The UK has taken the title of the nation with the highest number of new vegan food products launched, knocking Germany from the top spot, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).
One in six (16 per cent) food products launched in the UK in 2018 claimed to be vegan, doubling from just 8 per cent in 2015.
A mature and saturated market,
In contrast, Germany has seen wilting numbers, with the total percentage share of food launches classified as vegan falling from 15 per cent in 2017 to 13 per cent in 2018.
“Germany has certainly plateaued, likely driven by a flooded market with little room to grow further,” said Edward Bergen, global food and drinks analyst at Mintel. “The UK, by contrast, has seen a huge promotion of vegan restaurants and new ranges. The most poignant of these is the expansion of supermarket own-label ranges in mainstream stores, with dedicated vegan ranges.
“Additional space is also being freed up by UK supermarkets in the on-the-go aisles and small format stores, to help promote vegan options and make it easier for meat eating consumers to try these new concepts out.”
Bergen said initiatives like ‘Veganuary’ and ‘meat-less Monday’ allow consumers to “flirt with veganism”.
“As more people reduce their meat intake, they experiment with more plant-based dishes catering for their flexitarian lifestyles – whether at home, on-the-go or in restaurants. Moreover, consumers are becoming more willing than ever to expand their comfort zones, push themselves to the limit with new experiences and use social media to compete with and offer inspiration to their peers.”
The research signals that flexitarianism is on the rise in the UK, with 34 per cent of British meat eaters having reduced their meat consumption in the six months to July 2018, up from 28 per cent in 2017.
Sales of non-dairy milk grew from £202 million in 2016 to £221 million in 2017.
