1 FORGE A PATH TO MEAT FREE AND MAXIMISE SALES IN A GROWING MARKET. Brought to you by Quorn in partnership with the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) THE BURGER AS A DRIVER OF MENU CHANGE
Aspirational meat reducers now make up 55% of the meat free market and flexitarianism is gathering pace3 This has led to widespread innovation in the food industry, and an array of products on the supermarket shelves. But despite this, availability of meat free dishes remains low at many food outlets, causing consumers frustration and affecting their choice of operator when they eat out.
To address this, we decided to discover more about this influential group of diners. We surveyed 2,000 UK adults that identify as ‘flexitarians’. To learn what inspires their meal choices, their OOH dining habits, and who their food operators of choice are. The goal? To provide insight and tips for food operators wanting to stay ahead of the curve and understand where the market is going when it comes to meat free and plant-based dining. With background on dynamics and values driving these meal choices. So they can adapt and prepare themselves for this exciting new approach to eating out.
INTRODUCTION ONE
The first concession for food operators was the meat free burger - bringing vegetarians and meat eaters through the doors in their droves. But to continue satisfying these self-professed foodies, food operators need to evolve. Equipped with an understanding of flexitarian needs, new plant-based formats and consumer trends, they can continue innovating, serving dishes that delight this rapidly growing population of diners.
BON APPETIT!
1 Mintel, Jan 2021: The continued rise of veganism 2 3Gem UK 2,000 UK adults who identify as ‘flexitarians’ survey, October 2021 3 Blue Yonder, Brand Growth System: Initial deep dive – January 2021 All non-attributed statistics taken from Quorn Survey 3Gem of 2,000 UK adults identifying as flexitarians (Oct 2021) OF THE IN RECENT YEARS THE PLANT BASED MOVEMENT HAS GONE FROM NICHE TO MAINSTREAM.
FOODSERVICELARGESTTRENDS
The findings of this survey emphasise that consumers recognise the power of their appetites to create positive change and are voting with their forks. This is creating an increasingly large sweet-spot for restaurants open to embracing creative, innovative more veg-heavy and plant-based menus.”
Juliane Caillouette-Noble, Managing Director of the Sustainable Restaurant Association
“COP26 reminded us all of the need for drastic action to keep temperature increases below 1.5C. Reducing meat and dairy consumption is the single biggest way in which we can reduce our personal environmental impact and improve our health.
2 3 41% of the UK population are now seeking to reduce meat in their diet We set out to learn about their motivations and expectations dining out of home (OOH), revealing how food operators can attract and retain these self-styled foodies.
Younger generations have been driving the change, with almost half (49%) of British 18-24-year-olds now following a flexitarian or meat free diet2 But as environmental awareness skyrocketed during the pandemic, consumers of all ages became aware of the impact of their meal choices. As a result, eating less meat has become less of a trend, and more of a behaviour.
When asked what they like about meat free/ plant-based food options?
Great taste and flavour
THEY EXPECT QUALITY MEAT FREE OPTIONS
The most regular (top 5) eating out destinations/choices for flexitarians: THEY REGULARLY EAT MEAT FREE OOH When eating out: THEY EAT MEAT FREE FOR REASONSDIFFERENT
Better taste flavour (9%) Helps achieve a balanced diet (8%) Other (3%) meat free/plant-based chicken burger (54.5%) meat free/plant-based chicken wings (41.2%)
Valuereducingrestaurantitswastearestaurant committing to ethical working practices
REDUCING LOYALTYFOOTPRINTCARBONCANDRIVEANDFOOTFALL
When it comes to sustainable practices: eat out at least once a week eat out twice a week or more eat out once a fortnight eat meat plant-basedfree/meals half of the time eat meat mealsplant-basedfree/ a third of the time eat meat plant-basedfree/meals every time
ingredientsQuality Goodbunquality said it should provide the same experience as a meat version said they were not bothered said it did not need to provide the same experience as a meat version
4 5
When we asked flexitarians about their dining out habits, they revealed they like eating out. A lot. In fact, more than 50% eat out at least once a week. They enjoy dining at a diverse range of food operators, with casual dining and fast-food venues the most popular. And when they’re out, they regularly seek meat free or plant-based meals on the menu. There isn’t a big variance between their favourite meat free meals, although they’re partial to a burger, with this topping the list of faves. Where vegans and vegetarians are often more concerned with animal welfare, flexitarians are mainly influenced by health
In the pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle and choice of restaurants for eating out: and the environment. And despite their diets, they have high standards and expectations from their food, with 23% expecting meat free dishes that are tasty and of a high quality. It’s not just about what’s on the menu. When it comes to OOH dining choices, flexitarians seek out food operators with values that reflect theirs. Plant-based options and sustainable practices are important when choosing where to eat out for 44.8% and 43.6% respectively. Aligned values translate into greater loyalty and referring potential too. Almost a half said they valued restaurants demonstrating that they’re reducing their carbon footprint (48.1%) or a restaurant that uses sustainable packaging (46%).
