Vegan View: Free-from Today
The easyJet launch of our Vegan & Gluten Free ambient snack box comes at an important time for the alt-diet market.
Q - How is it responding to a difficult economic climate?
Q - What fresh, free-from offers can we enjoy this Spring?
Consumers
It’s now believed that 1 in 3 people in the UK choose dairy-alternative milks, with an estimated 23% eating a reduced meat diet. Add in the gluten-free community - approximately 10% of the population - and that is a considerable chunk of the market.
As the wake of Covid-19 gradually fades, growth figures begin to regain the momentum seen previous to the pandemic.
Challenges
The Cost of Living Crisis has come as a huge blow to the hospitality industry, with both highstreet chains and local independents scrapping free-from projects across the UK. Pret A Manger cut its Veggie Pret outlets down to just five stores in December, along with an untold amount of independents - from Plymouth to Glasgow - closing shop due to falling sales and rocketing costs.
On top of this, finding well-balanced and filling plant-based meals can be a challenge in itself. Along with a smaller lunch budget, consumers are growing tired of sad salads, too-small plates and uninspired veg-swaps lacking substantial energy.
Celebrations
Happily, innovative vegan events are reemerging in force, following the cataclysmic impact of Covid-19 on annual fayres and festivals. Brighton’s own, VegFest, reopens this month - after three years of limbo - and touring group The Vegan Market Co just held an extremely successful event in Wolverhampton.
The travel industry is also regaining ground, forecast for a strong season despite the otherwise overcast climate. Consumers can enjoy a variety of progressive free-from offers this season, including our Vegan & Gluten Free Snack Box. Designed to be universally delicious and curated to include market-leading suppliers such as Love Corn, RAW HALO and Joe & Seph’s, this Jacq Out The Box showstopper has just been announced as an Onboard Hospitality Awards ‘23 Finalist.
Another welcome breath of fresh air, new VegGoodFilms film, ‘Coffee Wars’, aims to highlight the pressing need for a global dairy-free diet via comedy entertainment. Revolving around a vegan coffee-shop as it strives to compete with dairy-based competition, the film is a witty, easy watch, with ethical messaging and lucid awareness of the trials that come with prioritising the planet.
All filming props (including the ‘dairy’-based coffees of the competing cafés) were eco-consciously and ethically sourced, with an incredible 100% of film proceeds going to charity.
Champions
For sweeter treats, Aldi leads the way this Easter with a considered range of free-from (dairy, gluten and animal product) chocolate eggs. For some of the best-looking vegan eggs we’ve seen, look no further than Hotel Chocolat.
And on a semi-related note, Stella McCartney makes the move this week from meat-free food offers to ethical fashion, remaining a steadfast leader in the eco-conscious community.
Conclusion
In today’s tough climate, ethical and dietary consumers continue to choose free-from options - in select spaces. Swapping daily lunches out for modest rainy day funds, calendar celebrations, events and travel see the fruits of mass budgeting.
These spaces can continue to innovate on the free-from frontier, creating meat, gluten and dairy-free offers to excite and inspire the market… both British and beyond.
