New research from Lantmännen Unibake’s Americana brand reveals that as the 11th year since Veganuary was founded approaches, the movement’s influence on plant-based dining remains as significant as ever.
The desire for vegan options is unwavering, with 45% of Brits planning to participate in 2025. Americana’s latest findings offer insights into consumer dining habits and how operators can harness the Veganuary momentum to innovate year-round.
New Americana Research Explores Veganuary Trends
New research by Americana has revealed that a decade on from Veganuary being founded, interest in vegan dining options continue. Delving into plant-based dining habits in the UK, the research found that 45% of Brits surveyed intend to participate in Veganuary in 2025. While this represents a dip compared to 2022 when participation was at 68%, consumer engagement remains strong – so much so that 86% of Brits are planning to cut down on their meat consumption or remain vegan upon completion of Veganuary. On top of this, 76% of Brits say they would order a vegan dish any time of the year
Since Veganuary launched in January 2014, it has been a significant force in driving the popularity of plant-based diets. Fluctuations in participation aside, vegan dishes are still an important inclusion on any out-of-home (OOH) menu. Almost a third (30%) of Brits order a vegan dish once a month when eating out of home, and 28% do so simply because they like to try new dishes, demonstrating the strength of consumer demand. This also aligns with the popularity of flexitarianism, with 22% of adults identifying as flexitarian.
Samantha Winsor, Marketing Manager at Americana, comments:
“Veganuary remains an exciting opportunity for food operators to showcase creativity, and the continued consumer interest in plant-based foods encourages menu innovation and culinary exploration. The post-Christmas period sees consumers being more mindful in their menu choices, which is a key opportunity for driving engagement with plant-based dishes. Beyond Veganuary, any learnings can be fed into the rest of the year, ensuring consumers keep coming back for more.”
Innovation in vegan dishes is vital, with 50% of consumers saying that it is important or very important. It keeps menus fresh and exciting, creating opportunities to incorporate new trends into dishes and drive consumer interest. It also invariably leads to variety which, for 54% of those surveyed, positively influences the decision-making process when choosing where to dine. The availability of gourmet vegan dishes also adds to the success of menus, with 50% saying that it is an important factor when choosing a vegan dish OOH.
Winsor continues: “When considering what vegan dishes to put on menus, operators shouldn’t forgo the classics. Two thirds of Brits (67%) say they would consider ordering a plant-based burger when eating out of home, and whilst 35% would opt for a meat-substitute, 38% prefer vegetable-based patties.
“This highlights the importance of balancing menu innovation with well-loved classics – operators are encouraged to get creative with their vegan burger offering while offering staples such as a classic plant-based burger. This will cater for a range of tastes and develop the overall sales opportunity. And don’t forget, it’s not just about the patty – to create a totally vegan dish, it’s important to consider all the different components, and the bun makes up 69% of the burger so is key to the overall experience.”
The Americana Range
Americana has developed a range of quality, on-trend vegan burger recipes to inspire operators to create delicious gourmet burgers, including:
• The vegan Mushroom Korean Kimchi Burger which features the Americana Grill Marked Vegan Brioche Style Bun
• Japanese Teriyaki Bean Burger which features the Americana Gourmet Burger Bun and is from our Bun Voyage Asia campaign.
All Americana buns are registered with The Vegan Society, except the Americana Brioche Bun which is vegetarian. Enabling operators to offer a quality bun to go with any burger on their menu – meat, veggie or vegan.
