The plant-based aisle had a moment. It was bold, brightly signposted and full of promise. But now, in 2026, that moment has passed. Clinging to it is holding the category back.
This isn’t an anti-plant-based argument. Quite the opposite. It’s about giving meat-free food a fairer shot at long-term success by integrating it into how people actually shop and eat.
Because here’s the uncomfortable truth: most shoppers don’t think in terms of meat versus meat-free. They think in terms of what to buy for dinner: will it taste good? Is it nutritious? Is it high in protein? Is it easy to cook?
The plant-based aisle asks shoppers to make a values-led detour before they’ve even decided what they’re cooking. It subtly signals that these products are ‘other’ – niche, specialist, not quite part of the main event. And then we wonder why penetration stalls outside a small group of highly engaged consumers.
If we want meat-free to win with the mainstream, it needs to stop being segregated.
That’s why protein aisles, not plant-based aisles, are the future.
Pick a protein, any protein
Organising fixtures around protein makes sense for how people shop. Chicken, Beef, tofu, tempeh, lentils, and beans are all answers to the same question: what’s my protein for dinner tonight?
When meat and meat-free proteins sit side by side on the supermarket shelf, shoppers can compare them based on credentials, rather than ideology. They can make informed decisions about what protein to choose based on how nutritious it is, how easy it is to cook, or whether it is supercharged with fibre and gut health benefits as well as protein. That’s where real choice happens.
Crucially, this also gives meat-free equal status. Not special. Not separate. Just part of the core shop.
Equal status matters more than we often admit. When meat-free is tucked away, it sends an unintentional message: this is an alternative lifestyle product, not a normal food choice. But the flexitarians or ‘light buyers’ (who are the biggest growth opportunity) don’t want to pledge allegiance to the cause. They just want options that work for a Tuesday night stir-fry or a Friday fajita fix.
Retailers already know category management shapes behaviour. We’ve seen it with free-from and with world foods. Integration drives trial. Segregation limits it.
The commercial reality is clear. Space in store is finite and a plant-based aisle needs constant justification: newness, novelty, excitement. When volumes soften, it’s the first thing to be questioned. A protein fixture, on the other hand, is future-proof. Protein demand isn’t going anywhere. What will change is what protein is on offer.
This isn’t about erasing plant-based identity or values. Brands can, and should, communicate taste, nutrition and sustainability. But those messages land better when the product has already earned its place in the shopper’s consideration set.
If we’re serious about long-term growth, we need to stop treating meat-free like a campaign and start treating it like a real, viable protein choice.
So yes, it’s time to say goodbye to the plant-based aisle. Not because it failed, but because it did its job. The next phase is integration, equality and relevance. That’s how meat-free will move from the margins to the mainstream.
Elin Roberts is CEO at Better Nature
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