With fewer headline launches and less promotional noise, Veganuary 2026 has felt noticeably quieter to some. As consumer tastes shift and food trends evolve, how can brands create genuinely exciting plant-based products with real shelf-life – during Veganuary and beyond? The Plant Base’s Melissa Bradshaw reports.

At the height of the plant-based food and beverage boom in early 2020, Veganuary – the annual campaign encouraging consumers to ditch animal products for January and beyond – unleashed a wave of innovation. New launches flooded shelves, the word ‘vegan’ was everywhere and retailers championed expanded ranges with loud, confident fanfare.

The UK fast food market was leading the charge with the introduction of major launches such as Greggs’ Vegan Steak Bake (following the debut of its iconic Vegan Sausage Roll for Veganuary 2019), Subway’s Meatless Meatball Marinara and Papa Johns’ Jackfruit Pepperoni pizza.

Stirring up excitement for both committed vegans and first-time Veganuary experimenters, these launches offered indulgent new treats for those avoiding meat and dairy – options that stood toe-to-toe with their non-vegan counterparts and no longer felt like a compromise in a traditionally meat-dominated sector.

Six years later, the buzz around new launches feels somewhat muted – and consumers are taking notice. Despite Veganuary participation rising steadily since its launch in 2014, with an estimated 25.8 million people taking part globally last year, many believe the hype has begun to fade.

Millie Wallage, business development officer at trade association and plant-based trademark provider The Vegetarian Society, told The Plant Base: “In previous years, Veganuary meant big supermarket moments, new launches, special buys and real excitement. This year, it’s felt more promotion-led, with fewer genuinely new products launching and a lot less noise.”

Granted, this lack of noise doesn’t mean nothing is happening in the sector. Wallage acknowledged that changing terminology could play a role, pointing out that around 55% of brands are now opting for ‘plant-based’ trademarks over ‘vegan’ in an effort to attract wider audiences and appear less restrictive.

 “That shift, combined with more people eating plant-based more regularly, may mean Veganuary feels less like a standout moment than it once did,” she contemplated.

The return of the falafel

A common criticism this year, particularly in foodservice, is a lack of creativity in new vegan launches – echoing an era when falafel and hummus wraps dominated plant-based menus. The limited variety stands in stark contrast to earlier years, when meat alternatives were at their peak and Veganuary specials brought genuine novelty to the category.

“Brands need to listen to what consumers are actually asking for,” said The Vegetarian Society’s Wallage. “There’s a long running joke that no one wants another falafel wrap, not because falafel is bad, but because the same ideas keep being repeated.”

Subway’s 2026 Veganuary option this year features a smashed falafel patty, made from chickpeas, herbs and spices, while previous limited-edition offerings from the sub sandwich chain featured plant-based alternatives to meatballs, chicken and steak. Meanwhile, Starbucks UK has recently come under fire from dissatisfied vegans due to the removal of its Beyond Meat Breakfast Sandwich and introduction, instead, of a spinach and pea falafel wrap.

Nicole Whittle, a vegan content creator known as ‘Vegan Beauty Girl,’ wrote on her Instagram: “Don’t get me wrong, I love falafel but if you think you’ll catch me in Subway or Starbucks for the vegan classic you’re hugely mistaken. I’ll be down at my local Middle Eastern food stall where it’s always done best.”

Meanwhile, Costa Coffee’s new lunch options for Veganuary 2026 – an onion bhaji wrap and a tomato soup – have been met with further underwhelm from social media users.

These more simple, veg-focused launches reflect the shift toward whole food-based products in the plant-based food and beverage industry. In recent years, growing concerns around ultra-processed foods  – mass-produced food products that have undergone heavy industrial processing and are made with long lists of ingredients including synthetic additives, often with the goal of cutting costs – has resulted in a significant reputation hit for plant-based meat alternatives, many of which do contain ingredients like preservatives and thickeners to achieve an authentic meat-like texture.

This shift could explain why foodservice chains seem to be playing it safe with familiar (or in the eyes of many, overdone) choices like the humble falafel. However, meat alternative brands such as Planted have developed ‘cleaner label’ options in recent years, made with simple, short and consumer-friendly ingredients lists.

Additionally, minimally processed and gut-friendly options like tofu, tempeh and legumes have seen sales increase in retail, with these options able to provide ideal blank canvases for versatile, innovative recipe development through numerous seasoning and serving opportunities (think: scrambled tofu in a breakfast quesadilla, smoky bacon-flavoured tempeh in a ‘BLT’-inspired sub, or a chickpea ‘tuna mayo’-style wrap).

Highlights for 2026

Though the array of choices has been criticised as less diverse this time around, there have been some stand-out innovations launched for Veganuary 2026.

In retail, French alt-meat brand La Vie has added a dry, cured meat-style animal-free salami sticks product to its range of bacon alternative products. Claimed to be a first-of-its-kind innovation for the UK market, it taps into demand for vegan versions of on-the-go meat snacks, which are currently trending as consumers continue to seek high-protein products. Slovenian brand Juicy Marbles, meanwhile, debuted its new Umami Patty, aiming to hit the sweet spot between whole food-forward products and hyper-realistic alt-meat cuts, while retailer M&S introduced a coconut-based vegan kefir amid growing interest in gut health.

