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Plant-based fare evolving It’s not just burgers and bowls anymore for vegans.
Restaurants have been adding more plantbased fare to their menus than ever before. And the growing demand could be due in part to perceived health benefits, with 61% of consumers viewing food or beverage labeled as “plant-based” to be healthier. Restaurants are keeping the ball rolling, with plant- based beef showing 59.1% growth year over year on menus, making it the fastest-growing protein. However, operators have also been increasingly exploring new plant-based fare and presentations beyond the standard veggie burger. Here are some examples:
PLANT-BASED SUSHI Earls Kitchen + Bar recently rolled out its vegan Crispy Tofu Roll, featuring cucumber, mango, avocado and crispy tofu wrapped in rice and served with umami sauces.
CHEEZY BREAD Plant-based dairy is also gaining mainstream traction, demonstrated by Panago Pizza’s new Cheezy Bread spotlighting plant-based cheese.
PIZZA TOP UPS Pizza operators are also leaning into meat alternative toppings, with Pizza Nova adding plant-based pepperoni made from pea protein to its menu. Pizza Hut Canada joined the trend, recently teaming up with Beyond Meat to offer Beyond Italian Sausage on its pizzas in select markets. ~Source: Technomic
SURVEY SAYS... When asked if they have thought about cutting beef from their diets in the last 12 months, 25% of Canadians have thought about it, with the highest rate being in British Columbia at 28%. However, among Canadians under the age of 35, the number was higher — 31%. 25% of Canadians have thought about cutting beef from their diets 16 | THE BOTTOM LINE September 2021
Source: Dalhousie University report
