Kate Edley, brand and category lead for savoury food and plant-based at Nestlé including Garden Gourmet, highlights the opportunity to appeal to flexitarians and meat eaters by innovating with plant-based proteins in the foodservice category. Plant-based eating is no longer a niche preference, it’s a mainstream expectation. As we move into a new year, foodservice operators must meet the increasing demand for flexible, high-quality plant-based options that appeal to every diner. For us, the message is clear: foodservice businesses have a unique opportunity to lead the plant-based revolution.   The growing appetite for plant-based menus The adoption of meat-free diets in the UK is increasing, with 16% of adults following such diets in 2024, compared to 12% in 2023. This upward trend suggests that more diners are exploring meat reduction for health, environmental or ethical reasons. But here’s the nuance: the majority of plant-based meals are not consumed by vegans, but by flexitarians and curious meat-eaters. This represents a tremendous opportunity. Foodservice operators can position plant-based dishes as an enticing option for everyone, not just for those avoiding meat. Foodservice represents the perfect occasion to incorporate plant-based foods that replicate the taste and texture of traditional proteins, making them an accessible choice for everyone, including meat-lovers, without compromising on flavour.   Flexibility and quality drives adoption Consumers dining out crave variety and personalisation. Partnerships between plant-based food brands and leading foodservice establishments demonstrate the success of embedding plant-based options seamlessly into menus. And these meals shouldn’t be positioned merely as ‘alternatives’– but as an appealing choice, offering flavours that can stand up to the meatier menu offerings. This creates inclusivity and flexibility, empowering diners to choose meals based on mood, not restrictions. To win over diners, plant-based dishes must deliver on taste, texture and satisfaction. It is therefore vital to partner with brands that have developed their plant-based products with these priorities front of mind. Whether in tacos, bowls or soups, versatile plant-based proteins can seamlessly adapt to diverse cuisines, absorbing bold flavours while offering the juicy bite customers love. We’re seeing customers embracing and innovating with plant proteins such chicken-style fillets and nuggets, recognising them as fantastic options for their menus and further reinforcing the appeal of plant-based.   A future-looking opportunity Operators who successfully incorporate plant-based options are reaping the rewards. Not only does this future-proof menus in line with consumer trends, but it also positions foodservice businesses as innovators in a competitive landscape. For foodservice leaders, 2025 is the time to go beyond simply ‘offering a vegan option’. It’s about creating varied plant-based choices that diners actively crave – flexible, delicious and almost indistinguishable from their meat counterparts. At Garden Gourmet, we’re proud to support chefs and operators in delivering solutions that cater to all dietary preferences without compromise. Let’s embrace the opportunity to make plant-based eating an integral, exciting part of every menu.

UK foodservice wholesaler Brakes expanded its range with almost 40 new vegan products this month, aiming to support customers in making the most of Veganuary. The new products include three launching into the company’s Sysco Simply Plant Based Range. They include Sysco Simply Plant Based Vegballs, Sysco Simply Plant Based Sausage Rolls and Sysco Simply Plant Based Falafel. Paul Nieduszynski, CEO of Sysco GB, said: “Veganuary is a well-established part of the food calendar, and we are delighted to continue to support customers so that they can maximise returns from it”. “We’re also very pleased to be extending our range of Sysco Simply Plant Based products. Our long-held view is that plant-based products must earn their place on the menu because they are the best, not just because they are plant-based. Our NPD is 100% focused on making that happen. We’re very confident that these latest new products will make a fantastic addition to any menu.” The company has created a Vegan Hub on its website, showcasing a range of resources including menu plans and recipes to help foodservice operators identify plant-based solutions they can easily add to their menus. #Brakes #UK #Sysco

Swedish oat milk company Oatly has teamed up with Nestlé-owned coffee giant Nespresso, to launch a limited-edition line of oat milk coffee capsules internationally. The capsules, made exclusively for Nespresso Vertuo coffee machines, contain a ‘creamy, biscuity and indulgent’ blend of roasted and ground coffee beans crafted specifically for Oatly’s Barista Edition oat drink. In a statement announcing the launch, the brands said the blend displays strong cereal and sweet aromatics, complemented by a smooth texture, low bitterness and light body. The partnership follows an increasing interest in alternatives to cow’s milk for taste, ethical, environmental and dietary reasons, with oat becoming one of the most popular dairy-free choices. Nespresso said the launch responds to research showing that one in two American and European consumers now use plant-based milks, as well as two-thirds of all consumers in the Asia-Pacific and Latin American region. Toby Weedon, barista development director at Oatly, said: “Thanks to its neutral taste, Oatly Barista Edition brings out the best flavour in coffee. It’s why it is used by professional baristas and embraced by coffee enthusiasts all over the world.” He added: “We’re delighted to have worked with the experts at Nespresso to finally bring to market a coffee capsule that was tried and tested, especially for the millions of oat drink lovers out there”. Nespresso’s Oatly Barista Edition coffee officially launches today (28 January 2025) in more than 15 countries including the UK, US, China and Australia. The blend is available through Nespresso’s official channels, online and in Nespresso boutiques around the world for a limited time. #Oatly #Nespresso

