“Compassionate Consumption”?: George Gascoigne’s 'The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting' and the voice of the dish

In May 2016, it was reported that the number of vegans in Britain had risen by 360% in ten years. Shortly after, Counterpoint published a report entitled ‘Compassionate Consumption: How Veganism is Taking Over Western Europe,’ which suggested that increasing numbers of Western Europeans are rejecting animal products due to an ethical concern for animal rights. The report also argued that the sudden rise in veganism has largely been spurred on by key documentaries, such as Live and Let Live and Earthlings, which attempt to give animals a voice and expose their suffering at the hands of humans. These documentaries may find a surprising counterpart in George Gascoigne’s 16th-century hunting manual, The Noble Art of Venerie or Hunting.