Meat-free, vegetarian and vegan, these are the options you need to be adding to your menus. With Zizzis reporting a 246% increase in their vegan dish sales since the start of the year; the plant-based market is still booming and it doesn’t seem to be dying down anytime soon. There’s been a 185% jump in the number of vegan products launched in the UK from the years 2012-2016. With 9% of all products launched in the UK last year carrying the vegan claim.
But what’s driving the shift towards plant-based dining?It seems that a new generation of health-conscious consumers coupled with a greater interest in where our food comes from and concerns over animal welfare are fuelling the vegan boom. Emma Clifford, senior food and drink analyst at Mintel says, “Vegan products, in particular, have moved into the focus of public attention, capturing the imagination of consumers for health-related as well as ethical and religious grounds “There’s a growing tide of people interested in eating more plants, not just vegans. Capitalising on this market is not about pushing veganism but championing plant-based ingredients and letting their flavour speak for themselves.
Plant-based menu items not only appeal to the growing vegan community but also those simply searching for healthier choices. Research has shown that eating too few vegetables contributes to 20,000 premature deaths in the UK every year. As consumers are becoming more health conscious they are actively seeking lower fat, reduced-sugar and less processed dishes. A recent PWC report found that millennials were the market to be watching. With 47% of 18-34-year-olds having changed their eating habits in favour of a healthier diet in the past year. Commenting on the PwC report Eleanor Scott, Director at PwC said: “In terms of eating out 47% of all consumers consider it important that a restaurant offers healthy options with many restaurants addressing this trend by adding a healthier alternative to their menus, for example, a thin crust pizza or bunless burger”
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This new demand and growing market were clearly reflected when plant-based burger company, and Kafoodle client, The Vurger Co, set a new Crowdcube record by smashing their crowdfunding target in just three days.Get ahead of the trend and create your healthy, plant-based menu items now for maximum impact during the January detox.You can find out more about what Kafoodle can do for you here or by contacting us directly at: info@kafoodle.com or on 02033710450