Take a look inside Portsmouth's first vegan shop - which opened back in 1984
and live on Freeview channel 276
But the health benefits and lessened environment impact of veganism was a long way from the mainstream in the 1980s.
However, in 1984, one shopkeeper in Portsmouth decided to change all that.
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Hide AdMichael Perryment, known as Mick, set up Time For Change in Fawcett Road, Southsea; having spent five years as a vegan, he realised the need for a shop that catered to the needs of people like him.
He said: ‘There was a group of us, eight in total, who had to bulk-buy vegan products and we were frustrated that there was nothing in the area for people like us.
‘When we started off things were a bit slow, and people were asking for things like vegan cheese, milk and so on – we tried to get in as many substitutes as we could but it was difficult back then.’
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Hide AdThe store closed in 2002, but Mr Perryment – who now lives in Gosport – believes it set a precedent for vegan shops in Portsmouth.
‘I suppose it was simply ahead of its time,’ he said.
‘Back in the day, being vegan was very niche – you didn’t have things like soya milk, vegan margarine or vegan cheese.
'Even to be vegetarian was thought to be a bit weird; people would always ask me what I had in my sandwiches, for example.
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Hide Ad‘But it was a refreshing change not to have to check the labels on everything.’
Mick is still working part-time in the city, now at Southsea Health Shop in Albert Road.
The rapid expanding of veganism across the UK is something that has certainly put a smile on his face.
He said: ‘I’m really pleased with how far it's come, especially in the past few years or so.
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Hide Ad‘It started out so small, but now it's no longer something to be afraid of shouting about.
‘It's definitely made life so much easier, and I would like to think that we helped to pave the way for that down here in Southsea.’
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