Leaf Eaters have replaced Beefeaters this Veganuary to mark the launch of delivery platform Just Eat’s new partnership with Taste of London. The new partnership will see Leaf Eaters delivering some of the orders for vegan meals placed on the Just Eat delivery platform this coming weekend.
Despite the increasing popularity of veganism, with more people opting to ditch meat and dairy each year, new research from Just Eat has revealed that almost three quarters (73%) of Brits still cannot confidently define what being vegan means.
Of those who couldn’t correctly define the term veganism, one fifth (19%) confused the lifestyle choice with being vegetarian, while one in ten (12%) thought it was someone who doesn’t eat meat but does eat fish and vegetables, and astonishingly another 4% believed it to be someone who eats meat but not vegetables.
The insights also found that almost three quarters (73%) say they find the idea of being a vegan inaccessible, and four in ten (42%) people said they wouldn’t know how to cook vegan food. When asked how likely they would be to cook for a vegan friend, almost half (45%) admitted they would rather order a takeaway than cook a meal from scratch, with 19% saying they consider cooking vegan food daunting.
Other preconceived barriers to being vegan include fears of lack of variety (37%) and food being too expensive (17%). While 7% believe you need to be a good cook in order to be vegan, this is compounded by almost a third (29%) associating vegan food with unfamiliar ingredients, while one in five (19%) believe that vegan food is boring and plain.
Despite the barriers, veganism is clearly still a growing trend, with data from Just Eat showing an uplift of more than 85% in vegan orders placed on the platform in 2020, *. Unsurprisingly, Greggs’ iconic Vegan Sausage Roll is the most popular single vegan item available via the delivery platform, closely followed by the Original Recipe Vegan Burger, and another hit from Greggs with its Vegan Steak Bake.
In support of this, the new research from Just Eat showed that one third (32%) of Brits admitted they are more likely to consider becoming vegan or incorporating vegan foods into their diet in 2021 than they were in 2020. When asked why they would consider becoming vegan, more than half (56%) cited being healthier as the primary reason, followed closely by cutting down their meat consumption
(46%) and caring for the planet (43%).
The research also showed that while there’s appetite to eat at a vegan restaurant (34%), one in five (21%) people think there are not enough vegan options to choose from and the vegan options available are predominantly side dishes.
In light of these findings, which coincide with increasingly popular Veganuary, the Just Eat’s Leaf Eaters will be making deliveries on some of the vegan orders placed on the delivery platform on Friday 15th January.
As part of the newly launched Taste Delivered campaign, Just Eat & Taste of London have partnered with MOB Kitchen to provide vegan meals to help people get their vegan foodie fix during Veganuary. The offering will be live from 14th – 17th January, where customers can enjoy the likes of Tofu Katsu Curry or Plant-Based Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese amongst many more options.
Andrew Kenny UK MD for Just Eat commented: “We know lots of our customers are interested in incorporating more vegan options into their diet but they don’t know where to start – the wealth of incredible vegan options on our platform, including our MOB Kitchen pop up, will make it much easier for customers to engage with Veganuary this year.”
Cecile Rebbot, Senior Director, Taste of London comments: “We are excited to be partnering with Just Eat for the first time, bringing Taste of London’s beloved dishes to Just Eat customers.
We’re kicking off the campaign with MOB Kitchen and their vegan menu to cater to the increasing demand for tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes. We are delighted that chefs from Taste of London’s participating restaurants have embraced this trend, offering more vegetarian or vegan options as part of their menus at the festival and we continue to curate more plant-focused restaurants at our events.”
