plant based revolution

As plant-based alternatives to traditional meat toppings continue to improve, more pizzerias are putting them on the menu— and scoring soaring sales as a result.

BY TRACY MORIN

Rising consumer awareness of environmental concerns, the spread of a worldwide pandemic, a greater focus on personal health and wellness—so many influences have combined to transform vegetarian, vegan and plant-based eating from borderline outlandish to widely embraced. And experts predict this growth will only continue. Last March, Dublin-based Research and Markets reported that “the global market for plant-based meat, estimated at $13.6 billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of $35 billion by 2027.”

Perhaps future generations will altogether ditch the notion of protein alternatives being, well, alternative

Demographics And Demands

According to Trevor Hitch, founder and CEO of VEDGEco in Kailua, Hawaii, as many as 6% of U.S. customers now claim the “vegan” label, a 500% increase over the 1% reported in 2014. However, it’s worthwhile to note that many plant-based alternatives are actually designed to appeal to carnivores looking to cut their meat consumption.

This move away from meat is taking hold worldwide. Tommy Leung, owner of Gafell, a Hong Kong-based maker of frozen pizzas and meals, says his customers love the chance to go meatless, thanks to today’s easy replacements. “I would say the majority are not vegan or even vegetarian,” Leung says. “It’s mostly meat eaters that are looking for green alternatives— flexitarians who are looking to cut down.” And Hitch adds that more than one-third of the U.S. population now fits this category.

Accordingly, even pizza chains are hopping on the plantbased bandwagon. Toppers Pizza, based in Whitewater, Wisconsin, with 69 stores in 12 states, unveiled its new vegan-friendly menu in late 2020. “Plant-based toppings are growing rapidly in the pizza category—we follow Technomic’s reporting closely, and four of the top 10 fastest growing ingredients are plant-based,” explains Mac Malchow, director of national marketing and menu innovation for Toppers Pizza. “What used to be solely beef in the plant-based world has grown to nearly all proteins. Plant-based pork, chicken and cheese are all rising in popularity, as more and more customers are choosing alternative diets and lifestyles. Most independent and regional chains, including Toppers Pizza, have begun incorporating multiple plant-based toppings into their menus in just the last couple of years—and customers are responding well with their dollars and social engagement.”

So many consumers making the switch to plant-based naturally leads to positive environmental impacts, but there’s another benefit to note: As demand for plant-based food grows, so does competition—and that leads to ever more innovation. In this competitive market, if brands don’t nail top-notch taste and texture, they’re toast, so the bar constantly raises. Today’s manufacturers are increasingly creating protein alternatives that not only taste great but satisfy demands for quality nutrition, cleaner labels and even sustainable sourcing. And, considering how relatively young this movement is, one can only imagine the sky-high potential for future developments.

Prepping And Pairing

Many chefs have been surprised at the ease and performance of plant-based proteins. When Leung first tested alternative meats from one popular brand, he remembers being blown away. “We had heard all the stories about how it’s supposed to taste just like meat and even bleed when you cook it—needless to say, we were quite skeptical,” he recalls. “But it was true! Even better for us was that we didn’t have to make any big changes to our recipes. Since the [plant-based] meat behaves so much like minced beef, we simply replaced it 1:1, and the results were fantastic.”

Using the new protein, Leung first experimented with making plant-based versions of lasagna bolognese and savory pies, then moved on to pizzas, which soon sold out. “Our customers loved it,” Leung reports. “One said he had to go back and check the packaging to make sure it really was plant-based. Even for myself, as a chef, sometimes I can’t believe it’s not real meat.” Now, Leung keeps his finger on the pulse of new alternative meats hitting the market, and he’s already working on making pizzas with plant-based cheese as well.

Hitch, who works with a variety of brands as a plant-based wholesaler, agrees that operators can enjoy a 1:1 replacement when working with plant-based pizza toppings. But it’s important to understand the alternatives’ exact flavor profiles and experiment in pairing them with existing toppings to come up with the perfect pizza combinations, says Reza Kamalian, director of operations for Sacramento, California-based Pizza Guys, with 70 locations. “I would recommend taking advantage of co-branding with one of the top brands producing plant-based products to help get through to the customer,” Kamalian says. “Operators should also come up with new recipes to create more buzz.”

Meanwhile, Hitch suggests creating a menu board solely dedicated to plant-based add-ons, as well as trying vegan pizzas at other restaurants to become more familiar with the category.

Selection And Sampling

More choices for alternative-protein toppings are a good thing, but the downside is that many pizzeria owners may find themselves intimidated by the options, especially if they’re not consumers of these kind of products themselves. That’s where experts can help. And they don’t need to sport a list of fancy qualifications—they can simply be vegetarians, vegans and/or flexitarians in your community.

Kamalian advises operators to enlist a test group (comprised of consumers who already eat these kinds of toppings) to help them select what’s best. “Also get yourself educated on what plant-based toppings are and how they are made,” Kamalian adds. “Vegetarian customers are looking for clean, sustainable vegetarian and vegan ingredients at reasonable prices. They also look for variety and, most importantly, quality and taste. The product has to taste good!”