Paperjam.lu

Pit Weber is on a mission to normalize vegan cuisine in the grand duchy. Photo: Mike Zenari  

Pit Weber, on a quest to introduce vegan cuisine to the mainstream, wanted to add to his two existing vegan restaurants by creating a more laid-back concept that would focus on plant-based snacks and drinks rather than full meals. “The idea was to create a day-time coffee place and nighttime bar in parallel to our restaurant, Beet,” he said.

He and his team took a risk, opening their new vegan coffee place amid the pandemic. A bold step during a crisis which has forced many businesses to their knees, particularly given that the concept of vegan alternatives is still somewhat obscure to the wider public.

But Pit is driven by his passion for plant-based nutrition and sees big things on the horizon for veganism in the upcoming months. “We won’t just see a growing demand in specific vegan restaurants, but it is becoming a thing in the entire [hospitality] sector. And I think we can’t just talk about veganism and vegan cuisine as a trend anymore. By now we are talking much more about a lifestyle, and you can see it in all levels of society, it’s not about one specific group of people anymore. And I think, as a society, that helps us to become much more receptive.”

Since opening his first restaurant, Beet, in 2015, the clientele has shifted, he says, becoming much more heterogenous as more people--be they  vegan, vegetarian or omnivore--want to branch out.

“The future for vegan cuisine is really about integrating it into the norm, so moving away from this forced idea of 'I am going to a vegan restaurant today' and towards just going to a restaurant, without specifically having to think of it as being special because its vegan,” Pit says.

Accordingly, he is using the new year to continue experimenting with new products and dishes, hoping to, in the near future, further expand his vegan business to different parts of the country. “Seed has shown us that there is a huge demand for vegan coffee places. We are trying to test new things, mix up the menu a little and it seems to work, because the demand has definitely been there.”

A version of this article was originally published in Delano’s January 2021 edition. Be the first to read the magazine by subscribing for home or office delivery here.