INDIA: 2020 will go down in history as one of the most disruptive years ever, especially for the people-intensive food services sector. The Food and Beverage industry faced the worst shut period ever.
With the world entering 2021, everyone is trying to look forward to brighter times. The F&B industry also is getting back to its feet by adopting means to adhere to the new normal. The pandemic presented a challenge to people in food services who have effectively utilised the opportunity and given a new shape to the dining sector.
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Consumers also have become more careful when it comes to food choices. They talk more about healthy food and more specifically vegan food. The pandemic has also led to a surge in alternate food style demands as the consumer is seeking higher safety and hygiene measures and also seeking their food delivered. This has led to a significant change within the food industry and given rise to new ventures in the catering sector.
These developments have also forced old players to adapt to the new demands and include healthy food, and more specifically vegan food in their menus in 2021.
Vegan foods:
Vegetarian diets, i.e. food which has no meat, poultry, game, fish, or any by-products of animal slaughter have been known to exist as early as 700 B.C. Vegetarian diets include various levels of fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, nuts, and seeds and may or may not contain dairy and eggs.
A vegan diet on the other hand refers to vegetarians who avoid all animal and animal-derived products. It is seen as the strictest form of vegetarianism and is defined as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty as much as possible. The diet makes use of plant-based dairy products made of nut, grains, or pea-proteins.
The term vegan came into existence in 1944 when a small group of vegetarians broke away from the Leicester Vegetarian Society in England to form the Vegan Society and formed the term “vegan” by combining the first and last letters of “vegetarian.”
Rise of Veganism
Post COVID-19, there has been an accelerated shift to vegan eating. Plant-based foods like mock meat, cheeses, ready-to-eat protein snacks, and dairy alternatives with yogurts are on the rise. Many restaurants now have a vegan section on their menu, and caterers have also started serving vegan food.
The Supper Club, a gourmet catering service, New Delhi has experience in countless events ranging from weddings, corporate and private events, and strives to provide a seamless and stress-free experience for their clients. The Supper Club is also involved in consultancy, food delivery, bakery as well as event management.
The Supper Club is one of the city’s pioneers when it comes to creating bespoke menus for their clients with specific dietary requirements. And post-pandemic, as a company objective, Le Cordon Bleu Chef Savar Duggal, who has had a plethora of experience in the culinary world has crafted their vegan menu. His creations include dishes from across the globe, from Southeast Asia to India to Europe. There’s a signature main course of Zucchini Alla Puttanesca; celebrating the nightlife in Italy, this dish is a wholesome preparation providing all the nutrients needed post-COVID -19.
Duggal told The Transcontinental Times, “Since we create bespoke menus, most of our vegan dishes are those requested by clients. We have only added twists to each dish to help enhance flavours.”
He has also created Carrot and Ginger Sliders, a perfect combination of vegetables to delight everyone’s taste buds at a barbeque. The in-house vegan buns and beetroot pickle create a must-try burger for great eating and is exactly what you want in a burger.
They even have their kitchen divided into a Vegetarian section and a Non-vegetarian section to ensure there is no cross-contamination. For special dietary requirements, they cook the dishes after sanitising the workspace which helps them cook for those with allergies as well.
Many other caterers are also following the same trend and have started offering full theme vegan food party arrangements with cuisine at doorsteps. Everyone is busy crafting mouth-watering vegan dishes as Vegan is the new Trend and people are adopting veganism.
