What is the outlook for plant-based meat in 2026 summary
- Plant-based meat growth slows as consumers question price and processing
- Market could triple by 2035 but short-term outlook remains uncertain
- Brands shift from meat mimicry to unique plant-based and superfood options
- Hybrid meat combining animal and plant proteins gains strong consumer acceptance
- Trend evolves toward practical solutions prioritising taste, nutrition and sustainability
Plant-based meat was once a growth market. In its glory days in the early 2020s, plant-based substitutes were fast moving from niche, pursued by a coterie of vegetarians and vegans who missed meat, to a mainstream part of the flexitarian diet.
Fast forward to 2025, and things aren’t looking so good. Major players such as Beyond Meat are losing revenue, and patents are declining. Consumers are often put off by the association between plant-based meat and ultra-processed food.
How will the sector fare in 2026? What’s next for plant-based?
Growth is still possible
Depending on who you ask, the plant-based sector may or may not have strong growth potential.
The market is still growing, despite recent signs of decline, suggests Valerie Le Bihan, head of customer marketing for Europe at ingredients company Roquette.
Marketing insights firm Future Market Insights goes even further, suggesting that the market could triple by 2035.
However, not all are so optimistic. “With a clear price gap and uneven eating quality the market is likely to stay flat into 2026 unless products improve on value and taste,” says Louis Bedwell, industry and engagement director for industry association Future Food Movement.
What is clear is that, growth or no growth, plant-based meat is changing significantly. Potential is seen in two areas, both of which are starkly different from the traditional meat mimicry phase of plant-based.
Plant-based is moving away from meat mimicry
Plant-based is moving away from traditional meat mimicry. This is a trend that is already exemplified by several major brands.
UK brand This has released a ‘super superfood’ product, a mushroom-based food that does not directly mimic any meat. Beyond Meat recently announced its Beyond Ground product, boasting high protein but not claiming to be similar to any meat. Moving Mountains has even released a falafel.
“Non-mimic products avoid direct comparison with meat which helps repeat purchases and they often land better on nutrition. Low single digit growth is realistic from a smaller steadier base as retailers shift towards food that feels more grounded‚” says Future Food Movement’s Bedwell.
Even traditional plant-based products like tofu and tempeh have been seeing success, with companies like the Tofoo Co seeing revenue growth even while plant-based meat majors decline.
Hybrid meat is growing
Meanwhile, the popularity of hybrid meat, which combines real meat with plant-based in the same product, is also growing. Ingredients manufacturers such as Roquette and Beneo see hybrid as the next big thing. Hybrid combines “the benefit of meat plus the benefit of plant-based,” says Roquette’s Le Bihan.
What is the appeal of hybrid? “Hybrid keeps the eating experience familiar while reducing footprint and improving nutrition,“ says Bedwell.
“Studies across Europe show stronger acceptance for blends with 25–50% plant content than for fully plant-based versions. It feels like a practical shift not a lifestyle change which is why shoppers adopt it more easily."
So it’s clear that while plant-based meat in the classic sense – 100% vegan versions of burgers or hot dogs, intended to taste as much like meat as possible – does not have the appeal it once did, plant-based as a trend isn’t going away. It’s only changing.
