What would you say if I told you that dodging romantic connections with carnivores was about to get that little bit easier? GRAZER is a new vegan-first dating app set to dominate the love lives of leaf-lovers everywhere. These âmeatless matchmakersâ have a serious mission: to push forward the plant-based movement, encourage a âvegan revolutionâ and, ultimately, help young Beyond Meat enthusiasts find a meaningful love connection.
Now, niche dating apps arenât an entirely new concept. In 2022 alone, we saw the rise of ultra-conservative platforms selling what they considered to be the ârightâ romantic dream, as well as canine enthusiastic apps which focused on pairing up dog lovers. There was even an app designed for NFT fanatics. Nevertheless, a platform geared solely towards matching gen Zers with similar diets is something we havenât really seen before.
Itâs true that when it comes to the younger generationsâ dating lives, veganismâand the political attitudes and global perspectives that come with itâcan have a majorly influential impact.
In order to understand more about this exciting new app (and to commemorate the end of Veganuary) SCREENSHOT spoke with Lewis Foster, GRAZERâs founder and CEO. You never know, perhaps his story might encourage one or two readers to commit to the lifestyle all year round?
With every new 21st century dating app comes an origin story. And for Foster, it was all about disrupting the matchmaking market and creating a sexier and cooler app geared towards the hottest herbivores out there. And no, weâre not talking about Netflixâs Bad Vegan.
âIâve been vegan for a long time. Finding a like-minded partner was always one of the sticking points in the community. At the time, there were a couple of outdated vegan dating apps and websites. I felt like vegan dating needed a glow up. Thatâs where GRAZER started,â he told me.
Of course, jump-starting a business is no easy feat. Soon, Foster had moved home and put all of his savings into building the beta version of the app. Thankfully, after finding a way to raise investment at the end of 2022, GRAZERâs now become a fully fledged functioning businessâand its highly niche audience might be the clincher in helping the app become a stupendous success.
In Fosterâs eyes, mainstream dating apps simply donât do it for the vegan community. He explained how â41 per cent of online daters are put off if someone says they are vegan on their profile. This has led to more than half of vegans not mentioning their diet on dating apps for fear of rejection.â
âWe want to create a space where vegans can express their plant based selves,â Foster added.
Vegan stigma is a genuine thing. According to BBC studies, the âmeat paradoxââwherein Westerners are confronted with mounting evidence that eating meat is a bad thingâoften results in a psychological rebellion. Being faced with literature, academic debate and media confirming truths surrounding the negative aspects of a solely meat-based diet can bring out the worst in people.
Some individuals try to rationalise these unhappy realisations, or they simply justify their actions by focusing on other issues. Unfortunately, these methods of denial are completely derailed by vegans. By simply existing, vegans inherently disrupt the status quo, and this often leads to heightened tensions.
Itâs understandable that when it comes to dating, some vegans want to feel reassured that theyâll be able to navigate romance without fear of retaliation or rejection. Thereâs also the problem of not wanting to date a meat-eater altogether.
As Foster sees it, âmore than half of vegans say they wouldnât date a meat-eater. If thatâs you, your dating pool is dramatically smaller. If youâre open to a meat-eater, you might not be down for a meaty kiss. 63 per cent of our community said they wouldnât kiss someone whoâs just eaten meat. If you like your date, do you put your ethics aside for a ride?â
So, how has GRAZER gone out of its way to get vegans excited for this new exclusive dating experience? It has recruited one of the communityâs favourite spokespeople: drag queen and plant-based icon Bimini Bon Boulash.
Flaunting GRAZERâs signature mantra âFuck Vegans,â Bimini has been taking part in an extensive promotional campaignâall geared towards creating hype around the app and encouraging fellow vegans to get involved.
As a personal fan of all things drag, I had to ask Foster more about this iconic collaboration. The CEO explained: âBimini is an icon. They invested in GRAZER last year and theyâve been so supportive. We pitched the idea to them of collabing on our âF*CK VEGANSâ campaign and they were so up for getting down and dirty. The lighthearted yet punky message works so well with Bimini. It was a perfect marriage of minds.â
Now, while Bimini is a supreme pick, I was also interested in any future partnerships at the top of GRAZERâs wish list, and Foster did not disappoint: âWe have a long list of people weâd love to work with. Billie Eilish would be a dream. So many, we love Serena Williams, Pamela Anderson, Earthling Ed, Lizzo, Joaquin Phoenix, Stefania FerrarioâŚâ
When it comes to GRAZERâs mission and vision for the future, one thingâs for sure, itâs going to be âsexy af.â Foster envisions the appâs purpose as helping to represent âthe new wave of plant-based living,â where veganism is aspirational and fun, and, as the year continues, the plan is to âpaint the world green one meatless match at a time.â So, listen up vegans, 2023 might just turn out to be the most romantic one yet.