VW defends currywurst waiver: “Tasty alternatives”

The decision-makers are convinced that the omission of the VW currywurst in a canteen at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg has proved its worth. “The response from our guests is sensational and consistently positive – from the administration area as well as from production,” said the head of VW gastronomy, Nils Potthast, the German Press Agency.

Even without the canteen classic, some of the food on offer was sold out before closing time, Potthast reported almost six months after the decision.

The decision to have a meat-free company restaurant causes a stir

The decision for a meat-free company restaurant at Europe’s largest car manufacturer caused a stir in the summer. In August, VW initially announced internally that the canteen in the brand high-rise would be focusing on vegetarian and vegan cuisine after the company vacation and that fish would only be part of the offer from time to time. That meant the end for the currywurst there.

In particular, former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s reaction to the “power bar for skilled workers in production” fueled a debate about meat consumption in companies at the time. “If I were still on the #VW supervisory board, there would have been no such thing,” Schröder wrote on LinkedIn at the time.

For many users of social platforms and numerous media, Schröder’s currywurst insertion was a hit in the summer slump. There were thousands of reactions and comments.

Potthast: “It’s not against the currywurst”

“It was clear from the start that there was nothing wrong with the currywurst, which is still offered in all other canteens at the plant,” said VW restaurateur Potthast. It’s just about more tasty alternatives.

There are now and they would be well received. According to him, the employees in the kitchen are also 100 percent behind the concept.

Although currywurst production at Volkswagen has often exceeded the car sales of the core brand, the extent of the debate with Schröder’s hashtag “#RettetdieCurrywurst” should have surprised internally as well. Because the company emphasized from the start that nobody at VW had to do without sausages, also because they were still available in the canteen a few meters away on the opposite side of the street.