Lidl’s plant-based sales have shot up by nearly 700%, exceeding its 2025 target and prompting the launch of new meat-free products
Lidl GB has announced that it has exceeded its 2025 sales goal for own-label plant-based products, achieving a staggering increase of almost 700%.
The discount store chain had originally set out to increase its sales of meat and dairy alternatives by 400% this year, but it has revealed it’s smashed that target already with a 694% increase. This significant milestone is part of the supermarket’s wider commitment to increasing its plant-based protein offerings, aiming for them to make up 25% of total protein sales by 2030.
The success of the supermarket’s Vemondo Plant! range has been a key driver, with sales of plant-based products outperforming meat alternatives by nearly 20%. This has prompted Lidl to expand its product range to cater to the growing number of vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians.
In response to this demand, the discounter has launched more than 20 new own-label products, including marinated tofu, falafel, and various plant-based mince and burgers, which will appear in stores from this week.
Lidl’s impressive sales figures reflect a broader shift in consumer behaviour. The supermarket has recognised the growing demand for sustainable and affordable food options and has made a significant push to meet it.
According to Amali Bunter, Head of Responsible Sourcing and Ethical Trade at Lidl GB, the company is proud to be a leader in this area.
In a press release, she said, “surpassing our 2025 meat-free and milk-alternative sales target marks a significant milestone in our wider healthy and sustainable diets agenda,” which supports ” our long-term goal of aligning with the Planetary Health Diet by 2050, a vital lever in the net-zero transition.”
This goal is not just about Lidl’s plant-based sales; it’s also about offering more sustainable choices to customers. The discounter also states that the new additions to the Vemondo Plant! range, which are being certified by The Vegetarian Society, reinforce this commitment.
The success of Lidl’s plant-based range is supported by a growing consumer interest in a wider variety of plant-based foods. Since the start of the year, Lidl has sold over 1,400 tonnes of pulses, seeds, and grains alone. This highlights a clear trend where consumers are seeking out healthier and more diverse sources of protein.
By expanding its Vemondo Plant! line, Lidl is not only responding to this market demand but also making plant-based food more accessible to a wider audience.
The new products, with prices starting from just £1.49, demonstrate a commitment to affordability, which is a key factor for many shoppers looking to make more sustainable choices. The continued success of these products cements Lidl’s position as an industry leader in making healthy, sustainable options more affordable and accessible.
The Vegan Business Circle (VBC) is a global network that supports vegan and plant-based businesses by offering resources, networking opportunities, and educational programs. It connects entrepreneurs across industries like food, fashion, beauty, and wellness, aiming to promote plant-based living and sustainability.
Founded byCsaba Péntek, a committed vegan and author of The Price of Your Hamburger, VBC has become a thriving community for business leaders to collaborate and grow.
In this interview, Csaba discusses the inspiration behind VBC’s creation, the challenges and successes of expanding internationally, how the network stays locally relevant while maintaining a global mission, his experience with ProVeg’s Kickstarting for Good program, and the role of localized business networks in accelerating the plant-based economy.
You launched the first Vegan Business Circle (VBC) in Hungary. What inspired you to create a dedicated networking platform for plant-based entrepreneurs, and how has the community evolved since then?
I have been an entrepreneur since I was 20 years old and have been part of several business communities over the years. Even though I have always been a strong introvert, I loved going to these communities because it felt good to be able to connect with people who are like-minded and share the same values. I gained a lot of useful ideas, knowledge, valuable contacts and friendships from these business communities.
So when I became vegan in 2019, the first thing I did was to look for a plant-based entrepreneurial community. However, I couldn’t find one, so I decided to start one myself. In the period of COVID, I had enough time refining my idea, and after that, in January 2022, I started organizing Vegan Business Circle business breakfasts with some of my vegan activist colleagues.
Since 2022, we have held more than 57 networking Business Breakfasts and 36 MasterMind meetups in Budapest. More than 1,000 entrepreneurs, business people and executives from government and non-profit organisations attended the business breakfasts and more than 800 new business contacts were made. Our members have been able to increase their annual income by more than 50% through new business contacts acquired directly and indirectly at VBC business breakfasts.
