Silent veganism: The third wave of plant-pastry
Pastry is evolving. Not through loud campaigns or industry mandates, but through quiet, deliberate choices made by chefs in their kitchens: silent veganism. It’s not a movement. It’s not about rejecting butter. It’s about chefs discovering, on their own terms, that plant-based alternatives work. That they perform. That they open new creative possibilities. No labels, no compromises—just good pastry.
THE THREE WAVES OF PLANT-PASTRY
Wave one: The ideologists
The first wave of plant-based eating was driven by strong convictions—ethics, animal welfare. Taste and functionality was sacrificed for principles. Vegan food lacked the finesse and quality expected in a professional kitchen and thus a stable niche of about 2%.
Wave two: The industry’s and retailer’s big push
A few years back, the second wave arrived—retailers and brands tried to force a shift. Major food companies launched plant-based alternatives, accompanied by big marketing budgets and promises of a food revolution. It gave birth to the flexitarian, which now represents about 30 – 40% of the EU population. But the market went too far and wanted too much too soon. The products often didn’t deliver on taste, quality or process. Also people don’t like to be dictated what to eat. Vegan / plant-based lost its excitement, the margins of the many brands introduced got squeezed and a clean up happened.
Wave three: Silent veganism:
Now, we see the early signs of the third wave is here. And it’s different. This time, it’s not about ideology. It’s not about corporations dictating change. It’s about chefs making quiet but decisive choices—because the products do work. And when Pierre Hermé mentions ‘Au revoir le beurre’ in the pastry magazine Dulcypas, you know something is happening.
Chefs are starting to replace butter. They are testing, tweaking, and creating. They’re not compromising anymore. And this is all done without flashy communications. This is about quality first.
A shift you might not have noticed—but it’s happening.
Across Europe’s pastry capitals —Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London— many new bakeries are popping up to answer to the new lifestyles of the younger generations. Their owners and chefs aren’t waiting to be told what to do. They’re experimenting. Some are driven by sustainability. Others by curiosity. Some simply see the writing on the wall: change is coming, and those who adapt early will lead.
This shift is quiet but unstoppable. It is not about vegan or not vegan, it is not about butter or no butter. It’s driven by what works in the kitchen. And when a change makes sense—when it performs—it will not stay niche for long.
The Industry Moves—Will You?
Every major shift in food follows the same pattern. First, a few pioneers. Then, the skeptics test the waters. And before you know it, what was once a niche becomes the norm. Change is always happening slower than expected, but when the change is there, it will always go faster then expected. Be ready
Written by Marike van Beurden and Joost Lindeman, co-founders of Be Better My Friend.
#SilentVeganism #plantpastry #veganbutter #BeBetterMyFriend
