Data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has found that meat-free products had their fourth consecutive year of decline, while fish, meat, and poultry products experienced growth.
Dairy-free and meat-free products experienced less demand compared to 2024 than traditional dairy and meat products. Regarding meat-free product sales declining, AHDB found this was mostly driven by vegetable-based products such as bean burgers, rather than meat imitation products like Quorn.
AHDB highlighted that this weaker performance was likely due to declining engagement in Veganuary according to Google searches. AHDB research showed 5.65% of the population took part (YouGov/AHDB February 2025), with 1.29% of those vegan all year round, 2.3% managing to complete the month and 2.06% not finishing Veganuary.
Of those who managed to maintain a vegan diet for the entire month of January, 39% stated they are not going to continue with the diet beyond January.
Kantar data showed that meat-free saw a 9.1% decline in promotions year-on-year, which, along with high inflation, likely contributed to its performance. While meat imitation products did see spend and volume growth in January, it was the only meat-free category to see both these increases, however, this isn’t expected to continue, as historically (2021-2024) there has been an average decline in volume of -22.5% from January to February (Kantar 4 w/e 26th January 2025).
Cow’s dairy volumes increased by 6.1% in January and saw volume increases in almost all product categories, while plant-based dairy increased by just 1% and had volume declines in nearly all plant-based dairy categories, including plant-based cheese, spreads, and butter.
Hannah McLoughlin, analyst at AHDB, said: “Our data highlights that consumer interest in meat and dairy-free products is not as strong as it was in previous years. The demand for meat and dairy remains resilient, with many consumers showing a preference for traditional products over plant-based options.
“This shift in consumption patterns, coupled with fluctuating promotional activity, suggests that the traditional meat and dairy sectors continue to hold their ground in the face of changing dietary trends.”
