*Updated 2/2 to remove Starbucks Chilled Classics Multiserve which is not vegan*
The Product of the Year, the largest consumer survey of product innovation in the UK, has revealed the winners of its 2023 awards, with 17 vegan products chosen by consumers across multiple categories.
According to organisers, this year, nearly a fifth of consumers said plant-based was the most important factor when buying or trying a new product and plant-based products made the “greatest imprint” across multiple categories, ranging from big brands to startups.
Consumer led
The annual Product of the Year Awards is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation and serves as a benchmark for predicting top interests and trends in the year ahead. In its 19th edition this year, 8,000 adult UK consumers voted to select the winners in each category in a survey conducted by Kantar.
We offer you a list of the vegan products awarded with the iconic red product of the year logo by categories:
- Egg Substitute: Crack’d The No Egg Egg, Noble Foods
- Plant-Based Meals: Birds Eye Green Cuisine Battered Fishless Fillets, Nomad Foods
- Plant-Based Chicken: Shicken Tikka Kebab Skewers, Shicken / Plant Alternative
- Vegetarian: Ben’s Original Plant Powered, Mars Foods UK
- Plant-Based Burger: Heinz Beanz Burgerz, Kraft Heinz (Original & Texan flavours are vegan)
- Sauce & Seasoning: Heinz Pasta Sauces, Kraft Heinz (Tomato, Grana Padano & Mascarpone not vegan)
- Dried Fruit Snacks: Whitworths Fusions, Whitworths
- Sweets: Mentos Fanta, Perfetti Van Melle UK
- Beer & Cider: Stella Artois Unfiltered Lager
- Pre-Mixed Spirits: White Claw Hard Seltzer Mango, Mark Anthony Brands UK (company states products are vegan)
- CBD Oils: TRIP CBD Oil, TRIP Drinks
- CBD Infusions: TRIP CBD Drinks, TRIP Drinks
- CBD Gummies: Starpowa CBD Premium Gummies, Starpowa
- Hybrid Mattress: Emma Premium Mattress, Emma Sleep
- Bed: Simba Sleep Orion Bed Base, Simba Sleep
Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes
Plant–based food is becoming increasingly popular as people seek more sustainable, health–conscious alternatives to animal–based products. Newly emerging brands such as TRIP and Shicken continue to launch NPDs in a challenging market, while larger, established producers like Heinz and Bird’s Eye are bringing plant-based foods to the mainstream.
Helga Slater, MD, Product of the Year, said: “Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes, and in what has been another challenging year for everyone, we have seen brands big and small step up and stand out for some truly exceptional products.
“From the small, incremental improvements made by established brands to those breaking new ground, we are happy to once again be able to shine a light on the very best product innovation, and we are thrilled for all the winners.”
