There has been a long debate about whether every apprentice chef in Austria should be able to fry a schnitzel and prepare roast pork. Now it is certain: from 2025 there will be the option for meat-free cooking students.
After parts of the hospitality industry and worker representatives opposed it, it will now be implemented through regulation, the Greens announced on Thursday. There is a reflection period of four weeks in advance.
Double internship as “meat chef” possible
The apprenticeship period must be three years and a double apprenticeship with traditional culinary training must also be possible. The start of education is scheduled for early 2025.
“The training profession ‘vegetarian kitchen’ in the catering industry combines elements of the traditional training profession of chef and adapts them to the current reality of life. In this way we respond to the needs and wishes of the companies and of course also of the students,” emphasizes Elisabeth Götze, business spokesperson for the Greens.
Plant-based alternatives in demand
We have certainly kept up with the times in the implementation of the lessons offered. Although Austrians are still heavy meat eaters, consumption has fallen significantly over the past five years.
More and more people are choosing a vegetarian and vegan diet. According to statistics from the Vegan Society of Austria, about 15 percent of Austrians are already vegetarian or vegan.
The number of so-called flexitarians, i.e. people who consciously avoid meat and only consume animal products on rare occasions, has also increased. According to Statistics Austria, per capita consumption of plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat products has soared, with 32 percent saying they would consume them several times a week by 2023.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
