Restaurant technology provider Vita Mojo has published a report highlighting consumer eating and drinking trends at UK quick-service restaurants in 2024, showing that plant-based orders increased by 56% in 2024, while vegetarian orders were up 64%.
Figures were provided by chains such as Leon, Gail’s, Wasabi, Yo!, Wenzel’s, and Subway, covering over 139 million individual item orders along with 9.8 million meal deals. The report also shows that the use of reusable coffee cups increased by 111% this year.
Nick Popovici, CEO of Vita Mojo, said to Vegconomist, “The data from 2024 highlights that customers are still looking for health-conscious and plant-based options, alongside a noticeable preference for indulgent comfort food at lunchtime…Additionally, the sharp rise in reusable cup usage signals a growing commitment to sustainability within the quick-service dining sector.”
In August 2024, the UK’s largest airport group, MAG, reported that sales of vegan and dairy-free options at its food outlets had increased significantly, with vegan breakfasts and brunches up 20%, while milk alternative sales had risen by 10%.
A 2023 report found that 40% of British consumers want plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy. Per capita meat consumption in the UK fell by 14% between 2012 and 2022, taking total meat consumption to the lowest level since records began in the 1970s.
The latest survey by The Vegan Society in the UK shows that at least two million residents of Great Britain identify as vegan or plant-based, which equates to about 3% of the population. Of these, one-third identify as vegan and the rest as plant-based. The percentage found in London, the Northeast, and the Southwest reaches 4%, but Scotland, Wales, and the East Midlands score lower at 2%.
Consumption of plant-based food is also increasing rapidly in numerous other countries, including the US, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Israel, Ireland, Canada, and Austria.
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