Plant-Based Mince And Meatballs Are 33% Cheaper Than Meat Right Now

Plant-based mince and meatballs are currently an average of 33 percent cheaper than equivalent meat options.

Analysis from the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe), a nonprofit thinktank, found that the cost of plant-based meat and meatballs is now roughly a third cheaper at Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket, than minced beef or lamb.

Tesco’s plant-based mince was 13 percent cheaper than beef, on average, based on prices from January, February, and March. Meanwhile, the supermarket’s plant-based meatballs were 41 percent cheaper than beef, lamb, or pork meatballs.

Meat prices are rising fast. In the week ending April 25, 2026, the price of lean beef mince was up by 23 percent, lamb by five percent, and pork by 1.4 percent, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Chicken prices rose eight percent in 2025, and the poultry industry has said that prices are likely to increase further due to the growing cost of fertiliser, feed, and heating.

Growing global conflict is a significant factor in higher meat prices, but broader supply chain disruption, animal disease outbreaks, the worsening climate crisis, and increasingly extreme and unpredictable weather patterns have also contributed.

Linus Pardoe, the senior UK program manager at GFI Europe, said, “As supply chains become increasingly volatile, the government should put plant-based options at the heart of its new food strategy and invest in opportunities to help farmers diversify their incomes by growing the crops used to make these foods.”

Plant-based sales growth and price parity with meat

Photo shows a large bowl of spaghetti with tomato pasta and meatballs. Plant-based mince and meatballs are currently an average of 33 percent cheaper than equivalent meat options — Adobe Stock Plant-based mince and meatballs were cheaper than equivalent animal products in October of last year, too

In October 2025, a separate report found that certain plant-based products were cheaper than meat, particularly mince and meatballs, while plant-based and meat-based burgers and nuggets cost approximately the same amount per gram.

Earlier this year, Tesco reported plant-based sales growth “for the first time in years,” including a 25 percent increase in demand for plant-based mince. Sales were also up by 12 percent for alternative proteins like tofu, tempeh, and seitan, and roughl five percent for high-protein snack foods like falafels and mini vegetarian sausages.

As reported by The i Paper, the Eating Better Alliance recently estimated that the average UK family could save £10 per week, or £550 per year, by buying fewer expensive foods like meat and instead buying more staple and whole foods.

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