Beyond meat

The food industry is shifting away from carnivorous diets and is seeing an inclination towards veganism

For the past few years, veganism has undoubtedly been on the rise. Based on the most recent United Nations study, the world population in 2021 is estimated at 7.9 billion. Therefore, the total number of vegans in the world was recorded at approximately 79 million by January 2021. Once considered a fringe notion, the idea of eliminating all animal products from one’s diet is rapidly becoming mainstream, whether for one’s health, to protect the environment, or for the sake of the animals.

Vegan for a reason

The term ‘vegan’ was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, co-founder of ‘The Vegan Society’. Initially, the term was used to describe non-dairy vegetarians. Later, the transition from vegetarians to vegans was accelerated by the global movement —Veganuary Month.

Veganaury month was launched in the UK in January 2014 to encourage non-vegans to try out the lifestyle of vegans. Often referred to as a lifestyle and not a diet, veganism aim to reduce the suffering of animals, help the planet and improve global health by not eating any animal products, such as meat, dairy, or eggs and also by abstaining from contributing to animal exploitation such as honey production, the creation of leather goods and the industrial farming of animals.

The concept

With the rise in the health movement globally and UAE, Just Vegan launched its first vegan-only joint in April 2021, in Dubai. The concept behind the restaurant takes us back to the year 2017 when it was born in the US, with its presence in North America, Europe, UK, having the Brands Master Franchise operating in UAE for several years. Just Vegan stand as the largest vegan brand in the UAE today, with multiple outlets and team members and serving a vegan and flexitarian audience. The concept behind Just Vegan was undeniably a compassionate attempt at showing people the power of fresh produce vegan cuisine in being delicious, colourful and healthy. As an idea, veganism is growing in popularity and visibility, which has led the research up by 92 per cent worldwide.

Plant-based revolution

The demand for plant-based food is showing continuous growth. It has been a long-time coming, and now with both social and environmental concerns over meat consumption, companies are adapting to the changing times. With accessibility to ingredients, recipes and different cuisines, Just Vegan has conceptualised the idea of ‘veganising the dishes’. The brand is living up to its name and has managed to set up a theme of ‘everyone can eat differently’, without compromising on taste. Just Vegan is catering plant-based dishes to satiate the taste buds of masses and not just the vegans. To appeal to the taste of people exploring the vegan option, the brand claims to be a 100 per cent plant-based restaurant that is known for veganising meaty dishes like Shawarmas, Shish Tawouk, Pizza, Cheese and Bacon, and more.

anam@khaleejtimes.com