The year began so optimistically. Veganuary was hailed a triumph with record numbers signing up all over the world – only the Vatican City and North Korea were missing from the list of countries where people committed to a meat-free start to the year.
Pope Francis famously loves a steak, so that was chalked up to a win. It was to be the year when our eating habits would shift, driven by a cost-of-living crisis that was sending meat and dairy prices soaring, coupled with a pressure to eat with one eye on the planet. By March, the plant-based picture was looking altogether less rosy.
First, Nestlé announced it was withdrawing its vegan ranges Garden Gourmet and Wunda from sale in the UK, saying the products were simply “not viable”. In May, it was the turn of British sausage company Heck, which announced it was reducing its range of meat-free products, citing a lack of consumer appetite.
