As the only black kid in my primary school playground, animals had become my friends. By 15 I was vegan, although I didn't give up honey until 16. For a while my mother thought it was just "a rasta phase".

"Ackees, chapattis, dumplins an' naan, channa and rotis, onion uttapam..." My poem Vegan Delight answers the question I've so often been asked – "but what do you eat?'.

I have a banana when I wake up, then, I'll go jogging, have a workout, do my tai-chi, have a sauna, then have my breakfast – a cup of muesli. I earn my breakfast.

I have vegan chocolate cakes delivered and there's my cupboard of sweets – crispy peanut candy, dairy-free rice cookies... I've tried to bring my chocolate eating under control recently. Sometimes I have nightmares in which I'm fat.

I'm 52, do kung-fu, running and football alongside 20-year-olds, and still none of them can beat me. This isn't bragging – I'm just making a point.

When I moved to Beijing, to study martial arts, I saw teenagers stroking cats which minutes later would be on their plates. Yet in Beijing I also found my favourite vegan restaurant in the world – Pure Lotus. There really is a vegan version of everything.

One day, when I was in prison as a young man, as a privilege I got to serve food. And for the people protected under rule 45 – sex offenders and IRA – the prison officers made me put custard on their main courses and gravy on their puddings.

When I moved from Newham to a small village in Lincolnshire two years ago, to get away from motorways and things, I was surprised by how neighbours would leave their spare vegetables and fruit outside my bungalow door. At first I thought it was some kind of witchcraft.

I have this packet containing plastic imitation bacon in my kitchen, as used by actors. My plan one day is to do a meal for someone and include it on the plate, as a trick or test.

I can honestly say I've not been tempted to give up veganism in 27 years. I sometimes smell a chip shop and like the smell but then feel guilty because fish might be part of it. But I'll go home and make vegan chips.

After all these years, my favourite food is my mother's butter bean stew with whole potatoes, yam and dasheen. I don't think I've ever made a meal for her, to be honest. I think she would consider it a failing of her motherhood and say "Boy, get out the kitchen."