PETER Axbury was a big meat eater.

And as a chef, meat was also a big part of his professional life.

But six years ago, a short film about animal welfare changed all that.

And now he is not only vegan but is also sharing plant-based eating with the people of Hampshire,with two successful vegan restaurants in the county.

"I ate a lot of meat," says the 38-year-old, behind Off Beet at Chesapeke Mill in Wickham and at Sunnyfields Farm in the New Forest.

"My then partner wanted to go vegan but I was always against it. I felt that eating organic, free range meat was enough.

"As a private chef, I was invested in the meat industry. But one day I sat down and watched a little film by Steve-O from Jackass about being vegan. It was only ten or 15 minutes long, but it really hit home.

"It explained how animals experience fear and how some feel a kind of love for each other. It settled it for me and I became vegan overnight."

Peter adds that he continued to seek out more information and documentaries about animal welfare to help him in his resolve not to return to eating meat or dairy.

At around this time, he and his mother decided to go into business together, opening a vegetarian cafe in Wickham, before he went on to convince her that it should be completely vegan.

With a survey last year showing that there are 3.5 million vegans in the UK, seven percent of the population, up dramatically from 540,000 in 2016, he was accessing a growing market.

"I wanted it to be vegan, ethically. A lot of people thought that it would be a crazy decision, financially, but going fully vegan tapped into a unique market, and people started coming to us from miles away," he says.

Peter says that becoming vegan reignited his passion for food and he is thrilled to be able to share that passion not only in his two restaurants, the second of which opened in July, but also through the vegan cookery school attached to Off Beet New Forest, with classes including 'plant based butchery', artisan vegan pizza and a tofu masterclass.

"My vision is to create vegan food that appeals to non-vegans, rather than meat eaters' idea of what vegans eat, which you often get in restaurants.

"At our New Forest restaurant, we are in the grounds of Sunnyfield organic vegetable farm, so we can cook food that's been grown just down the road, which is a bit of a dream as a vegan chef.

"The farm shop also sells meat, but hopefully we can entice people in who have come to the shop to buy meat to then try a vegan meal. I'd say that at least half of our customers are non-vegans.

"I see it as a form of soft activism, " he adds. "We are showing people how good vegan food is, in a comfortable environment."

So with Veganuary underway, when people are encouraged to begin the new year by switching to a plant-based diet, does Peter anticipate seeing even more meat eaters calling in to try a vegan meal?

"As a business, we have to stay ahead of the game," he says.

"There are more and more vegan and vegan-friendly places popping up now, with lots of high street chains offering vegan menus, especially for Veganuary.

"Our challenge is to convince people to come and eat here, when they could go and have a vegan meal at Zizzi or a Wetherspoons."

Peter adds that although he thinks Veganuary has a useful role in raising awareness of veganism, he feels that not enough emphasis is given to the reasons for switching to a plant-based diet, which may mean that people don't make a long-term change to their diet.

"For me, veganism can't be a fad or a trend," he says.

"You have to have a connection, whether that's for health, the environment or ethical reasons. It's a shame that more emphasis isn't given to the ethical side during January.

"But veganism does seem to be going from strength to strength," he adds.

"High street chains and supermarkets are jumping on it. It's definitely a booming market."

From an environmental perspective, that would seem to be a good thing, with recent research showing that avoiding meat and dairy products is the biggest way that people can reduce their environmental impact, including on climate change and the mass extinction of wild animals.

With growing interest in vegan food, Peter hopes that vegan cuisine will become more sophisticated.

"Lots of the vegan cook books are fairly basic," he says.

"You don't get a lot of three star Michelin vegan cookery books!"

But although he is keen to offer sophisticated vegan cuisine, he is not ready for Off Beet to go for a Michelin star just yet.

"I don't think the market is quite ready for that sort of fine dining vegan food just yet," he says.

Peter's top tips for going vegan:

* Keep yourself motivated by watching documentaries and educating yourself about the animal welfare and meat and dairy industries.

* Recognise that you are addicted to meat and that when you stop eating it, your body will crave it.

* Don't expect vegan alternatives to taste exactly the same as the meat or dairy food that they are replacing. Accept that they are a different food, not a direct swap.

Peter's recipe for anyone who didn't get enough of Brussels sprouts at Christmas...

Vegan 'Camembert cheese' with Brussels sprout dunkers.

For this you will need:

1 cup cashews (soaked in cold water over night ideally)

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp tapioca flour

1 tsp salt

400ml water

Black pepper (to taste)

Extra virgin olive oil to finish

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender except Brussels, black pepper and olive oil. Blend until a smooth sauce consistency is reached.

Place the cheese sauce in a saucepan and gently heat, continually stir as it may stick. It will gradually thicken as the tapioca cooks, taste and check seasoning.

Transfer the cheese sauce to oven safe container, preferably lined with parchment for that authentic look.

Bake in the oven at 180c for 10 minutes or until the top is slightly golden with a crust forming.

Serve straight away with a spoonful of cranberry sauce on top and roasted sprouts to dunk into the cheese.