Last year, plant-based meat substitutes soared 87% in sales at restaurants, according to data from Buyers Edge Platform, a restaurant supply chain company that relies on technology to help restaurants drive sales. Buyers Edge supplies more than 20,000 restaurant customers with ingredients, and looking at 2018 to 2019, the jump in cases of meat substitutes has been remarkable.
“2019 really was the year when meat substitutes went from items that were placed on a menu to satisfy a certain constituency to something restaurants can use to drive traffic and sales,” said Buyers Edge Platform President Christina Donahue. “Operators found that demand went far beyond just the hard-core vegetarians and vegans to people who wanted to try something unique and different … and delicious.”
Quality meat alternatives paired with the deft touch of a creative chef lead to the sweet spot. Or should we say the savory spot.
Check out these four meatless menu items.
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