BishBash
! H S O B The thought of going fully vegan might seem daunting, but thanks to the advice and insight of the brains behind YouTube cooking channel BOSH!, you can ‘flex’ your cuisine skills and explore the middle-ground before taking the plant-based plunge Writing | Gemma Calvert
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t’s a Wednesday afternoon and I’m at a bustling cafe on London’s Regent Street meeting Henry Firth and Ian Theasby – the so-called ‘vegan Jamie Olivers’ behind BOSH!, the plant-based YouTube cooking channel revolutionising our eating habits, one legume at a time. It’s been four years since the Sheffield-born friends quit eating meat and dairy, and began ‘veganising’ dinner time favourites. From bolognese to burgers, Ian and Henry have devised thousands of meat, dairy and even honey-free versions, which they demonstrate in quick, no-nonsense videos (hence bish, bash, bosh!) on their website and social channels.
Starting out in June 2016, and now uploading a new recording every day at 3pm, Henry and Ian’s videos reach more than 25 million people each month, with 1.5 billion views since they started. On top of two best-selling vegan cookbooks – the first is the highest-selling of all-time – towards the end of 2019, Henry and Ian released How To Live Vegan – a handbook endorsed by Russell Brand, which will apparently help you “save the planet and feel amazing”. They talk from experience. Ian and Henry went vegan overnight within six weeks of each other after watching the Netflix documentary Cowspiracy, which they say laid bare the
environmental impact of animal agriculture, and inspired a need to take personal responsibility for change. “Animal agriculture is the biggest contributor to planet change, more than cars, trains, and planes combined,” says Henry. “David Attenborough has said we should reduce our meat and dairy intake to help the planet, and it’s known that 25% of our personal carbon footprint is down to the food and drink we consume. The biggest thing we can control individually is changing our diet.” Now here’s the astounding bit – you don’t have to go fully vegan to make a big difference. Flexitarianism – “Eating less meat and consuming more consciously,”
