So hello, or ‘bonjour’ if you’re French-speaking. My name is Calum and you are probably here to learn more about me, and why I went vegan and what not. So rather than boring you with laborious historical information about my few years’ worth of a career, let’s bring you up to speed in bullet points, and save that for 20 years time.

I didn’t go vegan overnight. A common myth is that veganism is this sudden switch into loving animals and hating others that aren’t vegan but nah that ain’t me. I went to a BBQ once, met a family friend who was vegan, spoke to him about his reasons, tried it and never looked back. That was back in 2018 and I’ve eaten nothing but vegetables and grains ever since. But now I just make them taste great, so you can too.

I’m not a chef. I’m more of a cook. I learned all my skills from my mum, the vast amount of recipes on the Internet and cookbooks. And genuinely speaking, my cooking has gone from strength to strength just from learning by doing. This is why when I film and write recipes, I do just think “what would someone find easiest to follow” and try to make the process of cooking as fun as it can be.

I’m ‘relevant’ because of social media. I use that in air quotas because I’m being ironic. But basically, I built up a social media presence through making vegan cooking videos online. I started in June 2019, all with the intention of making great vegan food, that’s quicker, healthier and that you’re also able to do with simple and accessible ingredients. That is still my mission statement to this day, but I do it now to over 340,000+ people online. So if you’ve seen me about, or think I’m bait, that’s why.

I do not take myself seriously. You might have gathered this by now, but on a real, life is too short to conform to being a restricted version of yourself on the Internet. I have a laugh, I don’t know what I’m doing but I figure it out, and I love cooking. So be prepared for me to crack a joke because I don’t crack yolks.

I am not the biological son of Jamie Oliver. Although, you probably figured this out. I was on national TV in 2022 on ‘The Great Cookbook Challenge’ where I competed for a chance to win a cookbook contract. I didn’t win, but I won the heart of Jamie Oliver and had a bit of cheeky banter when I told some serious TV judges that “i brought my dad with me” for support, my dad, being Jamie Oliver. I love Jamie, that’s about it.

I want you to try great food that just so happens to be vegan. Case closed. Food will always take the priority, because it genuinely makes a difference in people’s lives. And with the planet needing more people to help than ever, why not do it with actual quality, and make it easier for people to try, eh?