We all have someone around us looking for a greener diet. As recently as 2022, a study conducted by iVOX on meat consumption among Belgians showed that 4 in 10 meat eaters wanted to eat less meat in the future. But what is really happening two years later? As we celebrate vegetarianism on October 1, we wondered if the number of vegetarians was still increasing and if the offerings in restaurants met consumers’ expectations.
Vegetarianism in Europe
Whether for ethical, environmental or health reasons, there are many reasons to stop eating meat, but in reality, it is clear that people eating meat are still in the majority. According to a study conducted by Statista as part of Consumer Insights, only 12% of Belgians say they control their meat consumption by following a flexitarian diet, i.e. a dietary practice which consists of favoring a vegetarian diet while allowing themselves to occasionally consume meat or fish.
Still according to this study, we see that the number of Belgians who eat meat and fish every day continues to decrease, yet 68% of Belgians say they are omnivores. As for the rest of Europe, Portugal and Germany are good students in this area, where around one in five people say they are flexitarian, and we find more than a quarter of flexitarian people, particularly in Greece where this regime seems particularly appeal to the population. “In Greece, it is true that we eat a lot of meat, but also a lot of squid and alternatives to meat, like falafel”confirms Laurent, at the head of the restaurant chain, Greek and Potatoes, a Greek fast food franchise based in Brussels since the beginning of 2023 and in Charleroi since November 2023 with two other addresses which are planned for this end of the year in other Belgian cities.
“When we opened our first restaurant, it’s true that we didn’t plan to only offer meat, because there’s a real demand to have vegetarian options.” Moreover, with us, vegetarian options represent around 25% of our sales.”
Laurent, founder of Greek & Potatoes
Because here, the concept is quite basic: you compose your own bowl or bread and you opt for either gyros, squid or vegetables, falafel or halloumi. The customer thus has the choice between 7 different recipes and is free to compose his plate according to his preferences and desires. For the owner of the brand, it was therefore obvious to adapt to this ever-increasing demand, even if he recognizes by his own admission that in general, people come to him above all to eat meat.
The best vegetarian burger in Brussels?
Same story for La Meute, the HQ for quality meat lovers since 2017 in Brussels and since 2022 in Waterloo. The address, which offers its menu around meat at a time when vegetarian and vegan concepts continue to multiply, has made the crazy bet of daring to focus on the quality of its products rather than quantity. “90% of our meat comes from Belgian and Dutch pastures, and we pay particular attention to the traceability of our products,” explains Jim, one of the founders of the restaurant. On the menu therefore: beef available in all sauces, a rib on the bone, a Holstein steak and between the American and the Irish strip steak, a burger. veggie! A heresy for meat eaters and a lure for vegetarians.
However, faced with an ever-increasing demand for alternatives to meat, even in an establishment that fully accepts only offering meat, it was obvious that it was necessary to offer a vegetarian alternative. “We surprisingly have a lot of vegetarians who come to our restaurant and it was important for us to offer them a qualitative and generous alternative in line with the rest of our menu.”
A burger which has the reputation of being as tasty as a classic meat burger, both in terms of taste and texture. A secret that Jim and his team try to preserve as best they can: “We have always had a very good reputation for our burger because each food we put in it is meticulously chosen. We really wanted to offer a burger that would appeal to consumers visually and taste-wise.” added Jim.
The beef steak has been replaced here by a steak made from pea proteins and a mixture of potatoes, potato starch, cereals, bamboo, and finally apple, coconut oil. coconut and rapeseed. These last two ingredients provide the fat and make it possible to reproduce a texture similar to that of meat.
So, if in Belgium the proportion of the population which adopts a strictly vegetarian diet is still in the minority, it continues to progress and therefore always pushes restaurateurs to reinvent their dishes to meet demand.
