Organisers of a Heritage Day braai in support of plant-based meat alternatives are confident that they have broken an “unofficial world record” for the largest vegan barbecue. More than 1 200 plant-based burgers were braaied as part of the event hosted by ProVeg South Africa, a local food awareness non-profit.
In a release issued this morning, ProVeg South Africa says it recently found itself “right in the centre of the so-called veggie burger ban-debate.” This, after the Johannesburg High Court granted an interim interdict in August 2022 which protects meat analogue and other plant-based products from being seized from any point of sale in Mzansi.
The department of agriculture, land reform and rural development has, however, reiterated that companies should not use product names prescribed for processed meat products in the marketing of plant-based foods.
While health, the environment, and animal welfare are the benefits most commonly associated with the meat-free movements, ProVeg believes tasteis also a big benefit. To demonstrate this, it hosted a plant-based braai on Saturday, 24 September.
According to Proveg, the previous record was set in 2018 by The Fry Family Food Co. where they aimed to hand out 1 000 plant-based burgers in Birmingham, England.
“What makes breaking this informal record very special, is that this was a record achieved by a community of brands, like Infinite Foods, Fry’s, Woolworths, Urban Vegan, Outcast Foods, Veggiewors, B-well, Pesto Princess, and many more, who all believe in a common cause and not just a PR opportunity,” Donovan Will, ProVeg South Africa’s country director, says.
“Next year we’re excited to have more partners on board and break the record again.”
The plant-based Heritage Day braai has been an annual instalment for the local branch of the international food awareness organisation ProVeg International since 2018.
“This event allows us to prove to non-vegans that a braai can be just as delicious if it’s plant-based. This way it is also better for the environment and animals,” Will adds.
Rebecca Espin, ProVeg South Africa events assistant, escribed it as “an amazing event that showcased the wide range of remarkable plant-based products available as well as a diverse multicultural range of people who are interested in attending and supporting plant-based events.”
“How incredible it was to see the plant-based community come together so beautifully for this important event,” says Genevieve Cutts, head of global PR and communications for The Live Kindly Co., which includes The Fry Family Food Co. and Oumph!.
“Now more than ever we need to show South Africa how delicious, versatile and mainstream plant-based foods are – and a mammoth braai like this was the perfect way to do that. We were honoured to be a part of it.”
