Luxury retailers unveil meat-free offerings in time for Christmas
‘As Christmas is not … a time typically well catered to, we wanted to develop a range to make entertaining easier’
Hannah Uttley
Imogen Braddick
CHRISTMAS celebrations promise to be the most vegan-friendly ever this year as luxury retailers aim to cash in on the increasing attraction of plantbased lifestyles.
While pigs in blankets and turkey have long been considered staples of the traditional Christmas dinner, businesses have ramped up their meat-free offerings in time for the festive period.
Selfridges has become the latest store to unveil its first ever vegan Christmas range, as shelves are stocked with pumpkin spiced panettone, vegan figgy pudding and nut fudge.
The move comes after Fortnum and Mason produced what is believed to be its first vegan hamper for £150, which includes a Christmas cake and pudding, dark chocolate orange bar and dark hot chocolate.
Jessica Abela, product developer at Selfridges, said: “There is an increased demand for plant-based food and as Christmas is not historically a time that is typically well catered to, we wanted to develop a range of vegan Christmas favourites to make entertaining over the festive season even easier.
“Every product is created by experts using premium ingredients and can be enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans.”
Earlier this month, Marks & Spencer declared it was launching vegan Christmas dishes to its Plant Kitchen line such as its “no turkey” roast with cranberry and chestnut stuffing.
Retail analysts said consumer demand had prompted a “mainstream” shift towards veganism, noting some firms had taken note of profits generated by Greggs’ vegan sausage roll.
Clare Bailey, founder of The Retail Champion, said: “There’s lots of trends about recycling and ethical fashion and it all fits into the bigger picture of the changing nature of consumer demand. Taking note of the huge sales boost that Greggs got with its vegan sausage roll, and observing more and more dining options at restaurants that offer vegan products, it’s completely unsurprising that businesses are doing this.”
According to the global research firm Mintel, the UK overtook Germany this year to record the highest number of vegan product launches.
Around 3 per cent of the UK population consider themselves vegan – equivalent to just under two million people, according to data specialists Kantar. But an increasing number of people are also switching to a so-called flexitarian diet in attempts to eat less meat and dairy.
Dominika Piasecka, spokesman for the Vegan Society, said: “It’s really great to see more businesses offering vegan products, making it even easier for people to enjoy Christmas in a traditional style, without harming animals. It’s easier than ever to create a crueltyfree Christmas experience with the wonderful products on the market.”