Emirates to cater 300 vegan recipes as plant-based dining sees 40% increase

As the interest in Veganuary continues to grow globally, Emirates is responding to a 40% increase in customer demand for plant-based meals. In 2024, the airline plans to introduce a variety of new vegan dishes onboard and in lounges, expanding its existing ‘vegan vault’ containing over 300 curated plant-based recipes.

Emirates’ Vegan Culinary Highlights:

• In 2023, Emirates rotated more than 300 vegan recipes across 140 destinations, up from 180 recipes in 2022.
• The airline served over 450,000 plant-based meals onboard in 2023, a significant increase from the 280,000 served in 2022.
• Vegan meal consumption has grown 40% year on year, with certain regions like Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East experiencing additional increases.
• Economy Class witnessed the most significant surge in the consumption of vegan meals.
• Emirates Cabin Crew, since 2018, have also embraced a plant-based diet with vegan meals introduced for them.

The Vegan Experience in every Class:

• In Economy class, passengers can enjoy dishes like chickpea crepe, tofu tikka masala, and chickpea kale stew with parsley pilaf rice.
• Premium Economy offers options like jackfruit curry, squash chestnut stew, chocolate tofu cheesecake, and raspberry parfait.
• Business class features roasted cauliflower with ancient grains, Asian tofu ragout, tropical coconut pineapple cake, and more.
• First class passengers indulge in dishes such as creamy polenta cake, aubergine curry, rhubarb strawberry charlotte, and warm chocolate fondant.

Emirates plans to launch new vegan main courses, snacks like fruit muffins and vegan pizza, and delightful desserts like chocolate pecan cake and pistachio raspberry later this year.

Vegan options can be pre-ordered or directly ordered in First Class and are available across all classes of travel on Emirates flights. The airline sources high-quality vegan ingredients globally, including products from brands like Beyond Meat, Linnolat, MeisterMarken, Pantai, and Koita.

Also read: Emirates airlines reveals ‘most watched and listened to’ content in the sky

Emirates has a longstanding history of serving vegan meals since the 1990s, primarily on specific routes due to religious or cultural practices. The growing popularity of vegan dishes on various routes led to the introduction of a gourmet vegan menu in 2022 for First and Business Class passengers, providing more choices for those following a vegan lifestyle or seeking healthy meal options while traveling.

Also read: Emirates secures top honours at 2023 World Travel Awards

Veganuary is an annual challenge run by a UK nonprofit organisation that promotes and educates about veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the month of January. Since the event began in 2014, participation has increased each year. 400,000 people signed up to the 2020 campaign.