Beyond Meat, Quorn & 50+ UK Companies Are Giving Meat-Free Eating A Makeover

More than 50 brands, organisations, and restaurants have come together for a first-of-its-kind Meat Free Made Easy campaign.

In the UK, half of adults want to change the way they eat, either by adding more plants to their diet, or cutting back on meat and dairy.

In fact, two in five of them are already doing this, identifying as either flexitarian, pescetarian, vegetarian or vegan. But their belief in the nutritional attributes of plant-based food – and their ability to cook them – remains low.

In response to these findings, British consultancy Plant Futures Collective has convened 53 companies and organisations to launch a collaborative campaign called Meat Free Made Easy. The coalition involves three dozen alternative protein brands, including Beyond Meat, THIS, Linda McCartney Foods, La Vie, Planted, VFC and Quorn.

It also encompasses foodservice and restaurant operators like Compass Group, Mildreds, and Alexis Gauthier’s 123V, suppliers such as Compleat Food Group and Vegan Food Group, and organisations like Plant Based Health Professionals, Veg Capital, and Meat Free Monday.

The campaign is being endorsed by Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of Leon and author of the UK’s National Food Strategy. “We need fewer rules, and more real-world solutions,” he said. “This is the kind of collaborative leadership that moves consumers – and the category – forward.”

It’s all about ease and convenience

Plant Futures teased the campaign in January, when founder and CEO Indy Kaur spoke to Green Queen about the firm’s research on Meat Free Monday. It had found that participants were “forming healthier eating habits throughout the week, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, trying new plant-based foods, and opting for more meat-free meals when eating out”.

It’s what inspired the new campaign, which will run across social media and press channels, with a larger rollout set for Q4. This will include in-store activation, promotions to push trial, and a wider cultural push to “build new norms around meat-free eating”.

“This is the first time the plant-based sector has come together at scale to actively drive category penetration through the power of collective action and coordination,” explained Kaur. “This campaign is built around real insights, design thinking and a systems change approach to inspire millions of people to shop the category.”

She added that behavioural research shows ease is the “most powerful lever” of adoption: “Consumers aren’t necessarily resistant, they are uncertain, lacking in confidence, capability and know-how.”

The aforementioned research, conducted by Plant Futures, Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, and HarrisX, found that among the people who want to change their diets, a third want to reduce their meat intake, and 38% want to eat more plant-based food. Only 45% feel comfortable cooking a plant-based dish, versus 83% who say the same for meals with animal products.

“Behaviour change isn’t just about awareness, it’s about ease,” noted Richard Shotton, a behavioural scientist and author. “Remove the friction, and you unlock mass behaviour.”

Meat Free Made Easy will see participating brands showcase simple ways to swap meat for plants in everyday meals – think lentils in a lasagna or a veggie burger instead of beef. “Meat-free doesn’t have to be all or nothing, it just needs to feel doable and fun,” said Kaur.

Meat Free Made Easy must build cultural momentum

The campaign’s initial phase will focus on helping consumers imagine themselves trying something new and view meat-free eating as “normal, flexible and worth a go”. It marks a shift from siloed marketing by plant-based brands to collective action.

It’s reminiscent of the ‘checkoff’ programmes in the US, which operate as centralised marketing and research funds to promote industries like beef and dairy. Marketing drives like Got Milk? are a result of these efforts. “The plant-based sector, however, doesn’t yet have this kind of infrastructure, which would be incredibly valuable,” Kaur told Green Queen earlier this year.

Meat Free Made Easy’s strategy focuses on the three audience segments uncovered by its consumer research. Among those looking for dietary change, 13% are classed as Meat & Dairy Reducers; they want to eat fewer animal products without increasing plant-based food intake. These are mainly older people looking to lose weight.

Over a sixth (18%) are Plant-Based Increasers. These Brits want to eat more vegan food without decreasing animal protein intake, and are likely to be younger and higher-earning, and often men, seeking protein and fibre with fitness goals like muscle-building.

The third and largest group are Balanced Lifestyle Seekers (20%). These are midlife consumers aiming for health and variety, looking to both increase their uptake of plant-based foods and lower their meat and dairy consumption.

There are several key messages that the participating companies must focus on. Only half of Brits believe plant-based foods are important for nutritional balance, and just a quarter have friends or family who eat vegan food. Meanwhile, a mere 27% of adults choose meat-free meals out of habit, compared to 64% for dairy.

Building cultural momentum and new habits (through repetition and nudges) is essential, as is outlining the health benefits of these foods. “Helping the nation eat less meat will only be possible if we provide solutions that make it easy, affordable and enjoyable,” said Dimbleby. “That’s exactly what Meat Free Made Easy sets out to do.”

Will collective action turn the tide for plant-based, and the planet? This campaign hinges on that premise.