With veganism continuing to be a hot topic, the number of full-time vegans is often questioned, along with the effects that the lifestyle choice is having on the meat industry.
Finance company Rangewell has analysed research including industry statistics and national shopping patterns to see whether vegans are actually carving out a significant niche in the food industry.
Veganuary, an initiative created to encourage non-vegans to try the diet for the month of January, has seen a vast increase in the number of sign-ups and the number of converted vegans with.
However, Steven Evans, Consumer Insight Manager at AHDB, explains that the figures aren't a huge win for the vegan movement.
“Although veganism is getting more air-time, Kantar Worldpanel research shows only 4.7% of people report being vegetarian, that data also includes those who said they are vegan,” Mr Evans explained.
“This is compared to 4.5% in 2013, so growth is in line with that of the UK population.”
This is also a stark contrast to 91% of British households still buying frozen or fresh meat.
Meat and meat-free
Despite a 2016 Ipsos Mori poll suggesting that there are over 500,000 vegans in the UK, a figure which is three times more than in 2006, Mr Evans revealed the meagre number of people who removed meat from their shopping baskets entirely.
He explained: “While there is interest in meat-free diets; only 0.2% of buyers left the meat, fish and poultry category this year, showing that the majority of these consumers are purchasing both meat and meat-free products.”
Health is the primary reason for consumers wanting to reduce their meat intake, following studies assessing the health implications of excessive meat consumption.
Despite these concerns, many still believe that meat provides the essential nutritional benefits needed in everyday diets.
Additionally, the number of butchers in the UK rose in 2015, a year after Veganuary’s founding year in 2014, from 5,940 to 6,045 according to the ONS.
