A new study involving 1,500 participants, released today by HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit company and integrated food solutions group, finds the appetite for plant-based meals is on the rise in the UK. The research, conducted in partnership with Kantar, reveals three in five (61%) of British consumers want more opportunities to experiment with plant-based meat alternatives in their meals.
Two in three (66%) are convinced that adopting a plant-based approach to nutrition is better for the environment than consuming meat and dairy products. Twenty per cent already avoid meat completely or occasionally and half believe that more people should switch to a plant-based diet.
But more than one in three (36%) Brits say they’ve never tried plant-based meat alternatives, while half (51%) admit they wouldn’t want to follow a plant-based diet because it would be too hard to prepare.
Cost is also a deterrent for consumers wanting to make the switch to a plant-based diet with 41% of consumers saying they would eat more plant-based alternatives if they were cheaper. Three quarters (75%) of consumers believe the Government has a responsibility to make these options more affordable. Other deterrents mentioned by consumers were lack of taste (45%), lack of flavour (37%) and texture (35%).
HelloFresh is the owner of the largest customer database on taste preferences and is dedicated to expanding its offering in line with predictions of growing demand for plant-based diets in the UK. As such, HelloFresh is onboarding more plant-based protein suppliers than ever before and supporting the 61% wanting to make the switch by providing them with meal kits, complete with cooking instructions. HelloFresh UK is looking into expanding its offer on plant-based proteins within its modularity feature and will enable customers to lower their carbon footprint by choosing plant-based burger patties, instead of beef. In addition to HelloFresh the HelloFresh Group is already operating the brand GreenChef in the UK that serves special diets, including plant based.
Environmental impact of dietary choices
Two thirds (66%) of the 1,500 consumers surveyed agreed there is a positive environmental impact from following a plant-based diet. More than half of the respondents (52%) said that the government should help consumers make informed choices by creating more transparency around the environmental impact of both plant-based and animal products. HelloFresh also believes it has a responsibility to help raise awareness by offering customers opportunities to try out a wide range of delicious alternatives to meat.
In response to the findings of its Life Cycle Assessment survey, which found that ingredients are responsible for 56 per cent of emissions across the HelloFresh value chain, HelloFresh launched its Climate Conscious recipe tag. Rolled out in the UK in December 2022, this labelling offers customers the chance to make food choices that are better for the environment by tagging recipes that produce a third or less carbon emissions compared to other meals.
Reducing the emissions impact of its meals to align with its ambitious sustainability targets is an ongoing priority for HelloFresh. Since January 2022, HelloFresh UK has reduced the average CO2 emissions of its recipes by 16 per cent.
Adam Park, CEO of HelloFresh UK, said: “At HelloFresh, we are proud to support our customers to make dietary choices that are right for them. Part of this will be through offering the option to switch the meat in their favourite meals to plant-based alternatives. Half of consumers surveyed in the UK said they worry plant-based diets will be too hard to cook. We have an opportunity to help customers with this as we don’t just send ingredients, we also help them cook delicious meals with easy-to-follow recipes. Our ambition is to introduce ingredients to our customers that are delicious, convenient, and better for the environment.
Tilman Eichstädt, COO, upstream supply chain at HelloFresh SE, said: “It’s an exciting time for our brands and our customers, as we look to broaden our plant-based offering by building on our supplier network. At the same time we will further improve the quality of our animal proteins. Our main goal is to expand the variety of products we offer to our customers while educating them about the environmental footprint of their food choices.”