France’s Council of State (Conseil d’Etat) has this week annulled two decrees prohibiting the use of meat-related names, such as ‘steak’ or ‘sausage,’ for plant-based products produced in the country. The decrees, brought forward in June 2022 and February 2024 , would see food companies penalised for the use of such terms in the naming and labelling of plant-based protein products, commonly developed to provide an alternative to traditional meat proteins. Had the ban gone ahead, businesses would face fines of up to €7,500 if found to be in breach of regulations. The Council of State suspended the 2024 decree in April last year , expressing ‘serious doubt’ about the legality of the proposed ban and stating that the decree would cause ‘serious and immediate harm’ to manufacturers that are exclusively selling plant-based protein products in the country. Costs linked to packaging, branding and other marketing strategies would have impacted companies as a result of the ban. The Council of State consulted the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which ruled in October 2024 that EU law already provides sufficient regulations to protect consumers , and that the additional rules proposed in the decree – determining how much vegetable protein can be in a product before it can be called by certain names – would not be permitted. In accordance with this ruling, the Council of State finalised its decision on 28 January 2025, stating: “In accordance with this ruling by the CJEU, the Council of State considers the 2022 and 2024 decrees, which prohibited the use of common or descriptive names, consisting of terms from the butchery, delicatessen and fishmongering sectors, to describe, market or promote foods containing plant proteins, to be illegal and contrary to European regulations.” #France #labelling #government

Nestlé has revealed it will discontinue the vegan version of its popular KitKat chocolate bar in a blow to the plant-based confectionery market. KitKat V was first introduced in 2021, responding to consumer demand for a vegan-friendly and dairy-free version of the brand’s beloved chocolate wafer bar. It features a rice-based plant-based chocolate alongside KitKat’s trademark crispy wafer, made with ingredients including cocoa butter, corn fibre and vegetable fats. Now, less than four years after its launch, Nestlé has confirmed it will be discontinuing the product due to slowing sales. A spokesperson for Nestlé told The Plant Base: “We know that KitKat Vegan has been popular for those looking for dairy or vegan alternatives. Unfortunately, global demand has been reducing to the point that production was making manufacturing more and more complex and we have now made the difficult decision to discontinue the product.” KitKat V will be pulled from all markets, however the spokesperson confirmed it would still be available in the UK and Ireland “until the summer”. This latest decision follows Nestlé’s axing of its plant-based Wunda and Garden Gourmet retail offering in the UK and Ireland in 2023 as the company looked to focus its investment on its ‘core’ portfolio. The Garden Gourmet brand is still available in the UK and Ireland for foodservice businesses through the company’s Nestlé Professional arm. #Nestlé #KitKat

UK chocolate brand Montezuma’s has introduced a new vegan-friendly chocolate truffle collection, Viva Las Vegan. The launch of the new chocolates targets vegans, flexitarians and anyone trying to cut back on dairy, designed to offer the same taste as Montezuma’s traditional chocolate range. According to Montezuma’s, the chocolates are ‘as creamy and rich as they are kind to the planet,’ available in ‘indulgent’ flavours such as Hazy Days (hazelnut), Sweet Escape (caramel) and Berry Delicious (strawberry). The chocolates are crafted with 100% plant-based ingredients such as soya lecithins, plant based white couverture, chickpea protein concentrate and natural vanilla flavouring. Montezuma’s Viva Las Vegan truffles are available now at an RRP of £10 per box. #Montezumas #UK

