Research from consumer behaviour advisor Circana has shown that out-of-home (OOH) servings of plant-based protein products have increased by 48% compared to 2019 across Europe’s ‘big five’ countries.

Circana, which previously traded as IRI and the NPD Group, found that the number of total product servings in OOH eateries such as restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars decreased in other food protein categories including beef, pork, chicken and seafood.

Typically made from ingredient such as soy, peas, lentil and mushrooms, plant-based products have gained popularity in the European ‘big five’ (UK, Spain, Germany, Italy and France) in recent years, Circana said.

Plant-based meat showed the strongest growth compared with other protein categories – the only meat and seafood-related category to show solid growth was the burger.

Despite an overall decline in visits to OOH venues, plant-based burgers grew significantly by 90% during year ending August 2023 vs 2019, and increased by 20% year-on-year ending August 2023. This represents a quarter (25%) of the total contribution made to growth in burgers.

Although vegan and vegetarian consumers make up only 2% and 6% of the population respectively within the five countries, a significant 25% of the total population said they follow a flexitarian diet, rising to 28% among individuals aged 18-34.

Choosing vegan or vegetarian diets or adopting a flexitarian approach toward food preferences was most common in Germany (44%) followed by France (35%) and lowest in southern European countries such as Spain (24%) and Italy (30%).

However, these countries scored highly when asked about inclusivity – consumers from Spain (66%), UK (64%) and Italy (63%) said they expected restaurants to satisfy the needs of customers with special dietary or food needs, compared to Germany (41%) and France (55%).

According to Circana, around 56 million consumers across the big five countries have yet to sample plant-based meat replacement servings in restaurants, but say they are willing to try. It also found that younger consumers have a stronger connection with plant-based alternatives, likely to persist into older years and preset a long-term growth opportunity.

While plant-based options have historically been more expensive than meat, the trend is shifting and Circana anticipates that plant-based alternatives could become even more cost-effective than traditional meat options.

Jochen Pinsker, senior VP of European foodservice at Circana, said that plant-based products are experiencing significant market growth and are expected to sustain the momentum throughout 2024.

He said: “This is particularly evident as the quality, taste, and texture of plant-based products have significantly improved compared to offerings from just a few years ago”.

Offering advice to the foodservice industry, Pinsker said that to successfully tap into the growing market, businesses must ensure “complete transparency with consumers when it comes to revealing the exact source of your meat replacement ingredients” as well as be cautious not to set “excessively high prices” for plant-based alternatives.

He added: “When promoting new plant-based menu options, emphasise their positive environmental impact rather than their health benefits; and like meat-based items, ensure your plant-based offerings are portable and give careful thought to packaging and product hold time. This is crucial in a world where an increasing number of meals are consumed off-premises and taken home.”

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