Austria: First Apprenticeship for Vegetarian Culinary Arts

After a long wait and hard-fought negotiations, ÖVP Minister Martin Kocher has published the long-agreed ordinance on the newly created apprenticeship trade of “Specialist in Vegetarian Culinary Arts.”

Vegetarian-Vegan Culinary Apprenticeship as a Political Issue

What began as an international push towards a contemporary gastronomy and a tool against the shortage of skilled workers in the industry has developed into a political issue. Through enormous effort and relentless commitment on the part of culinary apprenticeship initiator Joachim Ivany, the Green parliamentary club, the Vegan Society and the Green Economy, the vegetarian-vegan culinary apprenticeship was ultimately pushed through. In Switzerland too, plant-based nutrition is growing rapidly.

Austria can be proud: with 5% of the population living vegan, Austria is the European champion, and as of today even the world champion when it comes to meat-free culinary training, rejoices Felix Hnat, chairman of the Vegan Society.

Official Launch on 1 July 2025

The formal start of the new apprenticeship is on 1 July 2025. Like a standard culinary apprenticeship, the vegan and vegetarian culinary apprenticeship lasts three years. Before the first apprentices can learn the craft of a “Specialist in Vegetarian Culinary Arts,” however, course content and final examination content still need to be developed, and apprenticeship positions must be reviewed and approved. All information on registering as a training company can be found here.