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Vegan meat brands have seen their sales skyrocket thanks to the success of Veganuary 2021.
The initiative, which challenges people to eat vegan for a month, garnered a record-breaking 582,538 sign-ups this year. It received endorsements from a slew of celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and Paul McCartney.
As a result, several vegan meat brands expanded their retail presence and witnessed sales spike.
‘An incredible month’
Michael Hunter is the Managing Director of Meatless Farm. In a statement sent to PBN, he said Veganuary had been an ‘incredible month’ for the company.
“We know that during the first two weeks of January our sales were up 111 percent year-on-year,” Hunter added.
“Not to mention, our partnerships with major brands, Pret, Leon, and itsu which have seen a phenomenal response and are a testament to how mainstream plant-based eating has become.
“This has really set the tone for 2021 and we’re looking forward to an even bigger Veganuary next year.”
The growth of plant-based
Plant-based brand Squeaky Bean launched several meat alternatives this Veganuary which it says were a ‘huge success’.
According to Simon Day, Marketing Manager at Winterbotham Darby Squeaky Bean sales are up 222 percent versus Veganuary 2020.
“It has been heartening to see the growth of the plant-based category as a whole,” he said.
“Given everything that is going on in the world right now, it has been an impressive effort from UK retail and foodservice, suppliers, brands, and all of us as consumers making our own switches.
Day then added: “The most encouraging sign for the future is that the food on offer continues to get more delicious, more varied, and more relevant to people’s lives. “
“Our focus is on continuing that momentum through 2021 and beyond!”
‘Boost in retail sales’
Vegan chicken and bacon creators THIS™ also praised the initiative after making more than £300,000 of retail sales in just the first week of January.
Co-Founder Andy Shovel said: “With Veganuary beginning in lockdown this year, we weren’t completely sure what would happen.
“Whilst people have been ordering dishes with our products via online takeaway, our restaurant sales are naturally down compared to last year, but our boost in retail sales have compensated for this loss.”
Veganuary 2021
Moreover, this year’s participants come from 209 countries and territories around the world.
Toni Vernelli is Veganuary’s Head of Communications. She said: “With the link between animal farming, the climate crisis, and global pandemics making headlines nearly every day, we expected Veganuary 2021 to be the biggest yet. But, it exceeded all of our expectations.
“We applaud everyone who took part and encourage them to continue eating vegan food as often as possible… We’re grateful to all of the businesses embracing Veganuary, making it easier for more people to eat more plant-based food more often.
“Together we are making an enormous difference for animals, the planet, and human health.”
You can learn more about Veganuary here
