Starting July 1, 2025, Austria will introduce a vegetarian and vegan culinary apprenticeship program. A draft regulation from Austria’s Ministry of Economy and Labor regarding this culinary training was already prepared in June 2024. Austrian Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) has now officially announced the publication of the regulation, marking a significant milestone for the hospitality industry.
Vegan Society Austria welcomes the Vegetarian Apprenticeship
“Austria can be proud: with 5% of the population identifying as vegan, the country leads Europe and is now a global trailblazer in meat-free culinary education,” said Felix Hnat, Chairman of the Vegan Society Austria.
The society’s years of advocacy have paid off. Through its Vegucation project, over 300 instructors have been trained as vegan-certified chefs. Lisa Klein, Vegucation project manager, is confident: “Our 43 partner vocational schools have demonstrated the strong demand and expertise in plant-based cuisine over recent years. This apprenticeship is the logical next step!”
Austria develops curriculum for the first vegetarian-vegan culinary apprenticeship
Details are still emerging about the new apprenticeship, dubbed “Fachkraft für vegetarische Kulinarik” (“Specialist in Vegetarian Cuisine”). Currently, teaching materials, curricula, and practical training plans are being developed for what will be the world’s first vegetarian-vegan culinary apprenticeship.
Whether the training will be fully plant-based remains to be seen. An expert group will soon be convened to further refine the program.
This bold move reinforces Austria’s leadership in plant-based innovation, setting a global precedent for integrating vegan and vegetarian principles into professional culinary training.
