In Barcelona, the openings of vegan culture do not cease. Establishments where the value proposition stands out not only in their products, but also in how they are implementing the space and their modern service, very adjusted to current demand.
There are three places one cannot miss in Barcelona: Väcka, Farmers Butchers, and Vegan Junk Food Bar. The first of them, the Väckaun restaurant, opened in 2015 in the attractive Gràcia neighborhood and, in 2019, moved to Poble Nou, locating itself in Nest City Lab, an urban sustainability laboratory with LEED Platinum certification. This new location has made Väcka a place of worship for vegan cheese and its gastronomic offer in a short time.
Cheese is Väcka's star product. Many times we find products from other brands that do not comply with a real cheese process, something they wanted to change. And they are not content with just offering a good product: the packaging, the staging, and good offline marketing have made it a desired item, to the point that they already distribute to other stores.
And if we are looking to enjoy good vegan cheese in the same Gràcia neighborhood, at Veggies Farmers Butchers we will live an experience as close as possible to a neighborhood butcher shop. But it is not like the others, as they seek to make people change their mindset and see vegan food as an ally for their daily meals.
The idea for this project arose about three years ago, when three friends decided to create a natural vegan proposal without chemical products. Normally supermarket vegan products are processed, so they opted to elaborate their own artisanal recipes using legumes, cereals, and flour mixtures. A real challenge, since achieving the texture and flavor of certain products that simulate meat is very complicated.
The store has a workshop area that adds a lot of value to the establishment and where they daily elaborate the products they are going to put on sale. According to Enrich, one of its founders, their top sellers are sobrasada and spicy chorizo. In addition, butifarras are the product that non-vegetarian customers like the most. And that's despite not having the texture or taste of meat.
Another opening that we cannot miss and that cannot be absent from any guide is the vegan burger joint Junk Food Bar in the Born neighborhood. Its work philosophy is completely opposite to the concept of a vegan restaurant associated with healthy food, as it invites you to enjoy junk food.
This chain has the mission of creating a positive impact on animal, environmental, and human well-being. Vegan Junk Food Bar opened its first establishment in 2017 in Amsterdam, and the innovative food of this restaurant has made its mark, both online and offline. So much so that it has received two awards at the Vegan Awards.
Vegan Junk Food Bar leaves no one indifferent, neither for its decoration nor for its food, for two reasons. Firstly, because they play with the colors of the food, serving very colorful and visually attractive dishes. For example, the buns of many of their burgers are pink or black, something that catches the eye from the first moment. On the other hand, they themselves prepare the burgers and the vegan meat, achieving the texture and flavor very well. Many people are amazed that it is not conventional meat or fish, as it is very well achieved.
These three establishments in Barcelona work very well on design, quality product, and service, key ingredients for an excellent experience and to enjoy a retailer and gastronomic city, and also, the environment where they are located.
Barcelona is a capital that always embraces trends, and vegan culture could not be absent. These three establishments will not only surprise the reader: they will mark a before and after in their perception of vegan culture. And if you are a fan of this culture, you already have three new addresses to frequent regularly.