Future in the present

This year the event focused on the HoReCa sector and Csaba Péntek, founder of the Vegan Business Circle welcomed participants.

Ervin Nagy, president the National Association of Plant Based Food Manufacturers and Distributors (NÉGYOSZ) talked about the fundamental goals of the organisation, its activities and some of its interesting projects. Their main job is to raise awareness of plant-based alternatives in Hungarian society, and to represent the interests of plant-based food producers and distributors in the Hungarian legal system.

A moderated discussion followed, with the owners of three vegan restaurants as the participants – Márton Nagy (Vegan Garden), Dr Anita Árvai (Veganeeta) and Béla Paál (Little Padlizsán). They talked about the problems they faced when starting their businesses and compared their initial ideas with their achievements.

István Bruzsa, food sales manager of Nestlé Professional, Zoltán Kovács, owner-creative chef of the Budapest restaurant Napfényes, and Eszter Kiss-Szabó, head of communications at Felelős Gasztrohős discussed the preferences, operation and menu of an environmentally conscious restaurant serving vegetarian/vegan food.

György Takács, the co-owner of Madhouse Budapest explained how one of the most original figures in the Budapest craft beer scene has become a vegetarian, and how he is shaping the menu and prices along the lines of this fact.

Kristóf Steiner and Gianni Annoni – the vegan and the meat eater – had a good conversation, with the most interesting dilemma being the acceptability of meat substitutes. //