We, known here as the UCL Alternative Proteins Society, were honoured to become part of the Alt Protein Project in 2023, alongside 23 other new chapters worldwide. We are one of the Good Food Institute's 7 active student groups in the UK.
We have many speaker events, educational activities, career sessions, and socials lined up for the 24/25 academic year. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn (see links on the right side of the page) for fresh updates and opportunities!
What's on:
- Welcome Fair! You'll meet us early on in the line-up on both days. Take a short, fun quiz to win yourself a treat :)
- Picnic social, 9 Oct (Wed): Join us at Gordon Square for free food and good vibes! Best chance to find out what we're about and how we can help you navigate the industry :)
- Head of Nutrition at Quorn Foods, 14 Oct (Mon): Expert talk followed by a Q&A session. To participate, grab ANY membership, taster (free!) or standard - you don't want to miss this!
- Dr Darren Player, 20 Nov (Wed): From human muscle engineering to alt proteins production :)
- Jenny Chapman, 3 Dec (Tues): Parliamentary Biology and Health Adviser/Churchill Fellow on the history of the ultra-processed food debate, focusing on plant-based meat!
What we've done in the 23/24 academic year:
- All of our committee members' backstories are now on Instagram. Check them out - they're pretty amazing!
- Sustainability fair: it was such a pleasure to talk to so many of you!
- Welcome Fair, 1 Oct (Sun): we received some really good feedback for our alt protein snacks! Don't stop the questions coming - our Instagram DM is still open to
- Environmental Societies Picnic, 2 Oct (Mon): delicious snacks and great company ;)
- Session 1: A Crash Course in Cellular Agriculture, 16 Oct (Mon): the very first session of our introductory series!
- Our "grand opening" with Seren Kell, 26 Oct (Thur): our Regional Mentor from the Good Food Institute gave an amazing talk and answered various questions from the audience in depth. We then had a social with loads of alt protein snacks (still dreaming about that vegan feta? Me too!) and a staggering batch of 20 plant-based pizzas!
- Talk by our "in-house" dietitian, 30 Oct (Mon): Brittany, the Director of Food on our committee, talked about plant-based nutrition and the implications of including alternative proteins in our diet. We had loads of questions coming in during the Q&A time! Plant-based snacks were provided as well. There may be a part 2 coming up - follow us on Instagram and watch this space ;)
- Expert Talk by Dr Petra Hanga, 20 Nov (Mon): A close-up look into the latest science and technology behind alternative protein industrial processes, with UCL's very own lecturer in Biochemical Engineering – Cellular Agriculture!
- Tea & Talk with Clubs & Societies, 22 Nov (Wed): we got to talk to more potential members about us and how we can help everyone in a relaxed setting. SU provided some light bites; we brought our own alt protein treats :)
- Restaurant visit, 14 Dec (Thur): we'll go to Vegan Planet, a Chinese restaurant not far from campus. Spaces are limited, so sign up fast! https://forms.gle/uWYZMD8trocQbLJQ9
- Documentary screening, 29 Jan (Mon): 20-minute Netflix video, The Future of Cheeseburgers, at Drayton House from 6:30pm, followed by (guided) discussion.
- Hoxton Farms Talks Cultivated Fat!, 5 Feb (Mon): Bioprocess engineers (UCL alumni) on careers, science and all about the company.
- Food social @What The Pitta (Camden), 27 Mar (Wed): last social of 23/24! They don't take reservations and only seat ~10, so we'd appreciate it if you could book a free ticket to help us plan ahead before joining us at 12pm. Camden has a vibrant vegan food scene, so finding a great alternative is going to be as easy as can be ;)
