Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Products covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- The market
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- Figure 1: UK retail value sales of meat-free foods, 2011-21
- The perceived dangers of eating too much meat
- Plant proteins seen in a positive light
- Sainsbury’s looks to boost vegetable consumption through store redesigns
- Companies and brands
- Own-label dominates meat-free, but is in decline
- Quorn leads the brands
- Cauldron goes from strength to strength
- Linda McCartney is the star performer in frozen meat-free foods
- A big NPD push from brands pays dividends
- More emphasis is placed on protein in meat-free
- Flexitarian launches bring the best of both worlds to meat
- Adspend on meat-free doubles over 2012-16
- The consumer
- Despite Britain still being a nation of meat eaters, 28% of people have cut back
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- Figure 2: Consumers’ meat eating habits, by gender, March 2017
- A diversity of reasons for cutting back, but health is top
- The environmental message is getting through to under-25s
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- Figure 3: Reasons why consumers have/would be interested in limiting/reducing the amount of red meat/poultry they eat and reasons for meat avoidance, March 2017
- Low frequency of usage of meat-free foods
- Notably higher usage among meat avoiders and reducers
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- Figure 4: Frequency of usage of meat-free foods, March 2017
- Meat is held in high regard for its nutritional content
- Concerns linger over ingredients in meat substitutes
- The younger generation are hungry for more recipe suggestions
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- Figure 5: Attitudes towards meat-free foods, March 2017
- Meat substitutes are marred with a bland image
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- Figure 6: Qualities associated with meat-free foods, March 2017
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- Figure 7: Further qualities associated with meat-free foods, March 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Being more vocal about the ethical and environmental benefits of meat-free foods can tap into feel-good eating
- The facts
- The implications
- A need for meat substitutes to prove their nutritional worth
- The facts
- The implications
- Making recipe inspiration more visible can encourage experimentation
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Meat-free food sales in decline over 2013-15
- The market turns a corner in 2016
- Chilled dominates, but only frozen enjoyed growth in 2016
- The perceived dangers of eating too much meat
- Plant proteins seen in a positive light
- Sainsbury’s looks to boost vegetable consumption through store redesigns
Market Size and Forecast
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- Meat-free food sales in decline over 2013-15
- The market turns a corner in 2016
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- Figure 8: UK retail volume and value sales of meat-free foods, 2011-21
- The future
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- Figure 9: UK retail value sales of meat-free foods, 2011-21
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- Figure 10: UK retail volume sales of meat-free foods, 2011-21
- Forecast methodology
Market Segmentation
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- Chilled dominates meat-free…
- …but only frozen enjoyed growth in 2016
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- Figure 11: UK retail value and volume sales of meat-free foods, by segment, 2011-16
- Figure 12: UK retail value and volume sales of frozen meat-free foods, by sub-segment, 2011-16
- Sausages and snacks add most value to the chilled segment in 2016
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- Figure 13: UK retail value and volume sales of chilled meat-free foods, by sub-segment, 2011-16
Market Drivers
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- Health concerns around meat fuel the ‘flexitarian’ trend
- Plant proteins seen in a positive light
- Foodservice embraces vegetarianism and veganism
- Sainsbury’s looks to boost vegetable consumption through store redesigns
- Concerns around antibiotics in meat could give a further boost
- UN panel advocates tax on meat to preserve environment
- Consumer cutbacks on meat as incomes tighten could benefit some products more than others
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Own-label dominates meat-free, but is in decline
- Quorn leads the brands
- Linda McCartney is the star performer in frozen meat-free foods
- A big NPD push from brands pays dividends
- A hike in vegan launches
- More emphasis is placed on protein in meat-free
- Flexitarian launches bring the best of both worlds to meat
- Adspend on meat-free doubles over 2012-16
Market Share
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- Own-label dominates meat-free, but is in decline
- Quorn leads the brands
- Cauldron goes from strength to strength
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- Figure 14: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK chilled meat-free foods market, by value and volume, 2014-16
- Figure 15: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK chilled meat-free foods market, by value and volume, 2014-16
- Linda McCartney is the star performer in frozen meat-free foods
- Birds Eye loses sales as consumers trade up
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- Figure 16: Leading brands’ sales and shares in the UK frozen meat-free foods market, by value and volume, 2014-16
- Figure 17: Leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the UK frozen meat-free foods market, by value and volume, 2014-16
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- NPD within meat substitutes lags far behind that in animal-based proteins
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- Figure 18: Share of new launches in the processed meat, poultry, fish and egg products market, by segment, 2012-17*
