Meat-free meal bites the dust amid stress and sunshine

BRITAIN may be in the midst of what its organisers are calling the biggest ever Veganuary, but new figures have shown that meat-free diets were a casualty of last year’s lockdowns.

Data on supermarket sales from retail analysts Mintel showed that people were less likely to cut bacon, burgers and sausages from their diet in 2020, with sales rising by 18 per cent, 26 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

Further polling by the firm suggested that the so-called “flexitarian” movement, where people limit their meat intake rather than cutting it out completely, has suffered a setback, with the proportion of those reporting they had cut consumption from 51 per cent to 41 per cent.

Edward Bergen, a food and drink analyst at Mintel, said that shoppers had been seeking comfort foods during a stressful year, but that the increase may also have been driven by a hot summer.

He said: “The huge disruption, uncertainty and stress caused by the pandemic have caused a relaxation around some health and ethics-driven habits among many consumers.

“It is not surprising that meat reduction has taken a temporary back seat, particularly given the increased desirability of familiar comfort food.

“The long, hot summer and an increased need to be outside more gave a boost to sales of sausages and burgers through an increase in opportunities for barbecues.”

There was also an increase in sales of cooked meats such as ham, which Mintel said could be as a result of home working and schooling.

But, despite the resurgence, Mr Bergen said he does not expect the tide to turn permanently.

“As the shadow of the pandemic fades, its impact in the mid- and longterm are only going to make the benefits consumers associate with eating less meat seem even more relevant,” he said, naming sustainability, finance, health and weight management as advantages.