In foodservice, pan-Asian restaurant chain Wagamama unveiled two bold new fusion dishes inspired by rising demand for global-inspired flavours. The Italian-inspired Udonara reimagines the classic carbonara dish with a Japanese twist, featuring thick udon noodles coated in a creamy sauce and topped with a vegan crispy bacon alternative, king oyster mushrooms and coriander cress. Meanwhile, a Mexican-inspired side dish, Tacomama, offers a crispy open gyoza wrapper in place of a traditional taco shell, topped with  teriyaki mushrooms, Korean-style sweet potato mash, mixed leaves, vegan mayonnaise and pomegranate.

Wagamama has a strong track record of Veganuary dishes that bring something new and exciting to the table, with previous special-edition dishes including the trendy Lion’s Mane ‘Steak’ Bulgogi and Firecracker Chick’n Ramen.

However, these options have been made available only as limited-time options for Veganuary, disappearing from menus at the end of the month. And while the company pledged to commit to a 50% plant-based menu split in 2021, the chain disappointed some loyal customers in October 2025 by removing several of its popular vegan options, including the beloved Vegatsu – though the chain did introduce a new vegan katsu udon dish in its place, and emphasised that it continues to prioritise plant-based recipe development.

Demand for core offerings

Veganuary is often seen as a trial period for restaurants like Wagamama, and if a limited-edition product or dish turns out to be a hit, there could be hope for its return as a permanent menu offering later on. But often, when confined to the limited-edition launch arena, this is due to a number of factors including inability to keep up demand beyond January, and higher production costs associated with using premium ingredients.

Georgina Stewart, a regulatory compliance expert and nutrition and regulatory advisor at The Nutrient Gap, shared in a post on LinkedIn: “When Veganuary ends, along with Dry January and those shiny new gym memberships, the plant-based ranges quietly retreat. The promotions disappear, the innovation gets packed away and everything is filed under ‘see you next January’. You can’t expect long-term behaviour change if the products vanish the moment January does.”

She calls for more effort from retailers to promote and prioritise plant-based options year-round, adding that this takes the idea of plant-based eating beyond a “one month experiment”.

Retailers are engaging in efforts to promote their Veganuary offerings this month – Tesco, for example, is offering 20% off all chilled plant-based foods until 27 January, as well as expanding its range with new listings such as the chilled, veg-led All Plants range, launched by Deliciously Ella entrepreneur Ella Mills after her acquisition of the Allplants ready meal brand in early 2025.

However, the retailer saw slowing sales of plant-based products in 2025 despite an earlier target of achieving a 300% sales increase within its meat alternative ranges for the year, citing the growing interest in whole foods and a shift away from UPFs as its reason for missing the ambitious goal.

Lidl GB, on the other hand, surpassed its original target of a 400% boost in own-label meat-free and milk alternative sales in 2025, achieving a whopping 694% increase as part of a broader commitment to increasing the proportion of plant-based protein to 25% of all protein sold by 2030.

The Vegetarian Society’s Wallage observed that promotions are supporting the cause, commenting: “It’s encouraging to see brands like Linda McCartney now priced cheaper than some meat equivalents, helping to break the perception that plant-based eating is more expensive”.

However, she called for a boost in product innovation, adding: “Vegans use their buying power in January to support innovation, only to see products disappear weeks later. Engaging with real consumer feedback and delivering genuinely differentiated products is far more likely to result in plant-based ranges that work all year round.”

Developing winning products

To develop differentiated products that appeal to consumers year-round, and not just for Veganuary, brands must appeal to the mainstream – not just to those trying plant-based as a January one-off.

This means keeping ‘flexitarians’ front-of-mind, which now offer the biggest growth opportunity for the category as this way of eating (intentionally reducing animal products consumed, without eliminating completely) continues to rise.

As well as a focus on less restrictive labelling that appeals to all, and ensuring products are competitively priced, the development of innovative formulations that genuinely taste good should clearly be top priority.

There is a common misconception among consumers (particularly those that enjoy meat-heavy diets and don’t often turn toward plant-based options) that vegetarian or vegan automatically equals compromise on flavour. It’s crucial to tackle this viewpoint by introducing options in which taste and satisfaction have been considered carefully – the launch of a bland product that misses the mark on taste or texture will result in consumer disappointment, hindering repeat purchases not just of that brand’s product, but of other similar products in the category too.

Daria Pashkova, marketing manager at yeast ingredients company Ohly, emphasised how prioritising umami flavours could be the key to success in January and beyond.

“Plant-based options are a key driver of January's healthy eating trends; however, many products lack the depth of flavour or taste complexity,” she said. “Umami-rich ingredients can help to supply the savoury resonance needed to create more satisfying plant-based meals.”

Umami-rich flavour innovation can also bring a welcome boost to products which have been developed with ‘better-for-you’ credentials at the forefront – while many Veganuary launches will aim to align with these trends and fulfil the demand for more veg-led, cleaner label options, they must work hard to ensure the reduction of sodium, saturated fat, sugar or artificial additives does not result in compromised indulgence. Today’s consumers are increasingly unwilling to compromise.

Helen Zhang, marketing specialist at ingredients supplier Green Spring Technology, told The Plant Base: “The first purchase may be ethical, but the repeat purchase is purely sensory. The formulation must solve the classic challenges of off-notes and mouthfeel first. Then, it should add a ‘plus’ – be it a unique flavour profile, a vibrant natural colour or a functional benefit from botanicals.”

She added that building a core portfolio requires ingredients that are scalable, consistently high-quality and backed by reliable technical support.

“This ensures the product on shelf in January is identical to the one in July, building indispensable consumer trust,” Zhang concluded.

Top image: © Wagamama