EAT OUT REGULARLY How often do flexitarians eat out, including takeaways?
THE LOWDOWN ON MEAT FREE / PLANT-BASED
Healthierchoice Better for environment/planetthe Betteringredientsquality
But close behind.. meat plant-basedfree/burger meat plant-basedfree/lasagne meat plant-basedfree/curry said a restaurant offering plant based/ meat free options would be important to citedthemtherestaurant having environmentally sustainable thatcitedpractices/valueschoosingarestaurantsourcesfoodlocally/British
What do they want from a meat free chicken burger? If ordering a meat free/plant based chicken burger:
PLANT BASED MENUS RESTAURANTDETERMINECHOICES
THEY EAT OUT AT A VARIETY OF OUTLETS
Casualrestaurantdining Fast food Pub Pizza/Italian Delivery of people polled said they value a restaurant demonstrating that it’s reducing its carbon footprint cited a restaurant using sustainable packaging cited a
FLEXITARIANS
THEY LOVE A BURGER The ‘top three’ meat free/plant-based meal choices:
of food quality (26%) and quality of ingredients (24%) are the two most important aspects. Conversely, consistency of food quality and quality of ingredients were also in the top three factors that put them off eating at a restaurant.
Their
MEAT FREE EATEN AS A HEALTHIER CHOICE
“The UK’s fastest growing takeaway, orders of vegan meals grew 388% between 2016 and 20184. With demand spiking during awareness months, Deliveroo reported a 153% increase in U.K. searches for “vegan” food during Veganuary 20215.”
LACK OF VARIETY AND POOR FOOD QUALITY PUT FLEXITARIANS OFF EATING OUT Top 5 things that
6 7
Lack of variety of meat Quality of ingredients on offer forValuemoney ReviewsOnline
off eating at a restaurant are: 4 Source: British Takeaway Campaign 5 https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/uk-vegan-cities-deliveroo/ WHAT DO FLEXITARIANS WANT WHEN THEY EAT OUT?
Interestingly less than a quarter (23%) eat meat free for the environment, in spite of rising concerns for carbon emissionsperhaps indicating room for growth in this subset of flexitarians. unwillingness to compromise on flavour is reflected in the factors influencing menu choices dining out. Consistency put flexitarians
When asked what they like about meat free/plant-based Healthierchoice Betterflavourtaste Helps achieve a balanced diet OtherBetter for environment/planetthe Betteringredientsquality
optionsfree/plant-basedonthemenu ofConsistencyfoodquality
food options?
QUALITY MENU CHOICES WHEN DINING OUT
INNOVATE & CREATE
INFLUENCES
OPERATOR TIPS With meat alternatives available on the aisles in a dizzying array of formats, consumers are sampling and enjoying these at home. This has boosted expectations for plant-free options when they’re dining out. When it comes to delivery, 48.5% of consumers said they were keen to see more meat free options available, (Deliveroo Survey, 2021). Meat free diet or not, 1 in 4 consumers believe it’s important that meals they eat OOH do not contain much meat.6
SPOTLIGHT HEALTH Plant based meals shouldn’t sound restrictive: highlight the provenance of ingredients where possible. This could be promoting fresh or locally sourced ingredients, or promoting the nutritional value of a dish to health-conscious diners.
