We release in our website a conversation that took place on September 4th and was organized by EP Insights, Business in Hospitality.  “EP  is the leading communicator on business thinking and opinion in the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industry, providing a central reference point for discussion and debate on the key issues of the day” (from their website).

Talking Vegetarianism, future trends and Sustainability with

Pietro Leemann, Gabriel Eschenazi and John Creaton.

Moderator Chris Sheppardson, the founder of Chess Executive which encompasses EP Magazine and EP Business Planning as well as Chess Partnership.

Introduction by EP

Just as sustainability has grown to become a central strand in many companies strategies, so the issue of both vegetarianism and veganism is mainstream. In 2018, Just Eat noted that there had been a 98% increase in demand for vegetarian dishes and it classified veganism as a top consumer trend in 2018/19. Many operators have tripled the number of vegan meals that it does offer in response to this move. This rise in attitudes is reflected in developments in the food market, as consumers’ dietary trends catch the attention of the supply side. The current rise in veganism brings with itself a general interest to eat less meat. For many people, this will be one of the major decisions that they will make during their lives. It is a very conscious move from eating traditional diets to becoming a vegan or even just a vegetarian.

We were therefore delighted to talk to 3 leading players to learn their perspectives:

Pietro Leemann – Italy’s only Michelin Starred Vegetarian Chef. In 1989 he opened his own restaurant “Joia” in Milan–the first vegetarian restaurant in Europe to receive a Michelin star in 1996–thereby creating a new style of “natural cuisine.
Gabriel Eschenazi – Journalist and co-founder of the event The Vegetarian Chance
John Creaton – Co-founder of The Vegan Arborist. Vegan Arborist is a New Investment Portal Aiming to Unite Plant-Based Business and Individuals
An interesting conversation and well worth a listen.