'Nothing seemed normal anymore, including eating meat': why sales of vegan products have spiked

Among many things, lockdown has altered our eating habits. More bread, both of sourdough and banana varieties; certainly lots of comfort food and barbecues. Many sat down to regular meals with the family for the first time in years, rather than eating separately in front of different TVs or devices. There was more home cooking, mostly out of necessity.

There has also been a spike in plant-based dining. The sector had already enjoyed a well-documented rise over the past decade, moving from fringe to mainstream. This week, Meatless Farm, a Leeds-based producer of fake meats (mince, burgers, sausages) announced a provocative new £1.5m advertising slogan, M*** F***.

According to market analysts Nielsen, Meatless Farm’s sales rose 179 per cent in the first half of 2020, compared with the previous year. “Lockdown has created a new wave of well-being,” notes the company’s chief growth officer, Michael Hunter. “Meat reduction and veganism were already rapidly growing trends, but the pandemic has certainly accelerated the movement.”

It comes as millions of Britons seek to cut out animal products, either partially or entirely. Many reasons are cited, including health, the environment, animal welfare, cost or accessibility of products. According to The Vegan Society, 20 per cent of Britons reduced meat consumption during lockdown, with 15 per cent doing the same for eggs or dairy. These figures were backed up by Mintel, which says 12 per cent of us have found vegan diets more attractive since the pandemic started, rising to a quarter of people in their twenties.

Purchases of plant-based alternatives rose in almost all categories, including dairy and meat. It is worth noting sales on most groceries have increased since March: we ate more at home, therefore we bought more from shops. Yet, according to Kantar Worldpanel, sales of many vegan substitutes outstripped that of the overall grocery market. In the 12 weeks to June 2020, for example, vegan sausages (21.3 per cent), burgers (37 per cent) mince (50.1 per cent) and tofu (81.7 per cent) all rose more than the overall grocery market spike of 13.7 per cent.

Examples abound from supermarkets, too. At Waitrose, sales in the vegan range have jumped 30 per cent year-on-year, with vegan mince and balls up 150 per cent. Online searches for vegan bacon have risen 759 per cent, while oat milk sales are up 113 per cent.

“In recent months we’ve seen that customers have become more adventurous thanks to spending more time at home. Vegan ingredients have been leading the way in the last few months,” says the supermarket’s vegan buyer, Charlotte McCarthy.

At Asda there was a 32 per cent increase in vegan products being added to shopping carts, while over at Sainsbury’s alternative milk sales swelled by 20 per cent year-on-year, compared with eight percent the year before.

“We’ve seen a boom in plant-based and meat-free products during lockdown as Sainsbury’s customers have taken the time to be more experimental and diversify their food choices,” said a spokesperson.

That people have bought more plant-based alternatives during lockdown is interesting, but the question is: why are habits changing so fast? There are many possible factors. Health is key. Health experts have long encouraged a reduction (but not necessarily complete avoidance) of meat and dairy, with the so-called Med diet linked to lower inflammation in the body and type-2 diabetes among other ailments. Poor health is linked to a higher risk of death from Covid-19.

The environment is a pressing concern for many; being locked down gave many the time to think more deeply about issues they care about. Perhaps there was an element of more control over what we eat at home – when out it’s easy to make regular stops at outlets that often don’t have suitable vegan options (though that is changing). Some cite the cost of meat as a reason; others say they couldn’t find their favourite meat or dairy items, so opted for vegan alternatives instead.

Robert John, 31, gave up meat last year, largely for environmental reasons, though continued to eat dairy. When he and his girlfriend were ordered to work from home in Cambridgeshire, they found they were able to go further. John puts this down to having more time to research and experiment.

“I tried soya milk last year and thought it wasn’t for me,” John explains, “plus I love milk too much. During lockdown I’ve tried Oatly’s barista ‘milk’ and find it goes great in coffee.” He says the rapidly rising options, both in supermarkets and outlets like KFC, Subway or Burger King, mean he is sampling far more options. “Some of the vegan stuff is great, others, not so much.”

John also thinks having more control when cooking at home is a big factor. “I found I’d often get the same lunch or snacks because I knew I liked them and didn’t want to try something when rushing around for lunch. Now I have more time to experiment.”

In Kent, Joanna Earle, 36, has gradually reduced animal products for the past year. Though going fully vegan was appealing, Earle says her lifestyle prevented it. When eating at restaurants or on-the-go work lunches, it was tough. With these elements removed, Earle found sticking to a vegan diet easier.

“I feel great and I don’t think I will [go back to animal products],” says Earle. “I love all the delicious meals and plant-based foods I make, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on nutrients.”

Also in Kent, John Ellis, 51, cut out meat after being diagnosed with heart disease at the onset of lockdown, and having three stents fitted.

“Nothing seemed normal anymore, including eating meat.” Ellis prefers fruits and vegetables (and still eats fish) to processed vegan options, but is “developing a taste and appreciation for the alternatives.” He doesn’t expect to go back to meat, but isn’t putting pressure on himself.

Sreedhar Krishna, an NHS consultant dermatologist from south London, says health reasons prompted his switch to a diet consisting solely of vegan meal replacement shakes. “A bit extreme, I know,” he concedes. He says during lockdown his hospital didn’t need him as part of their pandemic response, so he had a rare holiday.

“I felt refreshed and took some time to reflect on my lifestyle,” Krishna explains. With family members having died from presumed cardiac issues in their 30s and 40s, “I thought something had to change.”

No longer were unhealthy pastries and soft drinks, scoffed down between patients, appealing. “I had known this for a while, but it was only with the time away from work that the penny dropped that I had to act.”

In London, Amelie Barrau, 33, struggled to find ingredients in local supermarkets at the beginning of lockdown. As a local butcher quickly ran out of stock, a greengrocer and organic shop became the only options. They primarily offered plant-based food, and the lack of queues appealed. Barrau has switched to a 90 per cent plant-based diet.

Barrau, who feels “the best I’ve felt in years”, was thinking about it since before lockdown, for health and animal welfare reasons. She began to educate herself with her increased spare time, and says “the pandemic has definitely highlighted the many issues behind the intensification of farming.”

This brings up a factor that has long been known among experts but seldom discussed in wider society: that our hunger for meat, and the way it’s produced, is considered a vector for disease. As Valentina Rizzi of the European Food Safety Authority said in May: “The majority of emerging new infections in humans in the last 10 years really come from animals or food of animal origin.”

It was likely true of Sars and Mers, and seems to be the case for Covid-19. Additionally, several large outbreaks around the world have been linked to meat processing plants. The UN, citing links between zoonotic infections and the current animal production system, is insisting on a rethink of farming practices.

The past few years have seen a significant rise in veganism, from an estimated 150,000 in 2006 to 600,000 in 2018. As health, environmental and animal welfare issues become clearer, many more are attempting to cut down their meat and dairy intake, if only for a few days a week. The lockdown has changed the way we eat in many ways – perhaps providing the plant-based movement with a further shot in the arm will eventually be seen as the most significant.