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Veganism Rising Competition is intensifying fast in the vegan space - we look at why

Veganism Rising
The success of a vegan chocolate hummus with cinnamon chips, served at SAJJ Mediterranean, signals an embrace of vegan fare in unexpected places.
PHOTO CREDIT: SAJJ Mediterranean

by | January 8, 2019

The rise of veganism is tightly connected to a younger generation who is rethinking the food they eat and a growing concern about the planet. Additionally, there is a growing number of people who want to eat vegan items from time to time.

Having chefs and restaurants who take vegan cuisine seriously (as opposed to an annoyance) and a society that increasingly accepts vegan cuisine makes it easier for people to pursue this style of eating.

Offering great vegan cuisine as part of the menu mix is a win-win. It attracts an additional subset of customers, and can be a great strategy to reduce food cost. Also, when larger groups dine, it is not uncommon to have a vegan in the group who often determines where they choose to eat.

Competition is intensifying fast in the vegan space, which means that chefs today need to stretch their creativity and make vegan dishes a serious priority.

Indulgent Vegan – read the full story on how vegan food is moving from functional to decadent, making it one of our top 10 flavor trends for 2019.

From the Jan/Feb 2019 Top 10 Trends issue of Flavor & the Menu magazine. Read the full issue online or check if you qualify for a free print subscription.

 

 

This story tagged under:

2019 January-February Top Ten Trends
2019 Top 10 Flavor Trends
Indulgent Vegan
Top 10 Trends
Vegan


CHRIS KOETKE, CEC, CCE, HAAC, was the Executive Chef at Les Nomades in Chicago for five years and also worked at the famed Le Francais restaurant in Wheeling, Ill. He formerly served as the Executive Director of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago and VP of Culinary Arts for Laureate International Universities, where he was responsible for strategic leadership of culinary arts programs at 48 campuses in 12 countries. Chris is a well-known expert on culinary matters, especially given his global travels experimenting with ingredients and flavors worldwide and his knowledge of amino acids as flavor elements. In 2010, he was given the inaugural Chefs Collaborative Pathfinder Award for his work in making sustainability mainstream within both foodservice operations and education, and he serves as chair of the Feed the Planet Committee of Worldchefs. Chris has an MBA from Dominican University and a BA in French literature from Valparaiso University. He has hosted his own national TV cooking show on the Live Well Network, written for prominent newspapers and trade publications, and authored a well-known culinary textbook, “The Culinary Professional.” He is currently Corporate Executive Chef at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. [email protected]

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About The Author

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CHRIS KOETKE, CEC, CCE, HAAC, was the Executive Chef at Les Nomades in Chicago for five years and also worked at the famed Le Francais restaurant in Wheeling, Ill. He formerly served as the Executive Director of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago and VP of Culinary Arts for Laureate International Universities, where he was responsible for strategic leadership of culinary arts programs at 48 campuses in 12 countries. Chris is a well-known expert on culinary matters, especially given his global travels experimenting with ingredients and flavors worldwide and his knowledge of amino acids as flavor elements. In 2010, he was given the inaugural Chefs Collaborative Pathfinder Award for his work in making sustainability mainstream within both foodservice operations and education, and he serves as chair of the Feed the Planet Committee of Worldchefs. Chris has an MBA from Dominican University and a BA in French literature from Valparaiso University. He has hosted his own national TV cooking show on the Live Well Network, written for prominent newspapers and trade publications, and authored a well-known culinary textbook, “The Culinary Professional.” He is currently Corporate Executive Chef at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. [email protected]