Four alternative protein centres in the UK have come together under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), aiming to drive innovation and tackle common challenges for the sector. The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein (BCSP), Microbial Food Hub, Cellular Agriculture Manufacturing Hub (CARMA), and the National Alternative Protein Centre (NAPIC) announced the signing of the MoU on 21 January 2025 during a panel discussion held at the Scientific Kick-Off Event for the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein. This latest agreement formalises a collaboration to advance innovation in sustainable, nutritious and accessible alternative proteins. It brings together experts in cellular agriculture, microbial protein innovation and plant-based protein development to accelerate the sector, aiming to tackle challenges such as cost reduction, scalability and consumer acceptance by aligning priorities and sharing resources. Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro, group leader at Imperial College London and director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein and Microbial Food Hub at the university, said that the problem the centres aim to solve is “too big and too important that we can only attempt to address it by working together,” emphasising the importance of cross-centre collaboration. Marianne Ellis, director of University of Bath-led CARMA, added: “Having four centres working together to collectively cover research, innovation and technology transfer across the entire alternative protein value chain puts the UK in an enviable position globally”. “It’s not just about resources and capacity; all of us that are involved in running the centres are driven to achieve a just transition to sustainable food systems in which alternative proteins will be key. The MoU formalises our intent to collaboratively harness our resources and expertise and maximise impact for achieving the just transition.” #UK

GoodMills Innovation has unveiled a new plant-based protein blend designed to support formulation of protein-rich baked goods without compromising on taste or sensory quality. The protein blend, named GoWell Tasty, is made from fava beans, yellow peas, sunflower seeds and wheat. It boasts a protein content of 60% and a ‘well-rounded’ amino acid profile, the German ingredients specialist said, as well as offering a ‘pleasant and subtle’ nutty flavour free from unwanted off-notes. GoWell Tasty is designed specifically for light baked goods such as burger buns, sandwich rolls or soft breads. According to GoodMills Innovation, it delivers a ‘delicate bite’ and ensures the original character of the baked goods is preserved thanks to no overpowering flavours. It can be seamlessly incorporated into existing recipes without the need for major adjustments, and increases protein content even at low dosage for cost-effective production. The blend is also suitable for use in bagels, baguettes, pretzels and pancakes. Depending on dosage and recipe, manufacturers can also make claims such as ‘high protein content’ or ‘vegan’. #GoodMillsInnovation #plantbased #Germany

Welcome to The Plant Base's Veganuary Sessions podcast series in celebration of the annual Veganuary movement. Melissa Bradshaw, editor of The Plant Base, hosts this special themed series featuring conversations with special guests from across the plant-based food and beverage industry. This time, we're joined by a panel of expert guests to discuss the state of the plant-based industry and some of the challenges currently faced by businesses in the sector. In part one of this special two-part session, we discuss how the market is faring generally, what's behind some of the sweeping statements we're seeing in the headlines and on social media about the plant-based industry, and what brands should prioritise as the sector continues to evolve. Meet the experts... (Below, L-R): Jasmijn de Boo, global CEO, ProVeg International Thomas Swiers, director and head of food and drink, Interpath Advisory Joe Hill, co-founder, One Planet Pizza Alice Pilkington, global principal food and beverage analyst at Mintel

