Vegan Society response to news that chilled plant-based food sales are up
The Vegan Society has welcomed the news that sales of plant-based foods in the UK are up.
The latest market data from retail analysts, NielsenIQ, confirms that overall sales of chilled plant-based food in UK supermarkets grew by just under one percent, year-on-year, and by 1.7 percent in the last 12 weeks of 2025. (Nielsen, 28 Dec 2025.)
“This is positive news,” says Vegan Society CEO, Libby Peppiatt.
“There’s been a lot of negative media coverage about the so-called ‘demise’ of veganism in the last 12 months but these hard sales numbers show that people want plant-based food – and they show that the ‘base line’ for veganism is strong and ready for growth.”
The UK’s biggest supermarket, Tesco, has reported sales of plant-based mince up by nearly 25 percent and plant-based protein such as tofu, tempeh and seitan up by 12 percent in the last year.
“These figures support what we’re seeing in terms of trends and innovation around whole foods in particular,” says Karen Spinner, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Vegan Trademark, the world’s leading vegan certification standard, operated by The Vegan Society.
“Sales of plant-based meat alternatives have been increasing since 2024, while whole foods such as tofu and tempeh are growing rapidly,” Ms Spinner says.
“Plant-based food companies such as Gosh!, whose products are centred around vegetables and natural and recognisable ingredients, are leading the way and another Vegan Trademark client, The Tofoo Co., saw sales increase by 13.6 percent in 2025 with revenue topping £30 million. It’s so encouraging when we’ve seen so many anti-vegan stories in the media.”
The number of products now certified by the Vegan Trademark recently passed 72,000 and The Vegan Society’s most recent survey showed that around three million people in Great Britain are now following a vegan or plant-based lifestyle.
“Veganism is a way of life, not a passing fad,” says Libby Peppiatt.
“People choose a vegan lifestyle because they don’t want to eat or use animals, but also because it’s healthy, sustainable and should also be cost-effective.
“The Vegan Society encourages a diet based on fresh, nutritious, plant-based food, such as fruit, vegetables, beans, pulses, legumes – there’s so much goodness in a plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle.
“It’s also great to have ‘treats’ too,” adds Ms Peppiatt, “and there are now so many delicious plant-based alternatives to meat, fish and dairy that being vegan can also be a real treat for your taste buds.
“These sales figures show that consumers know this and that veganism is now firmly established as a lifestyle choice for millions of people.”
