Ground against traditionally creationist options is beginning to gain ground against vegetarianism: according to a survey, over 40% of Greeks still frequently (up to every time) choose a main dish containing meat; however, now 10% systematically avoid such choices, indicating a gradual shift in food habits.

At the same time, consumers believe that restaurant menus lack variety of vegetarian options at main meals: nearly 30% of respondents say they are not particularly happy with the variety of options available, as vegetarian options are limited to either appetizers or salads, with no significant presence at main meals.

The survey was conducted after the successful completion of the vegetarian contest “Veg. Contest Thessaloniki 2024 – The Gastronomy of the city is changing” and aimed to present the impression the contest left on the public of Thessaloniki and the culinary preferences of the participants at the level of dining. The footprint of the competition was recorded in the context of the primary survey conducted by the Hellenic Vegetarian Association (HellasVeg) in 2024, which was co-funded by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) and commissioned to the polling company KANDAR S.A.E. It included 750 people from all over Greece, based on representative demographic criteria in terms of gender, age and geographical area.

Regarding the impact of the vegetarian competition and public participation, social media contributed significantly to the dissemination of the competition process: 65% of respondents had not been aware of the competition. However, of the 35% who were aware, almost half said they had been informed about the competition via the internet or social media, highlighting the influence of digital media.

Local public participation in the competition was high: although the survey was conducted at a nationwide level, participants from Thessaloniki showed a significant level of engagement. In particular, more than 30% of the respondents from the region said that they actively participated in the contest, evaluating one or more of the 67 vegetarian dishes offered by 25 restaurants in Thessaloniki, indicating a strong local appeal of the action.

This is a strong indication of a strong local presence.
“The “Veg. contest Thessaloniki 2024” competition was a landmark action for the dissemination of plant-based nutrition in Greece, offering the opportunity for restaurants in Thessaloniki to promote gastronomic innovation through tasty experiments based on plant-based diets. The findings of the survey confirm the interest and demand for more and better quality vegetarian options in the restaurant sector,” HellasVeg said in a statement today.

It is recalled that in the context of this competition, the best vegetarian dishes offered by restaurants in Thessaloniki were selected by consumers, after more than 800 consumer evaluations, between March 11 and May 4, 2024. In total, more than 60 vegan or vegetarian dishes from 25 restaurants in Thessaloniki competed. The public response was enthusiastic, with HellasVeg’s vegetarian map attracting more than 16000 visits during the competition.

16.16 million people visited the site on the 16th of July, with more than 16.5 million visitors.