PLANT-BASED CHEF TRAINING
A meat burgerfree/plant-basedonthemenu
High profile chefs like Chantelle Nicholson are getting creative in the kitchen with meat alternatives, promoting its texture and ability to hold flavours. Foodservice operators are responding too: from McDonalds and KFC, through to niche operators like Rebel Vegan. Plant based dishes are no longer on the menu to satisfy the minority: consumers expect and demand delicious meat free dishes when dining OOH.
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Top 5 important choices when dining out:
Consistency of food quality Quality of ingredients on offer Valuemoneyfor Variety of meat free/ plant-based options on the menu
FOCUS ON QUALITY Quality of food and ingredients consistently ranks higher than value for money, indicating that flexitarians are less price sensitive, and prepared to pay for well-made dishes with good quality ingredients. Food operators have an opportunity here to premiumise plant-based eating – whether they’re using fresh and locally sourced ingredients, exotic flavour profiles, or innovative meat free formats.
In early 2021, Quorn partnered with HIT Training to launch the UK’s first plant-based training programme for chefs. You can find out more about the plant-based diploma here: based-cateringwww.hittraining.co.uk/diploma-plant-forward-plantALL PROTEINS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL With its unique blend of nutrients and vitamins, Quorn is now a favourite of elite sports people thanks to its qualities as a super-protein.
Flexitarians are more likely to refer to themselves as foodies, so they’re demanding diners. Dishes should be exciting and full of flavour to capture imaginations. And with consumer trends continually evolving, it’s helpful to keep an eye on new flavours and cuisines, so you can adapt these to cater to the needs of meat and meat free eaters alike.
Chantelle Nicholson, Chef Patron at Apricity
6 CGA BrandTrack 2020. Sample size 4987
“The perfect chicken substitute: Quorn® has a fantastic texture, picking up flavours in recipes - Indonesian stir fries to Thai curries. Because it’s packed with protein, dishes are nutritious and filling too. Easy to cook, straight from the freezer, I’m looking forward to reworking more classics with this tasty super-protein!”
FLEXITARIAN MENU MUST HAVES WITH 8 BILLION MEALS EATEN OUT OF HOME EVERY YEAR, FOODSERVICE OPERATORS PLAY A VITAL ROLE, HELPING DINERS MOVE TO DIETS THAT ARE HEALTHIER FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.
NUDGING TOWARDS MEAT FREE Restaurants are experts at enticing diners into making decisions, but how can they nudge them toward meat free dining? One incredibly useful tool is the World Resources Institute Playbook for Guiding Diners Toward PlantRich Dishes in Foodservice. This is the how-to guide for operators that want to encourage their customersflexitarians in particular - to order and eat delicious meat free dishes. Best of all, it’s based on extensive real-world behaviour change research.
GIVE CENTREPLANT-BASEDSTAGE
The way a dish is described has a major impact on customers’ dining decisions. Sales of ‘Cuban Black Bean Soup’ were 13% higher than ‘Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup’, according to the WRI report. Words and where you place them on the menu really are important when promoting plant-based dishes. ONE PLANET PLATE
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The playbook provides strategies based around Product, Placement, Presentation, Promotion and People. But perhaps the most striking and easy to implement come under ‘Presentation’. For example: ‘use language on menus to emphasise the positive attributes of plant-rich dishes and list plant-based dishes in the main body of the menu not in a separate ‘vegetarian’ or ‘vegan’ box’. London School of Economics showed the success of this approach, where twice as many people chose a vegetarian option from the main menu, compared with those choosing from a separate section.
