MEET THE CHEF: Martine Ashe is creating vegan food for us all at her stall at Taunton's Farmers' Market

Where are 30 years ago being a vegetarian or vegan would have carried with it a social stigma for being a bit weird, now not only is it cool but more and more people are eating food which would be classified as vegetarian or suitable for vegans.

The times they are a changin and one of the people who is enjoying this new way of eating as much as her customers is Martine Ashe who runs and operates From Nature UK.

Martine who herself is a vegan (she first became a vegetarian in 1984 and then vegan in 1996) said making the change even transitional from vegetarian to vegan is a hard one but it is down to the individual.

A definition of a vegetarian as stated on the Vegetarian website: "A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs.

"A vegetarian does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.

"This includes meat, poultry, fish, shellfish*, insects, by-products of slaughter** or any food made with processing aids created from these."

For a vegan you have to give up all the same things as vegetarian and also avoid leather, wool and honey.

As the Vegan Society states on its website: “A vegan diet is richly diverse and comprises all kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, beans and pulses - all of which can be prepared in endless combinations that will ensure you’re never bored.

“ From curry to cake, pasties to pizzas, all your favourite things can be suitable for a vegan diet if they’re made with plant-based ingredients.”

Speaking about her decision to give up meat, Martine said: “It is down to the individual. It is hard and it is not easy to make the change.

“It is hard enough to become a vegetarian.

“I decided to make the change gradually. I changed from milk to Almond soya milk.

“Any change is big and huge step but I feel it is one which makes a different to the carbon footprint and it does benefit you.

“Your healthy improves and I do feel more vital and it makes you feel younger. It is hard to describe but it all depends on the individual.”

Before Martine set up her business she was a stay at home mum/career who looked after her son who has autism.

As he grew up he got more independent she had nothing to do, so she decided she needed something to do.

Martine explained she didn’t aim to start a stall she had aimed to sell fruit tea and healthy options.

She started to sell vegan items and realised there was a market for these products.

Martine said: “I make a lot of samosas, vegetarian pasties which which contain vegetables and others which contain seitan which is a meat substitute (“wheat meat”, “wheat protein”, “wheat gluten”) as well as herbs and spices.

“I make vegan cheese which is made from cashew nuts which are made into a paste and then different flavour added to make the cheese.

“The key ingredient is a natural yeast which helps give it a cheesy savoury flavour along with Miso.

“Seitan is used to make a pastrami or a chorizo.

“I make cakes and cupcakes. These are made with almond milk, bicarbonate of soda which helps makes everything moist.

“I also use vegan margarine and chocolate as long as it does not contain any milk.

“I also make vegan fudge using coconut milk and a caramel.”

Also for sale on her stall are crisps but these are vegan crisps made with beetroot and also potato crisps with flavouring which makes them taste like chicken or cheese and onion.

One of the interesting things which Martine has found since opening her stall on Taunton’s Farmers Market in February 2015 is the wide variety of people who buy from her.

There is a wide demographic which includes young people, older people, students and professionals.

Martine felt there had been a sea change in how people viewed vegetarianism or veganism.

She said: “Vegan or vegetarianism is now definitely more main stream as a lot of celebrities are turning vegan and this is helping to raise the profile.

“It is not seen a weirdy beardy and is more everyday.

“A lot of the stigma for being vegan or being a vegetarian has been removed and a lot of people will give this type of food ago.

“People have become more aware environmentally of where there food comes from.

“I love doing the stall but I don’t like the cold weather.

“I do keep my eye on what is new and what I could make and I do respond to what my customers ask if I could make.

“A lot of the things I produce are seasonal and one of the new things coming will be a pasty with roast vegetables, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

“What has been good is it has become easier to find vegan products. It takes a bit of imagination and efforts to make more of what you want and more and more people are willing to do this.”

You can find Martine Ashe at the Farmers’ Market in Taunton every Thursday.

She will also be at the Taunton Vegan Fair which will take place at Wilton Church, Fons George, Taunton on December 16 from 11am - 4.30pm.

This event will have more than 20 stalls from chocolate, cake and plant based cheese to vegan info and animal rescue.

Everyone is welcome whether you are vegan, or new to it all and want to find out more.