This month, we put the spotlight on Maia Farms, a Canadian food-tech start-up that produces high-protein, plant-based food ingredients using mushroom mycelium. We speak to the company's CEO and co-founder, Gavin Schneider, to find out more. Could you tell us a bit about Maia Farms’ mission and how you hope to impact the plant-based food and beverage industry? Founded by a farmer, an engineer and a neuroscientist, Maia provides a smart, climate-conscious way to nourish people and the planet. We transform agricultural side-streams into sustainable, high-protein food ingredients through mushroom biomass fermentation, offering superior nutrition, taste and versatility with minimal environmental impact. Maia aims to be a trusted partner to food manufacturers, working to enhance their products with improved taste and texture. On a broader scale, Maia endeavours to fundamentally change the protein landscape by deploying 1 million litres of fermentation capacity globally. More than a plant-based trend or protein alternative, Maia Farms taps into the intersection of nutrition, taste and a smarter way to care for the Earth. Delicious, versatile and climate-conscious, it’s a future-focused solution for a world hungry for change. Why the focus on mushroom mycelium? Producing mushroom mycelium is one of the most economical and ecological ways to generate vast quantities of nutrient-dense food with a minimal environmental footprint. Its applications as an ingredient are wide-ranging, from blended meat products to snack foods and soups. Mushroom mycelium also represents one of the most efficient methods for producing sustainable protein, offering a viable solution to meet the growing global demand. What kind of mushroom mycelium is used? Maia focuses on the genus Pleurotus  spp. After screening hundreds of varieties, we selected this genus for its safety, suitability for fermentation processes, robustness, versatility, high-yield growth characteristics and great taste. How does Maia Farms differentiate itself from other mycoprotein companies currently on the market? Maia positions itself as a foundational ingredient provider, enabling mycoprotein companies to launch forward-facing, consumer-friendly products. While demand for mushroom protein far exceeds supply today, Maia takes a unique approach by using a safer, allergen-free and higher-yielding mushroom protein compared to competitors that rely on unfamiliar mold species. By addressing the limitations of existing technologies and processes, Maia delivers superior sensory experiences and higher nutritional value, making it the go-to partner for food manufacturers seeking reliable, innovative solutions. What kinds of mycoprotein products/solutions are included in Maia Farms’ portfolio and what are their applications? Maia offers three distinct product lines for food manufacturers. CanPro Textured Mushroom Protein is a dried textured protein available in five sizes to meet various cooking and manufacturing needs. The product is a proprietary blend of mushroom and pea protein. It is a versatile ingredient for use in recipes requiring meat-like textures, as well as blended meat applications. Our Mushroom Powder is a dried mushroom powder offered in three mesh sizes, tailored for diverse applications in the food industry, from flavour enhancement to functional baking. It is ideal for bakery, confectionery and non-dairy food applications. Finally, Fresh Mycelium is a high-moisture, pressed mycelium ingredient with excellent gelling properties, perfect for high-moisture extrusion applications like plant-based sausages, cheeses and desserts. It is versatile in standalone and blended meat applications. How does Maia Farms approach working with manufacturers in the F&B industry? Maia Farms collaborates with F&B manufacturers by providing scalable and versatile mushroom-based ingredients that foster innovation while maintaining reliability and consistency. For new customers, Maia prioritises understanding their challenges and aligning its ingredients with their product portfolios. Once a relationship is established, Maia’s food science team conducts in-depth analyses of potential product applications to ensure a tailored approach. By supporting customers with co-innovation plans, Maia helps launch successful products that meet consumer demand for nutritious, minimally processed foods. Through data-driven processes, Maia ensures consistent quality and builds trust, while partnerships on creative, globally inspired products establish Maia as a dependable partner and a catalyst for a more sustainable future. Have there been any particular challenges? If so, how have they been navigated? Scaling a biological process to industrial levels is inherently complex, costly and uncertain. Organisms can behave unpredictably at different fermentation scales. Maia has adopted an asset-light approach, relying on partnerships with fermentation facilities. This strategy reduces financial and technical risks while enabling steady growth. What has been Maia Farms’ biggest achievement to date? In 2024, Maia achieved several major milestones: closed an oversubscribed multi-million-dollar pre-seed round; played a winning role in NASA’s and the Canadian Space Agencies Deep Space Food Challenge, garnering global recognition for its technology; and named one of Canada’s Top 50 Most Investable Cleantech Companies. However, the greatest achievement remains delivering products to trusted customers and earning their confidence. Where is the company currently on its journey? What stage of commercialisation is the business in? Maia has successfully commercialised its dried ingredient portfolio and is delivering products by the ton to an early cohort of customers. Later this year, Maia will launch an additional product line. With secured co-manufacturing, sales and distribution partners, the company is poised for aggressive growth in 2025 across North America. What’s next for Maia Farms? Any exciting plans on the horizon? Maia is on a mission to fundamentally transform the protein landscape on Earth, and eventually, beyond. With a clear path to becoming a global leader in mushroom mycelium ingredients, Maia is expanding its reach into Canada, the USA, Mexico, Western Europe, the UK, Japan and Singapore. The company is committed to delivering innovative, sustainable solutions across many food industry verticals. For aspiring start-ups in the food and beverage industry, what valuable advice or insights would you share to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities in this dynamic sector? Stay lean and agile during the early stages, prioritise customer feedback to refine your product, partner with the right early-stage customers to validate use cases, and leverage entrepreneurial networks to uncover new opportunities and accelerate growth.