VBC was nominated for the Bridge Budapest Award in 2023, 2024 and 2025 in the category “Best Business Communities for Sustainability.” In Hungary, the VBC has been the basis for several other initiatives over the past 3 years. These include the Hungarian Association of Plant-Based Food Producers and Distributors, the Vegan Branding Masterclass, and the annual Hungarian Plant-Based Conferences.
VBC recently opened its first international chapter in Paris and London after several months of recruitment and planning. What were the key learnings from this expansion, and how has the reception been in the French and the UK plant-based business community so far?
In February this year, we announced that we were looking for chapter leaders in several European capitals to organize local VBC groups. Although we received more than 100 applications from 35 countries, we realized that during the selection process, we had to consider many more factors than we initially thought. The ideal chapter leader is both a team player and a leader, must be familiar with local conditions, but must also be able to bridge the language and cultural barriers between us. Fortunately, we found excellent chapter leaders with whom veganism provides a common ground that greatly facilitates our cooperation.
In recent months, we have also realized that it is better if a group is not led by a single person, but rather if responsibility is shared among several leaders who can support each other’s work, as our leaders in Paris do.
It was also a challenge to create a system that would ensure uniformity in all countries while complying with the different legal and tax environments, which is why a huge amount of technical development was required to get us ready for our international launch – which, of course, took a lot of time.
You’re now planning to launch VBC groups in more countries until 2025. What criteria do you use to select cities, and how do you ensure each chapter remains locally relevant while staying aligned with the broader mission?
This year, our goal is to test our original model that has already proven successful in Budapest. For this, we provide training, know-how, a brand guide, an international website, a CRM system, and materials for the chapter leaders. After each event, we will ask for feedback from both participants and chapter leaders to monitor how well the Hungarian model works in the given country. If we see that local members need different types of events, we will adapt to their needs. Our goal is not to impose our model on locals, but to build a system that can help members grow as effectively as possible in every country.
VBC was developed through ProVeg’s Kickstarting for Good program. How did this accelerator shape your journey, and what advice would you give to other social entrepreneurs in the vegan space?
I participated in the second cohort of Proveg’s K4G Program in 2024 with the idea of VBC International. During the program, mentors provided detailed training on how to build a high-impact non-profit organization. During the program, the mentors critically examined every project in detail and only allowed the most viable ones to move forward. This program had a huge impact on VBC.
I arrived with a plan to expand it to the V4 countries, and now we are building a global organization. I recommend this incubator program for every social entrepreneur who would like to establish a deep impact vegan initiative. I am especially grateful that at the end of the program, Sebastian Joy, the head of the K4G program and Proveg, joined the launch of VBC International as a co-founder and strategic advisor.
In your view, how can strong, localized business networks like VBC help accelerate the growth of the plant-based economy in both Western and Eastern Europe?
With the help of the VBC, numerous new business relationships and opportunities are being created in the plant-based business sector. Members of the business community (even through borders) can share their contacts, knowledge and experience with each other, enabling them to develop more quickly and become stronger.
In addition to the help of the VBC, additional initiatives such as advocacy associations, common campaigns, training courses, and conferences can be more easily established in every country, as has happened in Hungary. What’s more, all of this has a significant indirect impact on animal welfare and sustainability. More successful and efficient vegan businesses result in better quality vegan products, which will become available in more and more places, making it easier for consumers to choose them. Then animal use will decrease and sustainability will increase.
Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Greggs’s vegan steak bake return, Savor’s carbon-based butter launch, and Coco Gauff’s Naked Smoothie collab.
New products and launches
British bakery chain Greggs has brought back its Vegan Steak Bake, now called Vegan Lattice (Steak-Free) and available in select stores for £2.10.
Italian vegan start-up Bridge Foods has launched two dairy-free Biogurt products at Esselunga and Alì in peach and coffee flavours, and a liquid vegan egg called VegEgg at Unicoop Firenze, both under its ViaMia brand.
Israeli 3D-printed meat producer Redefine Meat has rolled out its Flank Steak as a refrigerated product in Coop stores in Switzerland.
