• Flexitarian boom reshapes demand as growth shifts beyond meat substitutes

• Germany and Spain lead growth while UK stalls, highlighting differences in market performance

London 9 April 2026 –Plant-based food and drink is firmly established in Europe, but still has significant headroom for growth, according to new insights from Circana unveiled at the Plant FWD conference in Amsterdam today.

The plant-based food and drink category is now worth €16.3bn across Circana’s largest European markets (EU6 – UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Netherlands), growing +5.1% year-on-year, from 2024 to 2025, yet still represents just 2.4% of total food and drinks sales, underlining a clear gap between consumer interest and true market scale.

Growth is increasingly being driven by everyday consumption rather than niche alternatives. Nuts and seeds account for 45% of plant-based value sales, followed by dairy alternatives (21%) and ready-to-eat meals (15%), while meat and seafood alternatives represent just 4% of the category.1

This shift reflects changing consumer behaviour, with plant-based foods and beverages moving away from substitution and towards integration into daily diets.

Flexitarian consumers drive mainstream adoption

Demand is being driven by everyday shoppers, not just historical consumers of plant-based products. Only around 11% of Europeans identify as vegan or vegetarian but identifying as flexitarian has grown to 31% in 2024, up from 21% in 2023, making it the key force behind the category’s growth.2

At the same time, plant-based products are outperforming animal-based equivalents on volume growth in key segments such as dairy and ready meals, despite ongoing price gaps.

Growth across Europe is mixed, with some markets performing strongly while others are falling behind.

Germany is leading growth, with value sales up +7.2% and volume rising +4.2% year-on-year, while Spain is also accelerating with +7.5% value growth. In contrast, the UK, one of the largest markets at €4.5bn, is showing stagnation, with volume declining by -0.7%.

This divergence highlights the growing importance of execution, pricing and relevance in driving category performance.

Health, functionality and value shaping the next phase

The next phase of plant-based product growth will be driven by what consumers expect from their food. Health, nutrition and value are now front of mind.

Shoppers are looking for more than just meat alternatives. They want meat-alternative products that deliver real benefits, such as protein, energy and gut health. At the same time, trends like GLP-1 medicines are encouraging smaller, more nutrient-dense meals, reshaping how and what people eat.

Despite these consumer preference changes, price differences between plant-based proteins on one hand and animal-based products on the other remain a key barrier, reinforcing the need for greater affordability to unlock broader adoption.

Industry must move beyond imitation to unlock scale

Circana’s analysis highlights that the plant-based food and beverage category is at a critical inflection point, where future growth will depend on how well brands and retailers respond to changing consumer needs.

Presenting the keynote address at this year’s Plant FWD conference, Ananda Roy, SVP Global Thought Leadership and Consumer Goods Advisor, Europe at Circana, said: “Plant-based food and drinks have reached a pivotal moment. The foundations for growth are firmly in place, but the next phase will not be driven by hype or novelty. It will be driven by how effectively the industry delivers products that fit into everyday consumer behaviour.

“We are seeing a clear shift away from niche, imitation-led innovation towards more natural, functional and accessible products. The winners will be those who can close the gap between taste, nutrition and price, and integrate plant-based seamlessly into everyday consumption occasions.”

Implications for retailers and manufacturers

To unlock the next phase of growth of plant-based food and drink products, Circana highlights several priorities for FMCG retailers and manufacturers:

• Focus on taste-led innovation that drives repeat purchase

• Improve price competitiveness to expand mainstream adoption

• Deliver clear, credible nutritional and functional benefits

• Expand beyond substitutes into broader plant-based alternatives that stand on their own 

• Integrate ‘plant-based’ into core category strategies rather than isolating it

With flexitarian consumers now leading demand, and growth becoming more uneven across markets, the plant-based category is entering a new, more competitive phase.

For retailers and manufacturers, the challenge is no longer about building awareness, but about turning interest into habit.

Information from Circana’s ‘European market update – Growth FWD: Solving the plant-based growth paradox’

[1] Source: Circana POS data from EU6 (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and Netherlands). Full Year 2025

[2] Source: Circana Foodservice Sentiment Study W11 in BIG 5 (Jan 2025)

About Plant FWD

Plant FWD 2026 takes place on April 8–9 at Midden Nederland Hallen in Barneveld, bringing together more than 1,000 professionals from across the alternative protein and wider food industry. The event will feature over 40 speakers including CEOs, founders, policymakers and scientists, alongside networking opportunities, start-up showcases and product tastings. New content tracks will explore key trends such as balanced proteins, organic and novel foods, reflecting the event’s ambition to drive innovation and shape the future of food.

About Circana

Circana is a leader in providing technology, AI, and data to fast-moving consumer packaged goods companies, durables manufacturers, and retailers seeking to optimize their businesses. Circana’s predictive analytics and technology empower clients to measure their market share, understand the underlying consumer behavior driving it, and accelerate their growth. Circana’s Liquid Data^TM technology platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality data set, and intelligent algorithms trained on six decades of domain expertise. With Circana, clients can take immediate action to future-proof and evolve their growth strategies amid an increasingly complex, fast-paced, and ever-changing economy.   

Learn more at https://www.circana.com/.

Media contact

Marcus Edgar

Associate, Eureka Communications

e. marcus@eurekacomms.co.uk

m: +44 (0)7810 876 077