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A UK dairy giant has predicted ‘record-breaking’ sign-ups for Veganuary in 2020.
The global initiative, which encourages people to ditch animal products, has seen year-on-year growth since its 2014 launch.
Now bosses at cheese company Norseland believe 2020 will see more sign-ups than ever, and have cited a number of factors. Veganuary itself has set a target of 350,000 people taking part.
‘Game-changing developments’
Norseland, the maker of Applewood cheese, launched Vegan Applewood this year after two years of research and development. The product, a collaboration between Applewood and VBites (owned by vegan businesswoman Heather Mills), is made in of one Mills’ three allergen-free factories in the North East.
At the time of the launch, a spokesperson told Plant Based News that it was a ‘natural move’ for the cheesemonger to move into the plant-based sector.
The cheese surpassed sales expectations, selling out in 40 percent of Asda stores on the first day of its launch, and outselling the dairy version in some stores.
‘Half a million’
“I would not be in the slightest bit surprised if the numbers for Veganuary 2020 reach, or even exceed, half a million people going vegan for the month,” said Norseland’s senior brand manager Lisa Harrison.
“Obviously the surge in environmental awareness in 2019 will have a dramatic effect on the figures, but I believe that another key factor in the numbers of those abstaining from animal and dairy products will be the game-changing developments in improving the taste of vegan cheese.
“Missing the taste of cheese has long been the thing that has held back many from going vegan. But we have seen huge advances this year in the big makers of plant-based cheese getting the taste right at last, producing vegan cheese that really tastes like dairy cheese.”
