To mark National Vegetarian Week and the 25th Anniversary of Linda McCartney Foods- a report has looked into the meat free journey in Britain. We take a look at the highlights.
Vegan on Female First
- Over the past 25 years, the number of vegetarians in Britain has doubled . This equates to filling the 02 Arena 217 times over . In percentage terms, this translates to an increase from 6% to 12% of the total population.
- This growth is set to rise to one in four Brits in 25 years' time ( 2041) , the equivalent of the population of the entire South East - Britain's most crowded part of the country.
- The biggest influencers of this lifestyle are Millennials (a fifth of the UK population, 20% of whom are vegetarian) and the Baby Boomers
- The future trend in meat free will see the UK turn more to plant based proteins in higher volumes. Brits will also seek more natural, simple and unprocessed convenient solutions like pea protein, pulses and edamame.
- Today 59% of Brits are looking to reduce their meat intake . The majority say health reasons are their greatest motivation for considering a shift in their eating habits. This is closely followed by those looking to save cash, protect animals and help preserve the environment.
- The decline in red meat consumption per capita fell by 7% over the past 25 years . There were also sharp drops reported over the past year in volumes of Pork (-9.4%), Lamb (-6.6%), Bacon (-4.9%) and Beef & Veal (-1.4%). The reduction in meat consumption is felt in every developed nation across the globe.
- The vegetarian market has nearly quadrupled over the past 25 years . Today it's worth £820 million, in 25 years from today it is predicted to soar to £2.38 billion. A growth rate of 11 times greater than 1991.
- Britain leads the way in meat free eating with 6 out of 10 new product launches in Europe taking place in the UK.
In commenting on these exciting changes, Paul McCartney says, "Linda made it happen and I along with Stella, Mary and the rest of our family love being involved today in her legacy, we are incredibly proud of the brand she created. We truly believe that vegetarianism is the way for us all to eat and live, now and in the future. The whole world is far more conscious about their health and their footprint, gradually we're making better decisions, we have come a long way however, there is much more to do and we invite everyone to join us for the next 25 years and beyond - viva veggie!"
Images from MPL Communications
For more inspiration, visit the website at http://www.lindamccartneyfoods.co.uk
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