Claire Johnson stopped eating meat at the age of eight because she didn’t like the taste. When she later found out how animals were used for their meat, milk and eggs, her choice became an ethical one.
“I wanted no part of it – I have always been a big animal lover and it did not make sense to me to treat dogs and cats like family but cows and pigs as food,” Johnson explained.
“I cut out all animal products from my diet and decided to become vegan. I have now been vegan for 14 years and I will continue for the remainder of my life.”
In 2019 she combined her vegan lifestyle with a desire to run her own business and opened Claire’s Cupcakes 100% Vegan at Charlestown.
There are 130 flavours to choose from in the Claire’s Cupcakes range, with six featured each week. The most popular cupcake flavours are chocolate freckle, salted caramel, strawberry milkshake, peanut butter Oreo, and classic vanilla.
The cafe also has an all-day breakfast menu and a lunch menu.
“The brekkie burger is our signature and most ordered savoury item; a close second and third would be our breakfast burrito and the big breakfast platter.”
There are also gluten-free pancakes, house-made baked beans, a chicken schnitzel sub, a BBQ bacon cheeseburger, fish and chips, plus regular lunch items like sandwiches.
Johnson, who grew up in the suburbs of Newcastle and now calls Elermore Vale home, is a self-taught cook.
“I have always been interested in baking – my Grandma was an excellent baker and always had freshly baked cookies when we would visit,” she said.
“I used the knowledge I learned from non-vegan recipes and techniques and adapted them to become vegan. I then wrote my own recipes from scratch and went through a process of trial and error to perfect them.”
She started the business in 2013 while studying a double degree in fine arts and teaching, supplying cafes with cupcakes and becoming a familiar face at local markets. After a few years of juggling baking and teaching, she gave up teaching in 2017 to pursue baking full-time.
Claire’s Cupcakes 100% Vegan is a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike. Johnson has customers who visit regularly from Sydney, Morpeth and Forster.
Veganism as a movement has “come ahead in leaps and bounds” in recent years says Claire Johnson, owner of Claire’s Cupcakes 100% Vegan in Charlestown.
Many non-vegans choose to dine at her cafe.
“There has been new research and documentaries made to be accessible to the general population. People can make informed choices and align their morals with their actions,” Johnson said.
“Big companies and brands have seen the demand and produced products to suit the vegan lifestyle. Anyone can do their regular weekly shop now and grab vegan products for all their favourite items, from cheese to cookies, schnitzels, eggs and ice-cream.
“There are vegan products for every non-vegan item available in almost every store.
“People who are non-vegan are a lot more open to trying vegan food and drink these days. A great example is our coffees. Our walk-in customers, when told we do not use dairy, always ask for recommendations for our plant-based milk options.
“There is a new widespread acceptance to trying vegan items without being vegan or following the vegan lifestyle.”
Claire’s Cupcakes 100% Vegan, Shop 34 Charlestown Arcade, 338 Charlestown Rd, Charlestown. Open Thursday to Sunday. Phone 0403 661 606.
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