No obligation to fry

Milestone: meatless cooking apprenticeship to start in 2025

It has long been debated whether every apprentice chef in Austria really needs to be able to bread a schnitzel and prepare roast pork. Now it's a done deal: from 2025, there will be the option of a meat-free chef apprenticeship.

The Green Party announced on Thursday that it will now be implemented by decree after some sections of the catering industry and employee representatives opposed it. There is still a four-week review period beforehand.

Double apprenticeship as a "meat chef" possible
The apprenticeship should last three years, and it should also be possible to do a double apprenticeship with conventional chef training. The apprenticeship is to start at the beginning of 2025.

"The 'vegetarian cuisine' apprenticeship in gastronomy combines elements of the traditional chef apprenticeship and adapts them to the current realities of life. In doing so, we are responding to the needs and wishes of businesses and, of course, apprentices," emphasized Elisabeth Götze, the Greens' spokesperson for the economy.

Plant-based alternatives in demand
The implementation of the apprenticeship program is definitely in tune with the times. Even though Austrians are still big meat eaters, it is clear that consumption has decreased significantly over the last five years. 

More and more people are opting for a vegetarian and vegan diet. According to statistics from the Vegan Society Austria, around 15 percent of Austrians are already vegetarian or vegan. 

There has also been an increase in the number of so-called flexitarians, i.e. people who consciously avoid meat and only consume animal products on rare occasions. According to Statistics Austria, per capita consumption of plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat products has increased massively, with 32% stating that they consume them several times a week in 2023.