Vegan Recipe Box Sales Have Surged By 345% Since Lockdown

U.K sales of vegan recipe boxes from Mindful Chef have surged by a staggering 345 percent since lockdown began, based on year on year sales data.

With the nation poised on the brink of another lockdown, Mindful Chef expects orders to continue growing, saying that making improvements to health and diet are becoming ‘increasingly more important to UK consumers’.

The company polls its new customers, asking why they are joining the service. It reports that 69 percent cited health reasons, as well as the quality of ingredients and the convenience of the service.

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HEALTHY KATSU RECIPE ? Want something new this #meatfreemonday? ? How about our healthy spin on Katsu curry, with sticky sesame aubergine, edamame brown rice & a side of tenderstem for essential greens ? Let us do the hard work & deliver everything you need, to your door. WE DELIVER 100g fresh edamame beans 180g Tenderstem broccoli 1 aubergine 1 tbsp tamari 200ml coconut milk 2 garlic cloves 2 spring onions 2 tsp curry powder 2 tsp maple syrup 2 tsp oil 2 tsp white sesame seeds 4cm fresh ginger 80g brown rice YOU COOK 1. Preheat the oven to 200C / fan 180C / gas mark 7 and boil a kettle. Rinse the brown rice and place in a saucepan with 400ml boiling water and a pinch of sea salt. Simmer for 20-25 mins, then add the edamame beans for the last 2 mins. Drain. 2. Heat a dry medium-sized frying pan on a medium heat and add the white sesame seeds. Cook for 1-2 mins then transfer to a small bowl and reserve for later. 3. Slice the aubergine into 1cm-thick rounds (you should have 10 slices). Place in a large bowl with the tamari, maple syrup and 1 tsp oil, then mix well to cover the aubergine in the marinade. Place the aubergine on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cook in the oven for 15 mins, until softened. 4. Make the katsu curry sauce; finely slice the spring onions, and peel and grate the ginger and garlic. Heat the same frying pan used for the sesame seeds with 1 tsp oil on a medium heat and add the garlic, ginger and just half the spring onions. Cook for 3 mins until softening. Add the curry powder and cook for a further minute then pour in the coconut milk and simmer for 10 mins, or until thickened to a desired consistency. 5. After the aubergine has been in the oven for 15 mins, add the Tenderstem to the same tray and cook together for 10 mins. 6. Add the remaining spring onion to the drained rice and edamame beans. Mix. 7. Spoon the edamame rice into two warm bowls. Place the sliced aubergine over the rice and the Tenderstem broccoli alongside. Sprinkle the aubergine with the sesame seeds and pour the katsu curry sauce over the aubergine.

A post shared by Mindful Chef (@mindfulchefuk) on Sep 14, 2020 at 9:15am PDT

‘Significant growth’

In a statement sent to Plant Based News, Giles Humphries, co-founder of Mindful Chef said the company has seen a shift in consumer awareness around the food we consume over the past five years.

Choosing a vegan diet, he said, or simply eating more plant-based meals ‘has become increasingly popular and this is a trend we’ve seen grow significantly during lockdown’.

Humphries revealed that three-quarters of Mindful Chef’s customers choose to include at least one vegan meal in their recipe box order, saying it is ‘great to see people embracing plant-based eating’. The company plans to continue growing its vegan options.