Stranger Things star Matthew Modine joins Veganuary ahead of series finale
31 December 2025: As Stranger Things heads towards its highly anticipated finale, Veganuary has revealed a collection of Stranger Things-inspired comfort food recipes, reimagined with a plant-based twist. Tapping into the show’s love of 1980s nostalgia, the recipes reinterpret some of the series’ most iconic foods, from Surfer Boy Pizza with pineapple and a nostalgic Hawkins burger to Jim Hopper’s go-to pick-me-up doughnuts and Eleven’s legendary favourite snack: waffles.
Created in collaboration with culinary experts, the recipes are designed to be simple, familiar and perfect for cosy viewing parties – as well as showing that you can enjoy all the flavours you love, entirely plant-based. The release comes as Veganuary gears up for January 2026. According to recent YouGov data*, more than one in ten UK adults (12%) say they’re likely to participate in Veganuary this January.
Joining the campaign as an official supporter, Stranger Things actor Matthew Modine, who plays Dr Martin Brenner, encourages fans to think about the real-world stakes beyond the screen – which are even more unsettling than anything lurking in the Upside Down. In his own words:
“If we humans, us, were killed and eaten by animals being eaten and killed by us, humans, at the same rate we humans, us, kill and eat animals, we humans, us, would be extinct in about 3 days. If I was only talking about chickens — which is roughly 140 million chickens killed per day — the United States population would be wiped out in only 3 days,” he says.
Reflecting on what this level of consumption means for the future of the planet, Modine adds: “The point is, we humans have evolved into super consumers of everything the earth we share has to offer. In doing so, we’ve simultaneously evolved into something like the equivalent of a life destroying comet. In order to continue evolving and prospering, we must quickly evolve away from the destructive behaviors we currently have.”
Pointing to food choices as a powerful place to start, Modine urges people to take positive action through initiatives like Veganuary: “With nearly 9 billion people consuming the limited resources of our planet, producing more waste than this poor world can deal with — we have to become smarter — or face extinction like the thousands of species currently disappearing each year. Cutting back on the consumption of animal flesh is a very tiny step each of us can take to make the planet more sustainable and humane. Take a moment to learn more about proactive steps you can take by following Veganuary.”
[Download Stranger Things-inspired recipes and images + Matthew Modine assets here]
Notes to Editor
*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2152 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th – 27th October 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Veganuary has a suite of images, recipes, celebrity quotes and content available for media to use for Veganuary stories. Content can be accessed here.
Veganuary is free to join, and people can take part at veganuary.com to receive our Celebrity eCookbook, Plant Protein eCookbook, the Official Veganuary Starter Kit and 31 daily emails packed with nutritional info, delicious vegan recipes, meal plans and helpful advice.
Since Veganuary launched its first pledge in January 2014, millions of people – coming from almost every country in the world – have taken part. It has truly become a global phenomenon.
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