Thursday, October 29th 2009

By Lindsay Jolivet

Peta2 has announced the nominees for its fourth Most Vegetarian-friendly University competition and for the third year running, McMaster is on the list.

“This year’s competition is the toughest yet,” stated Peta2.com’s Senior College Campaign Coordinator, Ryan Huling. In the group of Canadian Universities, McMaster came in third place in the 2008 competition, second in 2007, and first in 2006.

Bridges café, a vegetarian restaurant with vegan options, is a major part of McMaster’s qualification as a nominee. Leigh Laidlaw, chief manager of Bridges, stated, “Given its exclusiveness, and the fact that there is no meat allowed in the building, it sort of gives someone refuge, if you will.” Laidlaw believes Bridges most popular and unique dishes are their non-meat chilli—which they offer on flatbread, nachos, or as a side dish—and sweet potato fries. Other options include vegetarian pasta, soy chicken bruschetta wraps, and Shanghai noodles.

Laidlaw held that aside from its versatility, part of what makes Bridges unique is its inclusion of healthy options. He pointed to ethical considerations and the preservation of animal life as the main benefits to vegetarianism, but stated, “generally I think that the majority of the benefits [are] simply for health reasons.”

However, Bridges is not the only restaurant on campus that offers vegetarian food. Laidlaw noted that each restaurant at McMaster offers vegetarian options. Overall, he believes McMaster is a leader in this regard. He stated, “Some [universities] are jumping on the bandwagon…but for the most we were ahead of our time, I think.”

The purpose of the competition is to commend universities across North America for offering vegetarian food options. “We hope to highlight the remarkable efforts being made by McMaster and other universities to provide delicious and cruelty-free cuisine to their students,” stated Huling.

The College Campaign Coordinator felt vegetarian options provided a number of benefits for students. He cited a survey by university food service provider Aramark, in which they concluded that one in four students seek vegan options. “Students understand that vegan meals are better for the environment, better for keeping off that ‘freshman 15,’ and clearly better for animals,” Huling said.

He attributed the rise in vegetarianism, at least partly, to a rise in knowledge about the meat industry and its often violent methods. He explained, “When they learn about what happens behind the scenes in the meat industry, it’s no surprise that they’re seeking healthier, more humane alternatives in droves.”

Students are finding support on many campuses for choosing vegetarian and vegan meals. Huling mentioned innovations such as vegetarian barbecue riblets, vegan pizza, and dairy-free soft serve ice cream as examples on a continually expanding list of non-meat options. “Veganism has become mainstream,” he stated.

This year, voters decide the winner in a round-robin competition run from Peta2’s website.  Laidlaw preferred the one-vote format used in the past two years, because he finds it difficult to encourage students to vote several times. Nonetheless, he intends to market the competition more this year, and thought McMaster had a good chance.

Despite the university’s close losses in the past two years, including one to Mount Allison University in 2008, Huling stated, “McMaster has always been among the best in the nation for meatless meals.”

Voting for Round One ends Nov. 2, and Peta2 will announce the winners November 23.

Tags: Bridges, Peta2, Vegeterian