Plant-based food is back in growth according to Tesco, which said the category had seen a positive turn for the first time in years.
The retailer said demand for veg-led foods rich in protein and fibre had delivered a boost to plant-based options, with NIQ data showing volume demand for chilled plant-based food grew by just under 1% across UK supermarkets in the past year. It has has increased to 1.7% in the past 12 weeks alone.
“The plant-based movement emerged as the fastest-growing food trend of the late 20th century, fuelled by demand for meat alternatives and a heightened awareness of sustainability,” said Tesco plant-based food buyer Bethan Jones. “However, economic pressures and the fading novelty of early experimentation among casual consumers meant this rapid growth was difficult to maintain.”
Jones said a growing trend focused on whole-food plant proteins was driving renewed sales, “signalling a shift from short-term trend to lasting dietary change”.
She added: “Increasingly, the inclusion of vegetables and plant foods is being seen not as a passing preference, but as a fundamental part of how people expect to eat in the future.”
Some of the products to see a boost in the past year include plant-based mince (25%), proteins such as tofu, tempeh and seitan (12%), and snacking options (5%).
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As reported by The Grocer in its annual Top Products survey, the meat-free category was found to have lost 4.8% in value and 6.5% in volume in the year to September 2025, although products with a ‘clean’ ingredient deck bucked the trend.
Tesco touted Gosh, which uses 100% natural products in its lines, as one of the companies helping to push category growth. Its Moroccan Falafel has grown by 6% in volume over the past 52 weeks.
“As more people eat their way to happier, healthier lifestyles by adding more plants to their plates, it’s no surprise more natural products are helping to reignite category growth,” said Gosh marketing director Caroline Hughes.
The Vegan Society welcomed Tesco’s announcement and criticised what it saw as negative media coverage around the “demise” of veganism in the past 12 months.
The organisation said there were more than 72,000 products certified with the Vegan Trademark, and its latest survey found around three million people in the UK are either following vegan or plant-based lifestyles.
“These figures are positive and show that veganism is in good health,” said Vegan Society CEO Libby Peppiatt. “Whether consumers are driven by animal welfare, dietary, environmental or simply cost of living concerns, a vegan or plant-based lifestyle is an all-round win.”
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