Greggs’ CEO Roger Whiteside is trying out a vegan diet after watching filmmaker James Cameron’s documentary “The Game Changers.”
The documentary is co-produced by a number of celebrities, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and six-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. It follows elite special forces trainer James Wilks as he travels the world on a mission to find out the truth behind the myth that meat is necessary for protein.
A number of athletes are featured in the documentary, including Jackie Chan and American cycling champion Dotsie Bausch.
According to Whiteside, he was encouraged to watch the film and thought it was “interesting.”
At the beginning of this year, Greggs‘ launched its hugely popular vegan sausage roll. Since then, it has announced it is working on a wider vegan menu. In November, rumors that the bakery chain was planning the launch of a vegan steak bake began to surface.
Avoiding Meat is ‘Easy’
“If you’d asked me three weeks ago which roll I preferred I would have said the original sausage roll, but I’m now attempting to live on a vegan diet,” Whiteside said at the North East Business Executive Awards, reports Chronicle Live.
“Obviously there are arguments based around animal welfare and the environment, but this was all about the health benefits, and I thought I should give it a go,” he added.
He said that avoiding meat was “easy,” but he found dairy a little trickier. He continued, “It would be okay if I had time to cook, but I don’t, so I have to have things that are quick and easy.”
And what’s easier than snacking on products from your own company? Whiteside said he frequently eats the chain’s “award-winning vegan wrap,” and opts for the vegan sausage roll about once a week. He added, “now we have the sweet choice with the vegan sweet mince pie.”
He isn’t the only one to be influenced by “The Game Changers.” Jamie Redknapp recently watched the documentary. The former professional footballer posted on his Instagram Story, “this is one of the best documentaries I have seen in a while.”
