The data showed that during 2022 (from January to November) 10% of all meals sold at the Sodexo client sites were vegetarian or vegan, compared to 8% during the same period in 2021. The highest proportion of vegetarian and vegan meals was in the East Midlands where the meals accounted for 21%.
The organisation continues to develop and expand plant-based meal options to enable its customers to make more sustainable food choices. Highest proportion of vegetarian and vegan meals analysed by sector:
- 17% health and care sector
- 13% corporate services
- 7% Government sites
- 5% school and universities
Claire Atkins-Morris, director of corporate responsibility at Sodexo, said: “Whether people are vegan, vegetarian, or just want to try something new, it's great to see that more and more customers are trying plant-based meals across our sites. This really demonstrates a shift in consumer awareness, a wider range of options and a marketplace responding.
“We are a proud supporter of Veganuary, and our community of chefs are encouraging more customers to try our plant-based meals by developing delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes that show the variety of meal options people have at our client sites. As part of our net zero commitment, we have set ourselves the goal of increasing the number of plant-based meals and recipes our clients choose from to 33% by 2025.”
Vegan options offered by Sodexo include lentil celeriac chestnut pie, potato mixed bean chilli, tofu summer tart, Southern Indian vegan chickpea curry, vegan mushroom burger, vegan chicken nuggets, aubergine masala and many more.
Toni Vernelli, head of communication & marketing at Veganuary, added: “We're delighted to see Sodexo reporting an increase in sales of vegan and vegetarian meals across their UK and Ireland client sites. Veganuary is here to support anyone who wants to try being vegan, but it makes our job a lot simpler when organisations like Sodexo are offering delicious, nutritious, and easily accessible options.”