Plant-Based Proteins ‘Back in Growth’ in UK, Says Tesco Amid Whole-Food Wave

From greenqueen.com.hk

By Anay Mridul

Vegan food is returning to growth for the first time in years in the UK, whose largest retailer credits the expanding demand for protein, fibre and whole foods behind the sales rally

Plant-based isn’t dead after all.

Months after declaring that its goal to boost meat alternative sales was “highly unlikely” to be achieved by the 2025 deadline, the UK’s largest supermarket has seen demand for several plant-based proteins shoot up.

Vegan mince products witnessed a near-25% sales hike in the last year at Tesco, and plant proteins like tofu, tempeh and seitan underwent a 12% climb. Purchases of plant-based snacking products, such as falafels, picnic eggs and mini sausages, also shot up by more than 5%.

Tesco ascribes this revival to the heightening demand for “veg-led foods” that are rich in protein and fibre, putting vegan food back in growth for the first time in years.

Data from market analysts Nielsen shows that volume demand for chilled plant-based food rose by just under 1% across UK supermarkets in 2025, increasing to 1.7% in the final quarter of the year.

“We are beginning to see the green shoots of recovery across the UK’s plant-based food sector, as a growing number of shoppers place long-term health and wellbeing at the centre of their food choices,” said Bethan Jones, plant-based food buyer at Tesco.

Plant-based momentum returns in ‘more grounded form’

                                                                                                                  Courtesy: Tesco

According to Tesco, demand for plant-based food had peaked during the Covid-19 lockdowns, but shoppers have since been more selective about what they buy, preferring to buy their own ingredients instead of choosing ready-made options.

This is reflected in its own sales trajectory. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, the retailer had established a target of increasing purchases of plant-based meats by 300% by the end of 2025 (compared to 2018 levels). And though it started well, the growth slowed as Covid-19 faded away, with 2024/25 sales only 94% higher than the baseline.

Likewise, the proportion of protein sales coming from plant-based alternatives decreased from 12% in 2020/21 to 9% in 2024/25, against a four-point increase for meat and egg products.

“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 Jones.

“However, economic pressures and the fading novelty of early experimentation among casual consumers meant that this rapid growth was difficult to maintain.”

Now, though, momentum is returning in a “more grounded form”. “A growing micro-trend focused on whole-food plant proteins – including beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and wholegrains – is helping to drive renewed sales, signalling a shift from short-term trend to lasting dietary change,” he explained.

Indeed, tofu maker The Tofoo Co enjoyed its best year yet in 2024, with sales up by nearly 20%, and tempeh brand Better Nature raised $1.5M after a 128% sales increase in Q2 2025, its best quarter to date.

Gosh!, which refreshed its packaging to align with the 30-plants-a-week movement, saw volume sales of its Moroccan Falafel grow by 6% last year, just as meat prices increased over six times faster than beans and lentils in the UK.

“As more people eat their way to happier, healthier lifestyles by adding more plants to their plates, it’s no surprise that more natural products are helping to reignite category growth,” said Gosh! marketing director Caroline Hughes.

                                                                                                     Courtesy: Gosh!/Green Queen

Food companies bet big on whole foods, fibre and protein

Tesco suggest that Brits are being more selective and looking for health benefits in the food they buy, which underlines the trend for “natural plant-based” options.

“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,” said Jones.

Concerns about ultra-processing are pushing more Brits to buy vegetable-based products over meat alternatives. “Shoppers are looking for whole foods that are genuinely healthy, with no hidden nasties, and that support their overall wellbeing,” noted Hughes.

And plant-based food producers are banking on this shift. This launched the This is Super Superfood line in April, diversifying from its meat-mimicking philosophy to embrace whole-food plant proteins. The same week, Oh So Wholesome rolled out Veg’chop, a range of cubes made from red lentils, quinoa, yellow split peas, mushrooms, seeds, and more plants.

This later expanded its whole-food offerings, and also introduced a chickpea tofu line in collaboration with Omami. Likewise, Juicy Marbles built on its meat alternative range with an Umami Burger that targets the sweet spot between ultra-realistic analogues and whole-food options. And Symplicity Foods debuted its fermented-vegetable-based burgers, sausages and ‘nduja in retail via Waitrose.

                                                                                                 Courtesy: Symplicity Foods

Then there’s the GLP-1-fuelled demand for protein and fibre. More than 1.5 million Brits now use a weight-loss drug, a share that nearly doubled between 2024 and 2025. This has directly impacted their food purchases, with their grocery bills reducing by 2.2 percentage points more than non-users.

The result? Supermarkets across the UK have come out with dedicated GLP-1 ranges that offer high-protein, high-fibre options, including M&S, Morrisons, Co-op, Asda and Ocado. Tesco has said it is closely monitoring this space too.

With GLP-1, fibremaxxing, whole foods and protein all in play, can the UK’s largest supermarket lead plant-based food’s second wind?

https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/plant-based-food-meat-sales-tesco-uk-growth-whole-food/