Sounds like an oxymoron, but it's all true. Hot dogs, burgers, salami, meat sauce, bresaola, meatballs: those who become vegan no longer have to give up the great classics, indeed vegetable products are now available in many supermarkets, but also in specialized shops that are conquering the world: vegetarian butchers. If until recently it might have seemed completely farfetched to think of a meatless butcher shop, after non-salmon salmon and non-steak steaks made with 3D printed, this new concept no longer seems so unrealistic.
Yet just a decade ago we never would have thought that meat-free and animal-derived diets could break down all these stereotypes, with an offer of 100% vegetable productsever more extensive. At the time there was little talk of labels and the effects of animal farms on our health and that of the planet. And the choice was then not very inviting, with soy steaks and pats of tofu among the shelves. Therefore, choosing to embark on a vegetarian or vegan diet required a greater effort and many sacrifices.
Then an increasingly varied range of products based on vegetable proteins and Minimal environmental impact but also tasty, healthy and nutritious, to the point of becoming a consolidated trend that is growing year after year, following a trend that is now consolidated in our country as well. According to data published by Eurispes the number of vegans in 2021 went from 2,2% to 2,4% (+9% compared to 2020), while the number of vegetarians decreased from 6,7% to 5,8%. But in reality these products are increasingly appreciated by those who want to experiment with new flavours, reduce their meat consumption or pursue a more sustainable lifestyle.
Vegetarian butchers: Gagliano revolutionizes Neapolitan cuisine
From dental technician to vegan butcher, Gennaro Gagliano challenged the Neapolitan tradition by opening his meatless butcher's shop and desecrating the temple of traditional cuisine, from Genoese to Bolognese to Neapolitan with casatiello and fried veg.
After years of studies, Gennaro has found the perfect (super-secret) formula to produce fake meat, based on soy and without preservatives, thickeners and additives of any kind. Burger, meatballs with sparrows and pine nuts, sausages (soy and broccoli/pizzaiola), cold cuts, meatloaf, potato croquettes filled with vegan scamorza and stuffed pasta omelettes, stew and a registered trademark for the house Fitness Burger made up of a mix of vegetables and oatmeal. In short, there is something for all tastes. All accompanied by a 100% vegan mayonnaise.
It is now a consolidated reality that of Gagliano vegetarian butcher shop, the first of its kind in Naples and the second in Italy, which achieved such great success as to open a second location in Antwerp to meet an ever growing demand. In addition to take-away and home delivery throughout Italy, it is possible to taste Gagliano products with a dedicated Street Food Menu and an "All you can eat" formula for 10 euros.
