Our changing eating habits – plant-based and free from.

Our changing

eating habits

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are now in greater, established demand, also enabling operators to be inclusive when it comes to the dietary requirements of their customers.

RECENT FINDINGS

In May this year, market researchers, Toluna, asked 1,160 adults aged 18+ in the UK about their food choices and preferences to understand the latest diet trends in the UK and nd out if our dietary preferences have changed.

Nearly half of those surveyed (49%) said they want to consume food and drink products that are healthier, plant-based, and more sustainable, they discovered, with the biggest trend being a reduction in meat-based food products (50% of people surveyed either starting or continuing to reduce their meat intake).

Based on those surveyed, people want plant-based foods which taste like the nonplant-based versions. This is most true for things like steak, cakes, cheese, egg, sh, and chocolate, they found out. Over half of people (58%) said they nd a healthy snack ‘appealing or very appealing’ as a daily treat.

Food and drink brings us joy, with avours creating excitement, they also con rmed. Over half (57%) of respondents said that they treat themselves to food or drink they enjoy to improve their mood or simply to indulge. Exciting avours and textures take our food and drink consumption to a higher, more emotionally charged level that’s strongly linked with our overall well-being.

Veganism and vegetarianism are rising, while meat-based diets are now less popular, they discovered. 7% (or one in 14) respondents said they are planning to continue or go vegan, while 12% say the same for vegetarianism. The proportion of people who say they’re meat-eaters has reduced from 83% to 78% since 2019. Just over threequarters of consumers (76%) have bought a plant-based alternative food, a 12% increase since 2021, their survey revealed.

Over half (57%) of those surveyed feel that plant-based products are healthy. However, 10% said that plant-based foods are unhealthy. A variety of reasons were cited, with some saying plant-based products are highly processed, lack relevant nutrients, or include a high number of additives. The remaining third (33%) of consumers were unsure - leaving room for opportunistic health food and drink brands to create relevant communications that clear up any misconceptions, feel Toluna. Consumers were also asked how likely it was that they would serve plant-based

A premium white gluten free pizza flour that is versatile. A popular choice for pizza bases, it can also be used as a wheat flour substitute for bread, cakes, pastries, and pancakes!

Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Clean Label • Vegan

Eurostar Commodities is the first UK

manufacturer to create, and bring to market a range of gluten free, clean label, chapati and tortilla flours. This is a breakthrough product that has enabled people who have gone without bread for years to have the freedom to eat what they want. Recognising the increasing need for high quality gluten free food products, Eurostar Commodities has invested significantly in a new Yorkshire manufacturing facility allowing production of gluten free flours in a safe and allergen free environment.

Contact our sales team for all enquiries.

New plant-based pizza

Available to purchase from £4.74 and hitting Ocado in May, then Waitrose shelves this month, the new Crosta & Mollica Vegana Pizza provides an all-natural plant-based alternative for an Italian feast, containing no fake meats or cheeses, say the company (the new pizza can also be purchased Pizzetta-style, o ering two smaller-sized portions per pack for a lighter meal).

Continuing to capitalise on the growing UK market for Italian food, Crosta & Mollica says that it is aiming to provide an authentic alternative for modern plant-based tastes whilst staying true to their roots in Italian cuisine.

The Vegana Pizza features the Crosta & Mollica signature sourdough base, crafted in traditional Neapolitan style, proved for 24 hours before being red in a wood oven, on lava stone from Mount Etna in Sicily. The base is then covered with a tomato and caramelised balsamic onion sauce to provide sweetness, and hand-topped with IGP Tropea red onions, grilled mushrooms and broccolini. The pizza is also topped with a creamy chickpea sauce, with rosemary, sea salt and olive oil, and taking inspiration from the Ligurian chickpea pancake, Farinata.

Crosta & Mollica’s story began in the Italian countryside when their founder, James, was working for a company that imported Italian food and as he travelled from region to region – meeting farmers, their families and their workers – and saw how much love and e ort Italians put into crafting their food. More than that, he says he experienced the e ortless, unhurried joy that followed when they sat down to enjoy it together and so inspired by what he found, Crosta & Mollica was born.

