More than 40 of the UK’s leading meat-free brands have joined forces in a new coalition described as “unprecedented”.
Together, they will run a campaign claimed to be a world first, with the aim of driving penetration and unlocking growth in the meat-free category. Called Meat Free Made Easy!, the initiative will launch as a large-scale, test-and-learn activation in Q2 2025, running across Instagram, press, and influencer channels. A ‘go bigger’ launch is planned for Q4 2025, featuring in-store activations, promotions, and a wider cultural push to build new norms around meat-free eating.
The news comes after recent research by GFI Europe, Plant Futures, and HarrisX found that 51% of UK adults intend to either reduce their meat consumption or eat more plant-based foods. It revealed significant opportunities for meat-free brands — for example, most consumers currently choose meat and dairy out of habit, but new habits could be built through strategies such as repetition and nudges.
Furthermore, many UK adults are not yet fully aware of the health benefits of plant-based foods and do not know how to prepare them. Consequently, providing guidance in these areas and clearly communicating the benefits of meat-free products could help to drive adoption.
Creating behaviour change
The initial campaign phase will focus on contemplation, encouraging consumers to imagine trying something new and to see meat-free products as normal and flexible. It will target three attitudinal segments with high potential:
- Meat & Dairy Reducers (13%) – older consumers focused on weight loss.
- Plant-Based Increasers (18%) – younger, fitness-focused consumers seeking high protein and fibre.
- Balanced Lifestyle Seekers (20%) – midlife consumers aiming for health and variety.
“Behaviour change isn’t just about awareness, it’s about ease,” said behavioural scientist and author Richard Shotton. “Remove the friction, and you unlock mass behaviour.”
The brands
The organisations involved with Meat Free Made Easy! include:
- Better Nature
- Beyond Meat
- Biffs
- Bosh!
- Cauldron
- Clearspring
- Clive’s Purely Plants
- Crackd
- Explore Cuisine
- Fable
- Fry’s Family Foods
- Gosh!
- Juicy Marbles
- La Vie
- Linda McCartney Foods
- Meatless Farm
- Miami
- Moving Mountains
- No Meat Company
- One Planet Pizza
- Oumph!
- PACK’D
- Palace Culture
- Planted
- Quorn
- Shicken
- Squeaky Bean
- THIS
- Tiba Tempeh
- Tofoo Co
- Vadasz
- Veg’Chop
- The Vegetarian Butcher
- VFC
- Vivera
- Wildly Tasty
- 123V
- 14fort
- Compass Grou
- Mildreds
- Planet Organic
- Purezza
- Compleat Food Group
- Hain Celestial
- Livekindly Collective
- Natural Innovations
- Vegan Food Group
- Goose Events
- Veg Capital
- Meat Free Monday
- My Nutriweb
- Plant Based Health Professionals
- The Vegetarian Society.
“This is the first time the plant-based sector has come together at scale to actively drive category penetration through the power of collective action and coordination,” said Indy Kaur, CEO of Plant Futures. “This campaign is built around real insights, design thinking, and a systems change approach to inspire millions of people to shop the category.”
