Following a recent survey carried out by Compare The Market, it appears that there has been a huge rise in the number of people taking to a plant-based diet, with the overall number of vegans or vegetarians in the UK growing to 3.5 million Brits.
As for what this means, it’s inevitable that with a growing demand there will be a growing supply, and that’s exactly what we have seen. Specifically, Sainsbury’s has been just one company in particular who has spotted the change in views, consequently adding 21 new products to its current already-expansive range.
interestingly, some of these products are meat alternatives, this meaning they taste and look like real meat, not only that but they will si alongside the real meat options, this is the first time a supermarket in the UK has placed vegan products within the meat section.
James Hamilton, Sainsbury’s meat-free and ready meals buyer, had this to say: “We’ve seen the demand for plant-based foods increase substantially in the past few months, with sales of our current meat-free range growing 20 per cent each week,” adding: “We know our customers are now seeking out more vegan and vegetarian options on shelf which is why we’re launching new plant-based products.” “We’ve also looked at customer feedback about the products they wanted to be vegan, so we’ve reformulated the recipes to make them 100 per cent meat- and dairy-free.”