German start-up BettaF!sh has expanded into Portugal with its canned vegan Tu-Nah, which is now available at select Continente locations.
In Australia, burger chain Grill’d has collaborated with Beyond Meat to introduce the latest version of its plant-based burger, called Beyond IV.
Fellow Aussie fast-food chain Zambrero has addedFable Food Co‘s Pulled Mushrooms to the menu of over 300 of its restaurants across the country.
After being laid off from US vegan sushi chain Planta, which filed for bankruptcy in May, chef-couple Gabriel Lopez and Erica Marie Denis have started2TheRootss, a plant-based private chef service in Miami.
In Brooklyn, New York, Impossible Foods held a pop-up at Rinsed Out Laundromat, where hundreds of attendees got a taste of its burger and nuggets.
New York-based dairy-free cheesemaker Rind has launched Vegan Bleu Crumbles, which uses spirulina and roqueforti cultures. The product will be available for $5 per 4oz container.
US plant-based dairy firm Tofutti has developed a tzatziki sauce using its Better Than Sour Cream offering, in partnership with vegan restaurant group Greens and Grains. It will be available at the latter’s 10 locations, and as a branded product for retail in the future.
Speaking of non-dairy innovations, Canadian startup Umyum has brought its soft cashew-based cheeses (in Ca’atar & Spices, Chutney & Saffron, and Coffee & Pepper flavours), camembert, and butters (in Salted, Truffle, Herb, and Slow-Roasted Garlic variants) to the US. They’re currently available at select retailers, including Bristol Farms, Town & Country Foods, and Chuck’s Fresh Markets.
Chicago eatery Alina, the longest three-Michelin-starred eatery in the US, servedAqua Cultured Foods‘s fermentation-derived tuna at its 20th anniversary pop-up residency at The Maybourne Beverly Hills (July 22 to August 16) as part of a vegetarian alternative to Wagyu.
Also in the US, Sunday Supper has introduced The Singles, a range of vegan Italian entrées in single-serve portions. These include an Italian Sausage Lasagna, Three Cheeses Lasagna, Fusi alla Vodka, and Eggplant Parm, which use products from Elmhurst 1925 and Abbot’s. They will be available at various retailers across the US.
Californian food tech start-up Savor is launching its carbon-derived butter as part of chocolate bonbons at One65 Patisserie & Boutique in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, Daily Harvest, now owned by Chobani, has added Strawberry Banana and Tropical Greens flavours to its GLP-1 supporting smoothie lineup. It partnered with US tennis Sloane Stephens‘s Doc & Glo brand to promote the range earlier this year.
In more tennis-related smoothie news, Naked Smoothies has teamed up with Coco Gauff to create a Protein Pineapple Orange Smoothie, which is available at select stores in the US.
California’s Virtuous Vittles has unveiled Bountiful Land, a line of shelf-stable plant-based meals for dogs, featuring morels in gravy. They were first debuted at Superzoo 2025.
Similarly, vegan pet nutrition brand PawCo Foods has launched Magic Cookie, a line of functional dog biscuits to target five health metrics: gut wellness, heart health, joint mobility, skin and coat vitality, and everyday wellness.
And in India, Bangalorean coffee shop Maverick & Farmer Coffee has joined forces with plant-based milk start-up Alt Co to launch the Vegan on Wednesdays initiative, offering the latter’s oat milk with zero surcharge alongside a specially curated plant-based food menu.
Courtesy: Naked Smoothies/Greggs/Sunday Supper
Company and finance developments
Amid itsbusiness restructuring, German plant-based holding companyVeganz Grouphasannouncedthat it would change its name to Planethic Group.
Berlin-based powdered oat milk start-up Blue Farm has raised €1.33M ($1.55M) in a crowdfunding campaign on Invesdor, at a pre-money valuation of €14M ($16.4M).
Phytolon, a start-up that uses precision fermentation to create alternatives to synthetic food colours, has secured an investment from Colorcon Ventures, the corporate VC fund of Colorcon.
Swedish startup Seaqure Labs has raised over five million kronor ($520,000) for its mycoprotein ingredient to replace soy and fishmeal in aquaculture feed.
