V for Vegan

Veganism is one of the fast growing global consumer trends. Forbes predicts vegan is the new business. More and more millennials are becoming conscious about ethical eating and responsible buying. Ankita J Sharma spoke to Preeti Kapasi, an FEA member who owns vegan brand- The Vedic Kitchen in Ahmedabad, about why and how food entrepreneurs can become more vegan-friendly and cater to the growing numbers who are opting to eat plant-based food for ethical, nutritional or environmental reasons.

Do you think that there will be a growing demand for Vegan friendly
restaurants in India over the years?

The shift towards veganism in India is growing at an unprecedented rate. An increasing number of India’s youth is now talking about issues like animal rights, sustainability, health issues and ethical eating. The global increase in the number of vegans has led to restaurants and supermarkets catering to this demand, offering more vegan options. While it is difficult to quantify the number of vegans in India because of the lack of formal studies, a study by Ipsos MORI in 2016 for the Vegan Society found that Britain’s vegan population had increased from 150,000 to 542,000 in the space of a decade. Against the 360 per cent increase in the vegan population of the United Kingdom in just a decade, the figures for the United States of America is even more dramatic: there are 600 percent more vegans in 2017 than there were in 2014. In India too, a recent article on a website run by Franchise India Holdings Limited pegs the recent rise at 360 percent.

The New Diet System popularized by Mr BV Chavan has convinced many to shun dairy products for better health and disease reversals. Many doctors and nutritionists are also recommending diets free of dairy and meat to their patients. In Ahmedabad, Dr AlpaYagnik is a practicing naturopathy doctor who is a vegan herself. FEA members
will remember her talk at Madhurya and the Earth Fest.

How should Indian restaurants cater to the growing demand for vegan food?

Many Indian dishes are by default made without any milk products, eggs or honey, and every restaurant already has some of these on their menu that a vegan can choose from. Vegetarian food is already denoted by a green dot hence Vegan identification needs something different. The V with a leaf is a very visual depiction that the product is 100% plant-based unlike vegetarian food which may have milk or honey.

These are some suggestions that food entrepreneurs can follow:

* Identify vegan-friendly dishes on your menu and mark them with a V and a leaf.
* Identify any dishes that can be `veganised’ – for example using oil
instead of ghee, and mark those on the menu (like many restaurants show that a dish is available as a Jain option).
*Mention in a footnote, `ask for vegan options’.

Together with adding vegan options, it is important to make the frontline and kitchen staff aware about catering to vegans and other special dietary needs. It is not only ethical vegans who ask for plant-based options,but also for example individuals who are lactose intolerant or those advised a dairy-and- meat free diet by their doctors and nutritionists. Any mistakes in understanding and making food for such diners have serious medical implications.

Another option for restaurants is to have a separate vegan menu covering a few items from each course.

But, it is imperative to train staff to minimize human error in serving a vegan client.

In which cities of India do you think there is potential for food
entrepreneurs to start vegan-friendly restaurants?

Pune and Bengaluru are cities that are leading the vegan food market in India. Spiritual destinations like Auroville and Dharamshala are top vegan travel destinations with entirely vegan cafes or cafes and restaurants that have options for vegan clients across cuisine. Goa with its high concentration of foreign tourists has also seen a spurt in vegan eateries. The same is true of other destinations frequented by international travelers in Rajasthan and North India.

Delhi and Mumbai have increasing vegan options in existing restaurants as well as spate of dedicated vegan eateries. White Cub is a dairy-free ice-cream brand which offers soya milk based ice-cream. I foresee that every top-tier city will have to soon catch up on offering dedicated vegan options using dairy and meat alternatives – the younger set of vegans will demand its vegan-friendly pizzas, pasta, burgers, chaats, curd dishes, ice creams, mithais,patisserie, bakery options besides dal makhni, malai kofta and Kadhi.

