Meat Sales Drop As Veganism Goes Mainstream In the UK

Sales of red meat have fallen as more Brits choose to follow a vegan diet.

According to a report by Veganuary, more than 800,000 people cut back on eating meat and dairy for at least a month last year, meaning 3.6 million fewer animals were eaten in the first six months of 2019.

Another research by Nielsen found that sales of red meat fell down by £185 million.  Pork plunged by 6.4% and beef sales were down by 4%. The same study also shows that sales of vegan products rose by 18% to £405 million in 2019. 

The vegan market in Britain reached £1 billion for the first time last year and has doubled in the past 20 years with the number of vegans in Britain topping 600,000, according to research by the Vegan Society.

2019 has seen a huge rise in the meat-free category sales as veganism goes mainstream and consumers become more health and environmentally conscious.

Research conducted by Kantar found that health was the most popular reason for giving up animal products, cited by 55% of respondents. Concern for animal welfare was mentioned by 49% and worrying about environment by 30%.

This month, more than 350,000 consumers have already pledged to join Veganuary and go vegan for the whole of January.