A significant shift is set to take place at Oktoberfest 2022, as several vegan options are added to menus for what may be the first time in the event’s history.
The Munich-based beer festival is known for its meat-heavy dishes, with 435,000 chickens and 124 oxen said to be consumed each year. But change is coming — the Ochsenbraterei, a venue best known for publicly grilling oxen on a rotisserie, has hired chef Sebastian Copien to develop vegan options. With Copien’s help, the menu now features three plant-based dishes — vegan patties with potato salad, vegan bratwurst with sauerkraut, and mushroom goulash with pulled plant-based meat.
“Vegetarian and vegan diets are not a trend, but have been proven to be good for people and nature,” Ochsenbraterei landlady Antje Haberl told Suddeutsche Zeitung.
Vegan Weißwurst
This year, Oktoberfest visitors will also be able to enjoy vegan Weißwurst (white sausage) for the first time. The festival has partnered with German alt-meat brand GREENFORCE to develop the sausage, which is made from pea protein, spices, and parsley.
It took a year of R&D and a €500,000 investment to perfect the recipe. Oktoberfest host Michael Käfer previously invested in GREENFORCE in 2021.
Oktoberfest at Bundobust
Though Oktoberfest is based in Munich, other cities across the globe also celebrate the festival. In Manchester, UK, vegetarian Indian restaurant Bundobust will be offering free beer from its brewery alongside meals during the festiival. The dishes will be plant-based and Indian-inspired takes on German festival food, with examples including currywurst koftas and spiced pretzels.
Oktoberfest 2022 will take place from September 17 to October 3.