MAKE IT SOUND TASTY
The meat free burger has spearheaded the meat free movement as the first ‘toe in the water’ for food operators catering for plant-based diners. With mouth-watering ‘beef burger’ advertisements on heavy rotation from manufacturers, even firm carnivores have sat up and taken interest in this gateway meat alternative. Demand is expected to grow, with experts predicting exponential compound annual growth for the plant-based burger market of over 22% between 2020 and 20307, indicating huge potential for the meat free burger - for food operators and retail alike. This was reflected in our survey, with the meat free or plant-based burger scooping first place. But there wasn’t much difference between other plant based meal choices:
“We know plant-based dining is influenced by a multitude of factorsin particular, by a need for nutritious, sustainable meal choices. So by using super-proteins like Quorn, we can give customers the perfect excuse to indulge in our mouth-watering range of burgers. Enabling them to go ‘all out’ in the knowledge that they’re eating low carbon, with better nutrition: all without compromising on flavour.”
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REBEL VEGAN Vegan delivery pop-up on Just Eat Rebel Vegan doesn’t serve boring food and its menu proves it. Packed with delicious options, it includes three chicken-less burgers, featuring Quorn’s Buttermilk fillet burger, with tasty dishes including the Nashville Hot ChiQin Burger with hot sauce and onion rings.
Great taste and flavour ingredientsQuality Goodbunquality said it should provide the same experience as a meat version said they were not bothered said it did not need to provide the same experience as a meat version
Chicken is a classic menu staple and diners increasingly expect meat free options – whether they’re following a meat free diet or not. As creators of the best meat free chicken on the market, Quorn continually invests in sensory and technical research, so it can keep on creating products with the best taste, flavour and texture.
THEY EXPECT QUALITY MEAT FREE OPTIONS
Launched 2021, ChiQin is an innovative chicken concept designed by Quorn for hospitality customers that provides delicious meat free options for casual dining. With indulgent options that include Quorn Buffalo Wings (ve), Quorn Southern Fried Wings (ve) and the Buttermilk Style Chicken Burger, the products have a loyal following, and are ideal for diners seeking comforting, messy, on trend builds.
Get in touch on foodservice@quornfoods.com meatchickenfree/plant-basedburger meatchickenfree/plant-basedwings
THEY LOVE A BURGER
free/plant-based meal choices:
Claire Roper, Head of Marketing & Innovation
TRENDING FLAVOURS AND FOODS
Looking for more plant-based inspiration based on current trends? We can work with you to create delicious sustainable menus.
Rebel Vegan
To meet this growing need for innovation and taste, progressive food operators are re-working consumer trends - like fried chicken - using meat free alternatives. Attracting consumers who want to enjoy the best of both worlds: guilt free and indulgent options.
The ‘top three’ meat But close behind... meat meat
“Quality is always crucial with any dish and everyingredient. Any vegan dish that we serve has to stand up in its own right against everything else we serve, otherwise customers won’t be interested.
What do they want from a meat free chicken burger? If ordering a meat free/plant-based chicken burger:
Creating delicious flavour combinations that we know diners love, with the added bonus of being vegan which not only bolsters the offering on our menu, but also helps to maintain our commitment to sustainable practice, along with our compostable packaging and cutlery. Amazing flavours, and taking responsibility is what it’s all about.”
We’ve seen an increased interest from customers in our vegan options and the taste is key.
QUORN LAUNCHES CHIQIN FOR CASUAL DINING
Steve Chatfield, Award winning chef lasagne and curry came a close second, with chicken burgers and wings not far behind. This indicates an appetite for greater variety, showing that meat free formats are merely limited by the imagination of food operator.
plant-basedfree/curry
“Always in high demand, chicken has been a staple in our trend reports - fried chicken, in particular. This trend soared during the pandemic as consumers increasingly looked for treats and indulgence. Buttermilk is high on menus as a flavour profile too, and was one of 2020’s top trends. Now that meat free innovation has started to extend to wings and tenders, and a range of flavoured and traditional burgers, consumers can look to these healthier, low-carbon alternatives to satisfy their meat free ‘no fowl’ cravings.”
plant-basedfree/burger meat plant-basedfree/lasagne
GIVE THEM A BURGER 7 Future Markets Insights (FMI)
committing to ethical working practices
Hawksmoor, Wahaca and Stem+Glory, are some of the first restaurants to embark on the journey with support from the SRA. Credible third-party certification is not simply desirable; it’s becoming essential. The Green Claims Code, introduced in Jan 2022, requires all environmental claims to be genuinely green: greenwash will no longer wash with consumers. So to ensure that their wider sustainability credentials are authentic and credible, operators should consider comprehensive certification such as the Food Made Good Sustainability Rating.
