The Future of Plant-Based Meal Solutions Is Sensational

On this episode, Ragnar talks with Keren Baron, Nitzan Avny and Emmanuel Lorieux about last week’s exciting webinar with Nestlé Professional.

The webinar, entitled The Future of Plant-Based Meal Solutions Is Sensational, presented the rise of the plant-based category, understanding consumers and their motivations for choosing plant-based food, and the opportunity for the out-of-home industry. This expert team also covered the key elements to drive success and guide chefs on how to get started.

Meat consumption is reducing and plant-based alternatives are booming
This is more than a trend, it’s a social shift. It’s so important that chefs stay up-to-date with both consumer demands and how to satisfy them, and perhaps even more important to understand a key root cause for the shift: the climate crisis.

The impact of meat on the environment is a concern for many, especially millennials. The next generation is adapting to safeguard the future more than any other consumer, with more than 40% of millennials adopting plant-based diets.

The world is changing, and so are menus. In this webinar, chefs explore the diverse driving factors behind choosing plant-based diets, from climate to health, animal welfare, and religion. The webinar provides a closer look into plant-based products — designed by chefs, for chefs — and provides chefs with insights to make their next steps towards a plant-based menu a success.

Participants are also awarded a digital badge and certificate to show future employers and the industry community their skill-building and to unlock new professional opportunities. The digital badge can be shared easily and instantly on social media.

You can watch the webinar below and be eligible for a digital badge, too. Viewers can view the webinar and complete a brief quiz afterwards to earn their webinar participant badge.

About the Guests

Keren Baron

Plant-Based Meal Solutions, Global Category Lead, Nestlé Professional

Keren Baron is the Plant-based Meal Solutions Global Category Lead for Nestlé Professional, based in Nestle Headquarters in Switzerland. She has 22 years of B2B and B2C food and beverage marketing experience.  Passionate about sustainable food, business development, and consumers, Keren has been working in the plant-based food category for over 15 years.  Currently, Keren is responsible for developing the Plant-based Meal Solutions strategy for the out of home business.  Her role includes having a deep understanding of the different regions and their foodservice operators and consumers, identifying innovation opportunities, and developing effective communication. 

Nitzan Avny

Plant-Based Meal Solutions, Global Brand Manager, Nestlé Professional

Nitzan Avny is a Global Brand Manager for Nestlé Professional. She has 14 years of B2B and B2C marketing experience, having worked for international companies such as SodaStream, Super-Pharm EL AL International Airlines, and Nestlé Professional. Over the past 4 years she has been responsible for the plant-based category in Israel, founding the strategy and overseeing the development for out of home products. Nitzan is passionate about developing solutions for customers thru a deep understanding of operator challenges, translating that understanding to developing tailored solutions, ensuring performance within the customer’s location so that consumers are consistently delighted when dining out.

Emmanuel Lorieux

Global Executive Chef and Global Culinary Partnership Manager, Nestlé Professional

Emmanuel Lorieux, Executive Chef for Nestlé Professional, grew up next to a restaurant in Normandy, France. He was surrounded by the sights and smells of nutritious, homemade meals. With his aspiration to travel, this also steered his career and he completed his apprenticeship at a 1-star Michelin restaurant before working as a chef in the French Army, and with Le Méridien Hotels in Paris, Abu Dhabi, Tokyo, Bora Bora, and San Diego. He is a leader in industry initiatives, including International Chefs Day, and also stresses the value in teaching children to eat well, choose good products and instill healthy eating habits.

Resources

Nestlé Professional is passionate about serving the out-of-home industry, using its global experience and know-how to help accelerate the businesses of its foodservice and hospitality industry partners. Nestlé Professional has so many resources to help hospitality professionals stay at the cutting-edge of industry trends. For more on sustainability tips and more, check out their latest issue of Nutripro: Nestlé Professional Nutrition Magazine. Read the Make it Sizzle — The New Plant-based Meat Alternatives issue here.

Nestlé Professional has also launched a new digital magazine, Planetpro, which covers a range of environmental topics that are closely tied to the foodservice industry. By sharing this information, Nestlé Professional, aims to help customers understand the sustainability and climate change challenges and help identify improvements to their businesses to reduce their environmental impact. Read the latest issue here.

For delicious plant-based menu options, get inspired with Garden Gourmet®, plant-based meat alternatives that offer a versatile choice of vegetarian and vegan products without compromise on nutrition, taste and texture. Explore the range here.

You can learn more about Chef Emmanuel our recent blog post: Meet the Chefs Who Are Championing Healthy Food for the Future on International Chefs Day and podcast episode: Healthy Food for the Future with International Chefs Day.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Keren Baron, Nitzan Avny and Emmanuel Lorieux for joining us as guests.

We also would like to express our utmost appreciation to Nestlé Professional and their entire team for their continued support of International Chefs Day, Worldchefs and the culinary community at large.

World on a Plate is supported by Nestlé Professional, making more possible.