Will The Bear Set Go Vegan for Season 5? PETA Urges Production to Take the Flesh Out of ‘The Beef’

For Immediate Release:
December 30, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

With production gearing up for the fifth season of The Bear, PETA sent a letter today to the show’s creator and showrunner, Christopher Storer, encouraging him to use only vegan foods and props for any scenes that call for meat, eggs, or dairy. And to prove that any of Carmy’s culinary creations can be elevated with a plant-powered swap, PETA also sent Storer a basket filled to the brim with luxurious animal-friendly offerings—including sustainable, fish-free caviar from Cavi-art.

PETA points out that nixing meat, eggs, and dairy in favor of vegan fare—including Juicy Marbles’ meat-free filets and creamy wedges of cashew-based bleu, brie, and gouda from Nuts for Cheese—would spare animals from suffering in abysmally cruel industries and lessen the production’s environmental impact. And unlike pricey fish eggs—which are cut out of female sturgeon while they’re still alive—Cavi-art is shelf-stable, affordable, and has no risk of contamination, making it easier to work with on set.

“With a delicious vegan version of anything and everything available today, it would be no tall order making Carmy’s kitchen a kinder place, at least behind-the-scenes,” says PETA Director of Animals in Film and Television Lauren Thomasson. “PETA is encouraging the team behind The Bear to say ‘yes, chef!’ to a few simple swaps that would look the same on screen but make a world of difference for animals.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out thatEvery Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit can help those looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Storer follows.

Greetings Christopher,

I hope this letter finds you enjoying a peaceful holiday season.

As production is about to begin on the fifth season of The Bear, we realize there is so much to consider, so we thought we could take one thing off your plate: PETA would love to help you replace all the animal-derived products used on the show with vegan versions. And to prove that even marbled meat and the rarest “delicacies” can be made vegan, we are sending you a gorgeous gift basket of luxurious yet practical animal-friendly replacements.

The gift basket will include sustainable, fish-free caviar from Cavi·art®. Not only is Cavi·art® free of cruelty to fish, but it’s also easier for productions to work with, has no risk of contamination, is shelf-stable, and costs less than extremely cruel “roe,” which is made from the stolen eggs of fish who have been confined in filthy, cramped tanks, sometimes thrown on ice or beaten over the head with metal clubs, and even slit open while they’re still alive.

And like Cavi·art®, every product in the basket—including Juicy Marbles meaty filets and wedges of bleu, brie, and gouda from Nuts for Cheese—helps reduce the violence inflicted on animals and the planet.

We don’t expect all characters to become vegan or for the audience to even know you’re using vegan foods instead, but we hope you will consider making kind behind the scenes choices that minimize food waste on set, spare animals’ lives, and lessen the production’s environmental impact. It’s understood that some food will still be wasted due to the nature of the show, but at least no one will have died for it.

Thank you for your time, Christopher. We can’t wait for you to experience what vegan options can offer on set, and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Lauren Thomasson

Director, Animals in Film and Television

PETA