It does matter what you eat: Meat Free Monday at the Steinmühle

Starting immediately, the Steinmühlenküche’s menu will be completely meat-free on Mondays: Neither the cafeteria nor the bistro will serve meat or sausage on that day of the week. With this measure, the school and boarding school are heeding a prominent call that is spreading around the world: Paul McCartney and his daughters launched the “Meat Free Monday” campaign. “Everyone can do their part to raise awareness of the harmful environmental impacts of animal agriculture and the consequences of industrial meat processing.” With this appeal, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health had already advocated for one meat-free day per week as a public health awareness program as early as 2003. The campaign was supported by numerous other schools of public health, but it has only gained worldwide attention since Paul McCartney and his daughters began supporting it as the nonprofit project “Meat Free Monday.”

Principal Björn Gemmer gave the Steinmühlen kitchen the key suggestion that has now superseded the previous, rather half-hearted solution. Although every Wednesday had been “Veggie Day” up until now—it was limited to lunch and only in the cafeteria. Breakfast, dinner specials, and the bistro menu still featured meat and sausage. That’s no longer the case on “Meat-Free Monday.” “Veggie is simply the trend.” August 17 marked the launch of Meat-Free Monday at the Steinmühle.

Head chef Sebastian Riehl also welcomes the initiative: “It’s about raising awareness of doing something good for yourself and the world.” He knows that eating vegetarian has long since ceased to be merely the philosophy of a few individuals. “Veggie is simply in.” Through its curriculum and building initiatives, Steinmühle has already demonstrated on multiple occasions that it places a high priority on the environment and the ecosystem. Now, the school and boarding school are placing further emphasis on this approach when it comes to meals. This initiative is one of many activities that help slow climate change, conserve valuable natural resources, and improve personal health. For more information on the Meat Free Monday campaign, visit www.meatfreemondays.com.