Taste could be emerging as a growing sales driver for plant-based shoppers in the UK, according to the latest GFI Europe report on plant-based retail sales and separate research on consumer habits. 

It’s no secret that the UK’s plant-based sector has experienced a difficult few years, in line with other parts of the food and drink industry, and although the rate of decline is slowing, the latest data confirms that sales have seen another dip.

But dig deeper, and some interesting trends emerge. The sales volume of supermarket own-label plant-based products fell by 8.9% in the year to January, compared with that of branded products, which was down by only 2.3%.

This pattern could tell us something important about UK plant-based consumers’ attitudes, particularly as branded products are generally more expensive.

The higher price point of plant-based meat and dairy products compared to their conventional counterparts has been understood to have impacted demand over recent years, as the rising cost of living pushed consumers to seek more budget-friendly items.

But the fact that some shoppers now seem to be reaching past the more budget-friendly private-label products suggests that, with inflation easing, other factors – particularly taste and quality – are driving plant-based food choices.

Interest in product quality

This interest in product quality may explain why some newer, more innovative plant-based meat products, while still capturing a smaller share of the market than better-established brands, have seen significant sales increases even while the category as a whole has declined. 

Meanwhile, vegetable-based non-meat analogues such as bean burgers saw a 12% decline in sales volume in 2024. The total sales volume of these non-analogue options was five times smaller than that of the plant-based meat category. 

The only other plant-based categories showing similar growth to the most innovative plant-based meat brands were high-protein foods such as tempeh, tofu, and seitan, although their sales volumes were still a tiny proportion of overall sales compared to plant-based meat. 

Among available options, plant-based meat has had by far the most significant uptake in recent years relative to more traditional and non-analogue products. This suggests that continuing innovation to produce more competitive plant-based products that can meet consumer expectations remains one of the most likely pathways to mainstream adoption of more diversified diets and higher proportions of plant-sourced protein. 

To be clear, price remains a crucial component in the web of factors limiting demand for plant-based products. Our recent research shows that only three in 10 consumers think plant-based foods offer value for money, compared with double that number (58%) for animal-based foods.

Indeed, household panel data from NIQ shows a 45% increase between 2022 and 2024 in the sales value of plant-based milk sold by discounters such as Aldi and Lidl (not captured in the Circana sales data). In these more mainstream categories, affordability may still be a central driver of sales.

Plant-based dairy innovators lead the way

Innovation also appears to be driving continued interest in plant-based milk – a category that, despite seeing an overall dip in sales, remains a mainstream product bought by 32% of UK households in 2024.

Plant-based barista milk saw 25% growth, from 39 million litres in the year to January 2023 to 48 million litres two years later.

The success of this versatile segment, designed to froth and replicate the functionality of dairy beloved by coffee drinkers, demonstrates the importance of making it easier for consumers to use plant-based products in the same way they would use animal-based equivalents.

Oat milk is also holding up, with sales volume remaining steady between 2023 and 2024. This product accounted for over half of plant-based milk and drinks sales volume in 2024, and also has a role to play in bolstering food security.

Made from a crop that is widely grown across the UK, it can help diversify the production of staple foods like conventional milk, reducing exposure to international feed and energy price fluctuations. Fortified, locally produced oat milk offers a key opportunity to onshore the entire production chain and provide important nutrients like B12, Iodine and calcium.

Some brands are creating opportunities for British farmers – notably Alpro, which in early 2025 announced that its most popular oat drink would be made using 100% British oats.

Success of smaller categories

Factors like taste and functionality also appear to be driving consumer choices across some of the smaller, emerging categories.

The annual sales volume of branded plant-based cheese rose by 37% in the three years to January 2025, despite costing around a quarter more than conventional branded dairy cheese. This suggests that price has not become a major barrier to growth at this early stage. However, sales volume dipped slightly in 2024 – so price may remain important for reaching a wider market and securing repeat customers after the initial trial by early adopters.

The sales volume of plant-based seafood rebounded in 2024. Branded products increased their plant-based market share, despite an increase in prices that rendered them nearly 38% more expensive per kg than own-brand products. This may reflect an increasingly diverse selection of branded product formats, such as unbreaded fillets and slices, competing with premium subcategories of conventional seafood. 

The fact that consumers are choosing these more expensive options despite the growing price gap could mean that plant-based shoppers are prioritising factors like taste and perceived quality.

The markets for plant-based cheese and seafood remain small, suggesting that current consumers may be highly motivated by additional factors, such as curiosity, or willing to pay a premium for products that match their values around sustainability and animal welfare. 

As shown in our recent polling of British plant-based consumers, conducted with HarrisX and Plant Futures, only a small proportion are motivated by environmental or ethical concerns. To move beyond these early adopters and reach the mass market, brands must be able to appeal to people who are more motivated by price, taste, health and nutrition.

Research can fuel progress 

Researchers across the UK are working to overcome these barriers, including at recently launched hubs such as the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC).

Separate GFI Europe reports have highlighted an explosion in alternative protein patent applications, research publications and public funding across Europe – much of them focused on improving plant-based foods. While inevitably it takes time for innovations to hit the market, the resilience of branded plant-based products indicates that we may be starting to see the positive effects of R&I on product performance.

Fermentation and cultivated ingredients – some of which are currently being considered for regulatory approval by the Food Standards Agency – could change the game even further, as they can be added to plant-based foods to bring them closer to the taste and texture of animal products.

Complexity of the UK plant-based market

The importance of developing tastier products emerged as a key recommendation in our latest consumer research. 

The study found that four in 10 UK adults intend to eat more plant-based foods, and examined the attitudes of different groups of potential consumers, including flexitarians and meat eaters.

Developing a deeper understanding of the people they are trying to reach and clearly communicating how their product meets their needs – from losing weight or building muscle to providing affordable family meals – will be essential for the industry to tap into this significant potential market.

Brands must also be more proactive in communicating the nutritional benefits of plant-based foods to help overcome UK consumers’ association of plant-based meat with ultra-processed foods. By working with influencers and the media, stakeholders can raise awareness of the growing body of evidence that shows plant-based meat has little in common with other UPFs and offers numerous health benefits, especially as an easy, tasty option to help reduce the current overconsumption of processed conventional meat.

But smart communication and marketing alone will not be sufficient to return the UK’s plant-based market to growth. 

The industry must continue to invest in developing options that taste the same or better than animal products, while retailers must price plant-based options equally if they are to become mainstream choices and help the UK achieve its goals on sustainability, public health and economic growth.