The Decline of #VeganAmsterdam?

No use crying over spilt mylk? Within the span of a few months, eight of Amsterdam’s most popular vegan businesses had closed down. Celebrated for their originality and innovation, some had been among the city's first-ever fully vegan establishments.

The loss of Deer Mama, which offered a retro dining experience complete with plant-based mylkshakes, as well as cheese producers Mr & Mrs Watson and sustainable grocery store Vegabond, among others, was felt keenly by the city’s active and tight-knit vegan community.

Corona Loans

Vegan content creator Elena Sinke sees the closures as a reflection of a bigger story within the Dutch hospitality industry as a whole: “Looking back now, when you see them in the wider context of, in general, a lot of horeca businesses closing, I don't think they are a significant trend.”

Many businesses are still repaying government ‘corona loans’, given to help them stay afloat amid lockdown closures and staff shortages. Along with rising rents due to the ongoing housing crisis, several struggling establishments have been forced to close.

Here To Stay?

However, Sinke thinks that the panic within the vegan community at the time of the closures was overrated. She points out that even as some original establishments closed, several new businesses popped up: "veganism is here to stay and it is going to grow.” In fact, despite the closures, the Dutch capital still placed fourth on this year's Happy Cow’s Top-10 List of Vegan-Friendly Cities in the world.

Social media influencer Avi Kohn says, “While we have seen some vegan classics close down in the past year, there are still many vegan options in Amsterdam and many places that continue to be wildly popular. It's very easy to be vegan in Amsterdam, and we are ranked as one of the top 10 cities on HappyCow.”

HappyCow’s Top 10 report considers factors such as the current number of fully vegan establishments and the growth of businesses since the previous year. According to the report, the number of vegan restaurants within the city stands at 67, with a total of 107 fully vegan establishments. In their report, Team Cow remarks that the vegan scene in Amsterdam is flourishing and still growing constantly. 

Alongside these vegan establishments, the site also has a total of 802 business listings, meaning that many non-vegan restaurants are now offering patrons at least one plant-based option. Kohn predicts that “while we might see a decrease in fully vegan restaurants, we are seeing more and more places offer plant-based options, and it is becoming a regularly accepted diet in most restaurants."

Week Zonder Vlees & Zuivel

According to the Dutch Association for Veganism (NVV) there are 261.000 Dutch vegans, or 1.5% of the population, slightly higher than the world average of 1.1%. As offering a vegan option is becoming the norm for restaurants, the non-vegan general public are becoming more open to giving these plant-based foods a try, believes Sinke.

To clear up a common misconception: veganism is a lifestyle and moral philosophy, she explains. Plant-based refers only to a diet, and eating plant-based is not the same as being vegan. She says that a ‘flexitarian’ approach to eating plant-based is becoming more common, with people expressing more curiosity towards the diet without it being 'all or nothing'.

For example, each year, Week Zonder Vlees en Zuivel encourages people to give up meat and dairy for one week to raise awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet. Over 17% of Dutch adults took part in the challenge in 2023.

The Netherlands actually has the highest per capita consumption of plant-based foods and is the sixth-largest plant-based market in Europe. Supermarket Albert Heijn recently launched its new ‘Terra’ range of plant-based products to cater towards people interested in making conscious swaps in their diets. It says that the launch is “a major step in contributing to the protein transition for a more sustainable food system," and is aiming for 50% of the protein it sells to be of vegetable origin by 2025 and 60% by 2030.

Hidden Gems

For fully vegan businesses, the challenge is remaining competitive in an already fraught market. Sinke points out the necessity of appealing to a broader range of people, including non-vegans. “A good example is Saint-Jean Bakery. They got famous for their cruffins, but everything they sell is vegan, which they don't necessarily advertise, and it’s frequented by tourists, foodies who are not necessarily vegans, but they love it, just because it's very good.”

Kohn foresees that a focus on ingredients and serving excellent food will be key to attracting customers: “I think we will see more places opening up that serve vegan options but don't loudly advertise this. There will be a focus on high-quality meals and flavours so that people won't even notice that there are no animal-derived ingredients being served. Places like Saint-Jean and Madre are already doing this, and it helps to attract a wider audience because people aren't put off by the fact that the food is vegan.”

What trends are we going to see hit Amsterdam’s vegan scene? Sinke says: “I wish I could look into the future because I think it's going to be exciting!" There will be a shift away from burgers and fast food, towards more vegetable-forward cuisine, fine dining and ethnic restaurants, she predicts.

To anyone new to Amsterdam or interested in plant-based food, Sinke recommends looking past the usual suspects. “There’s lots of independent or authentic vegan food that I think is not only nice to discover but also good to support. Have a look on TikTok, Instagram, HappyCow, follow accounts like @VeganAmsterdam, and you will find hidden gems.”

With 53,252 posts and counting on Instagram, #VeganAmsterdam is still trending among vegan residents, plant-based foodies and curious flexitarians alike.

Elena Sinke's Top 10 Amsterdam Vegan Restaurants

1. Vegan Sushi Bar
2. Meatless District
3. Hearth
4. Trevi’s
5. The Old Soul
6. Vegitalian
7. Koffie Ende Koeck
8. De Ceuvel
9. Morris and Bella 
10. Men Impossible