According to a survey of 2,500 Uk vegans conducted by the Vegan Society, 91% of respondents sometimes struggle to find on the go food options. This finding prompted the UK-based charity to launch its Vegan on the Go campaign, which aims to highlight growing demand for on-the-go products that cater to vegan dietary needs.
Vegan options extending appeal
Demand has been increasing for vegan products. According to data from the Vegan Society, half of British consumers “know a vegan” while over half – 56% - adopt “vegan buying behaviours” as part of a flexitarian approach to diet.
Retailers and restaurant operators have responded with innovation targeting this segment of the market. According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, there has been a 185% jump in vegan product launches between 2012 and 2016. High street chains such as Pizza Express, Wagamama and Wetherspoons have all added vegan options to the menu.
Despite this strong response from the food sector, the Vegan Society said that there is still room for improvement, particularly in the grab-and-go category.
“We’ve seen some fantastic strides forward in terms of new, affordable vegan products in supermarkets and restaurants but we want to make it even easier for people to go vegan and stay vegan,” Elena Orde, the Vegan Society’s communications officer, said.
“Offering vegan food options makes clear commercial sense – businesses are opening the potential market up to not only half a million vegans in Britain, but also to a million more vegetarians, the huge number of meat and dairy reducers, the lactose intolerant, the health-conscious and others who simply enjoy vegan food from time to time.
“Sometimes all it takes is removing a pesky small amount of dairy or egg to create a lovely vegan dish, which can really widen food retailers’ appeal.”