Metz gives plants the star treatment for National Vegetarian Month

Metz Culinary Management rolled out the red carpet for plant-forward cuisine last month as part of its annual VegFest celebration. 

The event was held in honor of National Vegetarian Month which takes place every year in October. As part of the month-long festivities, Metz’s partners in the healthcare, K-12, corporate, senior living and college segments were encouraged to menu a plant-forward dish one day a week at each station at their operation. 

“We wanted to showcase plant-based global cuisine that we have been expanding for the last 18 months,” Brian Bachman, vice president of purchasing for Metz, said in a statement. “Our chefs created unique recipes featuring global dishes designed to delight not just vegans and vegetarians, but all guests." 

Metz chefs served a variety of dishes, including Cauliflower Coconut Curry, Smokey Three Bean Chili, Crispy Cauliflower Tacos and Pumpkin Pie Hummus Dip. The foodservice provider also teamed up with Iron Chef winner Chef Ming Tsai to serve MingBings, a plant-based product created by Tsai that is inspired by Bing, a traditional Chinese flatbread. 

“We received excellent feedback this Fall,” Bachman added. “Our Pumpkin Pie Hummus Dip and chocolate hummus were particular standout favorites with our K-12 and higher education guests.”

Fall has been a busy season for the foodservice provider. Alongside its VegFest event, Metz also celebrated Halloween and Day of the Dead last month with a selection of themed menu items for its diners in the K-12, college, healthcare, corporate and senior living segments. It also launched its Global Kitchen concept in August and recently rolled out a new 'stealth nutrition' strategy for the K-12 segment.