Net Zero Restaurant Protocol is an accessible affordable process for calculating emissions across the supply chain, devising a mitigation plan, compensating for emissions that are impossible to eliminate, and communicating news of your successful net zero journey to staff, stakeholders and customers.
CREDENTIALSSUSTAINABILITYPROMOTE
PLANT
Use frozen and pre-portioned food where possible to save on food waste. Instead of expanding your menu – and the number of ingredients in store, try re-spinning classic meat dishes using meat alternatives. Creating dishes with broader appeal, you’re encouraging meat eaters to make low carbon meal choices – reducing your restaurant’s carbon footprint as the year progresses.
STEPS
“On average, 18% of food purchased by hospitality businesses is wasted. Reducing this waste by just 30% could translate into savings of at least £6,000 per year. By feeding bellies and not bins, foodservice businesses can find the pennies and pounds to look after themselves.
RAISE AWARENESS OF LOW CARBON MEAL CHOICES
For small or medium sized foodservice businesses, achieving ‘net zero’ can feel like an intangible, unachievable concept. This means it can be tough, knowing how to satisfy the demands of the 48% of consumers who value restaurants trying to reduce their carbon footprint.
In the pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle and choice of restaurants for eating out: said a restaurant offering plant based/ meat free options would be important to citedthemtherestaurant having environmentally sustainable
These days, 69% of consumers are trying to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle. What’s more, 75% of diners want carbon footprint info on their menus8 By adding the carbon footprint of dishes onto your menu, you can satisfy diner demand, while at the same time showing your concern for the environment. This has the added bonus of diverting mealtime debates from ‘meat versus non-meat’ - into the wider context of sustainability and environmental impact. TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE
For operators keen to beat waste, WRAP’s Guardians of Grub Free skills course is an excellent way to give kitchen teams essential and practical tools, knowledge and skills to Target, Measure and Act.”
thatcitedpractices/valueschoosingarestaurantsourcesfoodlocally/British
With sourcing, the environment, packaging, waste management and waste reduction all key areas of interest highlighted, remember to promote all that your restaurant is doing to be more sustainable in these areas. Be sure to talk about what you’re doing through social media, PR and advertising as well as inside the restaurant on menus etc, giving you the opportunity to attract as well as retain customers long-term.
8 CGA Business Leaders Survey 2020 and CGA BrandTrack April 2020, Footprint 201914 15
REDUCE WASTE
RESTAURANT
When it comes to sustainable practices: of people polled said they value a restaurant demonstrating that it’s reducing its carbon footprint cited a restaurant using sustainable packaging cited a valuereducingrestaurantitswastearestaurant
REDUCING LOYALTYFOOTPRINTCARBONCANDRIVEANDFOOTFALL
BASED MENUS RESTAURANTDETERMINECHOICES
16 QUORN RESOURCES FOR FOOD OPERATORS Meat free menu inspiration www.quornfoodservice.co.uk/files/content/quorn-eating-out-look-book.pdf
Since 2010, The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) has been supporting
hospitality and foodservice to tackle the complex and urgent problems facing the food system while enabling diners to make more sustainable choices when eating out. We aim to accelerate change towards a sector that is socially progressive and environmentally restorative by connecting progressive people and businesses both in the UK and across the globe through our Food Made Good programme. www.thesra.org WHERE TO BUY It’s hard not to feel inspired by the versatility and endless menu possibilities that the Quorn Foodservice products provide. Wherever you are in the UK, delicious Quorn products are always in reach. Check out where you can buy Quorn from our supplier partner list. www.quornfoodservice.co.uk/where-to-buy WWW.QUORNFOODSERVICE.CO.UK
The Sustainable Restaurant Association
