Four Peta stars for Bistro Templergraben!

Four stars for Bistro Templergraben of Studierendenwerk Aachen - PETA honors the most vegan-friendly dining halls in Germany 2024

Growing vegan diversity: students can feast on more and more plant-based dishes in German university dining halls. For the eighth time, PETA has surveyed university dining halls across Germany on various aspects of veganism. Based on the responses from the 37 participating student unions, awards were presented in the form of gastronomic stars and the most vegan-friendly dining halls were crowned in 2024. Bistro Templergraben of Studierendenwerk Aachen was awarded four stars.

"Choosing vegan dishes is a simple and healthy way to prevent animal suffering while doing something good for the environment, for us humans and for your own health," says Björn Thun, PETA's food policy officer. "A plant-based menu meets the nutritional needs and desires of many people who reject animal products - whether for ethical, religious, environmental or health reasons. We are delighted that the German Studierendenwerke are responding to the demand and continuously and creatively expanding their vegan range."

Top dining hall with a purely vegan/vegetarian menu: Outstanding four stars go to Aachen
The vegan/vegetarian dining hall Bistro Templergraben in Aachen has been awarded four stars since February 2024. Every day there is a vegan selection of main courses, as well as vegan wraps and various vegan pastries. New vegan dishes are always advertised on the relevant social media platforms. The further development of vegan and vegetarian recipes stood out positively in the evaluation.

The evaluation criteria
The assessment criteria included the daily and varied range of vegan dishes and the special training of the staff. The vegan range of starters, desserts and snacks was also included in the assessment. It was also taken into account whether special weeks or days are organized on the topic of vegan nutrition. The assessment also took into account whether a vegan day was offered or whether purely plant-based dishes were regularly advertised. How the respective dining hall has developed over the years also played a role.

Vegan offerings on the rise
Almost all participating dining halls have at least one purely plant-based dish on offer every day - usually even several. The majority also offer vegan starters and desserts. Many organize staff training courses and campaign weeks, usually for the annual World Vegan Day on 1 November or Veganuary. Some of the selected dining halls now offer a wide range of vegan dishes, which is why many have been able to improve this year and enjoy a three-star rating. This development shows that the vegan diet has reached the center of society. A study published in 2023 came to the conclusion that if plant-based dishes are offered as a standard option in university dining halls and dishes with animal products are only offered on request, the vegan meal is chosen by almost 82 percent. Overall, the student unions offer inventive vegan dishes such as soy kebab, pho, Szeged tofu goulash, "Wald-Weinberg ragout" with red wine mushrooms and vegan ice cream.