Eleven per cent of more than 2.7 million meals sold across 285 Sodexo UK and Ireland client sites in 2023 were vegan or vegetarian according to an analysis of EPOS data, representing an incremental increase of 10 per cent since 2022.
According to the company, a diverse range of meat-free meal options – including Southern Indian Chickpea Curry, Potato and Cauliflower Masala and Japanese Teriyaki Tofu – have been instrumental in driving this growth which aligns with the group's social impact pledge and a commitment to increase the take-up of sustainable meals by offering more plant-based meal options, and is a key action lever as part of its decarbonisation journey to net zero.
The research shows consumers in the East Midlands chose meat-free dishes more frequently than in any other region, accounting for 19% of all meals sold compared to 18% in the North West, 16% in Ireland, 15% in London, 13% in Wales and 11% in Scotland.
Claire Atkins Morris, Director of Sustainability at Sodexo UK and Ireland, says: “The increasing preference for meat-free options among our customers is a testament to both the shift in consumer awareness and to the work done by our talented chefs to reformulate menus and create new delicious plant-forward and plant-based recipes.
“With a wide array of tasty and nutritious options available across our client sites, it is important that our consumers are able to make well-informed decisions about the food they eat.
“We have committed to featuring 33% plant-based meals on our menus by 2025, as we respond to evolving preferences and navigate towards Net Zero 2040.”
Toni Vernelli, Head of Communication & Marketing at Veganuary, adds: “We are delighted to see an upward trend in Sodexo’s meat-free meal sales again.
Offering tasty and accessible options is crucial in encouraging more individuals to consider plant-based choices.”
The increasing preference for meat-free options among our customers is a testament to both the shift in consumer awareness and to the work done by our talented chefs to reformulate menus and create new delicious plant-forward and plant-based recipes.
Sodexo’s commitment to providing plant-based and plant-forward meal choices extends beyond its own menus.
Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation has also played a pivotal role in supporting Made In Hackney’s mission to provide free and nutritious vegan meals to over 300 beneficiaries weekly since the inception of the partnership in 2021.
Sarah Bentley, Made In Hackney founder, says: “The Stop Hunger Foundation has provided critical support to our community meal service and cookery classes helping us tackle food insecurity for hundreds of households with nutritious, diverse, planet friendly meals.
"Evolving the nation's eating habits to more plant-centred eating is a crucial tool in the fight against the climate crisis and spiraling lifestyle related health diseases.
It is inspiring to work with TSHF and Sodexo as they see the interconnectedness of all these issues and how plant-based food can play a central role in tackling them all."
In 2023, a three-year core costs grant of £50,000 was awarded, empowering the charity to enhance food security, offer life skills training, and reduce social isolation through volunteer engagement.
