GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK: the plant-based food trend is spreading around the world

Vegan, plant-based food, meat free alternatives – the 21th century has rooted these trends in everyday life. Veganism as a trend has been around for a few years now and shows no signs of slowing down – quite the opposite, it has never been as relevant and in demand as it is today!

 

What does plant-based mean? Green and great opportunities for you!

When the eating habits are going greener, customers are looking for restaurants that offer food in accordance with their diet. More and more restaurants respond by offering meat free alternatives on their menu. We hope that your restaurant is one of these forerunners! 

Furthermore, people not only talk about vegan only anymore – the term “plant-based” has entered the game and is increasingly used in the industry when offering dishes that exclude meat. “Plant-based” as a term originated in the health science community and is fully separated from the purely ethical motivation. It has a much stronger focus on health and environment. Moreover, it does not mean ‘never’ eating meat or animal-derived products, but eating more plants and whole foods while cutting back on animal products and avoiding processed foods. 

24% of Nordic consumers will eat less meat in the next five years due to health and environment reasons

https://euobserver.com/nordic/142318

It’s getting greener around the world

According to the latest consumer research, two thirds of all US consumers are drawn to meat free alternatives. The same trend can be seen in Europe. For example Denmark scores 7th best country in Europe for meat alternatives, despite its traditional image of providing a big variety of meat offerings. Over the past four years, dairy alternatives have risen by more than 20%, the vegan market penetration has trebled and 14% growth can be detected in meat alternatives overall. 

The United Kingdom, Germany and France are also showing similar developments. France demonstrates an annual growth rate of 17% for the vegetarian and vegan market for the next three years. Also the German market shows significant growth as 14% of all food and drink launches carry a vegan claim.

While the number of vegans in the UK quadrupled over the past five years – the UK counts more than 600,000 vegans now.*

*The Vegan Society, Mintel, Veganuary campaign. A Vegan Society survey of 2,000 people in 2018.

The plant-based trend opens growth opportunities

Burgers, tortillas, salads… Delicious plant-based dishes also appeal to the customers, who usually choose meat for dinner. The plant-based diet is something that offers great possibilities to the restaurants, so keep this in mind when planning your next menu, right? 

As all forecasts demonstrate, the trend does not show any signs of slowing down, regardless of one’s motivation of why to eat vegan or plant-based. In fact, there is ample room for growth and development. This opens exciting opportunities for the restaurant and hotel industry to be creative in its menu development and to offer interesting and varied choices for the conscious green consumer.

As the segment is broadened and consumers realise that less meat is good for them and the planet, both small and big players keep on entering space. Sounds like something you don’t want to miss!