Origins

The word ‘vegan’ was coined by Donald Watson and his wife-to-be, Dorothy Morgan, during an afternoon at the Palais de Danse in Humberstone Gate. The word is derived from the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian'.  Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. 

The Birth of The Vegan Society  

In November 1944 Donald Watson and five others, who were then called 'non-dairy vegetarians', met to discuss their dietary and ethical choices. This resulted in the founding of an organisation which later became The Vegan Society. No one else volunteered so Donald took the positions of secretary, treasurer, and auditor of the group. Donald wrote and published ‘The Vegan News’ from his home on Evesham Road in Leicester.   Today, veganism is a chosen way of life for millions of people worldwide.

Donald Watson – His Life  

Donald Watson was born in Mexborough in Yorkshire in 1910, the son of a headmaster. After watching the slaughter of a pig on his uncle’s farm when he was 14, he became a vegetarian, making a New Year's resolution to not eat meat. Watson left school at 15 and worked as an apprentice carpenter. He moved to Leicester to become a woodwork teacher and was an active member of the Leicester branch of the Vegetarian Society.  After learning about milk and egg production he started eating a vegan diet.  Later in life, he relocated to Keswick in the Lake District, where he taught for 23 years. He climbed many of the major peaks there during the last 10 years of his life. He died peacefully at home on 16th November 2005, aged 95. Recently a restaurant has opened on Granby Street named the Donald Watson’s Vegan Bar in honour of his accomplishments.