Veronica Fell is a former behavioral economist who now specializes in marketing for the alternative protein industry. She is the co-founder of Grounded Foods Company and the author of Plant Based USA: A Guide to Eating Animal-Free in America.
Reinventing the menu: More chefs embrace plant-based options to meet diners’ needs
By Veronica Phil
While patrolling the floor of the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago last week, I was struck by a realization: ‘plant-based’ no longer appears as a niche category in the foodservice industry. Judging by the sheer amount of meat, seafood and dairy options spread across the show floor — and the excitement surrounding them — I knew that plant-based foods were firmly embedded in the mainstream culinary psyche.
“While ethical veganism may not drive change, sound business sense does.”
It hasn’t always been this way. It wasn’t that long ago when restaurants offered “vegetarian options” only upon special request. Choosing this route will result in a bland vegetable risotto at best and a judgmental look from your server on the side. Fortunately, in 2023, you’ll struggle to find a US restaurant, hotel or fast food chain that not only offers a variety of plant-based options, but proudly promotes them as a dining drawcard.
While ethical veganism may not drive change, sound business sense does. Requests for vegetarian and plant-based meals are now so common that it’s almost impossible for restaurant owners and chefs to ignore their plant-based menu offerings – unless they’re happy to take a deep cut of revenue.
Furthermore, savvy business owners see these options as an opportunity; To attract more diners, differentiate themselves in a competitive market, and experiment with a new set of tools in the culinary arsenal. Whether it’s ground pork made from jackfruit or shrimp made from mung bean protein—this latest wave of plant-based innovations allows chefs to create new, innovative culinary experiences that appeal to adventurous diners regardless of their dietary inclinations.
For my new book Plant-based USA: A Travel Guide to Eating Animal-Free in America, I trawled the country in search of restaurants, chefs and brands that embrace plant-based foods. In my research I discovered that a large number of these businesses were owned by hospitality veterans who were not actually vegetarians, but who understood the urgent need to reduce our dependence on animal protein.
These are the people who are now playing a key role in making plant-based diets more mainstream; Normalizing animal-free options and demonstrating how easily they can be incorporated into everyday cooking.
“The most popular menu items have always been plant-based.”
Chef Charlie Ayers, restaurant and The The former executive chef of Google Inc., is one such person. “From my restaurant to Google’s cafeteria, the most popular menu items have always been plant-based,” he told me. On the day I visited the show, Ayers was sampling shrimp–a Konjac-based seafood alternative that has already made its way into Harvard University dining halls–and serving it to passersby, who I don’t think even realized it was plant-based.
“As an operator myself, I know that plant-based foods are not a fad. It’s something that’s going to grow. [As chefs] We need to think about how we are going to incorporate that at every meal,” he said.
Guy Vaknin, head chef and founder of City Roots Hospitality Group, has been making plant-based cuisine the default dining option for years through his Beyond Sushi chain. While walking through the restaurant show, I stumbled upon Guy at the Chunk Foods booth, where a crowd gathered around the fat-juicy, glistening steaks…completely animal-free.
Unlike the faux chicken nuggets, beef patties, and Beyond sausages we’re all used to at this point, Chunk was debuting a full cut ‘steak’–and it was met with a feverish level of excitement. The man smiled at the reaction of the people.
“When food transcends a label and incorporates delicious flavors and textures, you can draw people in Products like Chunk bring what plant-based cooking can truly be and bring it to a whole new audience I believe the hype will continue to grow,” commented Guy.
We’ve seen negativity around slowing retail sales in the plant-based segment of late, but if we look at restaurant trends, it’s clear that consumer demand remains strong. And the next time you read a Bloomberg rant trying to convince you otherwise, just ask them to talk to the chef.
Veronica Phil is an LA-based writer and marketing strategist specializing in the food business. He is the co-founder and author of the alternative protein company Grounded Foods Company Plant-Based USA: A Travel Guide to Animal-Free Eating in America.