National Vegetarian Week 2022: ShelfNow reports a 230% year-on-year increase in sales of plant-based products

Using unique data and insights, ShelfNow, Europe’s first intelligent B2B online marketplace, has reported a 230% year-on-year increase in sales of plant-based products ahead of National Vegetarian Week (16 - 22 May).

The national awareness week aims to educate consumers on the positive impact of vegetarian and vegan diets on the climate and personal health. A recent survey has revealed that 8.8 million Brits plan to go meat-free this year in addition to an existing population of 7.2 million - the new figure marks the highest number of Brits pledging to adopt a meat-free diet in four years.

With the plant-based food and drink trend showing no signs of slowing down, ShelfNow reveals some of the new and most popular vegetarian and vegan products available on its marketplace, as well as many of the growing trends in the vegetarian and vegan economy.

Unrefined ingredients

A major part of ShelfNow’s ethos is the commitment to working with innovative brands, dedicated to making zero waste the norm across the food and beverage industry. Sustainable vegan hummus producer, ChicP, uses surplus wonky vegetables for its products - ingredients which are all too frequently regarded and discarded as waste. Another brand which enjoys growing popularity amongst ShelfNow buyers is UnRefined. Its snacks are made from all-natural ingredients, are palm-oil free, gluten-free and use plastic-free packaging.

Holistic health

This new trend sees consumers turning to natural alternatives to enhance the health of their minds and body over synthetic supplements. ShelfNow has seen increasing interest from its buyers in Erbology, a company which stocks vegetarian and vegan food and drink supplements to accomplish a variety of ‘health goals’ that include increased energy, better brain function and improved immunity.

Vegan Desserts

With there being a long history of gelatine used in the making of confectionery and desserts, consumer interest in vegan-friendly desserts is rapidly rising as more and more people are beginning to adopt a vegan diet. Sweet Lounge is an example of a brand that is currently available on the ShelfNow marketplace. The multi-award-winning brand produces high-quality, plant-based sweets that contain no artificial colours or flavours.

Philip Linardos, Co-founder and CEO of ShelfNow, said: “Vegetarian and vegan products have for a while now been highly popular and diverse categories on our marketplace. Too often there has been a perception that vegetarian and vegan diets are somewhat limiting, with there being a lack of variety and imagination when it comes to suitable products that are available for those who have an animal-product-free diet. At ShelfNow however, we are proud that we are continuing to increase the variety of plant-based products available on our marketplace to provide our buyers with an exciting range of new and innovative options. This is a particularly important focus for us as recent research has found that the UK continues to be the largest consumer and purchaser of plant-based milk, meat, cheese and ready meals in Europe.”