Plant-based power duo Bosh’s quest to redefine on-the-go vegan dishes
Where conscious eating meets culinary sensation: Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, the creative minds behind the plant-powered food brand Bosh! are transforming the world of on-the-go vegan dining.
Henry Firth and Ian Theasby of Bosh! are on a mission to get more plant-based options onto plates with their ‘delish-etarian’ movement, in a landmark collaboration with Costa Coffee.
The duo set out a plan eight years ago: to get easy, tasty plant-based options onto plates across the globe. Today, their journey has evolved into the world’s largest vegan social media brand, boasting 26 million monthly views and a staggering 3.5 billion views to date. With a social following of 3.1 million, Henry and Ian have become the go-to for easy and accessible plant-based cuisine.
“Back when we started out in 2016, there were no vegan options in supermarkets, in coffee shops, or in restaurants. You just couldn’t find anything. And in fact, even the word vegan would kind of summon up arguments, you know, Now, thank God it’s more mainstream,” Ian said.
“So that’s where we came in because we decided that we wanted to show the world that actually plant-based food when you cook it properly, is really delicious. So we set up the channel called Bosh! and just churned out loads of recipes that relied solely on vegetables. And I think this has helped a lot of people eat a lot more plants, which is really great for sure.”
Most recently, in a major collaboration with Costa Coffee, Bosh! is bringing its culinary expertise to a broader audience, ensuring that tasty plant-based options are within reach for everyone, irrespective of their dietary inclinations. The ‘delish-etarian’ movement, a term coined by the pair and Costa Coffee, caters to the discerning tastes of those looking for mindful food choices.
“One of the things that attracted us to Costa Coffee was the fact that they’ve got these really strong net zero initiatives, you know, 2030 to 2040 big environmental goals. And I think they’re leading the way,” said Henry.
“We need big brands to get on board and think about reducing their carbon footprints, and food is a wonderful way to do that. We’re living in the future right now because eight years ago you could only imagine what was going on.”
The journey of Bosh! is more than just a taste adventure; it’s driven by purpose. For Henry and Ian, every recipe is a step in their quest to make plant-based eating an everyday reality.
“Our mission is to get more plants onto more plates…”
“Even though our company mission is all about the environment, the really nice thing that happens is you feel really healthy. We’re both, I would say fitter than the average, not because of the exercise that we do, but because of the food that we eat,” said Ian.
“Naturally if you’re eating a plant-based diet, if you just approach it properly and don’t just eat beige chips and bread all the time, eat a good range of fruits and vegetables, legumes and seeds, you end up being really healthy.”
And that’s what Bosh is all about, following the 80/20 rule. So 80 per cent of the time eat fruits and veggies and healthy food and 20 per cent of the time, a bit of indulgence. The approach is not about restriction; it’s about expanding the palate with the flavours of plant-based cuisine.
“I mean you can have everything. Nowadays, if you’re going to a restaurant to have a burger and chips, you can have a burger and chips. You can even have steak and chips. And then of course, you can have salads and you can have everything in between,” Henry added.
The pair have released best-selling cookbooks with their recipes – Bosh! Meat and Bosh! – where they have been branded as ‘the vegan Jamie Olivers’. Offering hundreds of plant-based recipes, these can be easily recreated to inspire quick dishes that appeal to the masses.
Ian said: “I would say that the recipe that I’m most proud of that we’ve put on our channels and in our books is the mushroom Wellington, right? We see all the photographs come to our Instagram account about how many people cook that dish, which is the perfect centrepiece for a plant-based roast dinner.
“Hundreds and thousands of people have cooked that over the last eight years.”
Henry added: “My favourite was always fish and chips back in the day before I went vegan. So good plant-based fish and chips, which we make from tofu.”
So what’s next on the table? As the pair look to the future, they already have their eyes on the states, bringing their energy, and enthusiasm for a sustainable future.
They added: “Teaming up with Costa Coffee allows us to bring our vision to a wider audience. We want to show that plant-based options can be delicious, accessible, and enjoyed by everyone.”