Louisa Daley investigates the rise of vegetarian and vegan dishes. She talks to The Vegetarian Society, ACC Liverpool and Manchester Central to understand the role of accreditation and how venues are meeting delegate preferences.
Vegetarian and vegan food is becoming increasingly popular with delegates – so much so in fact, that it’s no longer an add on or a tick-box exercise – it’s now the norm. At events, delegates either expect these options to be front and centre, just like meat options, or to see a completely plant-based menu.
This is something Michael Mitchell, catering services director, Sodexo Live!/ACC Liverpool recognises, he explains why: “Delegates are now more conscious about what they eat and look towards both the health and environmental benefits of eating a plant-based diet – part of this is due to the pandemic, which has brought more light to both discussions.”
To name just a few benefits, “vegetarian and vegan dishes are made from fresh, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients,” says Mitchell. As a result, “these dishes combat the environmental impact caused by the consumption of animal products, avoiding significant waste and large carbon footprints,” he explains.
This growing shift towards vegetarianism and veganism has encouraged ACC Liverpool/Sodexo Live! to increase its plant-based options. “To meet this growing demand, at least 50% of our event catering menus are now vegetarian or vegan. We have delivered a range of events that are 100% plant-based with great success,” he says.
For example, its first event following the lifting of restrictions was exclusively vegan-based. “We produced a vegan grab-and-go-style lunch in compostable packing.
“Since then, we have seen a huge uptake on this lunch option – which is a sign that event organisers are actively thinking about the health and environmental benefits for their delegates and events,” says Mitchell.
In 2020, ACC Liverpool/Sodexo Live! also hosted The Perfect Planet, the BBC’s new nature documentary hosted by Sir David Attenborough. “Our culinary teams at ACC Liverpool were asked to prepare a plant-based four-course meal using earth-friendly ingredients such as spinach, chickpeas, seaweed and lentils, with a chocolate volcano and cherry lava dessert.”
Whilst vegetarian and vegan food clearly has an appeal – the common misconception with these dishes is that they are just for delegates who are vegetarians and/ or vegans. However, Mitchell stresses that “they are for just about everyone” – whether you’re a meat lover, pescatarian or flexitarian.
Delegates choose this diet for a range of reasons, including taste preferences, health benefits or religious practises. This is something event organisers, venues and chefs must remember when planning menus – it’s vital to make your food inclusive and offer a substantial amount of plant-based options.
Showing commitment: accreditation
Catering to the needs of delegates and supporting the environment can go even further than what happens in the kitchen.
Think about accreditation. Let’s take The Vegetarian Society Approved trademarks as an example. “Our mission is to help people make the shift to vegetarian diets and lifestyles,” says Vanessa Brown, head of business and catering services at The Vegetarian Society.
“We have two trademarks, one for vegan products. The vegetarian trademark has been going since 1986, and the vegan trademark since 2017,” she adds.
Brown says many venues seek these accreditations to make a clear statement to their customers about the food they serve. “They are showing that they take plant-based catering seriously, and that it’s not an afterthought,” she adds.
“When customers see our vegetarian or vegan trademarks products, they know they can trust it is 100% vegetarian or vegan.”
Like any other accreditation, a venues food/in-house caterers must undergo an assessment and meet strict criteria in order to gain The Vegetarian Society’s approval.
“The trademark process involves our experts checking all ingredients and production methods. For example, we check a venue’s ingredients, processes and systems for cooking and serving.
“Only products that meet our criteria are allowed to display these trademarks,” explains Brown.
For example, vegetarian-approved products must contain no ingredients resulting from slaughter; only use free-range eggs; be GMO-free; have no animal testing carried out/commissioned and have measures in place to avoid cross-contamination during production.
Minus using free-range eggs, vegetarian products and one for vegan-approved products must meet the same criteria and additionally contain no animal-derived ingredients.
She tells me the trademarks aren’t exclusively for food items, but it can also be applied to drinks, beauty cosmetics, cleaning products as well as health products.
Manchester Central is one of the venues who gained this accreditation, alongside Royal Holloway university, University of Chester and University of Plymouth.
“Seeking this accreditation formed part of our organisational sustainability strategy,” explains Shaun Hinds, CEO of Manchester Central. This strategy, he tells me, has an emphasis on protecting the natural environment whilst considering the social, economic and cultural impacts.
“The accreditation also shows clients that our vegan and vegetarian options form a core part of our hospitality offer. We are incredibly proud of our latest vegetarian and vegan dishes, securing the use of the approved trademarks exemplifies our commitment to full traceability of the food that we serve,” adds Hinds.
Taste matching
Venues and caterers can also show their commitment by partnering with veggie and vegan experts
and suppliers.
When it comes to curating vegetarian and vegan dishes and/or menus, Mitchell reveals ACC Liverpool/Sodexo Live! only work with “reputable and forward-thinking suppliers who are thought leaders in sustainable practices.”
For example, ACC Liverpool/ Sodexo Live! works alongside Meatless Farm – a company who strives to help people reduce their meat consumption by swapping to its meat-free products. “Meatless Farm has helped us enhance our vegan-menu choices across our arena kiosks,” says Mitchell.
From September, ACC Liverpool will be the first venue within the Sodexo Live! portfolio to trial and install these Meatless Farm kiosks. “We hope that if someone is in the queue at the Meatless Farm kiosk, they won’t want to jump out of that queue and go to the burger kiosk – it’s all about matching what’s already out there.
“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice taste and flavour when it comes to vegetarian or vegan food. Meatless Farm is great because you really can’t taste the difference – which is a big factor in helping people swap to plant-based products,” says Mitchell.
Meatless Farm also share ACC Liverpool/Sodexo Live!’s environmental commitment.
Mitchell tells me one 400g pack of its Meatless Farm mince has just a fraction of the environmental impact of its meat counterpart.
Who leads the charge?
With so many initiatives, partnerships and accreditations available, who should be responsible for implementing them?
For Mitchell, it’s firstly the responsibility of the venue. “It’s our responsibility as a venue and as a business to make sure we have plant-based menus and options available for clients to choose from.”
Hinds agrees and says: “As a venue, we believe our role is to provide organisers with all the tools they need to make sustainable choices for their events, hospitality is a key part of that.”
Mitchell believes suppliers, organisers and clients also play a role. “It’s down to our suppliers to ensure they can provide the correct ingredients, it’s down to organisers and clients to try and reduce the environmental impact of food served at events.”
With delegates now pushing for vegetarian and vegan dishes, the time is now to show an industry wide commitment to the plant-based lifestyle and diet.
