• Vegan Vibes
  • Posts
  • Beyond the Hype: Veganism's Steady Rise & Your Weekend Food Festival Guide

Beyond the Hype: Veganism's Steady Rise & Your Weekend Food Festival Guide

Your Weekly Guide to Local Events, Global Trends, and Plant-Powered Innovations

Author

Rusia Castro
January 30, 2025

This week's newsletter spotlights an exciting lineup of DFW vegan events, including a six-course tasting experience, a book club potluck, and a Groundhog Day luncheon, perfect for wrapping up Veganuary in style. On the global front, Japan's plant-based market is soaring, having tripled since 2015, while industry analysis shows veganism moving past the hype cycle into sustainable, institutional growth. As we look to February, @dallasveganinsider will be taking over these weekly updates, promising to bring fresh local perspectives to our thriving plant-based community.

Events for the upcoming week

  • On Friday, January 31st, TLC kitchen is offering a Veganuary Vegetation Six Course Vegan Tasting Menu in Richardson. To buy tickets and for details, visit here.

  • On Saturday, the 1st of February, Plant based Dallas will be hosting a book club and whole food plant based potluck in Dallas. For details and to sign up, join the group here.

  • On Sunday, the 2nd of February, Black Vegetarian Society of Texas will be hosting Ground hog day luncheon in Dallas from 1:30-3:30pm. Details can be found here.

Veganism's True Trajectory: Separating Hype from Sustainable Growth

The speaker argues that while veganism and plant-based products experienced a hype cycle around 2019-2021 that has since cooled, comparing today's plant-based market to 10 years ago reveals substantial long-term progress, from mainstream brand partnerships to institutional adoption. Despite some companies' overvaluation during the peak, established players like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and newer companies like Juicy Marbles continue to innovate and improve their products, while the fundamental drivers - including environmental concerns, antibiotic resistance, and public health - remain compelling. The speaker remains optimistic about the industry's future growth while acknowledging that picking individual winning companies is challenging, as new innovations could dramatically reshape the competitive landscape.

You can original video here.

News and highlights of past few weeks

  • Veganism is making a comeback in Japan. “Today, Japan ranks 11th in beef consumption globally, and its per capita milk consumption is 68 percent higher than that of the average East Asian country.” But interest in plant-based foods appears to be growing, in fact the market for plant based foods tripled in Japan between 2015 and 2020, and it is expected to double by 2030. Read more about it here.

  • Not sure if you’ve heard about the rising egg prices and empty shelved at grocery stores… might be a good time to remind friends about some healthy and protein packed alternatives. Find 5 such alternatives in this article.

  • It is always a challenge when you travel international and the airline’s definition of “vegan meal” is meals that taste like cardboard. VegNews has an article listing 11 airlines that do vegan meals right.

  • And now, Boba with a kick.

Quick Reminder: New Voice, Same Vegan Spirit!

As mentioned last week, starting this February, your weekly dose of DFW vegan happenings will come from the wonderful @dallasveganinsider. She's gearing up to share even more local insights and events with our growing community. If you haven't already, this is the perfect time to follow her on social media to stay connected. Looking forward to seeing our vegan community thrive under her guidance!

P.S. Your first newsletter from @dallasveganinsider will arrive next week. Same commitment to our plant-based community, fresh new perspective! 🌱