- A big NPD push from brands pays dividends
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- Figure 19: Share of new launches in the meat substitute market, by brands versus private label, 2012-16
- A busy schedule of NPD for Quorn
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- Figure 20: Share of new launches in the meat substitute market, by company (top 5 in 2016), 2012-17
- A hike in vegan launches
- The Vegetarian Society rolls out new vegan trademark
- Combining meat-free with other free-from credentials
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- Figure 21: Share of new launches in the meat substitute market, by claim (top 10 in 2016, excluding vegetarian), 2012-17
- More emphasis is placed on protein in meat-free
- The positivity surrounding plant proteins is being harnessed
- Exciting flavours in meat-free
- Bright vegetables make a growing appearance in meat-free…
- …however five-a-day claims can bring tangibility to health benefits
- Flexitarian launches bring the best of both worlds to meat
- New healthier sausage brand launches at Tesco
- The arrival of the Funky Flexitarian
- A new addition to the Flexilicious range
- Growing competition for meat-free from prepared meals
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- Figure 22: Share of new launches in the prepared meals market carrying a vegetarian and vegan claim, 2012-16
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Adspend on meat-free doubles over 2012-16
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- Figure 23: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on meat-free foods, 2012-16
- Figure 24: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on meat-free foods, by advertiser, 2012-16
- Quorn focuses on health to appeal to a general audience
- New Olympians recruited in 2017
- Putting the focus on taste
- Highlighting environmental credentials via social media
- Charities advocate meat reduction
- Vegan organisation looks to eclipse vegetarianism in attack on the farming industry
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Despite still being a nation of meat eaters, 28% have cut back
- Women, 25-34s, Londoners most likely to limit/reduce meat intake
- A diversity of reasons for cutting back, but health is top
- The environmental message is getting through to under-25s
- Low frequency of usage of meat-free foods
- Notably higher usage among meat avoiders and reducers
- Meat is held in high regard for its nutritional content
- Concerns linger over ingredients in meat substitutes
- Meat substitutes are marred with a bland image
- The younger generation are hungry for more recipe suggestions
Meat Eating Habits
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- Britain remains a nation of meat eaters
- Over a quarter of meat eaters have already cut back
- Women, 25-34s, Londoners most likely to limit/reduce meat intake
- Meat avoidance is most prevalent among young women
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- Figure 25: Consumers’ meat eating habits, by gender, March 2017
- Veganism remains niche
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- Figure 26: Diets followed by non-meat eaters, March 2017
Reasons for Meat Reduction and Avoidance
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- A diversity of reasons to restrain meat intake
- Health is the top reason for cutting back on meat
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- Figure 27: Reasons why consumers have/would be interested in limiting/reducing the amount of red meat/poultry they eat and reasons for meat avoidance, March 2017
- Weight management is a key driver
- Ethical and environmental reasons drive meat avoidance
- The environmental message is getting through to under-25s…
- …but brands should be more vocal about their benefits
- Tangible benefits can show consumers that they can make a difference
Usage of Meat-free Foods
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- Low levels of usage of meat-free foods
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- Figure 28: Frequency of usage of meat-free foods, March 2017
- Notably higher usage among meat avoiders…
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- Figure 29: Usage of meat-free foods, by consumers’ meat eating habits, March 2017
- …and those limiting/reducing meat
Attitudes towards Meat-free Foods
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- Meat is held in high regard for its nutritional content…
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- Figure 30: Attitudes towards meat-free foods, March 2017
- …presenting a need for meat substitutes to prove their nutritional worth
- Iron and amino acids explored by meat-free brands
- Concerns linger over ingredients in meat substitutes…
- …with meat-esque products having the biggest mountain to climb
- The younger generation are hungry for more recipe suggestions
- Recipes must get on the path of shoppers
- ‘Little Twists’ campaign has relevance for meat-free
- Social media can help make recipe ideas visual
- Bloggers/vloggers are having an impact
Qualities Associated with Meat-free Foods
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- Widespread uncertainty about meat-free products
- Meat substitutes are marred with a bland image
- Exciting flavours needed to tap into “foodie” trends
- Rotating ranges can bring excitement and newness
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- Figure 31: Qualities associated with meat-free foods, March 2017
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- Figure 32: Further qualities associated with meat-free foods, March 2017
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Forecast Methodology
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 33: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail value sales of meat-free foods, 2016-21
- Figure 34: Best- and worst-case forecast of total UK retail volume sales of meat-free foods, 2016-21
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