Ellie Goulding and Beyonce are just two celebrities who are not afraid open up about their vegan lifestyle, actress Lea Michele adopts a 'selective vegan' philosophy and Deliciously Ella has recently launched her own vegan snacks, so it's no surprise that Brits are following the example of these vegan advocates.
Vegan on Female First
More than half a million people in the UK now say they follow the vegan lifestyle, which has gone up by 260% in the last 10 years. Additionally, a third of the population identifies as 'flexitarian', which simply means they are cutting down on their meat consumption.
Ocado did some digging and found which products Brits are relying on most to adopt plant based living.
There seems to be a lot of love for almond milk in the UK as sales of Alpro Unsweetened Almond Milk have gone up by 2,343% since 2015 - the equivalent of over 265k litres or around 3,300 baths full of this nut based alternative to cow's or goat's milk.
Another hit with shoppers are the Linda McCartney's Vegetarian Sausages and CO YO Natural Dairy Free Coconut Milk Yogurt. Sales have gone up by 2,000% of these products. Let's face it- we love our bangers and mash in Britain and have all been swept up by the coconut craze of late!
Soaring Taifun Organic Smoked Tofu and Cauldron Falafel sales prove that vegan palettes are becoming increasingly international too.
Brits do love a treat every now and again and with Christmas round the corner it's no surprise that UK vegans are tucking into some comfort foods like Alpro Vanilla Soya Custard (+1,142%) with their vegan desserts, Rakusen's Non-Dairy Chocolate Digestives (+1,643%) with a cup of tea, and Booja Booja Hunky Punky Chocolate Ice Cream (+2,756%) on movie night.
Jacques Thudichum, Buying Manager - Chilled Prepared Foods at Ocado, says: "Consumer appetite for vegan-friendly foods in the UK is showing no sign of slowing down, as 'flexitarianism' emerges as the key trend of the moment. We've listened to our customers and have hugely expanded our vegan selection this year, adding new and exciting products each week to become one of our strongest categories.
"Whatever the lifestyle - whether fully embracing veganism or just looking to make some simple swaps - Ocado is committed to making these products as accessible as possible."
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