UK molecular farming firm Bright Biotech has been awarded a £1.2M grant from the UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency. The Phase One funding will enable the company to apply its advanced chloroplast technology to develop more productive, resilient and sustainable plants.
US dairy-free brand The Forager Project has kicked off The Cashew Project, a multi-year initiative to support cashew farming in the Ivory Coast. It will entail organic farming training, financial literacy programmes, and sustainable agricultural practices that benefit local farmers.
Courtesy: The Forager Project
A week after closing a $31M Series A round, California’s The Better Meat Co has added Pamela Marrone, a 2025 inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, to its board of directors.
Fermentation startup MycoTechnology has appointed former Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and Abbott Nutrition executive Robert Scott as a board member.
Research, education and awards
Nutrition and public health organisation Balanced has teamed up with Humane World for Animals‘s Forward Food Collaborative to offer a free online plant-based culinary training for K12 school foodservice professionals.
Speaking of courses, ProVeg Czechia and the Physician Association for Nutrition Czech Republic have reintroduced their Nutrition in Medical Practice course to educate doctors about plant-based food. The online course will run twice a week from September 23 to October 23, and has already seen dozens of MDs and medical students sign up.
At the AgTech Breakthrough Awards, Australia’s Vowwon the Cultured Meat Product of the Year for its cultured quail, and Meatable was awarded the Food Replacement of the Year honour for its cultivated pork.
Likewise, Singaporean food tech start-up Prefer has made it to Forbes’s Asia 100 to Watch 2025 list for its bean-free coffee and chocolate innovations.
A UK government survey has revealed that 8% of children drink plant-based milk as their main milk drink, including 2% who consume ‘growing up’ or toddler drinks.
Health is a major motivator when consumers first reduce meat. In fact, nearly half of European consumers cite health as their main reason for eating less meat, ahead of sustainability or animal welfare. So, is the secret to growing the plant-based category simply shouting louder about fibre, cholesterol, or heart health?
Not quite.
In the latest New Food Hub article, ProVeg International explores why health may open the door, but taste, transparency, and trust are what keep people coming back.
How to frame health as a growth driver
Many consumers remain sceptical about health claims, especially if they’re vague or overused. ‘High in protein’ only resonates when the source is familiar. ‘Gut-friendly’ messaging needs to feel credible, not like an empty buzzword. And framing food as too healthy can actually reduce its perceived tastiness. Studies show indulgent cues, like flavour or mouthfeel, boost purchase intent more than clinical-sounding claims.
That’s why the most successful plant-based brands strike a delicate balance. Oatly wins trust by being transparent and relatable rather than over-promising. Heura uses clear nutritional comparisons to build credibility. Alpro smartly segments its range to suit both the health-conscious and those seeking comfort food.
Photo: Leon Seibert on Unsplash
Brands find success when they frame health as a benefit, not a burden. WhatIF Foods links nutrient density to sustainability through its hero ingredient, the Bambara groundnut, all while using colourful packaging and upbeat storytelling. Meanwhile, Strong Roots leads with real vegetables and clean ingredients but still uses satiating language to capture the ‘healthy but hearty’ space.
If you’re a brand, this means:
Connect claims to recognisable ingredients: oats, lentils, chickpeas, or vegetables.
Be specific: ‘10g plant protein per serving’ is stronger than ‘good source of protein.’
Anchor health in enjoyment: avoid language that feels joyless or clinical.
Ultimately, health matters, but only when it’s integrated into a broader brand experience that satisfies taste and emotion. Your product should make people feel good, and it should taste great.
Explore the full New Food Hub article, brand case studies, and strategic recommendationshere.
Our weekly column rounds up the latest sustainable food innovation news. This week, Future Food Quick Bites covers Kellanova’s plant-based RXBars, Vivera’s pre-frozen tofu, and a cultivated seafood tasting event.
New products and launches
Kellanova (formerly Kellogg’s) has launchedRXBar High Protein, a plant-based line of its famous clean-label bars. The peanut butter bars come in strawberry and vanilla flavours, and are packed with 18g of protein and only six ingredients.
