Madre Brava’s review of NielsenQ retail data suggests British shoppers are shifting from meat-mimicking plant foods to staples: in the first half of 2026, dried beans, peas and lentils rose 16.7% year over year, while imitation products fell 4.3% by units.
The report also said unit sales of beans, pulses, tofu and tempeh rose 7.3% overall. Canned and jarred beans were up 6.4%. Unit sales of tofu rose 7.2%, tempeh 71.6%, vegetable- and pulse-based meat-free products 24.6%, and mycoprotein products such as Quorn 2.4%; meat-mimicking products fell 2.7% by value.
Madre Brava’s U.K. director Sara Ayech said the rebound showed consumers were choosing foods that suit their health, budgets and taste. The organization argues supermarkets and food brands should give more attention to whole-food proteins and simpler meat-free products, and presents the sales figures as support for that case.
