The future of food won’t be built on bigger portions. It’ll be built on better ones.
That’s the conclusion from Henry Dimbleby’s Bramble Intelligence, which has named protein challenger, Better Nature, in its inaugural Intelligence 40 – a showcase of the companies it believes are best placed to capture what it calls ‘the biggest shift of profits in food since the rise of the supermarkets.’
Better Nature appears alongside global heavyweights Google and Walmart, as well as some of the UK’s most exciting FMCG brands including Pip & Nut, Bio&Me, Bold Bean Co and Wildfarmed.
The recognition comes as shoppers are rapidly redefining what they want from protein. Nielsen Scantrack data (June 2026) shows tempeh is now the fastest-growing category in UK’s £273.8m meat-free market, with Better Nature seeing 25% growth.*
Bramble predicts that by 2035, the average Brit will consume 5% fewer calories than today. For the grocery industry, that represents a potential £3bn-£6bn loss in real-terms sales if brands continue relying on volume growth alone.
The winners, Bramble argues, will be the businesses that make healthy eating effortless, create genuinely nourishing food and use ingredients consumers instinctively trust.
For Better Nature, that’s exactly where tempeh comes into its own.
Made from whole fermented soya beans, Better Nature’s tempeh delivers high protein, high fibre and naturally gut-friendly nutrition with a short, recognisable ingredients list – offering retailers a compelling answer to growing demand for less processed protein.
Elin Roberts, CEO & Co-founder of Better Nature, said: “Our research shows that consumers increasingly want centre-of-plate protein that’s naturally high in protein and fibre, supports gut health and, above all, tastes great. That’s where tempeh has a real advantage.
Under the expertise of my co-founder, Dr Ando Ahnan-Winarno (better known as ‘The Protein Doctor’) we’ve spent years researching exactly what makes tempeh such a unique protein and we’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, using science and deep product expertise to optimise flavour, texture and nutrition.
As a result, at Better Nature, we’ve created flavour-hungry tempeh that absorbs marinades beautifully while holding a satisfying bite. It’s real food that delivers on taste as well as nutrition.
This September, we’re taking that message to the mainstream with a bold and brave campaign to help consumers Give Chicken The Night Off. Rather than telling people to give something up, we’re inviting them to make one delicious midweek swap. Too many households buy chicken on autopilot. We want to show them there’s another option that’s just as satisfying, naturally nutritious and genuinely exciting to eat.
We’re delighted Bramble Intelligence sees the same opportunity we do. The future belongs to brands that make healthy eating irresistible, not a compromise, and we’re excited to lead that change.”
* Nielsen 4-week data to w/e 13 June 2026
