In a move set to make the firm more sustainable, German carmaker VW has announced its famous Currywurst will be removed from another of its staff canteens, alongside all other meat dishes. The firm says the decision will provide vegetarian and vegan employees with more options at lunchtime.
The announcement, which was made internally to staff at VW, added that the roughly 150 dishes served by the restaurant would be made vegetarian and vegan friendly, and that fish will only be available occasionally.
In the time preceding the announcement, many employees at VW were requesting more vegetarian and vegan alternatives to the traditional German food served in the company restaurant. The trend towards vegetarianism and veganism has grown in Germany in recent years, as people have taken more steps to reduce their carbon footprint and protect the environment.
One VW factory in Hanover has already implemented the new menu with great success. Another office in Wolfsburg will now join the initiative. "The days when vegetarian cuisine was neglected by some are over for good," according to a spokesperson for the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga).
Despite the removal of Currywurst from the menu of its canteens, VW is not planning on cancelling the iconic sausage altogether. According to a spokesperson, in 2019 VW produced more than seven million Currywurst at its butchers, along with more than 550 tons of ketchup.
Since then, staff canteens and restaurants at the company have been forced to close due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Germany.
For now, there are still no plans to stop production of VW’s famous currywurst, and employees will still be able to head to the butcher, located mere metres from the canteen, to get their lunchtime sausage fix.