A VEGETARIAN WALKS INTO A RESTAURANT …

A vegetarian walks into a restaurant – sounds like the beginning of a joke. Anyway …

A vegetarian walks into a restaurant, but there’s nothing on the menu they can eat. So, the restaurant doesn’t get any of the vegetarian’s money, which gets spent elsewhere. Call it £25, because 3 courses is too long to be in a restaurant on your own, and you really don’t need a pudding – well okay, you do, but that means no starter. #DontJudgeMe.

The no-veggie restaurant owner shrugs.

But usually people go to restaurants with other people …

A vegetarian and their meat-loving, dyed-in-the-wool carnivore friend walk into a restaurant, but there’s nothing on the menu for the vegetarian to eat, so the vegetarian and their friend leave, and they spend their money elsewhere. Call it £60, because the carnivore likes a large Cabernet Sauvignon with their so-bloody-it’s-still-mooing steak. #DontJudgeTheCarnivore #WellMaybeALittle.

The no-veggie restaurant owner shrugs.

But often people go out in groups …

A vegetarian and five never-had-a-chunk-of-tofu-in-their-lives-and-don’t-intend-to-start-any-time-soon friends walk into a restaurant, but there’s nothing on the menu for the vegetarian to eat. So, the cash gets spent elsewhere. Call it £200, although we all know it’ll be more: drinks for a larger bunch will push that bill up (a lot); and everyone likes nachos, so let’s order a few rounds of that while the menu gets perused; and come on, everyone wants pudding! And/or cocktails. #MostlyAnd #DontJudgeUs.

Is the no-veggie restaurant owner still shrugging?

Maybe. But should they be?

It’s estimated (on the low side) that 7% of people in the UK are vegetarian/vegan. That’s about 3.25million people.

And they’ve all got friends.

Kind of makes a compelling case for catering for vegetarians/vegans.

Yeah, but it’s only 7%. There are still plenty of carnivores out there.

Correct.

But according to recent research, 25% (in old money, A QUARTER) of ALL evening meals in the UK are vegetarian or vegan.

Clearly there’s a market for vegetarian/vegan food, and, at a time when profit margins for restaurants are tight, it makes sense for restaurants to include vegetarian/vegan dishes* on their menus. Crikey, even the carnivores like the stuff!

* not uninspiring pasta (you know, the stuff you knock up in 10 minutes for the kids because The Chase/Pointless is about to start) or boring bloody risotto (stodgy carbs = yum #JustToBeClearThatWasASarcasticYum).

And that’s the gist of the talk I’ll be giving at the International Gastronomy Tourism Workshop in Alexandroupoli in Greece on 27 September.

My talk is called “Why over 3 million Brits will avoid spending money with you – and what you can do to change that.”

Photos (and recipes) to follow.

Here’s the event website: www.foodtourismapieceofcake.com

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chantal Cooke is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster with a passion for the planet. In 2002 she co-founded the award-winning radio station PASSION for the PLANET and in 2009 Chantal was awarded London Leader in Sustainability status. Chantal also runs a successful communications agency – Panpathic Communications.