Courtesy: Kellanova/Valerii Evlakhov/Getty Images
US wellness start-up Happy Aging has launched a plant protein powder called Lean Muscle Formula. It contains 20g of pea and pumpkin seed protein and 5g of creatine monohydrate per 100g, and comes in vanilla and chocolate flavours. The product is available on its website for $55 per 725g pouch.
Israeli food tech start-up Meala has partnered with DSM-Firmenich to launch a texturising pea protein called Vertis PB Pea. The ingredient is designed to replace modified binders like hydrocolloids to make cleaner-label meat alternatives, and is available in Europe.
Also in Israel, Efishient Protein has introduced a plant-based grouper fillet. It is working on a cultivated tilapia in the background.
Courtesy: Oshi
Speaking of alternative seafood, plant-based firm Oshi has begun direct-to-consumer sales of its vegan salmon, expanding from its foodservice-only model.
In more seafood news, Austrian mycoprotein start-up Revo Foods has unveiled a BBQ flavour of its flagship product, The FIlet – Inspired by Salmon.
Chilean food tech firm NotCo has released the newest iteration of its AI-powered NotMilk, with a focus on a clean-label formulation. The NotMilk Avena SKU contains just oats, coconut butter, chicory fibre, and water, and is available in Chile and Brazil. It will soon roll out in Mexico too.
Courtesy: NotCo
French dairy-free brand Atelier Dessy has introduced a plant-based alternative to Icelandic skyr in raspberry and mango-passionfruit flavours.
Dutch vegan giant Vivera has introduced a pre-frozen firm tofu that absorbs marinades more quickly, responding to a TikTok trend of freezing the protein to make it spongier. It will be available in UK supermarkets from June 9 for £2.75 per 200g pack.
British food tech firm Myco, known for its oyster-mushroom-based burgers, has signed a deal to provide its Hooba ingredient to Teesside University as part of a blended meat range.
Courtesy: Treets/Candy Kittens
Planet A Foods‘s cocoa-free ChoViva chocolate is part of Candy Kittens and Treets‘s Crunchy Corn, Crispy, and Salted Peanuts dragées in the UK. They’re available online and at retailers including Boots.
South Korean food giant Pulmuone has revamped its dairy-free ice cream brand Planto with new packaging and label descriptors like ‘reduced sugar’ and ‘high dietary fibre’. The new products come in 90ml strawberry-raspberry and chocolate brownie packs, and will primarily be available online and through B2B channels, including Kurly, Coupang, and Shop Pulmuone.
Company and finance updates
Singaporean cultivated meat firm Umami Bioworksheld a public tasting for its white fish (served in a fish-and-chips format) and caviar (served plain and in canapé-style) at London’s Underground Cookery School.
Likewise, plant-based firm Simply Better Brands – which makes vegan protein powders and bars – has rebranded to Trubar.
Dutch fermentation startup The Protein Brewery has appointed former Cousin executive Thijs Bosch as its new CEO. He succeeds Sue Garfitt, who will transition into a non-executive role.
Courtesy: cReal
Swedish food tech firm cReal Food has opened a zero-waste oat milk powder facility in Bjuv, backed by a 300 million kronor ($31.3M) investment by Lindéngruppen and other investors.
Finnish start-up Enifer has partnered with Brazilian ethanol producer FS to produce its Pekilo mycoprotein in Latin America, using thin stillage derived from corn ethanol as feedstock.
Research and policy developments
The Spanish city of Parla has become the country’s first city (and the world’s 40th) to sign the call for an international Plant-Based Treaty.
Vegans and vegetarians should receive special rations if the UK is hit with a major disaster, according to Prof Tim Lang, an emeritus professor of food policy at the University of London and an adviser to the National Preparedness Commission.
Courtesy: Beyond Meat
With BBQ season upon us, a survey by Beyond Meat has found that 42% of Brits eat less meat during the week now than two years ago, and 47% say having plant-based options on the menu is important to them.
Two new studies show that the plant-based Portfolio Diet can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, and improve heart health across diverse demographics.
A landmark study by theEuropean Alliance for Regenerative Agriculturehasrevealedthat the region can produce significantly more food with less money and fewer resources with regenerative agriculture systems.
