Sustainable and plant-based eating is more popular than ever. Restaurateurs who respond to this trend not only with vegan dishes and side dishes, but also by introducing vegan baked goods, benefit from many happy guests. Find out how to get started with vegan pastries in your gastronomic business and how to attract your guests' attention to the new offer.
Demand for vegan food is on the rise
In recent years, the number of vegans and vegetarians in Germany has grown steadily. Currently, about two million Germans eat vegan and another ten million vegetarian. At least the same number of people are flexitarians, which means they consciously limit their consumption of meat and animal foods and occasionally integrate vegan days into their daily routine. In addition, 71% of consumers occasionally choose to purchase vegan foods such as plant-based milk alternatives or meat substitutes out of curiosity. So for gastronomy, a vegan offering has great potential.
Besides vegan main dishes, vegan baked goods are becoming more and more trendy. Many bakeries have already expanded their range to include vegan bread, rolls and pastries. In view of the high demand, it is now time also for gastronomic businesses to add vegan baked goods to their menu. Especially in big cities with many young people and students, social change and a rethinking towards more sustainable consumption is more prevalent than ever.
Establishing vegan baked goods in gastronomy
In order to successfully establish vegan baked goods in your restaurant, it is important to take a structured approach. Start with just a few products and see how they are appreciated by your guests. If the demand is high, the offer can be gradually expanded.
Labeling and marketing of vegan baked goods
If you want to put vegan products on your restaurant menu, it is important to clearly label them accordingly. This can be easily done with the declaration "vegan" or with a small pictogram right next to the food. You should also promote your vegan baked goods broadly to make your customers aware of the new offering and to attract new potential guests. Provide detailed information about the vegan baked goods and food on your website and social media channels, and use local ads to increase your reach.
Making vegan baked goods yourself or buying them?
If you want to offer your guests vegan bread, rolls or pastries, the question is whether to bake them yourself or buy them. Especially if you're just starting out, making your own vegan baked goods comes with a few challenges. It requires a lot of expertise, finesse and experience. While bread and rolls are often naturally vegan or can be easily veganized, the preparation of vegan pastries such as cakes, pies, muffins, donuts or cookies requires a significant amount of extra work.
Purchasing and processing vegan ingredients comes with some requirements and also affects the taste, texture and appearance of the pastry. For vegan pastries, butter can be replaced by margarine, and oat, soy, coconut, rice milk or other milk alternatives are used instead of cow's milk. The most difficult part is to find a suitable egg substitute. For the dough, applesauce, banana or special egg substitute products can be used, for example.
In the busy daily routine of gastronomy, the production of vegan baked goods can lead to increased effort and cause problems because special technical skills are required. Moreover, when baking, even small deviations from the recipe can cause the result not to turn out as desired. For these reasons, it may be preferable in the beginning to purchase vegan pastries from bakeries or to rely on ready-to-sell products. In this way, you can always ensure the high quality of your vegan baked goods and convince your guests of the new offer. An appealing presentation of your vegan pastry is also important, of course. Textile bread baskets can be easily filled with any baked specialties as a side dish or for brunch and reused sustainably.