Eleven years later, the company say that they are still busily criss-crossing Italy in search of authentic, artisanal, regional Italian specialities that deserve to be in the kitchens and on the tables of food-lovers everywhere.

products to their family or friends. Interestingly, a surprising amount of meateaters, 33%, said they would. Why? They believe it is healthier and that some of the dishes can taste similar to meat-based products.

Magda Jablkowska-Citko, research director at Toluna, commented: “With healthier, plant-based food and drink products an increasingly popular choice among consumers, there’s a clear opportunity for food and drink brands to be more innovative with the products they’re o ering to consumers in order to make them switch brands and try a new alternative.

“Diet trends in the UK are continuing to evolve, and now is the time for food and drink brands to capitalise on the opportunities this presents to provide products tailored to consumer preferences. Those brands that can appeal to consumers’ curiosities with more variety, avours, and even textures, are likely to experience the most success.”

INCLUSIVE

A recent report from Mintel (UK Menu Trends Market Report 2022) has examined future market and menu trends, with Trish Caddy, senior foodservice analyst at Mintel revealing: “The proportion of exitarians continues to rise annually, with one in three meat eaters having reduced/limited meat consumption. Fuelled by greater awareness of the bene ts of eating less meat, and the current yearning for variety in their diets, the latest phase of vegetarianism is also underway, and therefore one in four consumers are currently eating more dairy products than they were 12 months ago. This should prompt foodservice operators to strike a balance between vegan and vegetarian options, rather than pushing vegetarian dishes o menus.”

The same report also identi es that ‘lower prices would encourage 16-24 year olds to eat more plant-based fast food meals, as Generation Z’ers lead the charge for more a ordable and sustainable meal solutions. As they also have an innate taste for crispy foods (for example, deep fried foods), brands that o er lowcost plant-based fast foods will continue to appeal under-25s.’

As more consumers experience allergies and intolerances to certain food

items, the rate of NPD around the free-from market has expanded considerably too. According to data from Mordor Intelligence (UK Gluten Free Foods & Beverages Market – Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, And Forecasts 20222027), bakery products make up the largest category of ‘most bought gluten free foods in the UK during 2020’, the report revealing that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK gluten-free market did not see signi cant losses, but after the pandemic, demand for gluten-free goods soared, and attributed to an increase in health awareness post pandemic.

“Our continued drive to produce the nest quality and

Pan’Artisan gluten free base 10” nished pizza.

most authentic bakery items for the foodservice sector results in endorsement from discerning chefs and operators, along with their continued and growing custom. It’s important to us to provide the same great quality products and menu inclusivity for our gluten free consumers,” says Charlotte Perkins, trade marketing manager of Pan’Artisan Ltd.

“We developed our range of gluten free dough pucks and pizza bases using premium quality ingredients, including rice our, to ensure an equally delicious taste, texture and quality is o ered; the perception that gluten free products are inferior need not be the case, positive feedback from our customers supports this.

“As extra care must be taken in the production process to eliminate any possibility of contamination, it may not be easy or possible for some operations to generate their own gluten-free products. Provision of pre-made glutenfree dough products o er operators and chefs greater convenience and accessibility to these bakery items, enabling a simple solution to the inclusion of gluten-free products on their menus.”

Pan’Artisan’s 240g dough pucks supplied frozen and ready to prove (thaw overnight in a fridge, then prove at room temperature for two hours before rolling to the desired shape and size and topping if needed). Before baking on a pan, remember to use rice our for rolling and a designated gluten-free and, if necessary, vegan pan, the company point out.

ITALIAN SALT

Fine Sea Salt Coarse Sea Salt

This salt is washed and dried by the method of natural evaporation.

100% Italian from the Adriatic Sea.

www.casajulia.co.uk | info@casajulia.co.uk 01376 320 269

ap ALPHIN PANS Serving the Pizza Professional Since 1989

SIDE ORDER COOKING TRAYS ROMAN STYLE “PIZZA BY THE SLICE” DOUGH CUTTERS

Please contact us on 01457 872486 or visit our website: www.alphin.co.uk to see what we can do for you.

Alphin Pans Ltd Oakdale Mill, Delph New Road Delph, Oldham, OL3 5BY Telephone: 01457 872486 Email: sales@alphin.co.uk Fax: 01457 820868