Veganism is on the rise, but its popularity varies from country to country. According to a European study by ProVeg International, consumers are showing a significant shift towards plant-based foods across the continent.
“The Dutch are once again leading the way when it comes to their interest in cutting back on meat and eating plant-based foods,” says the report.
In another report by the international cooking website Chef’s Pencil in 2020, Amsterdam was labelled as the fifth-best city in the world for vegans. The market for meat replacement is surging in the Netherlands.
We have listed a few Amsterdam-based startups that are promoting Veganism as the country embraces a plant-based diet.
The Dutch Weed burger
Founder/s: Lisette Kreischer and Mark Kulsdom
The Dutch Weed Burger is an Amsterdam-based online shop that offers a wide range of products, like weed burgers, weed balls, sea-nuggets, and sea-wharma.
The food company is a spin-off from the founders’ eponymous documentary, in which they search for the best recipes to bring seaweed to the mainstream public.
The company uses seaweed that grows in the Dutch Eastern Scheldt and is picked by hand on the sustainable seaweed farm of the company Zeewaar.
Earlier this year, LIVEKINDLY Collective, a New York-based plant-based company, acquired The Dutch Weed Burger to expand its plant-based portfolio with seaweed.
Magioni
Founder/s: Manon Essen
Magioni is an Amsterdam-based pizza restaurant chain that bakes healthy and delicious pizzas with more vegetables and fewer calorie toppings.
Karma Kebab
Founder/s: Marcel van der Heijden, Pascal Labrie, and Hidde Stolwijk
Karma Kebab makes vegetable kebabs from celeriac and grains grown in the Netherlands. The company is on a mission to become the largest and most sustainable kebab brand in the world.
Willicroft
Founder/s: Brad Vanstone
Willicroft provides plant-based cheese for dairy cheese lovers. The company has created a variety of plant-based cheese products and claims they taste like the real thing. The company aims to innovate to reduce its carbon footprint and help the dairy industry change more sustainably.
Bataat
Founder/s: NA
Bataat (previously Beter en Leuk) offers dishes that are not only vegan but also largely gluten-free. The emphasis is on homemade pure food using organic, seasonal, and local ingredients. They also sell sustainable clothing and gifts.
Seamore
Founder/s: Willem Sodderland
Seamore turns seaweed into everyday food. The company from Amsterdam presents seaweed as a tasty, healthy, and sustainable alternative to foods like pasta, bacon, wraps, and bread. The company aims to bring them to market in Europe and other countries.