A plant-based butcher shop called Bezmasna, claimed to be the first in Prague, has opened its doors in the Czech capital as demand for plant-based products continues to grow.
Located in the city’s Letná district, the store offers fresh, high-quality meat alternatives in recyclable or returnable packaging. It aims to provide plant-based versions of Czech classics such as meatloaf, cold cuts, and deli salads, many of which are not available elsewhere.
Additionally, customers can enjoy vegan versions of traditional Czech sandwiches (“chlebíček”), or request one of the ready-made products, such as meatloaf, in a bun. The meat alternatives are said to be made without harmful artificial additives or ingredients that have been imported long distances.
“We will continuously change our offer. Consumers can also look forward to seasonal menus and specials for important Czech holidays,” says Diana Kahleová, Bezmasna’s co-founder. “In the future, we plan to establish cooperation with vegan and non-vegan restaurants that want to expand their offer with meat-free dishes. At the same time, they would like to bring their products closer to people through distribution to various shops and catering for various events.”
Plant-based butchers thrive
Vegan butcher shops are a fast-growing phenomenon worldwide; for example, plant-based meat brand Heura recently announced it would be opening an itinerant plant-based butcher in France, in the wake of the closure of several traditional butchers. Meanwhile, German vegan butcher shop Die Vegane Fleischerei — which already has three stores — recently launched a crowdfunding campaign with the aim of scaling up its production. In February, Spanish vegan butcher El Vegans announced the opening of its first branch in Málaga, after previously opening locations in several Catalonian cities.
Some of these stores have attracted controversy, with locals objecting to the use of the term “butcher” for a vegan store or the use of meat-like names for plant-based products. But Nils Steiger, co-founder of Die Vegane Fleischerei, has disputed claims that this is confusing for consumers.
“If a customer wants to buy something that tastes like a salami, has a texture like a salami, and looks like a salami, then it is obvious to me to call the product ‘vegan salami’,” he said last year. “If the product were called a ‘vegetable stick’, the consumer would not have much of an idea of what we are selling.”