Ahmedabad has seen growing awareness among restaurants about vegan dishes, thanks to its activists working on ground level. From within vegan circles I see such growing awareness about vegan food in Vadodara, Gandhidham, Surat, Bhopal, Indore, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Jammu, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and other cities.

Which vegan food enterprises do you consider to be great role models of balancing ethical beliefs or catering to special dietary needs with economic viability?

Goodmylk based out of Bengaluru is a plant-based milk alternative brand – it has made plant based food affordable and accessible to people. It has proven that eliminating dairy from diet makes food more affordable not more expensive, contrary to popular belief that vegan is expensive and elitist. Goodmylk product range encompasses vegan
curd, butter, milk and mayonnaise till date.

Udaipur-based food tech startup Good Dot produces plant-based food for the Indian market, specialising in mock-meat or packaged –vegan meat substitutes for curries, biryanis, tikkas and so forth. The promoters have also opened a chain of affordable QSR outlets named GoodDo. They have ambitious expansion plans after receiving stupendous support from the market.

Mumbai-based food startup, Wegan Foods had raised an undisclosed amount in funding from UAE Princess, Her Highness SheikhaArwa Al Qassimi. It will soon launch a range of healthy, dairy-free, pantry staples for the growing vegan community in India.

White Cub from the Delhi-NCR region offers an extensive range of vegan ice creams and other non-dairy products. It has opened its own exclusive parlours as well as retailing through big brands in metros.

There are many more such companies on local and national level, which are making deep inroads into plant based food market.

Is it become easier to find vegan restaurants in India?

Rare Earth, Earth Café, Earthlings Café, Imagine Café, Burma Burma and Aharveda are some of the top places for vegan food in Mumbai. In Ahmedabad, Sante Spa, The Vegan Kitchen, Instaa Fresh, Parosa, LolloRosso, Flipstones, RoasteryCultur and Terra are preferred dining destinations for vegans. I remember three years back there was almost no awareness about plant-based options in Ahmedabad other than the erstwhile vegan restaurant- The Philosophy Club. But today most restaurants are willing to tweak a dish once we explain to them what we can eat. Its only lack of clarity on what is vegan that holds them back from making a vegan menu. Most of the people I have spoken to in the industry say they are aware about adulteration in dairy industry but consumer demand compels them to serve paneer, cheese and mayo laden food. Changing consumer shift to plant-based foods will see them introduce more vegan friendly options. Those who are making the effort already to understand what makes a dish vegan and launch plant-based options will enjoy a beginners or early mover advantage.Happy Cow had more than 1200 vegan/vegan friendly listings and constantly rising.

While there are enough options in Indian cuisines for vegans, the millennial vegan is looking for global options – vegan pizza,pasta, vegan burger, vegan dahi chaats, and restaurants should start launching those soon.

Are Indians become more aware about vegan foods at large?

One of the most telling signs of changing attitudes in India is the government’s willingness to put veganism out there. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a poster as part of its #EatRightIndia campaign, encouraging the people of India to embrace a plant-based diet for better health and to fight climate
change. More recently, the Ministry of AYUSH also pushed people in the direction of veganism, asking people to take part in Veganuary.

Tell us about your own enterprise, The Vedic kitchen? What are its
specialities and unique selling propositions?

The Vedic Kitchen was born from my passion to create not only plant based dairy and meat alternatives but to also offer healthier eating option to people of Ahmedabad. We offer palm oil free snacks, focused on options which were free from processed oil, sugar or flours.

The activities could be broadly categorized into:
* Consulting F&B industry for special need food like plant based,
gluten free etc., encompassing menu planning, recipe creation,
training and support
* Workshops on plant based foods and growing your own food
* Range of roasted snacks free from palm oil
* Dairy alternatives on order – mylk, curd, cheeze, butter, ghee and mayonnaise
* Meat alternatives for party orders

The aim of the company has been to enable people to become not only vegan but also opt for healthier options, where possible.

Anything vegan, we do it.