A vegetable and meatless alternative is chosen by more and more people. Our level of empathy increases, we care for the climate and the environment, and for our own health. Therefore, the market for real meat substitutes is constantly rising. In the UK, 50% of consumers chose a plant-based meat alternative in 2017. This number has risen to 65% in 2019! It took 5 years for the sale of meat substitutes to increase practically by half. These numbers are impressive.
The meatless alternative is chosen by 42% of women and 36% of men, according to Mintel’s data. According to their market research, the number of people who reduced or limited the amount of meat in their diet increased from 28% (2017) to 39% (2019). It has been observed that women are more likely to give up meat. Mintel analysts expect the market to value as high as £ 1.1 billion in 2024.
New Diet Gets Popular
Limiting meat and / or switching to a substitute is called a flexitarian diet. This diet increased to 45% in 2019 among people under 45. This diet is not about eliminating animal products altogether, but about limiting them. But meat is still the cornerstone of the British diet, and more people are beginning to see that cutting meat can lead to improved fitness, weight loss and eradication of disease.
Health is in fashion
Not eating meat is in vogue – the market doesn’t lie. Almost a quarter (around 24%) of all new products to the UK market have been labeled as vegan / vegetarian or as a meat substitute. However, people who declare themselves vegan still make up a very small number of the population (1% in the UK).
The Miracle Diet
Research shows that the popularity of a diet called flexitarianism has increased the popularity of plant-based and meatless alternatives, and people are starting to see that such a diet is much healthier. This causes a huge increase in options for these people. A vegan alternative can be found in every “chain”, and even in a smaller shop.
Competition
However, in order to stay on the market with such growth, it is not enough to be just meatless. Since people see improvement in health, this improvement will need to be sustained. Nee, everything that is vegan is always healthy. Half of the products on the market are substitutes without any nutritional value. Manufacturers will not be able to afford this with increasing competition.
