Interview with Zac Bird - Founder of vegan ice-cream line 'Nicecreamery'
You are a brilliant vegan cook with over 18k Instagram followers! How did it all begin?
Thank you! I really wanted to create somewhere where I could go and see nothing but amazing vegan food all the time, and Instagram was the perfect option, so I created an account! It turns out it was a great way to combine my love of creating amazing 'weird vegan' food and enjoy the creativity involved in social media. It took off from there!
Tell us about your creation ‘Nicecreamery’
My dream is to create my own vegan dairy house, and this is the start of that! I've been really lucky in the fact that I've been asked to supply my food to a few restaurants, so I was given a great platform to open a business on. The ice cream is actually one of the first commercially available products to use aquafaba (chickpea brine) so I've had a lot of interest because of that. Now you can grab a scoop of my ice cream around Melbourne, which is something I'm still adjusting to, and I can't wait to release more products!
What do you feel are the benefits of a vegan diet?
A clear conscience! But really, there are so many benefits. For those wanting to actually know more, it's recommended you watch 'Earthlings' to find out about the ethical side, 'Forks over Knives' to find out about health, and 'Cowspiracy' which focuses on the environmental impact. Those three documentaries are a great way to fully understand why someone would choose to eschew animal products entirely. Do you think there is less of a stigma attached to veganism nowadays as we continue to evolve as a society?
Yes! I've only been vegan for two years and even in that time supermarkets and cafes have quadrupled their options! You can now find vegan yoghurt, cheese and alternative meats at almost all supermarkets! As information becomes more accessible, I think more people are having a greater appreciation of the benefits and motives of a vegan lifestyle. I've had friends who couldn't handle the concept at first eventurally turn vegan themselves, so really everyone has the capacity to live lives that reduce their harm. More and more people are definitely realising this and it makes me hopeful for the future! What are some health tips when it comes to cooking?
Find your worst, fattiest indulgent food and health-ify it! For example, my all time weakness is chilli poppers (chillis filled with cream cheese