Jane Easton

Jane had to cook for herself and her father from the age of 12 but soon started raiding the local library for cookery books – it was either that or live on a diet of lard and Vesta curries. Being poor and greedy was a great incentive to learn to cook well.

By the time she was in her late teens she was inspired by the new wave of wholefood and vegetarian cooking and by the late 70s she was completely vegetarian, even working in a veggie café workers’ co-op for a few years. She remained veggie until the 90s.

A few misguided years of meat-eating ensued, but then she woke up, realized what she was doing to animals and went vegan in 2001 – before escaping life as an English teacher and getting a job at Viva! in 2004.

After realizing that that she was much better at food than at being a PA, her boss kindly ushered her in that direction and she remains Viva! and the VVF’s Food & Cookery Coordinator.

Jane has devoted much of her life since 2001 to cooking, researching and teaching vegan cookery – both in and out of Viva!. And did we mention eating?

When not promoting veganism (or eating/cooking), she is a musical trainspotter, singer/songwriter and sceptical Buddhist.