What the study found
The study found that chefs' hesitation to offer plant-based meat dishes is linked to several factors, including popularity, familiarity, taste, enjoyment of cooking, naturalness, environmental sustainability, cost, and product availability. The authors also report that educating chefs about plant-based meat appears to be a promising way to increase these dishes on restaurant menus.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say replacing some meat dishes with plant-based alternatives would make the hospitality industry more environmentally sustainable. They conclude that educating chefs on plant-based meat could be a leverage point for increasing the availability of meat alternatives in restaurants.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used a sequential mixed-methods design, meaning they combined interviews and a survey. They first interviewed 37 Australian restaurant chefs and managers to identify why chefs hesitate to offer plant-based meat dishes, then used those insights to develop a mini-theory and test it in a quantitative survey study.
What worked and what didn't
The interviews suggested several reasons for not using plant-based meat: popularity, familiarity, taste, enjoyment of cooking, naturalness, environmental sustainability, cost, and availability. The later survey was used to test the mini-theory and to identify opportunities for encouraging chefs to offer plant-based meat dishes, but the abstract does not give detailed survey results.
What to keep in mind
The summary available here does not report detailed quantitative findings from the survey. The study focused on the demand side and on Australian restaurant chefs and managers, so its scope is limited to that context.
Key points
- The study links chefs' reluctance to serve plant-based meat dishes to several practical and preference-related factors.
- Interviews were conducted with 37 Australian restaurant chefs and managers.
- The researchers used interview findings to build a mini-theory and then tested it with a survey.
- The authors suggest educating chefs about plant-based meat may help increase menu availability.
- The abstract does not provide detailed survey outcomes.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Chefs’ views may limit plant-based meat dishes on menus
- Authors:
- David Fechner, Bettina Grün, Rachel Perkins, Sara Dolnicar
- Institutions:
- Griffith University, Griffith University, The University of Queensland, The University of Queensland, University of Primorska, Vienna University of Economics and Business
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-06
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Mx. Granger, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Get the weekly research newsletter
Stay current with scholarly research without reading academic papers — one filtered digest, every Friday.