nature.

How and why did you decide to go vegan?

I tried Veganuary: january 100% vegan. I have discovered a new delicious food that is above all, beneficial for my body. I have seen my athletic abilities improving as well as my recovery between workouts. I was omnivorous in december and vegan in january. Progressively, my animal and ecological sensibility surfaced, and I am proud of my choice.

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

My relatives did not understand my decision. During meals or aperitifs with friends, I had to justify myself or bring my own options. However people start questioning themselves to open up, and now we always go to vegan restaurants!

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

My goal is to reduce significantly my waste this year.

What is your favorite recipe?

Seïtan kebab is delicious !! Fresh vegetables, some spices, oven-marinated seitan, all in a pita bread with a soy and tahini yogurt sauce, you’re done.

3 – Vegateau

Introduce yourself

Above all, Vegâteau is a love story. A young man from Rimouski met a pretty young lady in Hong Kong, and a few years later, they both settled in Montréal, married and have just opened a vegan and gluten-free artisan pastry shop in Plateau Mont-Royal. The project started as a hobby, with Jermy having a passion for cooking and desserts. On his side, Marc-Olivier brought to his colleagues what was left of the pastries at RBC. On May 22, Vegâteau officially opened its doors! The vision of Vegâteau can be found in its slogan: Deliciously responsible. We want our business to have a valuable impact on people and the planet, and we want to offer innovative and best quality products to our customers. This is why we put people at the center of our priorities, just like creativity and innovation: vegan AND gluten-free desserts, there are not hundreds of cookbooks nor school books, it takes efforts and a lot of cookings and mistakes!

How and why did you decide to go vegan?

For us, it really was when we realized the drastic impact of the animal product industry on the planet. Both corporate and individual perspective, we want to have the most positive impact possible on the world, and a vegan diet is the best contributor to this goal.

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

Honestly, not much, several members of our families have been already vegan and Jermy being a great chef, meals are never boring. We feel much healthier since we went vegan.

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

After the animal product industry, transportation is the biggest polluter, so we don’t have a car and therefore we prefer walking and public transports. In addition, we limit our consumption to what is essential, both corporate and individual level. Not to mention that we live in a 2 and a half appartment which is not larger than what we need, thus limiting the energy needs of our home. Our environmental footprint is really important to us, accordingly we are always looking for ways to minimize it.

What is your favorite recipe?

As for dessert, Jermy loves our cupcake cookie and cream, especially the center which is filled with homemade fudge sauce. Marc-Olivier loves cupcake and strawberry tart, especially when it’s the season in Quebec. As for the main dishes, Jermy is an unconditionnel fried rice fan with lots of mushrooms or tomatoes, and Marc-Olivier adores delicious leek dumpling.

4 – Justin

Introduce yourself

Justin Panet-Raymond, 21 years old from Montreal, co-founder of the Melgood vegan caramel company.

How and why did you decide to go vegan?

I went vegan for animals, but I’m happy for reducing greatly my environmental impact.

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

I haven’t really had any obstacle other than maybe complying to eat ridiculously boring meals when I travel because there is no vegan option.

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

I reduce my environmental impact by trying to reduce my waste and my consumption too.

What is your favorite recipe?

I don’t really have a favorite recipe, but my favorite product is my Melgood Vegan Caramel, since I spent several months making failed shots before I came up with this delicious vegan caramel!

4 – Sara, your weird vegan friend

Introduce yourself

My name is Sara. I work as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and, as a hobby, I founded the Your Weird Vegan Friend blog which aims to demystify the vegan lifestyle and make it accessible to everyone by offering simple and quick recipes. I also really like showing all vegan products / restaurants / options that exist in Montreal.

How and why did you decide to go vegan?

I began to experience a conflict within my values the day I finally consciously realized that I used to say that I loved animals, but I was the cause of their death by eating meat. Guilt started to eat me away, day after day. So I began a slow transition by trying vegetarian recipes, which over the months / years took more and more space, until one day I stopped dairy and eggs, for eating only vegan.

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

I was a real carnivore. I used to hate legumes and love roast beef. That’s why I went with a slow transition, so that not to get bored too quickly and go back to eat meat. I wanted to make a lasting transition because I really believed in the cause.

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

I try very much to reduce my consumption in general, I go to thrift stores more and more and I have a lot of zero waste habits in my kitchen such as making compost and favoring reusable rather than disposable (silicone mats, bags of snack, etc.).

What is your favorite recipe?

I definitely can’t choose just one recipe. I’m a foodie and love vegan food. On the other hand, I still have fairly simple taste and I love sandwiches & burgers, which I revisit often. Otherwise, Carbonara / Alfredo pasta is always delicious!

4 – Zébulon Vézina

Introduce yourself

My name is Zébulon. It’s not always easy to have an original name, but I always knew that it would predestined for me to think outside the box. I was trained in Montréal as well as in France in the art of traditional pastry through a great deal of butter and cream.

Which obstacles did you face as a vegan?

When my beliefs around food evolved, I realized that modern pastery needs updating. It is certainly a big challenge to take, since it is not always easy to adapt vegan recipes, however at the same time it is what motivates me every day in my kitchen: to open and lead the way, raising the current standards of vegan pastry that would no longer have anything to envy of the great French pastry.

Apart from being vegan, what do you do to minimize your environmental impact?

I try very much to reduce my consumption in general, I go to thrift stores more and more and I have a lot of zero waste habits in my kitchen such as making compost and favoring reusable rather than disposable (silicone mats, bags of snack, etc.).

What is your favorite recipe?

It’s not a recipe, but a quest for eccentric flavors: I like to innovate with flavors less exploited and unknown ingredients like the tonka bean, the yuzu, the combawa, or the shizo. What I ultimately want is to win the hearts and confidence of traditional pastry enthusiasts and then embark them with me in the culinary revolution that is Zébulon.