UK retailer Waitrose has expanded its PlantLiving range with several new products, reporting a surge in plant-based convenience food sales, as well as introducing a new packaging initiative. The retailer reported that sales of key plant-based ready meals, such as its Vegetable Tikka Masala & Rice and its Smoky Chilli & Rice, were up 17% and 5% respectively in early January compared with the same period last year. Additionally, its recent research indicated that 46% of consumers are already trying to eat, or are interested in eating, 30 different plants a week. With this in mind, Waitrose has added several new convenience products to its PlantLiving range, including Aubergine, Mushroom & Edamame Pillows with Soy & Ginger; Vietnamese Style Vegetable Pancakes with a Lime and Chilli Dip; Indian Inspired Takaeaway Feast; Creamy Spinach Ravioli; Rainbow Vegetable Fritters; No Chicken Vegetarian Samosa; and a dairy-free Tiramisu dessert option. Additionally, the retailer has added a new ‘plant varieties’ logo to 14 of its PlantLiving product packaging, informing consumers of the number of plant varieties in each product. This follows Waitrose’s research showing that 87% of consumers agree that having this information on labels would help them to actively get their 30 different plants in each week. Abby Catmull, vegan product developer at Waitrose, said: “Our new PlantLiving: Vietnamese Style Vegetable Pancakes with a Lime and Chilli Dip contains 11 plant varieties, providing customers with a third of their 30-plants weekly goal in one snack. Packed with beansprouts, cabbage and oyster mushrooms, to name a few, these pancakes are delicious served with the accompanying zingy nuoc cham style dipping sauce.” #Waitrose #UK

European dairy giant Hochland has teamed up with precision fermentation specialist Those Vegan Cowboys, to test the start-up’s cow-free casein in semi-hard and hard cheeses. Those Vegan Cowboys (TVC), headquartered in Belgium and founded in 2019, produces caseins using precision fermentation – a process that uses no animal inputs, making its dairy proteins vegan-friendly. Traditionally derived from bovine milk, casein is responsible for many of the taste and textural properties of cheese, such as stretching and melting. Belgian-Dutch start-up TVC has been working with several cheese producers in the last year to find out how its casein behaves in different circumstances at lab-scale. In October 2024, the company announced that its microbial casein had been discovered to outperform the cow’s casein currently used in cheese under certain conditions. The new partnership with Hochland aims to take the start-up’s cheese developments to the next level, with TVC’s CEO, Hille van der Kaa, describing the joint development agreement as an “important next step on the route to commercialisation”.  “Our partners have seen better stretching and melting compared to the animal-sourced version, allowing cheese producers to use less casein with the same result,” van der Kaa added. “This will ultimately lower the price of cheese. Now that we’ve got this casein, we want it to make as big an impact as possible.” Germany-headquartered, family-owned Hochland is one of Europe’s largest private cheese manufacturers, reporting a turnover of €2.25 billion and 413,800 tonnes of cheese sales in 2023. It has around 6,100 employees globally, with a product portfolio that includes dairy brands Hochland, Almette, Grünländer and Patros, as well as the plant-based dairy brand Simply V. Hochland said the partnership fits well with its long-term sustainability ambitions. It builds on the group’s recent sustainability initiative, ‘Milch für Hochland,’ in which it eliminated the use of herbicides and substrates that could contain plastic particles on meadows and fields. Hubert Staub, CEO of Hochland, commented: “Our dairy-based business will remain our strong core business, but we see that there is a demand for alternatives and we want to provide the best quality to our consumers. Milk proteins derived by precision fermentation could be a great solution.” With a ninth-generation farmer as a founder, and with most of its management team coming from farming backgrounds, TVC sees farmers as ‘vital partners’ moving forward. Chief commercial officer, Robert van den Breemer, said: “This new way of cheese making can relieve dairy farmers from several heavy societal issues they’ve been burdened with. We can grow past the cow's physical limitations in the healthiest way imaginable, and feed five times the number of people from the same amount of land.” He continued: “This can bring farmers the freedom to welcome more nature into their way of working, regain their role as stewards of the land and be acknowledged and rewarded for their services, way beyond maximising milk production. Stainless steel cows can relieve the heavy lifting of mass production, in a healthier way.” According to TVC, its microbial casein requires only a fifth of the land and water compared to animal-based casein – and is estimated to produce 80% less CO2 as well as no methane. The casein could also be used to develop healthier cheeses that contain no saturated fats, lactose and cholesterol, while retaining cheese’s organoleptic qualities. TVC is preparing to file for worldwide market approval, as precision-fermented casein is classified as a novel food. It expects to enter the US market in 2025, with Asia to follow, while market entry in Europe is expected within three to four years. Additionally, it will organise its first tastings in the Netherlands later this year. #Hochland #ThoseVeganCowboys #dairy #precisionfermentation