Consumers are increasingly turning to meatless alternatives when grilling. “We’re noticing that vegetarian food is on the rise,” said Oliver Sievers, President of the German Barbecue Association (GBA), on the occasion of the German Barbecue Championships in Fulda.
In addition, customers would increasingly pay attention to the sustainability of grilled goods. This is confirmed by a study by the market research institute GfK, according to which the demand for plant-based barbecue alternatives increased in the first five months of 2022. Compared to the same period last year, sales of meat substitutes for grilling grew by nine percent, and sales of grilled cheese rose by one percent.
Meatless grilled food was also a topic at the grill and BBQ championship in Fulda in East Hesse. After a two-year Corona break, the championship took place again on Saturday and Sunday, and the participants in the professional category were also supposed to prepare a vegetarian dish. 31 teams from all over Germany were registered. Prize money totaling 11,300 euros awaited the winners.
The winners were chosen late Sunday afternoon. Among the pros, defending champion Michael Hoffmann and his GutGlut team from Rösrath near Cologne convinced the jury – ahead of the Real Smoke BBQ team from Stuttgart and the BBQ-Wieseln from Bochum. In the amateurs team manager Maja Weigt won with GreenHeartBBQ (from Langewiesen, a district of Ilmenau in Thuringia).
