One in Six Food Launches in the UK Is Vegan

The United Kingdom is now the world’s top producer of vegan food, according to new data by market research firm Mintel. In 2018, one in six (16 percent) of products launched in the UK had a “vegan” or “no animal ingredients” claim—which represents an increase from the eight percent Mintel reported in 2015. Last year, Mintel named Germany the world’s top vegan food producer, representing 15 percent of all vegan food launches worldwide. “For a number of years, Germany led the world for launches of vegan products. However, 2018 saw the UK take the helm. Germany has certainly plateaued, likely driven by a flooded market with little room to grow further,” Mintel analyst Edward Bergen said. “The UK, by contrast, has seen a huge promotion of vegan choices in restaurants and supermarkets. The most poignant of these is the expansion of supermarket own-label options with dedicated vegan ranges in mainstream stores.”  In January 2018, vegan meal line Wicked Kitchen launched at 600 Tesco stores in the UK. By August, the line—created by Tesco’s executive chef and Director of Plant-Based Innovation Derek Sarno—sold more than 4 million units, prompting competing grocery chains to launch new vegan products across the UK.