Think Veganuary is a one-month fad with no lasting impact?

• An 86% to 113% increase in the uptake of plant-based meals during the Veganuary campaign which ran January to March.
• A 23% to 79% increase in the uptake of vegetarian meals
• Approximately one third of the initial rise in sales of vegan meals over a two-year period 2020 and 2021 lasted until the end of the year.

A study by the UK’s largest workplace restaurant group, Compass Business & Industry and Kantar Public, is changing the way experts think about Veganuary.

The annual not-for-profit campaign, which aims to promote consumption of plant-based foods and flexitarian diets, has been around since 2014.

The campaign has certainly grown over 10 years - and aims to have 10 million participants by 2027. But until now, no major research has been done to analyse whether the impact of Veganuary can still be felt the following December.

Now Eurest has undertaken a study which sought to answer the question.

It analysed sales data from 36 workplace restaurants run by Eurest (part of Compass Group UK & Ireland), which has organised an annual Veganuary campaign in each of those sites since 2019, supported by promotional material. During these campaigns the availability of plant-based meals was also increased.

It looked at:

• Sales data for the period of 2016-2022
• A total of 2,255,404 meals and 1,838 products.

Analysis was conducted using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models to estimate the effects of annual promotional activity on consumption.

The results showed:

• An increase in uptake of plant-based meals during the Veganuary campaign period of between 86% and 113% (compared to modelled baseline if the campaign had not run), when it came to the proportion of total weekly sales. And from 23% to 79% for vegetarian meals.
• There was then a gradual drop in the ensuing months.
• But positive impacts on sales of vegan meals were still around one third of the initial rise by the end of the year in 2020 and 2021.
• The study focused solely on workplace restaurants and contract catering. But Rees Bramwell, Head of Nutrition and Sustainability at Eurest, believes the results could have a wider impact.

He said: “These results are important because they indicate that Veganuary, and increasing the availability of plant-based options, can nudge people’s behaviour way beyond January.

“As far as we are aware it is the first study to look at both the immediate and long-term effects of such a campaign in a workplace restaurant setting, and the findings are important for how we tackle health and sustainability in the future.

“It could have a big impact on the tactics used by businesses, charities and even government campaigns in future as we look to meet Net Zero goals and improve public health.

“They show quite clearly that people can be ‘nudged’ into new behaviour by a campaign such as Veganuary, especially when supported by promotional material.”

It is estimated that approximately 60% of food-related greenhouse gases are a direct result of meat-based product production. So, choosing a plant-based menu will have benefits for the planet as well as for health.

52% of Eurest workplace menus are now plant-based, with a goal to reach 60% by the end of 2024.

This trial was one of five behavioural trials that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) conducted with Kantar Public to understand what interventions can change behaviour in the areas of food safety and food choices.

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Editors notes

Part of the Compass Group global network, Eurest is the leading provider of foodservices in the UK, serving more than three million customers per day. It has been at the forefront of innovation in the industry for 50 years.

Seasonal menus and fresh British ingredients are key to Eurest’s offering, taking a new approach to workplace catering that supports workers across the UK to live happier, more productive lives.

Eurest places an emphasis on wellbeing, engagement, and productivity, priding itself on creating contemporary foodservice solutions, from the tearoom to the board room and everything in between.

A creative focus on responsibility, for instance by supporting local food supply chains, minimising food waste, or giving back to communities through charities, sets Eurest apart.

Employers can expect Eurest to bring exceptional culinary creativity and flair, as well as style and hospitality to inhouse restaurants, cafés and executive dining rooms operating across business and industry.