Focus On Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: 22 August

By Dominic Bernard (Dominic.Bernard@thegrocer.co.uk) 

Advertising deadline: 17 July 2026

Submissions deadline: 10 July 2026

Print, digital and sponsorship opportunities

Sales of plant-based meat alternatives are sluggish as shoppers’ concerns over UPFs sharpen, with some big names in the category making major losses. But with future food security under threat, there’s a huge incentive to turn things around – so who’s investing in the category?

Investment: State of play

• Are investors putting money into the category – why/why not?

• Which brands have splashed on major marketing campaigns?

• Which brands have thrown money behind a respositioning or an innovation pipeline?

Supermarkets: Ranging and merchandising

• Are plant-based meat alternatives losing shelf space?

• Which supermarkets champion the category?

• What could retailers do to better support sales of plant-based meat alternatives?

Innovation: Alt-meat 2.0

• Burgers and nuggets have been played out – what are the wackier innovations of the past 12 months?

• Why haven’t plant-based fish alternatives hit the mainstream?

• What products are we likely to see next?

EU regulation: A ban on ‘meaty’ words

• How does legislation on the marketing of plant-based meat alternatives differ between the UK and EU?

• How do suppliers anticipate that the EU ban on ‘meaty’ words in their marketing will impact sales?

• How are brands that sell in both the UK and Europe adapting their strategies to suit both?

Lab-grown meat: The state of play

• What’s the current outlook for lab-grown meat in the UK?

• Which companies are pioneering in this space?

• What are consumers’ attitudes towards the category?

Innovations: We will profile two new products or ranges. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each.