Vegan products on the rise as consumer demand grows

Food and drink manufacturers are increasing production of plant-based products to meet growing consumer demand, according to new data from Point74.

The Midlands-based tech firm specialising in food and drink development has tracked a steady rise in plant-based products across thousands of recipes created within its software.

Analysing its customer base, the company found two-thirds had developed at least one vegan product this year, with plant-based products accounting for 13% of all development activity managed by its platform, up from 11% in 2025.

It also found that four of its clients had designated more than a fifth of their entire development pipeline to being categorised as vegan suitable.

Among the company’s customers who hold large vegan portfolios, plant-based product development increased by an average of 5% from last year.

The new data coincides with a wider industry trend that suggests demand for plant-based products is steadily rising among consumers.

Last year, UK supermarkets saw sales in chilled plant-based food increase by 1%, with the last 12 weeks of 2025 seeing this grow to 1.7%.[i]

Meanwhile, Tesco reported that plant-based mince sales grew by nearly 25% alongside plant-based proteins including tofu, tempeh, and seitan, which rose to 12%.

As a result of growing consumer appetite, manufacturers are starting to cater for a plant-based future – a shift supermarket shelves will reflect over the next 12 to 24 months, Point74 has advised.

Rob Sinclair, CEO at Point74, said: “What our data shows is that manufacturers made a strategic commitment to vegan product development and this is now showing up clearly in the pipeline.

“While previous years had shown a plateauing in plant-based products, it is now gaining momentum once more in the food and drink sector, with consumers seeking them out in supermarkets across the country.

“Whether it’s people looking for more environmentally friendly produce, or those seeking a healthier option, this shift reflects a wider change in what consumers want from their food.

“Crucially, we are here to support food and drink manufacturers to deliver on this demand.”

Point74’s data spans some of the UK’s most established food producers across meat, snacking, bakery and prepared food categories. Its customers include Morrisons, Waitrose, Costa, and Charlie Binghams.

The company, having recently acquired Quor Systems, offers a full end-to-end product lifecycle management platform, giving users a centralised view of ingredients, compliance requirements and product specifications.

Its software currently manages more than 50,000 ingredient specifications, supporting the launch of more than 4,000 products annually across the food and drink sector.

As plant-based products and ingredients continue their upward trend, the software will support manufacturers in managing the complexities that come with building these products.

Rob added: “Getting vegan product development right is not always straightforward with ingredient substitutions, compliance requirements, labelling obligations and allergens all needing to be considered.

“The manufacturers doing this well are the ones who have the right systems to manage that complexity without slowing down their development process. As a result, they are best placed to capitalise on growing demand for plant-based products.”