Two Edinburgh locals named in PETA's '˜Hottest vegan' final

Two locals from the Capital have made the final of PETA's UK and Ireland's Hottest Vegan Competition 2018.

Katie Crisp and Kirsten McLeod have both been nominated

Katie Crisp, 26, and Kirsten McLeod, both from Edinburgh, have made the last 16 of the competition.

The two winners of the annual contest will each receive a trip for two on the luxury five-night Christmas Markets cruise on Germany and Switzerland’s Rhine and Moselle rivers, courtesy of Vegan Travel.

Scottish nurse Kirsten says that she spread the vegan message at every chance she gets and encourages others she meets to ditch meat.

Kirsten is a nurse from the Capital

In her biography submitted for the competition “she proudly takes a stand against zoos, aquariums, and marine abusement parks in support of animal rights.”

Katie became a vegan “after reading Yuval Noah Harari’s book Sapiens on her honeymoon.” She made the decision to go from vegetarian to vegan, and she now uses her own experience to persuade others to make the switch.

The marketing manager describes herself as a “massive adventure seeker” and credits the many childhood holidays she spent at theme parks with cultivating her thrill-seeking ways.

Katie became a vegan after reading a book that inspired her

Speaking on the contest PETA Director Elisa Allen said: “There’s nothing sexier than someone who is committed to helping animals and the environment, and it doesn’t hurt that vegans are, on average, healthier and more energetic than their meat-eating peers.

“Each one of the finalists in PETA’s contest is a living example of the strength and vitality that can come from vegan eating.”